There is no better way to spend one of the best weekends in the year and celebrate the nations’ Independence Day than to watch with your family and friends the fight between two of the most outstanding middleweight fighters in the world today.
This fight will set the undefeated champion facing one of the best counter strikers in the sport. It is also another opportunity for Chris Weidman to finally showcase what he can do in a title fight that is almost the same as the one he had with Anderson Silva, but the All-American fighter will deal with a jigsaw puzzle because Lyoto Machida is a very unique fighter.
This is easier said than done, but the champion possesses a well-rounded game that would once again help him prove that he is the champion. Here is a full breakdown of the advantages that both men possess for their July 5 fight.
Weidman is not a slouch over his feet. From timely blocks and combinations to shifty elbows, he is one hell of a striker. But being one of the hardest men to get a read on the feet, Machida is an intelligent and unpredictable fighter. His ability to aggressively initiate a blitz attack after his enemy finishes an attack is top class. This has been one of The Dragon’s main weapons, and it is among the trickiest puzzles in mixed martial arts.
Mixed in his discipline, quickness, overall footwork, and masked patience, it would not be difficult to see how a fighter, even a champion, will have a tough time dealing with Machida’s dynamic wizardry. Naturally among the biggest middleweights in the sport, Weidman can knock out anybody who threatens to get the belt from him.
But Machida is a former light heavyweight phenomenon who has finished great fights like the ones against Ryan Bader, Randy Couture, and Rashad Evans. Machida isn’t like any of the other middleweights that Weidman has encountered. He isn’t bigger than a majority of the guys. But with a mixture of technique and experience, this 36-year-old Brazilian is always pouncing at the perfect moment.
That being said, he still has been finished by strikes, whereas Weidman hasn’t. It is important to remember that the champion has made his fist through the rubber chin of Anderson Silva. It will be interesting to see how an active Machida will trail over the scorecards in the later rounds, although he would have to connect and put Weidman to sleep before we can say who has the more power.