To Slay a Dragon

This is an editorial blog by Dean Christensen.

Recently, I have read a lot of buzz about Lyoto Machida and how to beat him. Some of the "strategies" posted have been outlandish and borderline ridiculous. So I wanted to make an article debunking some myths around Lyoto while breaking down the facets of his game that make him and his style different and what to do to counter it.

Breakdown of Lyoto Machida's Style

Footwork: One of the big things that sets Machida apart from the competition he has faced thus far is his footwork. Lyoto uses a lot of lateral movement when he fights. To the casual fan Machida's style often looks like "running away", but this is not the case. Look closer and see that Lyoto is often just using his movement to keep from being right in front of his opponent. This ability limits the amount of effective punches can be thrown while close enough to hit Machida and also makes it harder to shoot for a takedown or close the distance for a clinch. In addition Lyoto is very light on his feet allowing his lateral movement to be more efficient. Machida's footwork is the foundation for the rest of his style.

Stance: Lyoto has a very deep stance. The majority of today's MMA fighters come from a boxing, muay thai, or taekwondo background in which the feet are roughly shoulder width apart and the upper body is over the hips with with the chin tucked. Machida comes from a Shotokan background in which his feet are more than a shoulder width apart and his upper body is more behind his hips than in front with his head up. This stance allows Machida to be harder to takedown (especially when paired with his lateral movement) and throw punches from places that opponents are not accustomed to.

Striking: Possibly Machida's most effective weapon in his arsenal is his striking. Although not many notice it, he has a consistent methodical way of striking he uses fight after fight. If an opponent closes the distance against Machida he usually engages with aleft straight, neutralizing his opponents combination attempts (watch the Sokoudju or Bonnar fight. They are great examples). If his opponent backs up and does not engage while on the feet Lyoto uses a decent jab and leg kick to pick apart his opponent leading to him pouring on combinations (Lyoto utilized this more in his fight with Tito). If Lyoto's opponent stands waiting for him to engage and does not move forward or back, Lyoto typically uses his great body lock or trip to take the fight to the mat (Watch his fight with Michael McDonald from K-1).

How to Counter Lyoto's Style

Footwork: Lyoto's footwork and ability to manipulate distance throw many of the people he is fighting strategies askew. He makes it very hard to hit him and do damage. So what is the solution to Lyoto's ability to move laterally with such ease? Cut off the cage. It may be exciting, but the strategy of coming out and throwing punches while standing right in front of your opponent is a dangerous one, especially when doing battle with Lyoto. To beat Lyoto, one needs to use his footwork to cut off the cage and get Lyoto's back to the fence. When pushed up against the fence, Machida's evasiveness is worthless.

Stance: When fighting Lyoto Machida, one needs to find a way to take advantage of his stance. Because it is so deep, his front leg is farther forward than most fighters. A single leg takedown is the best way for a wrestler to get Lyoto to the mat as a double leg or high-crotch are much harder to get with Machidas back leg being so far behind him. In Machida's stance, his head is also straight up more so than many other fighters. The probability of a haymaker landing clean is greater with a stance such as Lyoto's.

Striking: Lyoto's striking is probably the hardest thing to counter because his strategy is so well executed. What you would have to do to beat this aspect of Machida's game is to be patient, don't rush in, and use Machida's own style against him. Pick him apart and don't let him close the distance to get one of his bodylock takedowns. Otherwise, you would have to utilize the strategy of getting his back to the fence or the fight on the mat unless you want to rely on a flash knock out.

Lyoto continually proves to be one of the most elusive and methodical fighters in mixed martial arts. Hopefully, this clears up some things around Machida's style and how to interact with it.