The bottom line is that these two fighters have more in common than that. Right now, Machida is being looked at as the future of the 205 pound division; perhaps even a fighter of the caliber that we have not seen before. On the flip side, when Rua was in PRIDE that's exactly how everyone was viewing him. But then came some injuries and a less than stellar performance against former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin.
So when the dust clears on UFC 104, which fighter will live up to their previous billing? That's exactly what we aim to answer here.
What Lyoto Machida brings to the table: If you're wondering what karate done right looks like in a fight, look no further than Machida. Simply put, there is no one more technically sound in the 205 pound division on his feet, which goes a long way toward explaining why the man they call The Dragon is the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Along with this, Machida almost never gets hit and strikes with a suddenness, no matter what the technique- punch, kick, knee, etc.- that's both scary and powerful. What's more, Machida demonstrates outstanding takedown defense, better than average takedowns, and is better with submissions than he's given credit for.
Heck, he even proved he could take a punch- albeit, only one- in his last fight against Rashad Evans.
Simply put, Machida is the real deal. There's a reason why he's undefeated.
What Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (18-3) brings to the table: When Machida is at his best, such as was seemingly the case when he fought Chuck Liddell at UFC 97, he's a whirlwind of aggression and activity on his feet. We're talking about a guy with very solid technical skills that throws kicks, punches, knees, and more with furious intent. Chute Boxe style, folks. Further, in the past he showed tremendous cardio. That said, against Forrest Griffin and more recently against Mark "The Hammer" Coleman in the UFC, he gassed some. One could blame both problems on injuries (injuries he was dealing with coming into the Griffin fight, injuries that he was recovering from against Coleman). But the questions are still there.
In terms of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and ground skills, when he was at his best, Rua was more than adequate. He displayed strong takedown defense, good takedowns, and better than average submissions and submission defense.
In the end, Rua at his best doesn't have much in the line of weaknesses. The question of course, despite a great showing against Liddell in his last fight, is whether or not he's at his best right now.
Oh yeah, and whether or not that would be good enough against Machida anyway.
Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua Prediction: First, I'm going to assume that the old Rua will show up at UFC 104; he looked good enough against Liddell in his last fight to leave one with that impression. That Rua is potentially capable of beating anyone on a good day.
That said, that Rua is also highly aggressive. Anytime a fighter comes in with that level of fury, no matter how technically sound they are, openings present themselves. No one is better at exposing openings or weaknesses than Machida.
NOw Rua could go another route and try to take his opponent down, but given the fact that even Tito Ortiz really couldn't pull that one off, guess is that Rua can't either. In the end, both of these fighters are awesome. But one just seems a little bit more awesome than the other.
Lyoto Machida wins via second round TKO.
