With Lyoto Machida's win on Saturday evening and the added mystique surrounding his style that has yet to be solved, are fans looking at a future of the UFC having potentially three stalled divisions? It's quite possible.
Many fans read into the hype surrounding Rashad Evans' phenomenal hand speed and boxing skills as a potentially devastating combination that could put Machida into dangerous territory during their championship bout at UFC 98. Little did many of us know that Machida's range and short, accurate shots would provide the perfect weapon against Rashad's attempts to counter Machida. With Rashad barely even putting a scratch into the armor of Machida, we beg to ask the question if anyone can dent the exterior of "The Dragon".
The UFC has already announced that Quinton "Rampage" Jackson will be the next fight for Lyoto Machida, and it's likely that they will both be featured as coaches on the next season of the Ultimate Fighter. While the show will provide Machida with some much needed exposure to the casual fanbase and give "Rampage" a chance to hype their upcoming matchup, I'm still very hesitant to pick against Machida.
While Evans supposedly had the hand speed to outpunch Machida, Machida's range nullified those opportunities along with his own quickness that couldn't be figured out by even the great Greg Jackson. Can "Rampage" Jackson contend with Machida?
In my analysis of both fighters, Jackson presents an interesting challenge. While Rashad tried to use quickness to counter Machida, Jackson will likely use his more technical boxing along with his power to try to catch Machida. The only major problem is that Machida won't be standing in front of Jackson, and Jackson isn't the fleetest of foot in chasing down Machida. Add in the fact that Machida's kicks could pay huge dividends on Jackson's legs, and I'm willing to bet Machida can handle Jackson's skillset.
If Machida happens to defeat Jackson, the possibilities of new contenders that can give Machida a run for his money begin to dwindle. Much like the Middleweight and Welterweight divisions in the UFC, the Light Heavyweight division could also become a division that will begin to see a gap between the champion and his challengers. It'll be even more of a gap if we don't see any solid gameplan that can even remotely put Machida in danger in the "Rampage" Jackson bout.
We may also see the Lightweight division added to that list of stalled divisions if Kenny Florian is defeated by B.J. Penn, and I think that'll really make Joe Silva's job a bit harder by the end of the year into next year.
What are the solutions? For the Light Heavyweight division, we'll have to hope for some strings of wins by either Keith Jardine or Mauricio "Shogun" Rua to bring a top notch bout, but the other divisions are already in a stalled state. With the exception of Demian Maia at Middleweight, there aren't too many solid contenders that can be argued as giving either Georges St. Pierre, Anderson Silva, or even newly crowned champion Lyoto Machida problems within their respective division.
The UFC has hinted at the possibility of a Georges St. Pierre vs. Anderson Silva matchup, and many fans believe if the UFC threw the big money at both Silva and Machida, that's a possibility. Are we seeing a trend here? With three stalled divisions ranging from 170 to 205 pounds, we could begin seeing these great fighters cross weight classes to challenge themselves. I'd be willing to bet if the stalemate continues that the UFC will likely get on board with some of these bouts, or they'll have to go out and sign somebody who can truly give any of these champions a run for their money.
