Despite a grueling weight cut to 185lbs, Lyoto Machida is willing to take whatever title fight opportunity comes his way first, middleweight or light heavyweight.
Los Angeles, CA — At 41 years old, the enigmatic Lyoto Machida continues to find success in the cage. A former UFC light heavyweight champion and middleweight title challenger, ‘The Dragon’ is riding a four-fight win streak split evenly between the UFC and Bellator MMA. It’s the latter he returns to this weekend, at Bellator 228, where he faces Gegard Mousasi.
It’s another return of sorts as well for Machida (26–8). His first time fighting in Los Angeles since 2012, when he knocked out Ryan Bader. “I’ve been living in L.A. for seven years, so to fight here is amazing,” Machida said Wednesday, speaking to media outlets including Cageside Press at the event’s open workouts.
“The time when I fought here, I just was moved to L.A., 2012, against Ryan Bader. That feeling was the best,” he continued. “I feel so happy to have this fight. Los Angeles is my home.”
Taking this particular match-up, against a recently fallen champ, was all about staying busy. “I was very open to fight in any class, 205, 185. Bellator offered me to fight against Mousasi, right after his fight against Lovato,” said Machida. Lovato defeated Mousasi that night to win middleweight gold. Machida probably could have waited for a title shot in either division.
Instead, he opted to take the fight. “In order to be very active — so I believe that I cannot refuse fights. Because if I didn’t accept this fight, I only maybe would have had a chance to fight for the belt against Lovato in November or December, or fight with Ryan Bader at the end of the year or next year,” elaborated Machida.
Ideally, ‘The Dragon’ said he wants to have at least two or three fights a year. “When I win this fight Saturday, I’m going to have my title shot, definitely.”
But which weight class might that come at? “In terms of cutting weight, it’s very hard to cut to 185. It’s not easy,” he admitted. “You have to do a very good diet, and also, there is a process you have to go through. That’s very much difficult. But I’ll be very open, which ever comes first, I’ll be ready.”
Asked to reflect on his first fight with Gegard Mousasi, in 2014, Machida said “I knew that he probably could bring it for that fight.” He’d watched Mousasi in Japan, and in the UFC. That time out, Machida won a unanimous decision. “Now, it’s another opportunity, it’s another moment in another time. But we are the same fighters, so we cannot change everything. Of course we evolved in some aspect of the fight, maybe on the ground, maybe on stand-up, it doesn’t matter, but usually you tend to maintain your essence.”
Rather poetic, but if Lyoto ‘The Dragon’ Machida gets the job done, he’ll likely be looking at a very real title shot moving forward.
Watch the full Bellator 228 open workout scrum with Lyoto Machida above! The event takes place Saturday, September 28 at The Forum in Inglewood, CA.
