Everyone answers to somebody, so we, the staff at Sherdog.com, have decided to defer to our readers.
Our reporters, columnists, radio hosts, and editors will chime in with our answers and thoughts, so keep the emails coming.
This week, readers weigh-in on the Lyoto Machida-Mauricio “Shogun” Rua rematch and fight rewinds on the UFC 106 pay-per-view.
I am a Cuban fan of martial arts. I am a big fan of Lyoto Machida, and I am a big fan of Mauricio Rua, too. I want to say that I saw the fight without audio, and I think Machida won the fight. Unanimous? Well, I think it could have been. Shogun had an amazing fight. He was able to track and catch the champion, but he did not put Machida in danger at any moment. Shogun landed a lot of low kicks and body kicks but never looked for a win. Machida threw and landed the better punches and kicks and was always trying to win the fight. As I saw the fight, he was unable to finish Shogun because he was out of gas sometimes. He must improve his cardio game.
In the next fight, I believe Machida will win in a better way; he will probably finish Shogun the next time, and if he can check the leg kicks from the great Shogun, the job will be much easier. Machida is the champion; he earned his belt. All the media and all the fans must show respect for the champion. He deserves it, as does Shogun; he’s back.
-- Alex
Brian Knapp, associate editor: No matter who we believe won, the fight was important on a number of levels. It showed not only that Machida was vulnerable, but that Rua had returned to pre-UFC form. I scored the bout three rounds to two for Shogun, who I believed won the first, fourth and fifth rounds. He did far more damage to Machida, who, as you noted, absorbed countless kicks to the legs and body. Nevertheless, it was a competitive main event, with or without sound.
Shogun was wise to fight as he did. He abandoned his old reckless self, a trait that would have proven fatal against a counterstriker of Machida’s skill level. For you to say that he did not try to finish the fight misses the point entirely. Shogun executed a gameplan about as well as a fighter can be expected to execute one. Machida’s inability to finish did not result from failed cardio; it resulted from the relentless pounding he took from the neck down. A man’s body can only take so much punishment.
Machida remains ranked atop the light heavyweight division on most credible lists and has become a mainstay in pound-for-pound rankings, as well. How much more respect does the guy deserve? The rematch promises to be every bit as compelling. Will Shogun stick to the plan that served him so well in their first encounter, even though it did not win over the judges? Will Machida have an answer for the leg and body attacks to which he seemed so vulnerable? Those are questions to ponder, as we draw closer to May and the sequel.