UFC 104: Machida Defeated Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua
LOS ANGELES -- Lyoto Machida defeated Mauricio Shogun Rua by unanimous decision after five hard-fought, technical rounds to retain the light heavyweight championship at UFC 104 Machida vs. Shogun on Saturday at the Staples Center. The decision was widely booed in the arena, with many patrons obviously swayed by Ruas performance in the Octagon. My corner told me that I was winning all the rounds, Rua said. I feel like I won this fight, but a fight is a fight. What can I do? He punished the legs and body of Machida -- who, before this fight, had never lost a round in any of his seven UFC appearances -- and closed the distance to negate a majority of his attacks. Shogun seemed to take over in the final two rounds, as Machida visibly slowed. The toll of the unrelenting body attack with which Rua had persisted paid dividends late and had the champion uncharacteristically out of synch. By focusing on Machidas body, Shogun targeted the biggest area of one of the more elusive fighters the sport has seen. Despite the loss, he easily eclipsed any of Machidas previous opponents performances and may have put a crack in the façade of invincibility that surrounded the titleholder. The early rounds were all close, and Machida did his share of damage, clipping Rua with slick combinations and kicks while fighting mostly a counter-punching style. Round four seemed to be the turning point of the bout, however, as Rua steadily found the mark with more and more punches, as well as the thudding body shots with which he had already been scoring. The final round was all Rua. Machida, bleeding from his mouth and struggling to keep his hands up, was forced into a defensive posture while Shogun attacked throughout the frame. When the final bell sounded, Rua threw his hands into the air and celebrated with his team; Machida half-heartedly answered, raising his hands in victory, as well. In a telling sign, as he waited for the scorecards to be announced, Machida stood with his head down, looking solemn and preparing for bad news. It never came. All three judges scored the bout 48-47 for Machida, giving him his eighth consecutive victory in the UFC. The battered champion admitted it was his stiffest test to date inside the hallowed Octagon and welcomed the idea of a rematch. Whenever he wants, Machida said. No problem.
LOS ANGELES -- Lyoto Machida defeated Mauricio Shogun Rua by unanimous decision after five hard-fought, technical rounds to retain the light heavyweight championship at UFC 104 Machida vs. Shogun on Saturday at the Staples Center. The decision was widely booed in the arena, with many patrons obviously swayed by Ruas performance in the Octagon. My corner told me that I was winning all the rounds, Rua said. I feel like I won this fight, but a fight is a fight. What can I do? He punished the legs and body of Machida -- who, before this fight, had never lost a round in any of his seven UFC appearances -- and closed the distance to negate a majority of his attacks. Shogun seemed to take over in the final two rounds, as Machida visibly slowed. The toll of the unrelenting body attack with which Rua had persisted paid dividends late and had the champion uncharacteristically out of synch. By focusing on Machidas body, Shogun targeted the biggest area of one of the more elusive fighters the sport has seen. Despite the loss, he easily eclipsed any of Machidas previous opponents performances and may have put a crack in the façade of invincibility that surrounded the titleholder. The early rounds were all close, and Machida did his share of damage, clipping Rua with slick combinations and kicks while fighting mostly a counter-punching style. Round four seemed to be the turning point of the bout, however, as Rua steadily found the mark with more and more punches, as well as the thudding body shots with which he had already been scoring. The final round was all Rua. Machida, bleeding from his mouth and struggling to keep his hands up, was forced into a defensive posture while Shogun attacked throughout the frame. When the final bell sounded, Rua threw his hands into the air and celebrated with his team; Machida half-heartedly answered, raising his hands in victory, as well. In a telling sign, as he waited for the scorecards to be announced, Machida stood with his head down, looking solemn and preparing for bad news. It never came. All three judges scored the bout 48-47 for Machida, giving him his eighth consecutive victory in the UFC. The battered champion admitted it was his stiffest test to date inside the hallowed Octagon and welcomed the idea of a rematch. Whenever he wants, Machida said. No problem.