With Dana White Absent from UFC 104 Press Conference, Machida and Shogun Talk Friendship and Fight Plans
With UFC President Dana White surprisingly absent from Tuesday’s UFC 104 press conference at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, headliners UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida and challenger Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vowed to put their friendship aside and display unique styles in the October 24 showdown.
“Lyoto is a nice guy and we’ve known each other for a while,” said Rua. “Even though we are friends, I got very surprised to see him on the plane and actually sitting next to me for the whole flight from Brazil to here. It was a funny situation, but we’re both professionals, we’re training very hard and we both want the same goal, so we’re gonna do our best.”
Machida improved to 15-0 in May with a second-round knockout of title-holder Rashad Evans, employing his elusive Karate-influenced style that has allowed him to win seven-straight bouts since joining the UFC in 2007, with his latest victory being referred by many as the start of the “Machida Era”.
“Lyoto is a standup fighter,” commented Rua. “I’m a standup fighter myself, but he comes from karate and is a very good counterstriker; he fights in a very efficient style. I’m a Muay Thai fighter and I fight much more in a pressing style by being aggressive. I think this is a big motivation for me, to show and prove that Muay Thai can be very efficient against his style.
“Each fight is a different story,” Rua continued. “To fight Chuck Liddell I believed I needed to emphasize boxing, and Sao Paulo has the best boxing in Brazil, so I went there to train and to prepare. For this fight against Lyoto I think I need different aspects of training, so me and my team talked about it and we decided to stay in Curitiba for this fight. My team is my team, but I’ll go wherever is best for my strategy and my opponent, and I’ll bring my team with me.”
A longtime PRIDE veteran, Rua looked unimpressive in losing his UFC debut to Forrest Griffin in late-2007 after previously winning five-straight, but back-to-back TKOs of Mark Coleman and Chuck Liddell in 2009 have propelled him into title contention.
“My style is karate,” said Machida “My personal style is counterstriking. Shogun is a very aggressive fighter with good knees, good punching, but I’ll try to push him into my style.
“I keep training a lot for the night of the fight,” Machida concluded. “This is my first title defense and I hope I’ll win. My opponent is tough, a great person, very good on the ground and (in his) striking, but I know one thing – I’ll keep doing my homework.”
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HT: UFC.com
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um Whiskey Tango Foxtrot… that’s a lil odd(the Dana not being there part)
…and didn’t a whole Forum topic just go by about how Machida and Silva won’t fight because they’re friends…
It takes 2 to agree to a fight. Even if Machida is willing, Silva may not be.
lil bit different here though Machida and Anderson are in the same camp as well as being good friends.
BlackHouse FTW
and don’t forget the new Nogueira and Silva Mixed Martial Arts Academy…
I think Silva and Machida are training partners though so they are probably much closer friends.
Forget the whole Machida-Rua-Silva love triangle for a second.
Why is Dana White not running the presser? Unless he’s getting a lapdance from Logan Stanton, shouldn’t he be, y’know, in charge?
my thoughts exactly…
Meeting with network execs perhaps?
They said something along the lines of it being a “travel issue” but he was supposed to be in LA a day before for the TV meeting.
LMAO on the logan comment. But yea very suspicious on why he is NOT there micromanaging the whole event like always!! HUMMMM
Obviously we all know how Dana is. He has to be in control or atleast a part of anyhting. so for him to be adsent shows me that he and Lorenzo are working on something big/important. Likely a meating or something. Reason I say Lorenzo aswell is because I fell that if he had been available then he would have held the presser.
i.e.- figuring out what to do with the WEC being knocked off direct TV…
Maybe thy are working hard to sign Mark Kerr to a multi-fight contract. Imagine the possibilities that would open up. That could be huge. (said with a slight undertone of sarcasm)
Cant wait for this fight. I hope Shogun shows up like he did back in the Pride GP vs Arona. Shogun a few years ago was so much fun to watch. He is still fun but he seems to be missing that fire he used to have.
Sounds like these guys are good friends…yet they are stepping in the cage to fight eachother…reading this anderson silva,kos,fitch and swick?
I admire how respectfull a lot of the brazilian fighters are. Machida, shogun,maia, and even alves are all humble guys and that’s an excellent example of what the sport should be about.
Although shogun and machida appear to be kool, i don’t think they are as good friends as anderson and machida and that’s why we will never see that fight. If it came down to it, i’m sure machida would be game though. Not too sure about “the spider” who’s calling out of all hw’s frank mir who would be a buffet for him.
Lyoto and Anderson are with Black House and the aforementioned new venture of the Nogs and Silva
Shogun is UDL
Kos, Swick, and Fitch are all AKA
Lyoto and Rua are in different camps, you can be friends and fight but when you are in the same camp it’s not exactly easy to fight a guy you train with every day. You learn the small parts and cues on the guys game and it leads to a lot of stalemates. It makes for boring fights IMO. Even if you aren’t friends it is tough to fight guys from your own camp because like I said above you are used to them.
Good points, Chris, definitely agree.
Then Silva needs to stay out of the LHW division.
not arguing that Dbiz…
I’m super pumped for this fight and have clearly stated my case for both guys. I’m a big fan of both guys for their own unique skills and most of all their humility. I called that this fight is going to be super awesome and it will be. Most people have counted Shogun out right off the bat, i think that i am the only one who has given him more than just a decent chacne of winning. Machida is going to come in tougher than he did against Evans because the title means more to him than most guys and he values it a lot so i’m sure he’s not ready to give it up on his first title defense, but like i said Shogun has tasted glory before but now knows what it feels like to be in the deepest whole and how hard and humbling it is to fight your way back and that’s what he has done making for a great storyline and a possible fight of the year canidate. I like that both guys respect eachother’s abilities, before Rashad Evans defended his belt against Lyoto he said “it’s like man come on, i hear that Machida is this, he’s that it’s like, everyone has the same style, he’s nothing special”(check out the DVD for this quote in the special features), Evans clearly underestimated Lyoto and somewhat overestimated himself which is why he paid the price. Both Machida and Rua know what they are getting into and both understand how good they both are and also respect eacothers styles and abilities. I still have Shogun getting the “upset” ove Machida, but if Machida does win, then i honestly don’t know who can challenge him because Rampage clearly did not want to fight him and i don’t see anyone as well rounded as Rua that can give Machida a challenge besides maybe, and i mean maybe Vitor Belfort only because he;s a super fast and strong striker with crazy ko power, but that’s me going out on a limb.
I think a fight between Rampage and Machida would be pretty interesting. Rampage has a great chin, and Machida (supposedly) does not hit all that hard, but try telling that to Silva and Rashad. I’d be interested to see if Jackson could tag Lyoto before he gases, after which point he would be karate fodder for Machida’s fists and feet.
I wonder if it is a case of “not wanting to fight Machida”, or just a case of wanting to fight Rashad more. Only Jackson knows for sure….
I thought press conferences were supposed to mean something.
“We friends. We fight”
Exciting fight though
And how the fu<k can you have a motherfu<king UFC presser without a fu<king disturbing amount of profanity, di<kcheese?
Which co<ksucker picked up the motherfu<king slack on that sh!t?
Was Dana motherfu<king White over at the Costco picking up another giant batch of F bombs?
This sh!t was fu<ked…
Seriously, should be a great fight, swear word deficit notwithstanding…
chrisl,
I understand your point and I can’t say I disagree. I’ve personally never fought a close friend or someone I train with and I expect it would be an uncomfortable fight for a lot of the reasons you mentioned. IMO it’s just unfair to have an excuse to “duck” certain fighters to get to the top, just because you train in the same camp and/or are training partners. I say “duck” because i don’t know what other words to use. Ask Marcus Davis, Thiago Alves, GSP, Matt Hughes, Karo, Matt Serra, Chris Lytle and all the other ww’s if they can pass on fighting KOS,SWICK, or FITCH to get to a title shot. That’s my point. The AKA ww’s are all @ the top and it’s 3 of them. Not 2, but 3 and it’s not fair to be able to pass 3 top fighters to make your way to the top.
I applaud dudes like Rampage,Hendo,LYoto,Shogun,Forrest,Bonnar,Mayhem miller,jake shields and even the shamrocks(who were going to fight eachother). These guys were and still are friends and got in the cage to fight. No excuses dude. No excuses. This is where i stand and will always stand.
Fitch said “if swick wins the title and i’m next in line. I won’t fight him. I’ll fight other guys till he loses the title. But if he defends the title 12 times i guess i’m going to have to move to mw”. From a friends stand point, that sounds like a loyal budd, but from a fighters stand point and a fan…all i have to say is dude what the f***?
I will say every guy you listed fight in different camps. Being friends is one thing, I’ve wrestled and done combat SAMBO with people I consider close friends and gone all out, but when it comes to guys on my own team it’s hard to go after them 100% when you are used to training with and rely on everyday in practice.
I find your argument ironic for one reason and one reason alone… Matt Lindland. Lindland has often argued that UFC breaks the law by the way they offer fight contracts only against people they want to see the fighter fight rather than allowing the fighter or individual manager to set up fights(like boxing). Which to an extent he’s actually right however the loop hole is the fact that these fighters can make a choice.
As long as choice is involved in the decision process I can’t worry about it. I don’t think we really suffer as fans from not seeing these guys fight. Some fighters may not like it but you can choose your team and choose your fights. It also helps that the champion gets a choice too and it also works against these teams as well. I mean the UFC could say ok these guys don’t want to fight each other then oh well, they don’t need a title shot. Plus since there are no formal UFC rankings or selection process for choosing a #1 contender being a top ranked guy in a division really means nothing the only official spot is #1. The great philosopher Ricky Bobby lived by the belief that “if you ain’t first, you’re last!” that really does apply to the UFC. It’s the champions and everybody else.
FYI the shammy shams hate each other with a passion that makes tito versus dana look like a high school feud by the way
wow my grammar is horrible today… sorry guys… being at school is making me dumber I think…
Ricky Bobby?!
That just happened…
Ricki Bobby? LOL
I completely understand your point chrisl and I agree with the fact that if you fight your friend and training partner/teammate, it’s going to be pretty weird and uncomfortable. Like I said, i havent fought any of my close friends or training partners so I can only imagine how uncomfortable it would be. BUT, that my friend is not the point i’m trying to make. I’m not arguing that if the aka ww’s fought that it would probably be boring or very very slow paced. I’m arguing that it’s not kool, fair whatever you want to call it, that these guys have gotten away with getting to the top without facing eachother when infact these 3 particular ww’s are not only among the elite @ ww but they are all big names. I’m not saying you have to fight EVERY single top guy @ ww but you shouldn’t be able to pass on a couple just because you train with them and/or are in the same camp. Do you know how big these training camps are now? What if dan hardy, or carlos condit decided he wanted in with American Kickboxing Academy? DOesn that mean that they too will not have to fight these guys because they train together? I hope you get my point. I’ve argued this for far too long. It’s not like i’m dying to see them fight. I’m just a guy who wants the real champions crowned and fights that “make sense”. You said it though dude, the UFC does not work like that and i’ve been trying to make peace with that. So i’m just going to have to enjoy watching my boy gsp dominate whoever they throw at him.
Well Jazz I totally see your argument. What you proposed about what would happen if someone changed camps has happened, I mean what would Karo do if he got back on track? Would he face GSP? Well since it’s Karo he’d probably change camps beforehand but there’s no way he’d stay in camp w/ GSP if he knew he was facing him for the title.
However, changing camps is a little harder than just saying well “hey guys I’m here.”
It’s not just contained to the UFC though. Shogun and Wandi never fought for the Pride Middleweight title even though Shogun was arguably first in line after winning the GP in ‘05. Granted that fight could have happened but Rua broke his arm, doubtful the two former Chute guys would fight each other.
WW is kind of the exception to the rule, I think if all the top talent in one division just decided to switch to one camp, Dana would probably say something(maybe not publicly but he’d say it).
@ jazzkok – good point on the fight camps, dude.
When I was at Team Quest this past weekend, they had a whole thing about the “application process”.
It wasn’t too long ago that used car salesman Matt Lindland was glad to have some guys rolling in the back of his sales floor, and had a few wrestler buddies hanging drywall and squeegying the mat with water and ammonia to keep the place habitable.
NOW there’s an application process, waivers to sign, interviews, Team Quest West in Temecula, and a gift shop that made me feel like I was at Universal Studios, with all of the rashguards, boardshorts, t-shirts, gloves, DVDs, etc. for sale.
These fight camps in and of themselves are moneymaking enterprises, and they have a vested interest in the matchmaking process.
I can see a time where one camp or another is going to get on Dana White’s bad side, and all He11 will break loose for that camp’s fighters.
u mean kinda wat happened wit aka where dana was gonna cut fitch and yoshida was gonna b koschecks last fight in the ufc?
I just saw some of the press conference at UFC.com, i havn’t seen all of it because i am at work, but i heard what Ben Rothewell had to say about Machida and Shogun and i have to comment on that he might be a fan of Machida but i think he borderline disrespected Shogun a bit by talking the way he did(visit ufc.com).
I’m honestly don’t know why people are quick to count out Shogun and hop on the Machida wagon, Machida has not even defended his title yet and Shogun has beaten Rampage and Overeem. He’s no joke, but just because he lost to Forrest and barely finished Coleman, i mean come on, everyone is intitled to have some bad showings, not every fighter is going to delivery every single time and although i’ve exausted my stance on this, i’ll remind you all that Shogun had ring rust and had 2 knee surgeries.
Machida is Machida and i’m sure he’ll do what he does best but unlike Evans or Thiago Silva, Shogun is none impressed nor is he phased byt all the hype because Shogun knows what Shogun is capable of and i’m sure when he compraes himself to Machida, he sees what i see that this fight is pretty darn even. in the end i can’t stop this Machida band wagon train from rolling but Shogun can do it for me when he “shocks” the mMA world
Maybe its just me, mk4, but seeing Shogun and the Dragon throw down is like seeing yesterday take on tomorrow IMO.
Sure, we know all about the PRIDEful yesterday, but Machida continues to represent the newest wrinkle in our MMA tomorrows.
And honestly I haven’t seen anything in Shogun’s PRIDE or UFC fights that announces to me, “Hello, I’ll be whipping Machida’s a$$ in Los Angeles!”
New and improved almost always beats original formula, if you follow.
But then again I thought Couture would beat BigNog, so, yeah…
jcohl, my friend i can definitely see your point on the new and improved taking the old from the yesterday, but you said it right there my friend. Back in PRIDE Shogun was a beast, and now after all the rough times he’s gone through has come back and improved a great amount and has become more mature and mentally and physically tough. The SHogun of today would whip the SHogun of yesterday. He’s already got god given talent that carried him for a while but now he has the maturity and foucs that has brought him to this point and will be what takes him to the top.
Machida is an amazing fighter who i admire a helluva lot. He needs no introduction and is for sure always going to be dangerous until someone figures out his style, but the guy IMO does not out match SHogun like everyone thinks, they both have simliar atributes that nobody other than myself has acknowledged. This will be an even fight that can go either way but i’m sticking with SHogun all the way.
Jchol-{jcool)
Great points dawg.
MK4 playa playa
I do feel you on this one though. I too agree Shogun IMO matches up well with him in all aspects. He on paper is more well rounded than the Rampages, Evans {obviously} Griffin, etc.
It will be the classic Muay Thai vs Karate style. Technically Muay Thai is supposed to be deadlier but it really depends on whose fighting and what style of Karate.
But Jchol is right, are we just hung up on the old Shogun??? Where has he been? But hey I actually believe this could be a great fight!!
onlytrue1, dude it seems as though your ovoiding me because you lost our bet and you’re hella not paying up the way I did. What’s up with that dude i thought we were bro’s? I had a screech avatar for two weeks now it’s your turn dude!
shogun is a tough match for machida. never beem ko’d – hardly wobbled that i can remember, and has footwork, aggressive but not usually to a fault. and sick kicks.
machida has ground and subs. on top of the elusive triker thing
wow.
way more interesting than the last fedor, gsp, brock match ups as either guy is elite in all areas.
shogun is thought of a gasser cause of the bad knee forrest fight.
machida is thought of being unstoppable.
nog came back.
faber lost 2x
dunno