Machida-Shogun 2: Where’s the Excitement?

When the controversial decision was rendered in the first fight between Lyoto Machida and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, it seems like everyone basically felt the same way afterward: we all couldn’t wait for the rematch.

Now?  Not so much.

Perhaps your perception is different than mine, dear reader, but I simply am not sensing a whole lot of anticipation for “the year’s most anticipated rematch” between Machida and Rua.  Am I wrong here?  Is there some sort of a fever pitch building up that I am unaware of?  Is anyone who does not count themselves among the fan base of either man or who is not holding a ticket for the event really pumped up about this anymore?

I have tried to put my finger on exactly why I’m not looking forward as much to Machida-Shogun 2 as I expected to be.  I know that, after the first fight, I was happy to hear about the immediate rematch, and was also disappointed when that rematch slipped all the way to May 8.  However, now that we’re eight days away, my attitude is just kind of…well, “meh”.

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m very interested in seeing the fight.  I think it will be a very interesting bout.  However, I’m not getting that sense of anticipation that I would usually get, and neither are any of the MMA fans I know well personally.  What is behind this strange (and probably meaningless) phenomenon?  Well, what I like to do in a situation like this is toss aside all use of the scientific method and just throw some wild guesses out there.  Let’s give it a shot.

Machida-Shogun 1: Not Exactly a Barn-Burner

You didn’t hear many people calling for the first fight between these two to be considered for “fight of the year”.  While it was a close and competitive fight, it was also a highly technical and very cautious affair.  Shogun may have gotten the judges’ nod that in the minds of many (including myself) he had deserved if he had been a bit more aggressive at times, but he was rightfully concerned about Machida’s ridiculous ability to counter such a style.  Meanwhile, Machida was his usual self, fighting a sometimes-explosive, sometimes-methodical style that can madden you one minute and have you jumping up and down the next.

Throughout the five rounds, though, neither fighter ever found that one opening where they felt that they could really explode and take it to their opponent.  We saw many occasions of one or the other running forward with a flurry, but each fighter defended pretty well and many of the shots were harmlessly deflected.  In fact, I still feel that much of the reason that Machida got the decision was that he would frequently run forward with punches, many of which are clearly not landing when you watch closely.  However, when viewing in real time and from seats around the cage instead of on television with multiple angles, it would be tough to really tell if the shots were landing or not.

Too Much Weird Crap Happening Lately

I’m digging a little deeper with this second reason.  I have this theory that people, myself included, are a little hesitant to get excited about a rematch that solely exists because of a questionable decision when so much weird crap has been happening in the last month or so.

A month that was supposed to be an action-packed one for the sport was memorable for all of the wrong reasons.  The 50-45 Penn-Edgar scorecard.  Anderson Silva’s antics in Abu Dhabi.  The Strikeforce brawl.  Even a wonderful event staged by the WEC in their first pay-per-view effort featured a questionable (though not outrageous) decision in what may have been the fight of the year.

Now, we are supposed to be excited for a bout featuring an Ed Soares-managed fighter (which has not been a good omen lately when it comes to late-round aggression) who is known for his stubborn, elusive style.  Hmmm.

Again, I am looking forward to what should be an interesting bout, but it’s a very different feeling than what I expect to have when we are a week out from what will be an explosive bout between Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Rashad Evans, or the summer tilt between Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin.  Perhaps I am wrong, though.  Shogun has talked about changing his strategy, and I know he felt that he left some opportunities in the cage where he could have been more aggressive.

Then again, maybe we’ll get another close decision between two fighters who are cautiously avoiding mistakes, leading to yet another immediate rematch.  Machida-Shogun 3 in November?  Ugh.

Come on, guys.  Let’s not leave this one in the hands of the judges.

E-Mail Jon Hartley

Tags: Lyoto Machida, Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua, UFC, UFC 113