Face to Face

 After Thales Leites vs. Anderson Silva, the MMA fans Hill have the chance to match another Brazilian fight in the UFC. In his first title defense alter knocking out Rashad Evans, Lyoto Machida will face the former Pride GP champion, Mauricio Shogun.

 

Great times when the world was split in two big events (UFC and Pride) and the best Brazilian fighters could run for titles between USA and Japan without colliding (expect the rivals from Chute Boxe and BTT). With Pride’s end and the beginning of the UFC monopoly, the reality changed and the UFC started to have the champion of the world. With the best MMA fighters outside of Brazil, it was a matter of time that Brazilian challenges for the title in the UFC would become more natural, even more because MMA is becoming more professional…

 

SHOGUN ANSWERS LYOTO

How did you face the criticizing after your victory against Coleman?

 

Actually, I always see the criticizing as something to overcome, train and run after better things. I know that the fans sometimes say bad things, but they say that because they like me. Some guys were talking about Coleman, that he’d beat me and something like that. After my victory, I fought badly, but it’s ok. I just wanna see if the next guy who fights him will knock him out fast…

 

LYOTO ANSWERS SHOGUN

How did you felt when the UFC put you to fight against me?

 

Actually, I didn’t expected this fight, I thought they’d put Rampage, but the UFC changed and said you’d be my opponent. At the beginning I thought “man, it wasn’t in my schedule”, but I knew one day we’d fight each other, because we’re in the same way, in the same event…