UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Anders: Rising star takes on seasoned veteran in tantalising main event

UFC commentator and analyst Dan Hardy looks ahead to this weekend’s event in Belem, Brazil, as a home favourite and former light heavyweight champion takes on an unbeaten newcomer

Lyoto Machida (L) of Brazil and Eryk Anders (Getty)

Rising contenders sit alongside seasoned veterans this weekend, as the UFC holds a Fight Night in Belem, Brazil. The main event features former light heavyweight champion, Lyoto Machida, taking on fast-rising contender, Eryk Anders.

There are many pressures that an athlete experiences when fighting at home and although Machida has done it before, this time he has an unbeaten opponent. Not only has Anders never been defeated, but he also has a habit of stopping opponents in the first round. Six of his 10 victories have ended before he had the opportunity to sit on his stool and get some advice from his corner team.

One rear-naked choke, and five knockouts, one of which came in his late notice UFC debut against the seasoned Rafael Natal last summer.

Machida has three times the professional experience of Anders and has spectacular victories over some of the sport’s greatest fighters. In over 10 years of fighting in the Octagon he has defeated Tito Ortiz, Rashad Evans, Mauricio Rua, Dan Henderson and Randy Couture - all former champions with a wide range of skills and talents.

It is not only the fact that Machida has defeated all of these warriors, but that he is able to do it with such precision. The pinpoint accurate striking that he tagged Rashad with towards the end of round two, was what won him the championship at UFC 98 in May 2009. The flurry that followed to seal the deal is still seen on highlight reels today.

A Karate practitioner from the time he could walk, the martial arts run deep in the Machida family’s blood. His father, Yoshizo Machida, trained all three of his sons - Lyoto being the youngest - in the art of Shotokan. This full-contact, highly explosive style of Karate seems to be one of the most effective of the purist styles to cross over to MMA.

Machida is its best practitioner so far and, what has always been a traditional style of fighting is, in the modern day of MMA, quite unorthodox. He is typically elusive. Moving laterally and leaping in with single, snapping punches, he blinds his foe with speed and shuts them off when they expose a vulnerability.

Lyoto Machida in training (Getty)

It’s quite beautiful to watch and totally on the opposite end of the spectrum to most of the hard-nosed brawling styles that take over when fatigue sets in. Machida is very patient, but always ready to strike, and that patience will pay off this weekend as Anders likes to start fast. A high level American football player, once signed to the NFL’s Cleveland Browns, Anders has been training and competing for most of his life.

Those years of conditioning and preparing for a contact sport have created this beast of an athlete. There is no doubt that he is a raw talent, with much technique still to acquire, but his height and physical presence allow him to throw his weight around with great effect.

Chaotic and reckless, combined with unbeaten, can be Kryptonite for a skilled counter-fighter like Machida. To counter requires space and time. It requires predictable movement patterns which can be read and exposed. Because there isn’t a huge output from a counter-striker, they rely on footwork and the threat of a strike to hold their opponent off for long enough to set a trap.

Eryk Anders in action (Getty)

The confidence of an unbeaten fighter can reign supreme when it’s in a fast and powerful athlete like Eryk Anders. If he can put aside the fact that he is fighting the great Lyoto Machida and do what he usually does, he could cause a huge upset.

Anders’ purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu doesn’t stack up well against Machida’s black belt either but, again, strength and power have proven to be a levelling factor. Going into his 23rd fight in the Octagon and approaching 40 years old, Machida will have to lean heavily on experience. He can certainly out-think Anders with the level of skill that Lyoto possesses, but that raw power can be overwhelming. It’s going to be a turning point for both of these fighters.

Either Anders defeats a legend and jumps up in everyone’s estimations, or he gets a valuable lesson from a veteran and moves on relatively unaffected.

For Machida it feels like a must-win fight. If he picks up a loss here it may be the last time we see this legend of martial arts grace the Octagon. It is incredible that these fighters are able to stay active and competitive at the top of the sport for so long. There comes a last fight for every fighter though. Sometimes on their terms, but usually because time has caught up with them.

The stage is set for Machida to catch Anders as he rushes in, but the ferocity this young prospect brings may be too much. I expect the fans in the arena to be anxious and excited throughout the whole card, in anticipation of the main event. Before Machida makes his walk though, they will be treated to some great fights to keep them entertained.

The co-main event is a bantamweight clash between John Dodson and Pedro Munhoz. Dodson has yet to really find his rhythm since moving up a weight class. Munhoz has put together a four-fight winning streak since losing a split decision to Jimmie Rivera back in 2015. His guillotine game is so dangerous that he looks like it might win him a world title one day.

He wraps the neck from anywhere and after catching Russell Doane and Rob Font in the first round, we know he needs very little time to find his opening to attack. If Dodson is going to realise his title-fight potential at bantamweight, it’s important that he holds ground here, and doesn’t allow Munhoz a leg-up. Lots of other good fights all the way down the card, including Valentina Shevchenko making her flyweight debut. Make sure you tune in for a great night of combat sports.

Watch UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Anders live on BT Sport 3 from 1am GMT early on Sunday, February 4, or catch the Early Prelims exclusively on UFC Fight Pass from midnight on Saturday