You don’t need to show that you didn’t get hit just to win a fight (as Ortiz nearly ended it all with that triangle choke). You have to remember that kicks carry a different range than punches. I’m interested to see the CompuStrike stats for this fight because the stats for the Sokoudjou fight were pretty low. Machida threw 3 punches in round 1 and none in round 2. He threw a total of 14 leg kicks. His fight with Nakamura stated more strikes were thrown overall, but again most were on the ground.

Again, he’s a fighter and he wins, but it’s only going to take him so far in MMA. There’s politics, bullshit, and favoritism for the fighters who bring in the excitement and the money – the entertainment aspect.

Hmmm . . . did you see Tito’s fight against Wanderlei? That’s running. Or how about Tito against Chuck. If anything else, let’s talk about Chuck. Rampage was a little frustrated with Chuck’s defensive-counter punching-lateral movement. Well that was until Chuck reached in for a body shot too early in the 1st round and got caught.

Let’s not fault a fighter for not having enough KO power. Either way, I wonder how Tito got those cuts on his face? I can easily see how Machida polarizes his UFC fans. I only saw the fight once but, do you remember any offense from Tito? At all? I would figure a stronger cardio guy like Tito should be able to rush in and do something? No, he did get thrown around like a rag-doll. And what happened to Soukoujou’s highly touted judo? It got nullified.

Many boxing fans don’t like Mayweather Jr.’s style and they didn’t Pernell Whitaker’s style . . . because they rarely engaged in all out brawls. While all-out brawls are great for fans, the damage done to the athlete can really impact their careers down the road. Mayweather gives maximum damage but he also does not have pure KO power. And hey, while I’m a Mayweather fan because of his style and skills . . . I can’t wait for someone to stop him in the ring. Not by decision. It would also be cool to see someone really put Machida in a difficult position where’s he’s force to unleash more of his arsenal.

Muhammad Ali did a little bit of both. Stick and move, bob and weave, jab and get out. He also went toe to toe, again and again.

BJ Penn’s striking was PURE BEAUTY!! He’s in a totally different class. He jabbed and quickly got out Sherk’s range. Sherk didn’t have enough time to land a decent shot. Great!

Machida vs Evans will definitely become a snooze-fest because Evans really doesn’t engage. He’s tries to be technical but doesn’t have what it takes to do anything when he has an opponent on the ground.

In the end, let’s see what happens when a fighter beats Machida. Next up . . . Thiago Silva vs. Lyoto Machida.

kalib Starnes? where is fighting again? Good comparison because if Machida keeps using this strategy he is only riding his time.

I also don’t think he outclassed Tito. He hd a gameplan, boring but usefull. He did win and I commend his use of the referees to achieve a decision, but you can’t say you enjoyed that fight…can you?

Throw in Rampage, Liddell, Wand, and Griffin in any combination and you have the makings of an exciting fight…

How about Machida vs Evans for a battle of boredom?

Machida will make a solid fighter and possible champ in a second tier organization.

Sure, it’s more emotionally electrifying to see Wandy and Jardine stand in front of each other and just bang until somebody falls, but…Machida is technically the best fighter in MMA…why? Because nobody can hurt him, and he’s hurt everybody he’s been up against.

Yes, he has no real power (I think his only KO was when he put Rich Franklin to sleep), but…have you ever seen the face of his opponents after a fight? Every single one of them ends up with bruises, always.

Calling Machida boring or saying he runs just shows a lack of understanding of what fighting is all about, IMNSHO.