Lyoto Machida admits he felt “kind of lost” in his Bellator debut.
Machida shared the cage with former middleweight champion Rafael Carvalho. The bout served as Bellator 213’s co-main event. After three rounds of action, Machida edged out Carvalho via split decision.
“The Dragon” Talks Getting The Hang Of Things In Bellator Debut
Machida told reporters that the Bellator experience has differences from his days under the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) banner (via MMAJunkie.com):
“Tough opponent, tough fight. I believe because it was my first fight in Bellator, in the beginning, I was kind of lost. Even though I have a lot of fights under my belt, many years in the UFC and other events, Bellator is different. Every time you step in a different cage, you can feel the difference, and that’s what I felt at the beginning of the fight.”
Machida now puts himself in prime position to challenge the winner of Gegard Mousasi vs. Rafael Lovato Jr. Mousasi will defend his Bellator middleweight championship against Lovato Jr. in the co-main event of Bellator 214 on Jan. 26.
Do you think Lyoto Machida will serve as a formidable title challenger after his performance against Rafael Carvalho, or will “The Dragon” be outmatched?
