The light heavyweight title rematch between champion Lyoto Machida and challenger Mauricio "Shogun" Rua is set for May 1 in Montreal.Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports tweeted Wednesday that UFC President Dana White told him the Machida-Rua date.
The Machida-Rua rematch will be a big fight -- even bigger than their first fight in October, in which the heavy underdog Rua put up a surprisingly good fight against Machida and won the fight on the scorecards of most fans and media members, only to lose by unanimous decision on the scorecards of the only people who really matter, the three judges.
But it's disappointing for UFC fans that they'll have to wait until May to see the rematch. White announced the rematch immediately following the October 24 fight, and there was talk at first that it could happen as soon as January 2. Machida suffered an injury in the fight, however, and he will apparently need several months to recover.
The good news is that this wait will give the UFC's light heavyweight division some time to sort itself out. Winners of light heavyweight fights including Forrest Griffin vs. Tito Ortiz, Rashad Evans vs. Thiago Silva and Randy Couture vs. Mark Coleman will be able to fight each other in the spring and summer of 2010, and by the middle of the year a clear No. 1 contender should emerge for the Rua-Machida winner.
It's just too bad we'll have to wait that long.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Well nothing like given both fighters a break in between fights.
Another break like that after their rematch and both guys will end up competing once next year. Ridiculous.
I am upset at Dana. Machida clearly dominated and battered Shogun, even make him cry in the end. Why a rematch? Shogun didn't even earn the first shot. It's bush league. Let Shogun fight the Griffins and Colemans of this world and bring on the new Mr. T, Jackson.
Being someone who has watched the fight closly many time I must say that exp either suffers from an unchecked vision problem, didn't see the fight or is simply a troll. In no way would I say Machida "dominated" the fight. It was a close fight. a close fight that Shogun won. He cried at the end? at losing a fight he won maybe....
I am sorta bummed out about the long wait for the rematch. but, that's life.
So I'm supposed to wait over six months and actually get excited for this??
Machida is faking an injury. What do you expect?
Fighting only one or two times a year seems like a waste of there prime.
From what I have read, Lyoto did NOT injury his hand during the fight. It was bone spurs from years of training and not caused by one event. He actually fought Rua injured and did not disclose it. I look forward to May 1.