Machida vs Evans

This Saturday there will be something that I did not expect to see this soon and that is Ryoto Machida fighting for the UFC Light Heavyweight champion. Like most people, I thought Dana White and the UFC would do everything in their power to not let Machida get a crack at the title because against anyone, he would have a really good shot of taking down the champ, whoever the champ may be. That all changed with his performance against Thiago Silva where he was anything but boring. That, combined with Rampage not being ready for a title shot yet, gives Machida the chance to become UFC Light Heavyweight champ on Saturday night.

This is a very tough fight to predict and I still don't know who I am going to predict in the end. Both guys have their strengths that could get them the W but both guys are also more than capable of countering the other's strengths and preventing their opponent from implementing their game plan. Now both guys are very effective counter punchers, and there is a chance that both guys could both sit back on each other and that could lead to a repeat of the Silva/Leites. There is no way the fight will be that bad, but it is a possibility that this could be a lackluster fight.

The UFC I still don't think is keen on the idea of Machida being champion, but there is nothing they can do about it now. Machida can not conduct interviews in English and he is certainly not a huge name fighter that will be able to headline PPV's and sell lots of tickets. Evans on the other hand is very charismatic and is quickly becoming a name. Starting with the Ultimate Fighter, the Evans names is quickly becoming more and more of a household name. Obviously no GSP or Anderson Silva level, but it's growing.

Something that pisses me off is that apparently Quinton Jackson has agreed to coach the 10th season of The Ultimate Fighter against the winner of this fight. I am sick and tired on divisions being put on hold just so that the champion and his number one challenge can coach against each other on the show. Sure it builds up hype and leads to more buys, but it is frustrating as hell seeing a division go on hiatus for 6 months just to accommodate a television show.