Machida the Master achieves his dream

It was great to see Lyoto Machida fulfill his long-time dream of becoming a UFC champion. He really felt this was his destiny and he achieved it Saturday night by knocking out the very game Rashad Evans. Great job by Evans in hanging in there and fighting hard--he wouldn't stop and quit until he was completely put to sleep by Machida. It was really a tough fight for Evans and anybody at 205, not only because Machida is super-talented and a great fighter, but because what he brings to the table is so unique and unexpected that there really isn't much you can do to prepare for it. Machida Martial Arts Karate is his style, so if you're not training with him or his family, you're not really going to be able to figure out what's happening in the Octagon when he's throwing his limbs at you with some old school Karate flavor.
Machida has taken the path less traveled, actually the path never traveled to the UFC title and you have to commend him on that. Nobody has been able to take traditional Karate and adapt it to work as an effective striking art in MMA. It's a pleasure to see a traditional martial arts student with a samurai spirit hold the belt, and Machida is certainly a great role model and ambassador for what MMA is all about. Now it's the job of every other 205 pounder to find a way to figure out the juggernaut that is Machida. Can it be done? Yes. Will it be easy? No. But that's the beauty of the sport we're watching unfold--every fighter who bursts onto the scene and brings something to the table that appears to be unbeatable, forces other challengers to get better and figure it out. Others must evolve to find a way to beat them and as a result the sport as a whole takes on a new shape as well. Machida has begun an evolution in the sport that will make future fighters that much better.

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Machida the Master achieves his dream

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