In Loss to Chris Weidman, Lyoto Machida’s Legacy Grows

It is impossible to know what went through Machida‘s head as he sat on his stool. He is a smart man. He likely knew he was down three rounds, and he knew he needed a finish. He’d been in championship rounds before, and he knew he needed something special if he wanted to recapture the glory he felt back when he crushed RashadEvans to become the light heavyweight champion.

The first Machida Era was fleeting. In less than one year, he’d defeated Evans, eked out a decision against Mauricio Rua, then lost the belt toRua in a rematch. Losses to Rampage Jackson, Jon Jones and Phil Davis followed. Machida, once considered an unsolvable puzzle, ended up moving to middleweight to resurrect his career. He wrecked Mark Munoz and beat Gegard Mousasi by decision, and he was ready when the call came for him to replace Vitor Belfort against Weidman.

But after three rounds, it was clear Machida‘s usual game plan wasn’t going to work. Weidman was good, perhaps even better than advertised. The champion stalked Machida around the Octagon and refused to be baited into making a mistake. He took Machida down multiple times; this is no small feat, as Machida‘s sumo-trainedtakedown defense is among the very best in the sport. He beatMachida standing, and he beat him on the ground.

And then Machida rose from his stool. The fourth round began.Machida continued circling away from Weidman, and the round looked like a carbon copy of the first three.

But then we saw something we’ve never seen from The Dragon. He stuffed a Weidman takedown attempt, and then he began to brawl. He landed a left hook. He pressed forward, constantly on the attack, head down and arms flailing. Instead of fighting like Lyoto Machida, he fought like Chris Leben.

Machida hurt Weidman. The crowd, perhaps sensing that Machidawas staging a monumental comeback, rose to its feet. A slow din filled the arena, the sound of thousands of voices anticipating one of those magical moments that mixed martial arts sometimes delivers.

 

The moment never came. Referee Herb Dean raised Weidman‘s hand at the end of the fight; the champion had erased all doubts as to the validity of his championship reign. Machida, defeated and battered, stood forlornly in the center of the Octagon. His dream of capturing a championship in a second UFC weight class would have to wait for another day.

But even in losing, Machida prospered. For years, he’d been one of the best fighters in the UFC, but he’d never resonated with the fans. His style was effective, but it wasn’t the most pleasing thing to watch. No matter how many times Machida won or how many times he made world-class fighters look like amateurs, he just could not win over the fans.

That all changed at UFC 175. He lost to Weidman, and he went home to Brazil without a UFC championship. But it is not crazy to say thatMachida earned more respect from mixed martial arts fans in this losing effort than he did in all of his previous victories combined. He showed heart and determination and a willingness to go for broke when his back was against the wall.

He lost the fight, but won so much more.

“Chris Weidman is a tough opponent. He’s a true champion. He deserves the title,” Machida told Joe Rogan after the fight. “But I’ll be back. I’ll be back strong.”

He certainly will.

via In Loss to Chris Weidman, Lyoto Machida’s Legacy Grows | Bleacher Report.