Machida: My game plan against Jones was working

source: tatame.com

On Sunday Lyoto Machida talked to Tatame from Canada about his ultimately losing bid for the UFC light heavyweight title.

Tatame Magazine: What are your thoughts about the fight against Jon Jones?

Lyoto Machida: Well, I guess it was a hard fight. The preparation was tougher in all aspects. We went there and tried to do our job. We set a game plan that, from where I’m standing, until a certain moment was working, but he landed that elbow and I got dizzy, I couldn’t see things straight anymore and it disturbed me because I couldn’t see. And on that moment I thought: “I gotta do my best here and now”. And that’s what happened.

TM: Could you feel you were frustrating Jon Jones on the first round, because he tried to hit you and be couldn’t find you?

LM: I felt him a little loss on the first round, but I was focused on not making it a big deal, because each round was a different one and I had to will them all. I did my game and he was falling for it.

TM: Despite you were better on the first round, two out of three judges scored 10-9 in his behalf. How do you see it? Do you believe that’s possible?

LM: There was a guy from the event who came to talk to me because he argued with the judges because they had scored the win for him, and he asked them how could they do it, and they said that only on the replay they really saw it, so it was confusing. But we never know how they evaluate it, if they have enough time to do it, so we gotta see their side too, but it’s an athlete’s life and career that is on line there.

TM: How did you train for this most important aspect of Jon Jones’s game: taking down and throwing the elbows?

LM: I guess I didn’t have enough time. He took me down launching an elbow on me, and that surprised me a little, because I thought he would take me down but I would have a little time to think it straight. It was very fast and I had my head close to the fence, he hit me with an elbow, I couldn’t see and I tried to stand up and he hit me even more...

TM: Did you meet after the fight?

LM: No. we talked a little, I congratulated him for remaining as the champion but it was too brief.

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12/14/11 12:39 AM by roscoegrinders

Machida basicly said.... I was winning the fight right up to the point I lost the fight lol. Their is a reason a fight has more than one round in it. I was wining I was wining I was wining and than I LOST

12/13/11 4:52 PM by show no mercy

machida is a very classy guy. I hope he stays around this sport for a long time. he also has a warrior's mentality.

12/13/11 4:47 PM by OnlyTheStrongSurvive

You just said the only opinion that matters is the judges, but dislike Machida for basically saying the same thing after the first Shogun fight.

12/13/11 4:42 PM by DumpsterBaby

Umm... When was Shogun close to being finished? That flurry at the end of the 3rd where Shogun blocked almost everything and landed the hardest shot? You seem more delusional than both Machida and Shogun fans.

12/13/11 4:37 PM by kinkle

I was rooting for Machida, he is one of my favorite fighters, I hate Jones. I had Machida winning round 1 by a close margin. But during round 2, even with Machida still holding his own in the standup, it was inevitable that Jones was going to win. Machida was the fighter that was looking slower, Jones was still fresh. Machida did not have the cardio to beat Jones (the only way he could've won is repeat round 1 5x, and he didn't have the cardio for that). It was inevitable that Jones would get clinch and smash him with elbows knees, get a takedown and smash him there also. I just don't see Machida winning the fight that night outside of a round 1 KO/TKO, even if the fight went differently (and the cut never happened). He needs to change something up.

12/13/11 4:30 PM by Anarkis

A power shot is the same as a jab then?

12/13/11 4:27 PM by krept

The problem I see is that Jones could have gone right away for the clinch - trip - GnP (his technical strength) in the first round and people could have said he didn't want to trade with Machida, like Couture vs. Toney. I look back on the fight and it seems Machida won round 1 because he got the better of the exchanges. As I mentioned previously, his style is a good counter to Jones' style in that area. However, I feel the only reason why the round went the way it did was because Jones WANTED to fight like that. In other words, it wasn't like Machida repeatedly stuffed Jones' attempts at clinching or takedowns. It wasn't like Machida had easy answers for Jones' GnP. The first time I recall Jones taking him down, Jones clipped him with a heavy elbow that Machida admitted was a surprise (a telling statement, IMO). The second time (or first?) they really clinched, Jones subbed him. Thus, it seems that the only reason round 1 went the way it did is because Jones didn't really pressure Machida for a TD or clinch like he did in round 2.

12/13/11 9:28 AM by ranier wolfcastle

just like jackson said, machidas plan was to throw combos when jones tries to hiy lyoto. so jones adjusted his plan in r2....

12/13/11 9:15 AM by Augie Max

Ovince St. Preux. Strikeforce light-heavyweight.

12/12/11 8:43 PM by Gin Tonic

Are you suggesting that he should have given Shogun his belt then? I too thought Rua won as well, but what is Lyoto supposed to say? Should all fighters that get gift decisions storm out of the cage and demand that the judges overturn it in favor that they lose? What you are suggesting is he act in a way that no other fighter would. Also, to your second point, when was he not humble? He is one of the most respectful fighters in the organization. That line you quote is from the video made to sell the fight, and he was refering to the fact that Jones's rise was something that he had seen before, in his own career. Do you suggest that he come on and say "Jones is going to kick my ass" ? Pick any video from any fighter and I'm sure that you will hear something similar going into any fight. It's called marketing. Has he ever even trash talked anyone? Get out of here with that no class bullshit.

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