Tag: Lyoto Machida

Ex-UFC champ Luke Rockhold knocks out Joe Schilling at Karate Combat 45, calls out Lyoto Machida

Former UFC champion Luke Rockhold called out Lyoto Machida after stopping Joe Schilling at Saturday’s Karate Combat 45.

[autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag] is back.

The former UFC middleweight champion picked up his first combat sports win in years, putting away veteran kickboxer and former Bellator fighter [autotag]Joe Schilling[/autotag] in the main event of Karate Combat 45, which took place on Saturday afternoon in Dubai.

Rockhold stopped Schilling early into the third round. He connected a huge right hand that sent Schilling to the ground, and then followed up with ground-and-pound to close out the bout.

Below, you can see the video of Rockhold’s finish:

After the victory, Rockhold called for a fight against fellow former UFC champion [autotag]Lyoto Machida[/autotag] in Karate Combat.

“There’s only one man I want to fight in this pit, and that’s Lyoto Machida,” Rockhold said in his post-fight interview. “You’re lucky because they don’t allow elbows, so no more nightmares about the elbows. Bring it. Let’s see what you got, let’s see what the paychecks look like, bring out that check book.

“Lyoto, I know you need a pay-day motherf*cker, come get it.”

This is Rockhold’s second fight in his post-UFC run. After fighting out his contract with the UFC in August 2022, and briefly hinting retirement, Rockhold fought Mike Perry in a bareknuckle boxing in April 2023 – a fight he lost by TKO. He now returns to stop Schilling under the striking rules of Karate Combat.

Rockhold and Machida have fought previously. They met in 2015 in the headliner of a UFC Fight Night event. That night in New Jersey, Rockhold submitted Machida with a rear-naked choke. Machida is currently a free agent after parting ways with Bellator a couple of years back. He’s yet to officially retire and has expressed interest in fighting again.

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30 greatest UFC fighters of all time: The ‘ultimate’ snub – Who should’ve made the list?

Charles Oliveira, Michael Bisping, Mark Coleman, Lyoto Machida, Cris Cyborg – Who was the “ultimate” snub?

The UFC’s 30th anniversary date has come and gone, and in the build-up to the milestone date, MMA Junkie counted down its 30 greatest fighters of all time to compete for the promotion.

There was plenty of debate about the entire list from top to bottom, and perhaps an even larger conversation about who was the most deserving fighter to not make the cut. Our first five out of the top 30 were all former champions: [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag], [autotag]Michael Bisping[/autotag], [autotag]Mark Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Lyoto Machida[/autotag], and [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag].

The final list was tabulated through a points system after voting from MMA Junkie’s 12-person staff.

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On a special edition of “Spinning Back Clique,” the majority of our staff members came together to discuss and debate the finer points of the list. Who was the “ultimate” snub? Which fighter right outside of our top 30 deserved to make this list?

Check out the discussion in the video above, or watch the entire 30 greatest UFC fighters of all time podcast below.

 

Lyoto Machida no longer with Bellator, wants to fight ‘at least one more time’ in MMA

Lyoto Machida wants one more fight before retiring.

MIAMI – [autotag]Lyoto Machida[/autotag] is not ready to hang up the gloves just yet.

The former UFC champion is hoping to get one more fight before walking away from MMA. Machida (26-12 MMA), who was most recently fighting under the Bellator banner, is no longer with the promotion and now sits as a free agent, MMA Junkie confirmed on Friday.

The 44-year-old ideally would like to get one more fight in before putting an end to his illustrious career.

“Yes, I would like to fight at least one more time, who knows can be the farewell or something like that,” Machida told MMA Junkie at Friday’s UFC 287 legends Q&A with Georges St-Pierre, Vitor Belfort and Chris Weidman.

Machida was last seen in May 2022 at Bellator 281 where he suffered a first-round knockout loss to Fabian Edwards. Almost a year removed from that contest, Machida has kept busy – even if inactive professionally.

“So I’m training pretty much every day because I love to train, it’s a part of my life,” Machida said. “Martial arts is in my blood, but you never know. I train with the young guys and I do sparring at least once a week and I feel very good. For now, I don’t have any offers, so I prefer just to keep training and do what I love to do.”

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Bellator 281: Best photos from London

Check out these photos from Bellator 281 which took place at SSE Arena in London.

Check out these photos from Bellator 281 which took place at SEE Arena in London. (Photos courtesy of Bellator MMA)

Bellator 281 results: Fabian Edwards flattens Lyoto Machida with violent knockout

In the Bellator 281 co-main event, Fabian Edwards snatched Lyoto Machida’s consciousness – and also the biggest win of his career to date.

If [autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag] didn’t have a marquee victory before Bellator 281, he certainly has one now.

In the co-main event Friday at O2 Arena in London, Edwards (10-2 MMA, 5-2 BMMA) stunned, dropped, and knocked unconscious former UFC light heavyweight champion [autotag]Lyoto Machida[/autotag] (26-12 MMA, 2-4 BMMA). The stoppage occurred at the 3:18 mark of Round 1.

The fight started out with the classic methodical pacing that comes with a typical Machida fight, but Edwards quickly woke up his home country arena when he connected with a short elbow upon exit of the clinch. The shot visibly wobbled Machida, who backpedaled but could not escape.

Edwards pushed forward and hurled more punches. A left hook sent Machida to the canvas, where he was met with follow-up punches that knocked the lights out. Machida was down for a moderate amount of time, with his eyes eerily open but no one was home.

With the win, Edwards snaps a two-fight losing skid in his first bout since a May 2021 loss to Austin Vanderford. As for Machida, he now has lost four fights in a row. Bellator 281 was the final bout on his current promotional agreement. His future is uncertain.

The up-to-the-minute Bellator 281 results include:

  • Fabian Edwards def. Lyoto Machida via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 3:18
  • Kana Watanabe def. Denise Kielholtz via submission (triangle choke) – Round 2, 3:03
  • Paul Daley def. Wendell Giacomo via knockout (punch) – Round 2, 4:09
  • Simon Biyong def. Luke Trainer via unanimous decision (29-27, 28-27, 29-28)
  • Daniel Weichel def. Robert Whiteford via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 1:12
  • Elina Kallionidou def. Kate Jackson via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:53
  • Oliver Enkamp def. Mark Lemminger via submission (buggy choke) – Round 3, 0:25
  • Alfie Davis vs Tim Wilde ends in a majority draw (29-27, 28-28, 28-28)
  • Andrew Fisher def. Attila Korkma via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Charlie Ward def. Alan Carlos via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-25)
  • Maciej Rozanski def. Lee Chadwick via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Chiara Penco def. Lanchana Green via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

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Bellator 281 pre-event facts: MVP interim title win could come with marquee record

Bellator makes its return to England on Friday with Bellator 281, which takes place at OVO Arena Wembley in London with a main card that airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie. With reigning Bellator champion Yaroslav Amosov unavailable to …

Bellator makes its return to England on Friday with Bellator 281, which takes place at OVO Arena Wembley in London with a main card that airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

With reigning Bellator champion Yaroslav Amosov unavailable to compete due to to the war in his native Ukraine, an interim welterweight champion will be crowned in the main event. English striking sensation [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] (20-1 MMA, 20-1 BMMA) will attempt to claim gold on his home soil when he takes on former collegiate wresting standout [autotag]Logan Storley[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 8-1 BMMA).

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about Bellator 281.

Lyoto Machida vs. Fabian Edwards joins Bellator London lineup on May 13

Lyoto Machida will look to snap his losing skid when he returns to 185 pounds against Fabian Edwards.

[autotag]Lyoto Machida[/autotag] will look to snap his losing skid when he returns to middleweight.

Machida (26-11 MMA, 2-3 BMMA) meets ranked contender [autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 5-2 BMMA) at Bellator London on May 13, promotion officials announced Wednesday.

After picking up wins over Rafael Carvalho and Chael Sonnen to kick off his Bellator tenure, former UFC light heavyweight champion Machida has dropped three straight to Gegard Mousasi, Phil Davis, and most recently Ryan Bader in the Bellator light heavyweight grand prix last April.

Meanwhile, Edwards also will look to get back on track. The 28-year-old Birmingham, England native won his first eight professional bouts before losing back-to-back decisions to Costello van Steenis and Austin Vanderford. Edwards was scheduled to face Marian Dimitrov at Bellator 275 in Dublin, but the Feb. 25 bout was scrapped from the card.

With the addition, the Bellator London lineup now includes:

MAIN CARD (Showtime, 4 p.m. ET)

  • Champ Yaroslav Amosov vs. Michael Page – for welterweight title
  • Jason Jackson vs. Douglas Lima
  • Fabian Edwards vs. Lyoto Machida
  • Denise Kielholtz vs. Kana Watanabe
  • Simon Biyong vs. Luke Trainer

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 12:30 p.m. ET)

  • Daniel Weichel vs. Robert Whiteford
  • Alfie Davis vs. Tim Wilde
  • Kate Jackson vs. Elina Kallionidou

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A ‘Tiger’ raised by ‘Dragons’: How the Machidas propelled Bruno Souza to UFC 268 debut

Since age 4, Bruno Souza has trained under MMA legend Lyoto Machida with the goal of becoming UFC champion.

In late May 2003, [autotag]Lyoto Machida[/autotag] touched down in Brazil. A trip across the world officially concluded and he was back home.

After a lifetime of karate and martial arts training under his legendary father, Yoshizo, Machida made his professional MMA debut in Japan days prior. It was a unanimous decision win over Kengo Watanabe at New Japan Pro Wrestling: Ultimate Crash.

While the training never stopped, the usual diet could be put aside for a little bit to celebrate victory. Shortly after his arrival in Belem, Para, Machida was in need of some good home cooking.

That’s where Murilo Souza Filho came in. A family friend, Souza Filho whipped up a hearty meal for Machida. It’s a role he’d fill on numerous future occasions, too.

In the midst of the feast, a fresh copy of a VHS tape surfaced. It was the fight. Among the living room viewers was Souza Filho’s son, 7-year-old [autotag]Bruno Souza[/autotag], who watched in astonishment and admiration at the replay of his role model outpointing his Japanese opponent.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CK4ElOPhehG/

Souza first met Lyoto and his brother, [autotag]Chinzo Machida[/autotag], in 1999 when he was just 4. Enrolled in youth judo classes, Souza grew up with martial arts – and regarding the legendary Brazilian fighters. He was there for Lyoto’s entire journey, from pro debutant to UFC champion to late-stage Bellator notoriety.

“Lyoto started his career, and I was like, ‘You know what? I want to be good,'” Souza recently told MMA Junkie. “The best thing about them was they never held me back. They were like, ‘OK, train, train, go for it, go for it.’ Look where we are now.”

Souza is set to make his UFC debut Saturday night at New York’s famed Madison Square Garden when he’ll meet Melsik Baghdasaryan on the UFC 268 prelims, a moment hat would not have been made possible without the Machidas.

Over the span of his life, Souza saw the pedestal many Brazilians in the MMA circuit put Lyoto on. He reached legend status, especially after he knocked out Rashad Evans to become UFC light heavyweight champion in 2009. To Souza, however, Lyoto and Chinzo Machida were essentially family. They weren’t superhuman. They were normal people just like him, who accomplished extraordinary things – and were willing to help him do the same. That fueled him.

“If someone close to you accomplishes something that’s really hard, it’s more possible for you,” Souza said. “I’m like, ‘OK, I know Lyoto. He did it. Why can’t I do it? We are friends. Why is it not possible?’ That’s what gave me the strength of like, ‘Yeah, I can do it. I can do it. Why not?'”

For those who don’t know Lyoto Machida personally, Souza says they’re missing out. Through good times and bad, Machida was always there for Souza. At times, Souza, nicknamed “The Tiger,” even lived with “The Dragon.”

“People have their idols, and I had a close relationship with my idol,” Souza said. “I can call him any time. I can ask for advice. I can FaceTime with him now that we live far apart. But I can go to his place. Good things or bad things, you’re always together. That’s amazing. … Lyoto is such a great guy to everyone. It’s not just with me. You can sit and ask for advice, and he’ll always open up. He’s very happy to talk. It’s impossible to have someone better than that.”

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Over two decades of martial arts training and Machida encouragement will lead to Souza (10-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) making a UFC walk of his own for the first time. It’s the next box checked on his list. At UFC 268, Souza’s fight with Baghdasaryan (6-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is one step closer to his ultimate goal of becoming a UFC champion, just like his mentor.

“I want to be the greatest of all time,” Souza said. “I don’t know if I’m going to make it, but I’m trying. Why not, you know? We can do it.”

UFC 268 takes place Saturday at Madison Square Garden. The main card streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view after prelims on ESPN News/ESPN+.

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Lyoto Machida protege, LFA champ Bruno Souza to fight Melsik Baghdasaryan at UFC 268

Bruno Souza is a student of “The Dragon” Lyoto Machida and the LFA featherweight champion.

Another LFA champion has entered the ranks of the UFC.

LFA featherweight champion [autotag]Bruno Souza[/autotag] has signed with the promotion and will Saturday face [autotag]Melsik Baghdasaryan[/autotag] on Saturday at UFC 268 from Madison Square Garden in New York.

A person with knowledge of the matchup confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. MMA DNA was first to report the news.

Souza (10-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) replaces Canada’s T.J. Laramie, who withdrew from the originally scheduled matchup vs. Baghdasaryan (12-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC) due to a MRSA infection.

Nicknamed “The Tiger,” Souza is a protege of former UFC light heavyweight champion “The Dragon” [autotag]Lyoto Machida[/autotag]. At LFA 114 in August, Souza clinched the LFA title at age 25 when he defeated Javier Garcia by unanimous decision. The victory extended his streak to nine, a stretch that includes wins over UFC fighter Kamuela Kirk and Bellator fighter Mike Hamel.

As for Baghdasaryan, the Dana White’s Contender Series standout won his promotional debut in July when he flattened Collin Anglin with a second-round head kick. With a kickboxing background, Baghdasaryan has won five of his six professional victories by knockout or TKO.

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With the addition, the UFC 268 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Champ Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington – for welterweight title
  • Champ Rose Namajunas vs. Zhang Weili – for women’s strawweight title
  • Michael Chandler vs. Justin Gaethje
  • Shane Burgos vs. Billy Quarantillo
  • Frankie Edgar vs. Marlon Vera

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPNews/ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)

  • Andreas Michailidis vs. Alex Pereira
  • Bobby Green vs. Al Iaquinta
  • Chris Curtis vs. Phil Hawes
  • Nassourdine Imavov vs. Edmen Shahbazyan

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)

  • Ian Garry vs. Jordan Williams
  • Chris Barnett vs. Gian Villante
  • John Allan vs. Aleksa Camur
  • Melsik Baghdasaryan vs. Bruno Souza
  • Ode Osbourne vs. CJ Vergara

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Bellator 256 post-event facts: Lyoto Machida falls to 0-4 in rematches

Check out all the facts and figures from Bellator 256, which took place Friday in Uncasville, Conn.

Bellator’s second event of the year took place Friday with Bellator 256 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

The opening fight of the Bellator light heavyweight grand prix headlined the card. Former champ [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag] (28-6 MMA, 6-1 BMMA) became the first man to advance to the semifinal round when he beat [autotag]Lyoto Machida[/autotag] (26-11 MMA, 2-3 BMMA) by unanimous decision, avenging a knockout loss from August 2012.

For more on the numbers, check below for 15 post-event facts to come out of Bellator 256.