Lyoto Machida Isn’t Worried About Luke Rockhold’s Ground Game
One of the biggest events on the UFC’s spring schedule is UFC on FOX 15 which is set to go down on April 18, 2015 at the Prudential Center from Newark, New Jersey presented live on Fox. The main event features a middleweight contender bout between former title challenger and light heavyweight champion Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida and former Strikeforce champion Luke “Rocky” Rockhold.
Machida challenged current champion Chris Weidman last summer at July 2014’s UFC 175, and battled the champion to a close five-round decision, but ended up on the losing end. Recently, he scored a brutal 62-second TKO victory over CB Dolloway at UFC Fight Night 58 last December. He will try to continue his path back to a title shot against Rockhold.
“Rocky” on the other hand, has been on a tear since being starched by a TRT-infused Vitor Belfort back at UFC on FX 8 in May 2013. Since then he has scored three consecutive finishes over Costas Philippou, Tim Boetsch, and Michael Bisping, looking destructive in the process. A win over “The Dragon” could warrant Rockhold a UFC title shot.
This upcoming matchup is a very interesting one stylistically. The longtime veteran Machida, is obviously known for his devastating striking coming from his decorated karate background. “The Dragon” stands different, moves different, and kicks different than others, making him very difficult to handle.
Rockhold is very well-rounded, coming from the highly-touted American Kickboxing Academy camp. He has solid wrestling and ever-improving striking, but his ground game may be his strongest area, as he has scored two-straight submission wins.
Machida’s ground game is not something we see often, as the Brazilian is primarily a striker, but speaking with MMAFighting, he says he is not worried if the fight ends up there:
“I think this is a good fight for me. [Rockhold] has a good striking, but I’m ready. If the fight goes to the ground, I will also be ready for everything he does, and I will try to surprise him as well. He’s a top five, he’s been doing great in his fights and his ground game is really good, but I can go to the ground with him and do well. His ground game doesn’t scare me at all.”
Machida also said that he expects a tough battle against Rockhold, and I don’t think anyone would disagree, as these are two of the best 185 pounders in the world.
Who do you see taking this one, and continuing his journey to middleweight gold?
