UFC 98 Predictions Lyoto Machida UFC Light Heavyweight Champion: There have been many iconic figures that have defined their time, when looking back at the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship or any other MMA company for that matter.
From the godfather of today’s MMA, Royce Gracie, to “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” Ken Shamrock, to Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell and Anderson “The Spider” Silva, their success has been heavily based on their opponents’ inability to figure their styles out and/or the ineffectiveness to compose a winning game plan. 
Yet none of the fighters aforementioned, except for maybe Gracie, were ever as much of an enigma to solve during their prime, as currently undefeated title-contender, Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida [-200 ML].
Becoming the very first fighter in the history of the UFC to successfully incorporate principles of (Shotokan) Karate as a skill-set and everyday practice, Machida is like nothing we’ve ever seen before.
Never in my recollections, have I seen an undefeated MMA fighter, with that many fights against quality opponents, that has been able to successfully avoid punishment and/or unnecessary damage as the 30-year-old Machida has. Never seen it before!
Sure, Rashad Evans [+160 ML] is unquestionably a great fighter and a terrific talent. But his opponent on Saturday night is as tough to catch as a ninja in the night. In fact, I would even say that Evans would have much rather fought “Rampage” than Machida. Why? Because, you know what you’re getting when you step into the Octagon with Jackson, thus, easier to prepare for, but with “The Dragon” you don’t. And that’s the reason why my UFC 98 Predictions is Lyoto Machida as the New UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.
The man is like a surgeon during a procedure out there. I read somewhere Machida's approach being compared to Russian's Fedor Emelianenko, and I would say that’s pretty accurate at least in the way they both show absolutely no expression during their fights. Many people call Machida’s style boring. I call it efficient, effective and deadly. Besides, who can argue against something when it’s proving to work? Who can argue against results?
“He wins,” UFC president Dana White said. “The guy is (14-0) and look at who he’s beating. He’s fighting everyone. People can relate to a guy like that. He looks like anybody else, but he goes out there and he just beats whoever he fights.”
