The Machida Chronicles – Part II – The Last Samurai

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By Thomas Gerbasi

For those who look at Lyoto Machida and see a glossy undefeated record, a prime spot on one of the UFC’s biggest pay-per-view shows and figure – using the boxing world’s mentality – that he has been coddled and eased up the ranks to get here, you would be sadly mistaken.

At this level of mixed martial arts, there are no gimmes, no easy fights, and one glance at the names on Machida’s MMA record bears this out: BJ Penn, Rich Franklin, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, Kazuhiro Nakamura, Stephan Bonnar, Vernon White, Sam Greco, and Michael McDonald.

That’s a career-long resume that any fighter would be proud of, yet Machida is only five years into his pro MMA journey, and at 29, he may not even be in his prime yet. And if you ask him who has been his biggest challenge thus far, it’s not one of these contenders or champions, it’s been the man in the mirror.

“My biggest challenge is beating the tiredness and body aches everyday, that’s really tough,” Machida told UFC.com. “I try not to think on who was the toughest or easiest opponent, that doesn’t exist, they all train very hard.”

It goes back to his father Yoshizo’s lessons, which taught him to never underestimate anyone, whether it was 7-8-2 Kengo Watanabe, or then 12-0 Rich Franklin. So when he works in the gym and prepares for his UFC 84 bout against former light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz, he doesn’t see a fighter who may be on the tail end of a storied career; he sees a viable contender who stands between him and glory.

“I’ve been studying Tito a lot,” said Machida. “I’ve seen his strong points and weaknesses. My training is based on those. Beating Tito would really be great for my career. He is a legend and he once said in an interview that “for you to be a legend you have to beat one”. Maybe this is my opportunity.”

There are no boasts, no outrageous statements, just a grace to his manner, his speech, and his style. It’s gotten him through some tough times in competition and outside of it, when sometimes growing up of Japanese descent in Brazil wasn’t particularly easy.

“In all difficult moments of my life I think like a samurai, I think that's why I never gave up on anything I started,” he said. “To understand how this works I always tell my friends to read about the life of samurai Musashi.”

In the introduction of Musashi’s renowned “A Book of Five Rings”, he speaks of his early journeys:

"From youth my heart has been inclined toward the Way of strategy. My first duel was when I was thirteen, I struck down a strategist of the Shinto school, one Arima Kihei. When I was sixteen I struck down an able strategist, Tadashima Akiyama. When I was twenty-one I went up to the capital and met all manner of strategists, never once failing to win in many contests.

"After that I went from province to province dueling with strategists of various schools, and not once failed to win even though I had as many as sixty encounters. This was between the ages of thirteen and twenty-eight or twenty-nine."

At the age of 29, Machida has not once failed to win in mixed martial arts competition. In this sport, getting to 12-0 against world-class foes is a feat in itself, but that’s not to say Machida hasn’t been exposed to criticism from those who say his technical acumen and strategic planning doesn’t provide the same thrill as watching someone duck his head down and swing blindly for the fences. The native of Salvador has taken these criticisms to heart though, and with his last two wins over Nakamura and Sokoudjou, he has shown a more aggressive style intended to not just win fights, but to finish them.

“The American fans are demanding, and they’re right, it makes me want to get even better,” he said. “I think that today I am more mature and I think a lot about my fans, winning fights and making them happy. I’ve tried to do a more exciting fight and that has brought many fans.”

Now, four fights into his UFC career, Machida has become a favorite of fans who not only appreciate the intricacies of his style, but who also want to see what he’s going to do next against the top guns in the 205-pound weight class. And as far as ‘The Dragon’ is concerned, he’s here to stay.

“I consider the UFC my home, the place where I feel comfortable and happy, my workplace,” he said. “And I train everyday with my dream in mind: the belt.”

First, he must beat Ortiz though, and to do that, it takes a single-minded approach to the fight that can only be achieved by constant training. As Musashi wrote:

“You must train day and night in order to make quick decisions. In strategy it is necessary to treat training as a part of normal life with your spirit unchanging.”

Machida agrees.

“Training is the most difficult part (of a fighter’s life); sometimes you are in pain or very tired but you still have to train,” he said.

That’s where 12-0 records truly come from.


To read Part One of The Machida Chronicles, click here

Coming next week, the final part of the Machida Chronicles, where the light heavyweight contender further discusses his bout with Tito Ortiz, a possible bout with champion Quinton Jackson, and his unorthodox fighting style.

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