Lyoto Machida Believes His Striking Will Prevail Against Chris Weidman

With two straight wins in his new home at middleweight, former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto “The Dragon” received a golden opportunity when the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) and UFC suddenly outlawed testosterone-replacement therapy (TRT).

The move made scheduled UFC 173 title challenger Vitor Belfort unable to get a license for the May 24 Las Vegas bout, so in stepped Machida to face titleholder Chris Weidman for the belt. Even after his two victories over one of the most dominant champions of all-time in Anderson Silva, many are still picking Machida to hand Weidman his first-ever loss.

Not surprisingly, that’s a sentiment echoed by “The Dragon.” Despite having respect for Weidman’s all-around game, Machida told MMA Fighting that his stand-up skills will outweigh the champion’s NCAA All-American wrestling:

“I’ve fought a lot of wrestlers before, and I know Weidman has a good wrestling, but I’m confident on the work I’m developing with my team,” he said. “I believe in my striking game against Weidman’s wrestling. He’s complete in every aspect of the game, but I’m confident in what I do.”

Machida has every right to be confident in his abilities after his impressive two-fight run at 185-pounds, knocking out Mark Munoz last fall and more recently picking apart Gegard Mousasi to win a unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 36.

But the young and hungry Weidman will undoubtedly present one of “The Dragon’s” toughest challenges yet.

While he fans may be leaning towards a Machida victory, the odds makers have Weidman favored to win. However, with years of top-level experience under his belt, Machida doesn’t care if he’s the favorite or not:

“I don’t pay attention to those things,” he said. “I got to a stage in my career where I’m more focused in what I’m doing than in what people bet or what is Weidman training. That’s what matters. The experience that I have and what I’ve done makes me more comfortable in a situation like this.”

Machida can shake up the UFC 185-pound arena in a big way by defeating Weidman. His good friend and former training partner Anderson Silva was shown throwing leg kicks just today, perhaps signifying a quick return for “The Spider.”

In the past, Machida and Silva have said it’s unlikely they would ever fight. But if “The Dragon” wins, that could open up a potential trilogy match between Weidman and Silva for the No. 1 contender’s spot while Machida defends his belt against Vitor Belfort.

Suddenly middleweight has the most enticing title scene in all of MMA. Who will be champion by the end of 2014?

Photo: Jason Silva for USA TODAY Sports