UFC 140 - Jones v. Machida- Dec. 10

[aholbert32]

Re: UFC 140 - Toronto

Rashad is hurt pretty bad apparently with pins in his hand according to Dana.

This is the only plausible matchup at LHW though that keeps both Bones and Machida active. What are you gonna do? Let Bones sit there and wait for contenders to develop, all the while Bones is getting bigger and going to find it more difficult to cut weight?

Some people think Lyoto is the best matchup against Bones. I don't think Lyoto has earned this shot but I'm not gonna lie, I definitely am intrigued by this fight. Also, Rampage only needed 2 wins for his title shot (Machida and Matt Hamill) and there are people who thought Lyoto won against Rampage so..

Evans would have been able to start training in 3 weeks. Schedule the fight for Feb, you pull Jones and have him wait until Feb to fight Evans. Mir and Nog could headline the Toronto card and have Machida fight a Gustofsson or another up and coming LHW. It is what it is but you cant tell me Machida deserves another shot after technically losing 3 of his last 4.

And you are wrong about Rampage. After he lost to Forrest, he beat Silva, Jardine, Machida and Hamill. Also the people who matter (Dana and Joe Silva) both thought Rampage beat Machida.

[VanCitySportsGuy]

Re: UFC 140 - Toronto

WTF?

Machida is on a 1 fight winning streak and gets a title shot...... And of course if Machida beats beats Jones, that means we won't get Jones vs. Evans with a title on the line.

Seagal must be torn right now since he considers Machida as a son and Jones as a friend.

[Pappy Knuckles]

Re: UFC 140 - Toronto

I love watching Machida fight, but man this is some bull****. I really wanted to see Shad get his chance against Jones. Oh well, hopefully it's a good fight. Bones and Machida have an interesting clash of styles.

[XFactah416]

Re: UFC 140 - Toronto

Evans would have been able to start training in 3 weeks. Schedule the fight for Feb, you pull Jones and have him wait until Feb to fight Evans. Mir and Nog could headline the Toronto card and have Machida fight a Gustofsson or another up and coming LHW. It is what it is but you cant tell me Machida deserves another shot after technically losing 3 of his last 4.

And you are wrong about Rampage. After he lost to Forrest, he beat Silva, Jardine, Machida and Hamill. Also the people who matter (Dana and Joe Silva) both thought Rampage beat Machida.

When you said Rampage won 4 fights, I thought you meant 4 in a row. So, you're right that Rampage had to win 4 fights to get his title shot.

Why waste Gustaffson and derail him against Lyoto? Gustaffsson needs gradual steps up in competition and Lyoto is a consensus top 5 LHW. Lyoto also needs "big" fights now. Gustaffson is not a "big" fight for Lyoto.

I never said Lyoto deserves the title shot. But it is undeniable that this is a matchup that people want to see, and everyone is seemingly occupied at LHW (Evans hurt, Hendo / Shogun booked against each other, Phil Davis injured, Forrest with a kid and no motivation whatsoever, Rich Franklin hurt too I think?). Nobody wants to see Lyoto vs Forrest, or Lyoto vs Phil Davis even for that matter. The UFC has never been about matching up guys who "deserve" title shots unless they absolutely have no choice to either.

I also doubt Seagal is torn. He wanted to try and leech onto Jones's name and Jones had none of it. His allegiance clearly lies with Lyoto in this fight.

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: UFC 140 - Toronto

I'm actually glad we'll see this fight, if Evans can't go. I wouldn't put Jones on the shelf at all knowing that the division is ripe with elite talent.

Between Hendo and Machida, give me Machida please. Not only is Machida the more intriguing matchup, Hendo hasn't exactly lit the world on fire IMO even with his streak in the UFC before leaving. He's finished surely, he's beaten Fedor but I can't say he's done that much more than Machida in the past few years. Especially if you consider that Machida perhaps beat Rampage.

There seems to be a divide on whom the best opponent for Jones is, Machida or Evans. Glad we'll get to see one of the two face off. Personally I think Jones will run through both Evans and Machida anyway, but I do think Evans poses the bigger threat.

[aholbert32]

Re: UFC 140 - Toronto

I'm actually glad we'll see this fight, if Evans can't go. I wouldn't put Jones on the shelf at all knowing that the division is ripe with elite talent.

Between Hendo and Machida, give me Machida please. Not only is Machida the more intriguing matchup, Hendo hasn't exactly lit the world on fire IMO even with his streak in the UFC before leaving. He's finished surely, he's beaten Fedor but I can't say he's done that much more than Machida in the past few years. Especially if you consider that Machida perhaps beat Rampage.

There seems to be a divide on whom the best opponent for Jones is, Machida or Evans. Glad we'll get to see one of the two face off. Personally I think Jones will run through both Evans and Machida anyway, but I do think Evans poses the bigger threat.

I don't know about that. Hendo has wins over Bisping, Franklin and Fedor since Machida won the LHW. Machida has a disputed win over Rua and a win over Couture. I'd take Hendo's streak.

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: UFC 140 - Toronto

Perhaps, but I'm just asking how much better is Hendo's streak than Machida's in the past two years? Initially I never gave one thought to unifying the belts.

Silva, Evans, Rua (disputed), loss to Rua, with a disputed loss to Rampage and then Randy.

Compared to Hendo's Franklin, Bisping, loss to Shields, two wins vs. decent opponents and then a victory over a floundering Fedor.

IDK, doesn't really wow me much more than Machida.

Machida doesn't deserve the shot, but we've seen this happen countless times, as far as guys not "deserving" a title shot. It's all circumstantial and I don't think Hendo's case is that much better.

[st67]

Re: UFC 140 - Toronto

Fights shouldn't always be about records and streaks - Machida is an amazing matchup for Jones; this will be his biggest test to date.

If Jones can pull this off, then I'll fully buy into him. But Machida will be a really, really big test. Amazing counter striking, and very hard to hit - if Jones gets fancy with spinning kicks and elbows he could get hurt; he hasn't fought anyone yet who will really make him pay for missing.

Machida's takedown defense is outstanding, and his trips are up there with the best of them. The books have Jones as winning this pretty handedly, but I really think Machida's got the upper hand in this one; he has all the tools to make Jones pay for any little mistakes he makes and his style is really going to be a test.

Stylistically, this is an amazing matchup and I hope it stays this way. T

This card is looking like the best of the year.

[aholbert32]

Re: UFC 140 - Toronto

Fights shouldn't always be about records and streaks - Machida is an amazing matchup for Jones; this will be his biggest test to date.

If Jones can pull this off, then I'll fully buy into him. But Machida will be a really, really big test. Amazing counter striking, and very hard to hit - if Jones gets fancy with spinning kicks and elbows he could get hurt; he hasn't fought anyone yet who will really make him pay for missing.

Machida's takedown defense is outstanding, and his trips are up there with the best of them. The books have Jones as winning this pretty handedly, but I really think Machida's got the upper hand in this one; he has all the tools to make Jones pay for any little mistakes he makes and his style is really going to be a test.

Stylistically, this is an amazing matchup and I hope it stays this way. T

This card is looking like the best of the year.

Title fights should always be about records and streaks. The belt is the reason most UFC fighters are in the business. A person who gets a title shot should have a better record than 1-2 in the last 2 yrs to justify a title shot.

[aholbert32]

Re: UFC 140 - Toronto

Machida doesn't deserve the shot, but we've seen this happen countless times, as far as guys not "deserving" a title shot. It's all circumstantial and I don't think Hendo's case is that much better.

When have we ever seen someone with a losing record in the last 2 yrs get a title shot?

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: UFC 140 - Toronto

Title fights should always be about records and streaks. The belt is the reason most UFC fighters are in the business. A person who gets a title shot should have a better record than 1-2 in the last 2 yrs to justify a title shot.

When have we ever seen someone with a losing record in the last 2 yrs get a title shot?

Title fights "should be" but sometimes it just can't happen like that. Unless they give it to Hendo for beating a few relatively unknown guys in SF. He beat Fedor, but at HW, and Fedor was coming off two straight losses looking as vulnerable and predictable as ever.

Like I said, Machida really doesn't deserve the shot, but it goes back to my original point to where you shouldn't just be idle in a division ripe with that kind of talent. Either give the shot to Machida or Hendo.

I think you meant a losing record in the past year, not past two years, and I agree with you, you probably won't find too many if any. That's just the nature of the business.

[st67]

Re: UFC 140 - Toronto

Title fights should always be about records and streaks.

I disagree.

You have the title contender injured, and you've got arguably the 2nd best LHW in the world ready to fight. Who else do you propose gets the shot, someone who doesn't post a threat at all?

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: UFC 140 - Toronto

I disagree.

You have the title contender injured, and you've got arguably the 2nd best LHW in the world ready to fight. Who else do you propose gets the shot, someone who doesn't post a threat at all?

The argument for Dan Henderson could easily be made, though I wouldn't make it because I prefer Machida.

But I agree, you need to replace Evans.

Evans may be ready for a FEB bout, but I'm assuming that's late FEB and that's without any hiccups with the injuries. That's too big a risk IMO especially when you have two contenders in Machida and Hendo ready and able right now.

[st67]

Re: UFC 140 - Toronto

The argument for Dan Henderson could easily be made, though I wouldn't make it because I prefer Machida.

But I agree, you need to replace Evans.

Evans may be ready for a FEB bout, but I'm assuming that's late FEB and that's without any hiccups with the injuries. That's too big a risk IMO especially when you have two contenders in Machida and Hendo ready and able right now.

Dan Henderson is coming back out of Strikeforce; Machida has at least earned a recent victory in the UFC; and had a win taken away from him against Rampage - everyone, including Rampage, knows Machida won that fight. Henderson's also already booked for UFC 139 against Rua.

Who else is there in the UFC LHW division who deserves a title shot right now and poses a real threat to Jones?

Machida is the only viable option for a real fight here. I don't really see how anyone can say he doesn't deserve this shot; and on top of that, it's the best matchup they could have made, since Machida is one of only two people in the UFC LHW division right now who really has the style and technique to beat a guy like Jones.

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: UFC 140 - Toronto

Dan Henderson is coming back out of Strikeforce; Machida has at least earned a recent victory in the UFC; and had a win taken away from him against Rampage - everyone, including Rampage, knows Machida won that fight. Henderson also already booked for UFC 139 against Rua.

Who else is there in the UFC LHW division who deserves a title shot right now and poses a real threat to Jones?

Bro you're repeating yourself. Clearly there is nobody in the division worthy outside of Henderson and Machida. I was simply saying that Hendo has a case as well.

Machida lost against Rua twice let's not forget that. Henderson could have been pulled from that fight against Rua, but would have been a headache.

Machida is clearly the choice and the best of all possible options.

Rashad Evans himself said he would have done what Dana did. So I'm all for this fight.