Lyoto Machida – Stats, History and MMA Record
Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida

- Age: 41
- Date of birth: 30 May 1978
- Born: Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
- Fighting out of: Palos Verdes, California, United States
- Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
- Weight: 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
- Reach: 74 in (190 cm)
- Stance: Southpaw
- Main styles: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Shotokan Karate,
- Belts: 3rd dan black belt in Shotokan Karate, Black Belt Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
- Gym / Teams: Machida Karate, Kings MMA
- Pro MMA record: 26 – 8,
- Winning %: 76%
- Losing %: 24%
- Wins by KO/TKO: 11 (42%)
- Wins by submission: 2 (8%)
- Wins by decision: 3 (12%)
Stand out Stats
- Machida began his pro MMA career in 2003 and proceeded to win 16 straight fights, which included winning the UFC’s light-heavyweight title in 2009, by knocking out Rashad Evans.
- In 2003, Machida became the first person to defeat Rich Franklin. Machida faced Franklin in what was the latter’s 15th pro bout, and stopped the future UFC champion in round two. The fight was just Machida’s third pro bout.
- Machida was awarded four “Knockout of the Night” bonuses, two “Performance of the Night” awards and three “Fight of the Night” honors during his UFC run. The star fought under the UFC banner from February, 2007 through May, 2018.
Pro MMA Record (1)
Result | Opponent | Event | Method | Round | Time |
Win | Chael Sonnen | Bellator 222Jun / 14 / 2019 | TKO (flying knee and punches) | 2 | 0:22 |
Win | Rafael Carvalho | Bellator 213 – Dec / 15 / 2018 | Decision (split) | 3 | 5:00 |
Win | Vitor Belfort | UFC 224 May / 12 / 2018 | KO (front kick) | 2 | 1:00 |
Win | Eryk Anders | UFC Fight Night 125 Feb / 3 / 2018 | Decision (split) | 3 | 5:00 |
Loss | Derek Brunson | UFC Fight Night 119Oct / 28 / 2017 | KO (punches) | 1 | 2:30 |
Loss | Yoel Romero | UFC Fight Night 70 Jun / 27 / 2015 | KO (elbows) | 3 | 1:38 |
Loss | Luke Rockhold | UFC on FOX 15 Apr / 18 / 2015 | Submission (rear-naked-choke) | 2 | 2:31 |
Win | C.B. Dollaway | UFC Fight Night 58Dec / 20 / 2014 | TKO (body kick and punches) | 1 | 1:02 |
Loss | Chris Weidman | UFC 175Jul / 05 / 2014 | Decision (unanimous) | 5 | 5:00 |
Win | Gegard Mousasi | UFC Fight Night 36 Feb / 15 / 2014 | Decision (unanimous) | 5 | 5:00 |
Win | Mark Munoz | UFC Fight Night 30 Oct / 26 / 2013 | KO (head kick) | 1 | 3:10 |
Loss | Phil Davis | UFC 163Aug / 03 / 2013 | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
Win | Dan Henderson | UFC 157 Feb / 23 / 2013 | Decision (split) | 3 | 5:00 |
Win | Ryan Bader | UFC on FOX 4Aug / 4 / 2012 | KO (punch) | 2 | 1:32 |
Loss | Jon Jones | UFC 140Dec / 10 / 2011 | Technical submission (standing guillotine choke) | 2 | 4:26 |
Win | Randy Couture | UFC 129Apr / 30 / 2011 | KO (crane kick) | 2 | 1:05 |
Loss | Quinton Jackson | UFC 123Nov / 20 / 2010 | Decision (split) | 3 | 5:00 |
Loss | Mauricio Rua | UFC 113May / 08 / 2010 | KO (punches) | 1 | 3:35 |
Win | Mauricio Rua | UFC 104Oct / 24 / 2009 | Decision (unanimous) | 5 | 5:00 |
Win | Rashad Evans | UFC 98 May / 23 / 2009 | KO (punches) | 2 | 3:57 |
Win | Thiago Silva | UFC 94 Jan / 31 / 2009 | KO (punches) | 1 | 4:59 |
Win | Tito Ortiz | UFC 84 May / 24 / 2008 | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
Win | Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou | UFC 79 Dec / 29 / 2007 | Submission (arm-triangle-choke) | 2 | 4:20 |
Win | Kazuhiro Nakamura | UFC 76 Sep / 22/ 2007 | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
Win | David Heath | UFC 70 Apr / 21 / 2007 | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
Win | Sam Hoger | UFC 67 Feb / 03 / 2007 | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
Win | Vernon White | WFA 4 Jul / 22 / 2006 | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
Win | Dimitri Wanderley | Jungle Fight 6 Apr / 29 / 2006 | TKO (exhaustion) | 3 | 3:24 |
Win | B.J. Penn | K-1 – Hero’s 1 Mar / 26 / 2005 | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
Win | Sam Greco | K -1 MMA – Romanex May / 22 / 2004 | Decision (split) | 3 | 5:00 |
Win | Michael McDonald | K-1 – Beast 2004 Mar / 14 / 2004 | Submission (forearm choke) | 1 | 2:30 |
Win | Rich Franklin | Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2003 – Inoki Festival Dec / 31 / 2003 | TKO (head kick and punches) | 2 | 1:03 |
Win | Stephan Bonnar | JF – Jungle Fight 1 Sep / 13 / 2003 | TKO (doctor stoppage) | 1 | 4:21 |
Win | Kengo Watanabe | NJPW – Ultimate Crush May / 02 / 2003 | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
Biography / Interesting Facts
- Machida was born in Salvador, Brazil, but his father Yoshizo was born in Ibaraki, Japan in 1946. Yoshizo Machida migrated to Brazil in 1968. In Brazil, the karate Sensei met and married Lyoto’s mother, Ana Claudia. Yoshizo, who holds the rank of 8th Dan black belt by the International Traditional Karate Association, began teaching Lyoto and his older brother Chinzo karate when they were children (2).
- The name “Ryoto” is of Japanese origin and means “dragon”, which is Machida’s nickname (3).
- He trains out of Machida Karate, Kings MMA both of which are great gyms.
- As Machida extended his undefeated record during his first years with the UFC, by going 8-0 in the Octagon, the term the “Machida Era” was often used to describe the fighter’s dominant run.
- Machida defended the UFC’s light-heavyweight title for the first time in October, 2009 against Mauricio Rua, and won the fight via decision. Since the decision was widely deemed as controversial, however, a rematch was booked for May, 2010. Machida was knocked out by Rua in the opening round.
- The heralded striker secured another shot at the UFC’s light-heavyweight title in April, 2011, by knocking out the legendary Randy Couture with a front kick. Machida faced champion Jon Jones that December, but was choked out by the renowned fighter in the second round.
- After Machida lost via decision to light-heavyweight contender Phil Davis in 2013, the former champion moved down to middleweight. Machida knocked out Mark Munoz in his first bout competing in the 185 pound division.
- Machida faced Chris Weidman for the UFC’s middleweight title in July, 2014, but lost to the now former champion via unanimous decision.
- In 2014 ‘Tapped out’ a MMA movie featuring Machida came out.
- In 2016, Machida was suspended by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) for 18 months, after he tested positive for the banned substance 7-keto-dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Machida claimed he did not know the substance was banned and that he used the substance to mitigate stress (4).
- In 2018, Machida surprised many throughout the MMA world by signing with Bellator. The move followed Machida’s knockout win of Vitor Belfort at UFC 224 in May of that same year.
References
- Wikipedia, Lyoto Machida. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyoto_Machida
- The History of Machida Karate. Retrieved from https://www.machidakarate.com/about-us/history/
- Baby Names, Ryoto, Retrieved from https://www.babynames.com/name/ryoto
- Raimondi, Marc, (2016, November 18), Lyoto Machida releases statement on his 18-month USADA suspension. Retrieved from https://www.mmafighting.com/2016/11/18/13681318/lyoto-machida-releases-statement-on-his-18-month-usada-suspension
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