Former UFC light-heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida looks to put his last performance in the rear-view mirror as he battles Yoel Romeo in the main event Saturday at a UFC Fight Night event in Hollywood, Fla. “The Dragon” hopes this quick turnaround will propel him back into the contender’s seat in the middleweight division.
Machida (22-6) dropped to 185 pounds in 2013 and has amassed a 3-2 record with wins over Mark Munoz, Gegard Mosuasi and C.B. Dolloway. However, shortly after losing a hard fought decision to champion Chris Weidman at UFC 175, he was completely outclassed by Luke Rockhold this past April suffering the second submission loss of his career. Heading into his matchup with Romero, Machida looks to avoid back to back losses for the second time in his career.
Romero (9-1) has won five straight fights but hasn’t fought in 2015 due to injuries. He has remained undefeated since joining the UFC two years ago with wins over Tim Kennedy, Brad Tavares, Derek Brunson, Ronny Markes and Clifford Starks. He last saw action at UFC 187 in September against Kennedy where he became just the second man to knockout the Strikeforce veteran. With eight of his nine career wins by knockout, he remains one of the biggest threats in the middleweight division. At 38 years of age, though, you have to wonder at what point he’ll start to slow down.
It’s rare to see the UFC matchmakers put together a main event where one fighter is on a hot streak while the other has lost two of his last three bouts. Stylistically, fans can expect an all-out war as neither of these fighters are afraid to engage in a stand-up battle. Should Machida get into trouble, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt might try to take this fight to the canvas despite the fact Romero has never been submitted in his career.
For Romero, a 2000 Olympic silver medallist from Cuba, it’s an opportunity to implement a “changing of the guard” in the middleweight division. Machida has been considered one of the top contenders of the middleweight class for quite some time and Romero now has the opportunity to take his spot. A win over a former champion like Machida would undoubtedly propel him towards a title shot.
At 37, this may be the last chance for Machida to make a serious run at a UFC title. The Brazilian is one of the most well-rounded fighters in the division and also has a serious edge in experience with 28 career bouts on his resume compared to just 10 for Romero. He has a huge opportunity to shake up the division with a win on Saturday, but if he loses his second in a row it may be close to the end of the “Machida Era.”