Both Quinton "Rampage Jackson and Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida have held the coveted Light Heavyweight title in the UFC, but have yet to face off against one another until now. These two contenders will look to get back in the title picture after high profile losses in their last fights. Rampage was laid on for a full fifteen minutes by Rashad Evans while Lyoto was violently KO'd by the new Champion Maricio "Shogun" Rua.
These two fighters both prefer the striking game to the ground but also possess the skill to contend there. While Lyoto is known for his Karate stylings, Quinton has a more orthodox boxing game. Both fighters have shown they have what it takes to be at the top of the division, with Lyoto coming off of his first loss in his pro career, while Rampage is dealing with the loss to bitter rival Rashad Evans.
The deciding factors on how this fight goes down may be how Lyoto Deals with his first loss and how dedicated Jackson is after parlaying in Hollywood for the A-Team movie. A lot of people have said that this fight is all Lyoto with his kicks and recent run against top contenders, but Rampage still has something left in the tank and can't be taken lightly. Just because he lost a WRESTLING match against Evans doesn't mean he isn't a top 5 Light Heavyweight fighter.
As for Lyoto, his mystique may have tarnished a bit with the KO loss and bogus gift decision against Shogun before that, he is still a top one of the most talent rich divisions in the UFC. His style may have been figured out by Shogun and his camp, but that does not mean that anyone who watched it can duplicate the performance.
This fight is an interesting match up of former Champions that have far different styles. If the old adage "Styles make fights" holds true this should be one for the ages for fans of MMA. [Source]
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