Lyoto Machida facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lyoto Machida
Machida in 2011
Born	Lyoto Carvalho Machida (1978-05-30) 30 May 1978 (age 47) Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Other names	The Dragon
Residence	Palos Verdes, California, U.S.
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight	185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Division	Heavyweight (2003–2006) Light heavyweight (2006–2013, 2019–2021) Middleweight (2013–2019, 2022–present)
Reach	74 in (190 cm)
Stance	Southpaw
Fighting out of	Los Angeles, California, United States
Team	Black House Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy Kings MMA
Teacher(s)	Yoshizo Machida Antonio Inoki Wallid Ismail
Rank	3rd dan black belt in Shotokan karate under Yoshizo Machida Black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Walter Broca
Years active	2003–present (MMA)
Mixed martial arts record
Total	38
Wins	26
By knockout	11
By submission	2
By decision	13
Losses	12
By knockout	4
By submission	2
By decision	6
last updated on: 19 April 2018 (2018-04-19)

Lyoto Carvalho Machida (町田龍太, Machida Ryōto, Portuguese pronunciation: [liˈotu maˈʃidɐ], born 30 May 1978) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and karateka. He is famous for his unique fighting style. He used to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). There, he was a UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. He also fought for the UFC Middleweight Championship title. Later, he competed in Bellator MMA.

Early Life and Training

Lyoto was born in Salvador, Brazil. He is the third son of Yoshizo Machida. Yoshizo is a highly ranked Shotokan karate master. He leads the Brazilian branch of the Japan Karate Association. Yoshizo moved to Brazil from Japan when he was 22. He met Lyoto's mother, Ana Claudia, who is Brazilian.

Lyoto grew up in Belém. He started training in karate at age 3. He earned his black belt when he was 13. He also began training in sumo wrestling at age 8. Later, he learned BJJ and boxing at sixteen. He won many amateur karate tournaments. This included the 2001 Pan American Karate tournament.

He also traveled to Thailand to study Muay Thai. He went to Japan to learn grappling. Then he came to the United States for his UFC career. In sumo, he was second in the 2000 Brazilian Sumo Championships. As an adult, he won the Brazilian Championship twice. He also placed second in the South American Championship. Lyoto has a college degree in Physical Education. His older brother Chinzô is also a karate champion and MMA fighter.

Mixed Martial Arts Career

Lyoto Machida started his MMA career in Japan. He was managed by Antonio Inoki. On May 2, 2003, he won his first professional fight. He defeated Kengo Watanabe in Tokyo.

First Fights and Big Wins

In his second fight, he beat Stephan Bonnar. This was Bonnar's first professional loss. On December 31, 2003, Machida fought Rich Franklin. Franklin was a future UFC Middleweight Champion. Machida won by TKO in the second round. He knocked Franklin down with a front kick to the face. This was Franklin's first professional defeat.

Machida then fought for the K-1 promotion. He beat kickboxers Michael McDonald and Sam Greco. He also fought former UFC Welterweight Champion B.J. Penn. Machida won that fight by decision.

Joining the UFC

Machida joined the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 2007. He won his first UFC fight against Sam Hoger. He then beat David Heath and Kazuhiro Nakamura.

At UFC 79, Machida faced Sokoudjou. Machida won by a submission move called an arm triangle choke. His next big fight was against former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz. Machida won by unanimous decision. He used his movement and counter-strikes to win.

At UFC 94, Machida fought Thiago Silva. Machida knocked him out in the first round. This was his first UFC knockout win. He also earned his first Knockout of the Night bonus.

Becoming Light Heavyweight Champion

Machida then got a chance to fight for the title. He challenged Rashad Evans for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Both fighters were undefeated. Machida knocked Evans out in the second round. He became the tenth UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. This performance earned him another Knockout of the Night award.

Machida defended his title against Maurício Rua at UFC 104. Machida won by a close decision. Some fans and experts thought Rua had won. Because of this, they had a rematch seven months later. At UFC 113, Rua knocked Machida out in the first round. This was Machida's first loss in his MMA career.

After Losing the Title

After losing his title, Machida faced Quinton Jackson. Jackson won by a split decision. Many people, including Jackson himself, thought Machida should have won.

Machida then fought UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture. Machida won by a spectacular knockout. He used a jumping front kick to the face. This kick was compared to the "Crane kick" from The Karate Kid movie. He earned another Knockout of the Night bonus.

Machida later fought UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones. Jones won by technical submission in the second round. Both fighters earned Fight of the Night honors. Machida then knocked out Ryan Bader in the second round. This win put him back in line for a title shot. However, he turned down a rematch with Jon Jones. He felt he didn't have enough time to prepare.

Machida faced Dan Henderson at UFC 157. Machida won by split decision. Then he lost to Phil Davis by unanimous decision. This decision was very controversial. Many people, including UFC President Dana White, believed Machida had won.

Moving to Middleweight

In 2013, Machida decided to move to the middleweight division. His first fight at middleweight was against Mark Muñoz. Machida won by a head kick knockout in the first round. He earned another Knockout of the Night award. He was praised for his sportsmanship. He did not hit Muñoz again after the knockout.

Machida then beat Gegard Mousasi by unanimous decision. He earned a Fight of the Night bonus. He later fought for the UFC Middleweight Championship against Chris Weidman. Machida lost by unanimous decision. But he earned another Fight of the Night bonus for his effort.

Machida knocked out C. B. Dollaway in just 62 seconds. He used a body kick and punches. He earned a Performance of the Night bonus. He then lost to Luke Rockhold and Yoel Romero.

Machida was suspended for 18 months because he used a substance he didn't know was against the rules. He was allowed to fight again in October 2017. After his suspension, he lost to Derek Brunson. But he then won two fights in a row. He beat Eryk Anders by split decision. Then he knocked out Vitor Belfort with a front kick. This earned him another Performance of the Night award.

Bellator MMA Career

In 2018, Machida signed with Bellator MMA. He won his first fight there against Rafael Carvalho. He then beat Chael Sonnen by TKO. Machida had a rematch with Gegard Mousasi but lost by split decision. He also lost a rematch against Phil Davis.

In 2021, Machida took part in the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix. He faced Ryan Bader in the quarterfinal. Machida lost the fight by unanimous decision. He later returned to the Middleweight division. He lost to Fabian Edwards in his last fight.

Fighting Style

Machida has a very unique fighting style in MMA. It mixes elements from his training in Shotokan karate and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He also uses techniques from wrestling and sumo. He says this makes him ready for any situation.

People often describe Machida as "elusive." He uses careful and exact counter-striking. This makes his opponents make mistakes. Machida has earned a lot of respect for how effective he is. His style is sometimes called "Machida Karate." He says it's based on a very old form of karate. This form includes knees, elbows, takedowns, and even some submissions.

Machida is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. His karate style means he fights from a longer distance than most boxers or Muay Thai fighters. He is very good at controlling the distance. This helps him avoid getting hit. He often switches between different fighting stances. His kicks are quick and hard to see coming. He has finished many fights with his kicks. This includes fights against Randy Couture, Mark Muñoz, C. B. Dollaway, and Vitor Belfort.

Personal Life

Lyoto Machida is married to Fabyola. They have two sons. They live in Palos Verdes Estates, California.

His older brother Chinzô is also a Shotokan karate champion and MMA fighter. Lyoto and Chinzô once fought in a karate tournament final. Lyoto accidentally gave Chinzô a scar on his cheek. Lyoto also has other brothers, Kenzo and Take Machida. Kenzo is a TV journalist in Brazil.

Championships and Awards

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • UFC Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)
    • He defended his title successfully once.
  • Knockout of the Night (Four times)
  • Fight of the Night (Three times)
  • Performance of the Night (Two times)
  • He has the highest takedown accuracy in UFC Light Heavyweight history (65.0%).
  • He had the third longest win streak in UFC Light Heavyweight history (8 wins).
  • He landed the fourth most knockdowns in UFC Light Heavyweight history (11).
  • UFC.com Awards
    • 2009: Best Knockout of the First Half of the Year (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)
    • 2018: Ranked #3 Knockout of the Year (vs. Vitor Belfort)
• Sherdog Awards
  • 2011 Knockout of the Year (vs. Randy Couture)
  • Mixed Martial Arts Hall of Fame
• Black Belt Magazine
  • 2009 Fighter of the Year
• MMA Torch.com
  • 2014 Fight of the Year (vs. Chris Weidman at UFC 175)
• Fight Matrix
  • 2014 Most Noteworthy Match of the Year (vs. Chris Weidman on July 5, 2014)
• MMAJunkie.com
  • 2014 July Fight of the Month (vs. Chris Weidman)
  • 2018 May Knockout of the Month (vs. Vitor Belfort)

Mixed Martial Arts Record

Pay-per-view Bouts

See also

In Spanish: Lyoto Machida para niños

• List of male mixed martial artists