Lyoto Carvalho Machida (Brazilian Portuguese: [liˈotu maˈʃidɐ]; Japanese: 町田龍太, romanized: Machida Ryōto; born 30 May 1978) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. He formerly competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he was a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, as well as a UFC Middleweight Championship title challenger. He most recently competed in Bellator MMA in the Light Heavyweight and Middleweight divisions.
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Early life
Lyoto was born in Salvador, Bahia, as the third son of Shotokan karate master Yoshizo Machida (町田嘉三), the highly ranked head of the Brazilian branch of the Japan Karate Association. Yoshizo moved to Brazil from Ibaraki Prefecture in Japan when he was 22 years old, where he met and married Lyoto's Brazilian mother, Ana Cláudia. The Japanese spelling of Lyoto's name (龍太) is usually read as "Ryūta" (or "Lyūta" – Japanese language does not differentiate the letters "L" and "R"). However, his mother opposed it, as names ending in "a" are generally feminine in Portuguese. Because of that, they decided to name him Lyoto, with the masculine ending "o". Growing up in Belém, Pará, Lyoto began training in Karate at the age of 3 and earned his black belt at the age of 13. He also began training in Sumo at the age of 8, and then Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo at 16. He won a number of amateur karate tournaments, including the 2001 Pan American Karate tournament. Later he travelled to Thailand to study Muay Thai, to Japan to study Catch Wrestling at the New Japan Pro-Wrestling Dojo and finally to the United States to pursue his UFC career.
He was the runner-up in the 2000 Brazilian Sumo Championships in the 115 kg division. As an adult, he became Brazilian Champion twice, and placed second in the South American Championship. He defeated American fighter and jiu-jitsu black belt Rafael Lovato Jr. at L.A. Sub X. In addition to his sumo and karate achievements, he has a college degree in Physical Education.
Machida trained at the Inoki L.A. Dojo for six months in 2003 where he lived with future professional wrestlers Shinsuke Nakamura and Bryan Danielson.
Mixed martial arts career
Early career
Machida began his career in mixed martial arts under the management of legendary professional wrestler and MMA pioneer Antonio Inoki in Japan. On 2 May 2003, he defeated Kengo Watanabe by decision in his professional debut on a card promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling in Tokyo. During this time he competed under the name of Lyoto, written in all caps. He was discussed by Inoki as a symbolic "successor" figure for himself, as Naoya Ogawa and Kazuyuki Fujita had been in the past.
In his second fight, he defeated future UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar by technical knockout due to a cut in the inaugural event promoted by Jungle Fight in Manaus, Brazil. This was Bonnar's first professional loss.
On 31 December 2003, he took part in Inoki's annual event Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2003, where he fought future UFC Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin in a catchweight bout in which both men weighed in at 214 lb (97 kg). In front of over 40,000 fans at Kobe Wing Stadium, Machida defeated Franklin via TKO in the second round. He staggered Franklin with a counter left punch and knocked him down with a front kick to the face, finishing up with punches which forced the referee to stop the fight. This was Franklin's first professional defeat.
Following this, Machida went on to compete for the K-1 promotion, where he beat kickboxers Michael McDonald (by submission) and Sam Greco (by split decision) under MMA rules. When K-1 began promoting Hero's, a series of fight cards featuring only MMA bouts rather than cards mixed with kickboxing matches, Machida was transferred there. He took on former UFC Welterweight Champion B.J. Penn on 26 March 2005, in Saitama at Hero's 1 in an openweight match. Machida weighed in at 225 lb (102 kg) while Penn weighed in at 191 lb (87 kg). Machida won by unanimous decision.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Machida made his UFC debut on the preliminary card of UFC 67 against Sam Hoger and won by unanimous decision. He was expected to fight Forrest Griffin at UFC 70, but Griffin was out due to a staph infection and was replaced by undefeated David Heath, whom Machida beat by unanimous decision. He next faced judo practitioner and Pride Fighting Championship veteran Kazuhiro Nakamura at UFC 76. Machida won by unanimous decision and Nakamura would later test positive for marijuana.
At UFC 79, Machida faced Sokoudjou, a judo practitioner making his UFC debut after back-to-back upset knockout victories over Pride veterans Antônio Rogério Nogueira and Ricardo Arona. Machida submitted Sokoudjou with an arm triangle choke at 4:20 of the second round.
Machida's next fight was at UFC 84 against former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz, in what was thought to be Ortiz's final UFC appearance after a dispute with UFC President Dana White. Machida frustrated Ortiz with lateral movement and counterstriking while successfully defending against the former champion's takedowns. In the closing minutes of the third round Machida knocked Ortiz down with a knee to the body. As Machida moved in to finish the fight, Ortiz almost locked in a triangle choke before transitioning to an armbar attempt. Machida managed to escape and win by unanimous decision, with all judges scoring the fight 30–27 in his favor. Years after the bout, Dana White revealed that the only time he ever awarded a personal check of his to a fighter was to Machida, for defeating Ortiz.
In the co-main event of UFC 94, Machida faced fellow undefeated Brazilian contender Thiago Silva. The two were originally scheduled to meet at UFC 89, but a back injury forced Silva to withdraw from the contest. UFC President Dana White indicated in the pre-fight press conference that Machida would receive a title shot with a victory, while Silva would need to defeat Machida and win one more contest before earning the same opportunity. Machida was able to knock down Silva twice during the first round before ultimately knocking him out after tripping him and jumping in landing the knockout punch at 4:59 of the first round, scoring his first UFC knockout victory and winning his first Knockout of the Night bonus award.
Despite Machida's knockout of Thiago Silva, Dana White indicated that he was not the number one contender for a title shot. Instead, a scheduled fight between former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton Jackson and Keith Jardine would determine Machida's title fate. A victory for Jackson would earn him a fight with champion Rashad Evans, but a win for Jardine would mean Machida would be awarded with a title shot. Jackson won the fight via unanimous decision, but torn ligaments in his jaw forced the former champion out of the bout. Instead, Machida would challenge Evans for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship at UFC 98. Jackson would retain his title shot against the winner of that match upon returning from injury.
Bellator MMA
On 22 June 2018, it was reported that Machida signed a multi-fight contract with Bellator MMA. On 12 September, it was announced that Machida was set to make his promotional debut against former Bellator Middleweight Champion Rafael Carvalho in the co-headliner of Bellator 213. On weigh-in day, Carvalho missed weight, weighing in at 186.5 pounds, over the non-title Middleweight limit of 186.0 pounds. Carvalho was fined 20% of his purse and the fight proceeded as a Catchweight bout. Machida went on to defeat Carvalho by split decision.
On 4 April 2019, it was announced that Machida would be facing Chael Sonnen in a light heavyweight bout at Bellator 222 on 14 June 2019 at Madison Square Garden. He won the fight via TKO in the second round.
Machida rematched prior UFC opponent Gegard Mousasi at Bellator 228 on 28 September 2019. He lost the bout via split decision.
Machida headlined Bellator 245 in a rematch against Phil Davis on September 11, 2020. He lost the fight by split decision.
On February 9, 2021, it was announced that Machida would be participating in the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix. He faced Ryan Bader in the quarterfinal round. This was a rematch of their August 2012 bout, which saw Machida win via second-round knockout. The bout took place at Bellator 256 on April 9, 2021. In the first round Machida had success with his kicks, outstriking Bader, but would soon be dominated for the next four rounds by Bader's wrestling and ground and pound, losing the fight via unanimous decision.
Returning to Middleweight in the last fight of his prevailing contract, Machida faced Fabian Edwards on May 13, 2022, at Bellator 281. He lost the fight via knockout in the first round.
Fighting style
Machida uses a unique, unorthodox style in MMA that combines elements from his diverse training background. His style is based mainly on tactics using Shotokan karate and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, but also integrates techniques from wrestling and sumo, which Machida says makes him "fully prepared for any situation" in the Octagon. Often described as "elusive," Machida relies on cautious and precise counter-striking that frustrates his opponents into making mistakes. Machida has earned considerable respect from MMA fans, fighters, and commentators for his effectiveness and winning ways. At the same time, his cerebral and conservative style is sometimes deemed boring and unsatisfying to watch. Machida has drawn fire from fans, and criticism from MMA commentators for his limited aggression and many decision victories. In response to these criticisms, Machida said, "If you don't like it, sorry. I always try to win." He also stated that he believes fans are coming to appreciate the efficiency of his style just like they came to appreciate Royce Gracie's jiu-jitsu.
Machida defied expectations at UFC 94, where he earned Knockout of the Night honors for his first-round stoppage of then-undefeated Thiago Silva. Machida noted that he started to include weight training in his preparation for the bout. Commentators hailed the knockout as a step in the right direction toward building interest in him as a potential champion. In addition, Machida showcased his improved English during interviews for the event, which gave him the ability to connect with fans more easily. Machida's limited English was previously seen as a marketing liability. After knocking out Rashad Evans at UFC 98, in the post fight interview with Joe Rogan, Machida announced to his fans, "Karate is back! Machida Karate!" Many fans have referred to his style as "Machida Karate" since then.
In an issue of MMA Unltd magazine, Machida once again mentioned the phrase "Machida Karate", claiming that it was based on a very traditional form which is very different from modern sports karate. He also said that the karate seen nowadays has lost many techniques over the years in which it was practiced, and that his style was one of the very few that still kept those techniques. "My style is Machida Karate and it is a very traditional form", he said, "It differs from sports karate which we usually see in karate schools and competitions as it has many elements which were lost in the style including the use of knees, elbows, takedowns and even some submissions". Machida is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Walter Broca.
Personal life
Machida's wife is named Fabyola, and they have two sons. They reside in Palos Verdes Estates, California.
Lyoto's older brother Chinzô is also a Shotokan karate champion and MMA fighter, who previously competed in Bellator MMA. Lyoto and Chinzô fought in a karate tournament final over ten years ago in which Lyoto gave Chinzô a cheek scar that still exists today. His other brothers include Kenzo Machida, a TV journalist for one of Brazil's biggest TV stations, and Take Machida.
Championships and accomplishments
Ultimate Fighting Championship
UFC Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)
One successful title defense vs. Maurício Rua
Knockout of the Night (Four times) vs. Thiago Silva, Rashad Evans, Randy Couture and Mark Muñoz
Fight of the Night (Three times) vs. Jon Jones, Gegard Mousasi and Chris Weidman
Performance of the Night (Two times) vs. C.B. Dollaway and Vitor Belfort
Highest takedown accuracy percentage in UFC Light Heavyweight division history (65.0%)
Fourth longest win streak in UFC Light Heavyweight division history (8)
Fourth most knockdowns landed in UFC Light Heavyweight division history (11)
Tied (Chuck Liddell, Junior dos Santos, Thiago Santos, Maurício Rua & Khalil Rountree Jr.) for sixth most knockdowns landed in UFC history (14)
UFC.com Awards
2009: Half-Year Awards: Best Knockout of the 1HY vs. Rashad Evans, Ranked #2 Knockout of the Year vs. Rashad Evans, Ranked #2 Fighter of the Year & Ranked #9 Fight of the Year vs. Maurício Rua
2011: Ranked #6 Knockout of the Year vs. Randy Couture
2013: Ranked #9 Knockout of the Year vs. Mark Munoz