UFC 113: Machida vs Rua 2  

Lyoto Machida must be eating his words right now. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua already had the upper hand at UFC 104 until the judges spoiled it. Machida on the other hand claimed that he won majority of the rounds when the fans and critics alike are giving the fight to Rua. Rua just settled the score at UFC 113 in a very convincing way, a KO, and gives Machida his first ever defeat. Rua is the new light heavyweight champion and I think he'll hold it for a long time. Machida vs Rua 3? Probably, but Machida should change his style and be near perfect to beat Rua.

Spider Silva to the rescue

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua vs Anderson "The Spider" Silva. That fight would definitely go down the wire. Rua openly said during the press conference that he's open in fighting Silva. Rua just showed true professionalism by doing that unlike Machida who declined because he and Silva are friends.

A Rua win over Silva would ice his reputation as one of the best and most elite fighters while Silva's win over Rua would redeem himself after a poor showing against Demian Maia.

Rua vs Silva, this one's definitely going to be a big one.

Rua just proved that he's the better fighter. Machida came in prepared for Rua's kicks but it was Rua's punches that finished him. Rua dominated Machida in strikes and though Machida had good takedowns and one impressive knee, it still wasn't enough.

It's not the end of Lyoto Machida in the UFC. However, he's got to work a little harder for his next fight because it seems that fighters have figured him out already after the fight with Mauricio Rua. As the former champion, he'll definitely be given the chance to redeem himself and maybe for another title shot. A Machida-Rua 3 would definitely be great to give Machida a chance. Rua was clearly robbed in their first fight and convincingly won the second. Will Machida get Rua in the third one? Or, can Machida make it to another title fight against Rua? The light heavyweight is kinda stacked and Machida would work his way up. First comes the Quinton Jackson and Rashad Evans fight and the winner might have a chance to take on Rua. There are also a lot of notable names in the light heavyweight division which makes it difficult but interesting for Machida. Honestly, I really lost some respect for Machida after claiming that he was clearly the winner in their first fight against Rua. Rua just clearly had the best of Machida but the judges saw it differently, reminiscent of the Brandon Vera-Randy Couture fight. The future is still very bright for Machida but for now, his focus must be on regaining some reputation and the only way to do that is to win fights once again. And maybe this time in a much more convincing way.