Maybe its just me, but its less than a week away and I don't feel like this VERY important rematch is getting the hype, press, publicity or coverage that it warrants and so justly deserves. I honestly think the Machida/Rua rematch is one of the most important MMA fights to come along in a LONG time!
Here's the reasons why this fight is so important:
•From a technical standpoint, this fight is the quintessential example of what mixed martial arts is all about. Both Lyoto Machida and Shogun Rua are extremely well rounded martial artists. Rarely, if ever, will you see two MMA fighters competing against each other where both combatants are as skilled as these two are in all aspects of fighting. Both are equally adept in the striking, wrestling and submission games. Arguments can be made to support either fighter as being superior in certain disciplines, but the gaps are so minimal that its not even worth the effort. Without a doubt, Lyoto and Shogun are two of the most feared strikers in the LHW division. Actually, they're two of the most feared strikers in the entire sport, the entire world for that matter. While striking is where they have shown most of their dominance over the years, either fighter can just as easily take you down and submit you, or ground and pound your dome in. And quickly, I might add! These guys are "equal-opportunity" fighting machines who can seamlessly adjust to any situation. We're talking serious, serious talent here. As Joe Rogan would say, "top of the food chain" skillsets. Even that sentence might be an understatement. These guys are THAT good! Aside from the difference in their base disciplines, the parallels between them are abundant.
•From a philosophical standpoint, what motivates these two fighters is also very similar. Shogun and Lyoto didn't get into the fight game to hurt their opponents, or to beat people up. They probably didn't even think they could make a living being a pro MMA fighter when they initially started out. They started fighting for the love of competition and for the love of the essence of martial arts. That mentality continues to this day. While hurting your opponent is an unfortunate byproduct of MMA, or any combat sport for that matter, that isn't what drives fighters like Machida and Rua. Their motivation is all about competing, winning and testing themselves. Its those base desires that drive all the best sportsmen that have ever lived. That's not to say they don't have 'killer" instincts, because their careers have more than proven that they do. The difference is, they can display that instinct in a respectful way, riding that fine line between the ultra-violent and the unbridled love of martial arts competition. You will never hear Lyoto or Shogun hype a fight by saying how they are going to "kill" or "destroy" their opponent. They both would rather just speak of winning and showing who has the superior skills. They are a different breed. In a nutshell, they are TRUE martial artists, through and through.
•Most MMA match-ups pit fighters who are both good at the same aspect of fighting, or fighters who have polar opposite skillsets. This match-up is about 2 of the most well rounded fighters on the planet, settling an unfinished score. From how incredibly close and competitive their first fight was, its obvious how evenly matched these guys are. This fight can go in any and all directions. It epitomizes true mixed martial arts and should really be looked at as a showcase fight for the sport. If you were ever trying to turn someone on to the sport, who has never seen an MMA fight before, this is undoubtedly the fight to make them watch. This match-up is guaranteed to represent the sport of MMA in its best possible light, both technically and philosophically.
•This fight is also important in regards to how MMA fights are judged. As most of you know, the judging in the first fight received widespread criticism. I personally had Machida winning the fight, by the slimmest of margins, but I was definitely in the minority there. Detailed specifics of how MMA fights should be judged, and potential changes that could/should be made, requires much more than this paragraph can elaborate on. That topic really needs to be its own discussion. That said, the first fight was as close as a fight can be. While Machida got the nod, a draw might have been the proper decision. It was THAT close of a fight! Hence the immediate and justified rematch. The reason I leaned towards Machida in the first fight is because, points aside, Shogun never had Lyoto in any danger and never hurt him. In contrast, Lyoto did hurt Shogun on a few occasions, most significantly at the end of the third round. Had the bell not sounded, I believe Machida would have finished the fight shortly thereafter. That doesn't really matter now, or then, but it does say something about who was closest to potentially finishing the fight. Shogun was never remotely close to ending that fight. A strong argument can be made for judging fights as a whole, like they did in the now defunct Pride, as opposed to the round by round, "10 point must" system currently being used. That system comes from boxing and obviously doesn't work. We've seen way too many horrible decisions over the years using that system of judging. Mixed martial arts is NOT boxing. True, they are both combat sports, but they couldn't be more different, especially from a judging perspective. While I am a big proponent of leg kicks, and Shogun definitely landed many in the first fight, he never had Lyoto reeling from them. They might have slowed him down a bit, but there is a HUGE difference between what Shogun's low kicks did to Lyoto and what Jose Aldo's did to Urijah Faber at WEC 48. For more on the history of leg kicks in MMA, go HERE.
•Believe it or not, there is an effective style of striking in MMA besides muay thai. As Machida has so aptly shown over the course of his career, that style is karate. While karate was been the base striking art for a number of MMA fighters over the years, no one has shown that as emphatically as Machida has. And no one has flown the flag of karate more proudly than Machida. While he is also a student of multiple other arts including Brazilian jiu-jitsu, judo, sumo and the aforementioned muay thai, Machida is undoubtedly primarily a karateka (a student of karate). The Machida family is to karate as the Gracie family is to Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Its not a question of which art is better between karate and muay thai, its more just a statement that there are highly effective stand-up fighting styles outside of muay thai. There's no disputing that muay thai is a fantastic, proven striking art, but it isn't the ONLY style that can excel in the confines of mixed martial arts combat. Shogun proudly represents muay thai at its optimum level and its an absolute pleasure to watch him display his art. While this fight isn't a "karate vs muay thai" battle, we will get to see two very different styles of striking, going head to head and bone to bone, literally.
•Machida and his family have put TMA (traditional martial arts) back in MMA. Its important for fans of the sport, especially young fans, to see that traditional martial arts has a place in the MMA spectrum. Along with Machida, both Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre have exhibited actions showcasing their traditional martial arts backgrounds. It could be as simple as bowing to your opponent or bowing to the "four corners of the place of the way", but it says a lot. GSP proudly wears his karate gi and blackbelt to and from the cage in every fight. Machida does the same. It shows the world that the sport isn't just a bunch of thugged out, knucklehead punks who have no respect for each other. Anderson, GSP and Lyoto are in the Top 5 on most P4P lists and they are also proud traditional martial artists, as well as being immensely talented and successful mixed martial artists. While Shogun doesn't outwardly show his TMA background like the aforementioned fighters, he is also a very respectful, traditionally trained fighter who deserves to be in the same class as they are. This is important for the longevity and further mainstream acceptance of the sport!
•There are great stories in either fighter winning this rematch. If Lyoto wins, his same story continues. He will remain the undefeated karateka; the living, breathing, modern day version of the original dragon, Bruce Lee. He'll still be the mysterious, unorthodox fighter who excels in the sport by relying on the tried and true, centuries old teachings of his father. If Shogun wins, it will represent a complete return from the knee problems that have plagued him in his post-Pride career. His loss to Forrest Griffin and his lackluster performance against an over the hill Mark Coleman were never fights that in any way represented the real Shogun Rua. In my eyes, he has always been one of the very best fighters on the planet. Those two fights were like watching an impostor in the cage. Its a shame that that was the first time many MMA and UFC fans ever saw Shogun fight. They didn't see the real Shogun, the healthy Shogun; the Shogun that fought in Pride, and the fighter that took Machida to his absolute limits back in October of last year.
Regardless of the outcome of this very important fight, as fans of the sport of MMA, we are getting a special opportunity to see the sport on display at its absolute best. And we are getting to see two of the greatest ambassadors of the sport compete in the primes of their respective, impressive careers. Aside from the GSP/BJ Penn fights, you would be hard pressed to name any other fights that brought such a high level of talent and integrity into the cage at one time.
Barring another close, controversial decision, the world of MMA will be in a very special place on the evening of May 8th, 2010.
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