Lyoto Machida's weight class during prime

[mkt]

If you're not willing to fight everybody, you don't deserve the strap.

Cain and Cormier have fought in different weight divisions to avoid each other...since they're good friends and training partners. By your "logic" neither of them have deserved a belt either.

 

[rurouni]

usaada

 

[Hotora86]

Lyoto cut next to NOTHING is his first 20 fights. He could be fighting at MW no doubt, looks like he just didn't want to.

 

[SpedDaddyV]

I always thought it was due to Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida having a threesome with Ed Soares

 

[FinalConflict2005]

I always thought it was due to Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida having a threesome with Ed Soares

 

[White belt and pants]

I was trying to find information on what exactly made Machida go up from MW to LHW and i could really find anything.

From what i remember, he was basically forced out of MW because Anderson Silva was his training partner, and 'THAT' guy running the division.

I explicitly remember both of them saying they would never fight eachother.

So my question to Sherdoggers,

1- Was Machida forced out of middle weight because Silva was there?

2- Would have Machida had a more succesful career if he were to stay at MW? (Assuming Anderson Silva never existed!!)

Bonus question:
3- If Silva and Machida fought around 2008-09, when they both held titles, who wouldve won if they met at MW and LHW?

In 2008-09, was when Silva welcomed Forrest Griffin to the Matrix and went to war with Chael Sonnen... while Machida handed Rashad Evans his first L and went to war with Shogun.

I remember being younger and daydreaming about a Spider vs Dragon fight! Soon i found out they said they would never fight and my dream was crushed.

What are you talking about? Machida started off at heavyweight/ light heavy and then middleweight. There was never any moving up a weight class for Silva or any other reason. He only moved down

 

[Erocthadon]

He was shook from the GOAT

 

[Hotora86]

1- Was Machida forced out of middle weight because Silva was there?

Short answer: No. Machida fought at LHW before he joined the UFC.

Long answer: Only in the UFC. Machida COULD HAVE cut to WW easily (he barely cut anything to LHW and often weighed in below 205) but he didn't feel like it (did not enjoy cutting probably) and the Silva friendship only cemented that decision not to cut.

I think they weighted pretty much the same. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that Machida and Silva could have exchanged divisions and would still both become UFC champs (Machida at MW and Silva at LHW).

2- Would have Machida had a more succesful career if he were to stay at MW? (Assuming Anderson Silva never existed!!)

Assuming Anderson Silva never existed AND someone convinced Lyoto to cut to MW from the very beginning (which he was certainly capable of) IMHO he'd have a very similar career - tear through the MW div in his prime, win the UFC belt, become less defensive/elusive and then get KOd by a hard hitter with the perfect gameplan. Then maybe he'd move UP to LHW, win a few, lose a few and finally lose his speed and decline to what we see today.

3- If Silva and Machida fought around 2008-09, when they both held titles, who wouldve won if they met at MW and LHW?

Boring draw or a split decision that would have Sherdoggers fighting forever.

Here's a taste of how it would look.

 

[ironfist05]

If there had been no Silva, then Machida would have been champ for a long time