Mark Muñoz faces Lyoto Machida in UFC Fight Night on Oct 26th

In a sudden twist of fate, the Philippines’ pride Mark Muñoz is now staring at a familiar opponent, whose style is unfamiliar to him.

But no worries at all, as the full-blooded Filipino fighter quickly made an adjustment in his training and put himself back in the thick of preparations for a fight that would line himself up for a crack at the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight title.

“I had to switch up my training camp and get ready for a karate guy. It’s two totally different fighters and two totally different styles,” said Muñoz in a posted video at his Facebook account, referring to his opponent, Japanese/Brazilian Lyoto Machida for the UFC Fight Night on Oct. 26 in Manchester, England.

“But we’re doing a good job. I feel it’s sufficient. And I’m going into this fight feeling very prepared,” he added.

Muñoz, a former US college wrestling star, is feared for his devastating ground-and-pound game that earned him the moniker “The Filipino Wrecking Machine.”

But he is quick to admit that “Machida is a challenge for any fighter. He is hard to mimic.”

Muñoz was supposed to fight English trash-talker Michael Bisping, who aggravated his eye injury. Bisping underwent surgery and might be out for four to six months. This happened less than four weeks coming into the fight.

“The change in opponent was so sudden, it happened in a blink of an eye. Bisping got hurt, then all of a sudden Lyoto Machida steps in,” said Muñoz, who is fighting someone so close to him, a sparmate and a friend.

“We were rolling and planning on sparring together three for four days a week, but that’s the business. We promised each other that the winner is going to buy dinner after.”

Both will also have cornermen coming from the same camp. Ryron Gracie will work at Muñoz’s corner and brother Rener Gracie will be for Machida.

“We’re going to put 25 minutes aside.  It’s not personal, it’s just business,” Muñoz said.

On the training mat, it’s business as usual for Muñoz, who drew praises from his strength and conditioning coach Todd Norman of Cutting Edge Sports Performance  “Mark’s got an incredible work ethic. He’s one of those athletes that’s just going to give it his all every single day. Every workout he doesn’t take anything for granted. You can’t push him hard enough.”

Muñoz, who has 13-3 fight record and coming off a win over Tim Boetsche at UFC 162,  is using the fight as a stepladder to a possible crack at the world title currently held by American wrestler Chris Weidmann, who recently defeated champion Anderson Silva.

Machida, former lightheayweight king, decided to drop to middleweight after losing by unanimous decision to Phil Davis at UFC 163.

via Muñoz faces Brazilian foe – Manila Standard Today.