What does Shogun need to do to slay the Dragon? [FLD article!]

**MilesHackett** · 10-20-2009, 12:32 AM

This one's by Jack and it's a really interesting take on the fight we're all looking forward to most this weekend. Cheers to him for another great article!

http://www.fightlockdown.com/article...lay-the-dragon

**Thaispider** · 10-20-2009, 02:18 AM

awesome job jack and WAR SHOGUN!!!

Punch Me · 10-20-2009, 03:28 AM

I believe Shogun is a little stepping stone for Machida, I hope he gets stepped on, although some co-posters in this forum will cry seeing yet another pride hero lose his pride in the octagon.

Then I can make demonic plans for the return of my mastah Rashad to powah ! Damn you Machida, you counterpunching machine /shakes fist

**FunkYou** · 10-20-2009, 04:43 AM

As always Jack your articles are well written and I will forgive the couple of typos

. I am still picking Machida but this article reinforces what i think most of us already knew - that it is going to be as close a LHW title as there has been in quite a while.

**Jack** · 10-20-2009, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thaispider

awesome job jack and WAR SHOGUN!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by FunkYou

As always Jack your articles are well written and I will forgive the couple of typos

. I am still picking Machida but this article reinforces what i think most of us already knew - that it is going to be as close a LHW title as there has been in quite a while.

Thanks gents, personally I still see Machida as the favourite but a lot of people are giving Shogun way too small of a chance in this fight. He's definitely Machida's most dangerous opponent and this fight has the potential to be a classic IMO.

As far as the article goes, I wasn't entirely happy with the end result. Due to me being crazy busy at work lately this was written in 20-30 minute bursts over about a two week period, it ended up being kind of disjointed and not really reading as well as I'd hoped but this was something I really wanted to write so I was pretty determined to get it done.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Punch Me

I believe Shogun is a little stepping stone for Machida, I hope he gets stepped on, although some co-posters in this forum will cry seeing yet another pride hero lose his pride in the octagon.

Then I can make demonic plans for the return of my mastah Rashad to powah ! Damn you Machida, you counterpunching machine /shakes fist

Go to your room immediately and don't come out until you've watched the entire PRIDE 2005 MWGP. Don't make me repeat myself.

Vilify · 10-20-2009, 01:25 PM

Nice article, maybe i'll hire you one day to work for me..

**Jack** · 10-20-2009, 04:12 PM

Oh I meant to mention that I deliberately left out any talk of Shogun's cardio as it seems you can't have a conversation about this fight without people making it the be all and end all which it isn't IMO. I thought about trying to incorporate it in some way but I figured it could just take over so I left it out altogether. Plus TBH, I just wanted a Shogun article out there that wasn't obsessed with his conditioning.

I think he needs to be able to go 5 rounds at a relatively fast pace wit the potential for lots of TD's and even transitions on the ground. However, Machida doesn't really force you into fighting a quick pace and pushing the action much standing is actually detrimental to Shogun's cause in this fight IMO. He needs controlled aggression standing and he needs to use his strength in the clinch and on the mat.

So basically what I'm trying to say is he needs to be in good shape, better than he's been in the UFC so far, but he doesn't need to show up as the old cardio machine that he once was in order to win this fight. IMO anyway.

**MilesHackett** · 10-20-2009, 04:13 PM

I hate how people marginalize the argument for Shogun winning by suggesting that there's a "PRIDE complex". Shogun has a much better chance of winning than even the odds indicate IMO, and I think anyone who underestimates his chances is a fool.

Punch Me · 10-20-2009, 04:17 PM

His defense isn't good enough, compared to Machida. And we know Machida is so sharp and careful that he won't ever lose a decision, you have to put him out. But how ?

Let's face the facts, the most sure bet ever is to bet on Machida. I don't question Shogun's skills, just his reliabilty/cardio.

PEACE SHOGGUUUNN !!!

**Thaispider** · 10-20-2009, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Punch Me

His defense isn't good enough, compared to Machida. And we know Machida is so sharp and careful that he won't ever lose a decision, you have to put him out. But how ?

Let's face the facts, the most sure bet ever is to bet on Machida. I don't question Shogun's skills, just his reliabilty/cardio.

PEACE SHOGGUUUNN !!!

how do you know he will never lose a decision?