Under the Microscope: Analyzing Light Heavyweight Greats

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Lyoto Machida

* Light Heavyweight Record: 14-4
* Opponent Winning Percentage: .702
* Longest Winning Streak: 16
* Record in Major Light Heavyweight Title Fights: 2-2
* Finish Percentage: 50
* Finished Percentage: 50
* Notable Victories: Stephan Bonnar, Rich Franklin, Tito Ortiz, Thiago Silva, Rashad Evans, Mauricio Rua, Randy Couture, Ryan Bader, Dan Henderson
* Career Accomplishments: UFC light heavyweight champion, with one successful title defense; four-time UFC “Performance of the Night” bonus winner at 205 pounds

CASE FOR: Not too long ago, the UFC light heavyweight division belonged to “The Dragon,” a karateka who was as perplexing as he was untouchable. Shifting seamlessly from mystifying lulls to devastating strikes, Machida cultivated a rare aura, a chess master of violence playing against tiddlywinks hobbyists. Undefeated in his first 16 fights, what makes Machida a unique case is that he took the long road to the title, winning six fights without dropping a round before getting a crack at the UFC belt. Very few fighters, in any weight class, have made opponents look as downright silly in the cage as Machida has. With half of his losses being highly controversial and dominant wins over elite contemporaries -- and, of course, he held the Holy Grail of MMA hardware -- Machida arguably has the Sistine Chapel of fighter ceilings, anchored by perhaps the most cerebral fight acumen ever to grace the Octagon. At his best, Machida established himself with subtle precision as a candidate for the Greatest of All-Time mantle.

CASE AGAINST: First things first: Although Machida deserved the nods over Quinton Jackson and Phil Davis, he also dodged a bullet in his first fight against Rua -- a judging error that “Shogun” resoundingly rectified in their rematch. If there is a version of “the ball never lies” appropriated for MMA, that fight couplet embodies it. He enjoyed some tenure as the division’s invincible puzzle, but keep in mind that he built that reputation against fighters who, more often than not, had losing records in the UFC. Basically, the problem with calling Machida the Greatest of All-Time is that he was only the greatest for a short time, an interstitial period between the end of the Wanderlei Silva-Chuck Liddell era and the beginning of the Jon Jones era; and his accomplishments pale in comparison to those gentlemen. Machida is now treading the middleweight waters, but he has the time and a strong enough resume that, should he make another run at 205 pounds, he could very well go down as the division’s G.O.A.T.

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