Rua is one of my favorite fighters of all time, so I am definetly playing favorites here-- especially since imo he soundly beat Machida the first time.
But, I can also see Lyoto coming in super focused and ready to dance circles around Rua while peppering him with crazy karate kicks, sumo trips and punches from all kinds of crazy angles.
In this months Fighters Only mag, Rua says emphatically that he got robbed in the first bout and that he feels not pushing the action hard enough in the final round (when both he and his corner felt he was up) is what ultimately cost him the fight.
Rua also described the mystery behind Lyoto's dominance and why he causes other fighters so much trouble. According to Rua everything Machida does from an offensive standpoint is from far away or very close range-- nothing in the middle, which is where most guys have their wheelhouse (including Rua).
Ironically in the same issue, there is a whole story about how bad MMA judging is. Anyone who can get their hands on a copy should check it out.
Anyway-- Im going with Rua by decision.
