Well i've just finished wathcing the main event of UFC 104, and I'm scratching my head at the result. How on earth did Machida get that decision?

I don't want to end up writing a big essay but I had Shogun winning AT LEAST 3 rounds, 4 being my actual assumption.

Those leg kicks were deadly and i'm gutted for Shogun, we should have a new LHW champion.

I was stunned last night. The LA PD were on the prowl last night as millions around the world witnessed a robbery. I think Machida is super but last night he was destroyed by a work class trategy and world class execution from the ever dangerous Shogun. How this man is not light heavyweight champion right now is beyond me.

On the bright side , now we have a killer rematch to look forward to.

I was stunned last night. The LA PD were on the prowl last night as millions around the world witnessed a robbery. I think Machida is super but last night he was destroyed by a work class trategy and world class execution from the ever dangerous Shogun. How this man is not light heavyweight champion right now is beyond me.

On the bright side , now we have a killer rematch to look forward to.

Yeah, apparently the rematch could be as soon as January. Will

Will Shogun be able to come up with another plan though? Because there is no doubt Machida will be more than ready for a barrage of leg kicks this time round.

(Just started a thread on this on another forum... so here it is; c&p'd...)

So, Saturday night, a man who has been called the pound for pound best fighter in the world, the "real karate kid", and someone who many have said may never loose a round, let alone a fight, was clearly and blatantly beaten in the octagon, he even looked as if he had accepted his first ever loss... but as the unanimous results were read out by Bruce Buffer, it turned out that Lyoto Machida, the light heavyweight champion had in fact retained the UFC Light heavyweight title... Unbelievable!

Shogun had him beat, he knew it, the crowd knew it, Dana White knew it and even Machida's looked as if he knew it (the shock jubilation on his face when the results were read out were testament to that)... the only people who disagreed with that fact were ALL 3 of the judges.

I've been looking on a lot of websites and reading different reviews, and almost everybody is of the same thinking; that Shogun was robbed... There are of course a select few people who disagree with this and claim that to 'be the champ, you've got to beat the champ' and that Shogun didn't do that, and while it was a hard fight to score, Machida had done enough to retain... Rubbish if you ask me!

Dana White was so convinced that Shogun should be the new champion of the 205 division that in the press conference afterwards, he promised a rematch to happen as soon as possible, and now there is huge talk of it happening as early as January... which is very soon, seeing as there is usually an average period of 5-6 months between big UFC fights.

Personally, I think that Machida will knock Shogun out in their imminent rematch, as seeing a Machida who was not in complete control shocked me and made me think that it most definitely happen again, and I'm sure he'll be equally shocked when he watches the fight back. I still think that apart from Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida is still the best pound for pound fighter out there, and the fact that before Saturday's fight he had never lost a single round let alone a fight was more than testament to that... When people were saying that it wasn't WHEN he lost the Light heavyweight title, but IF he ever lost the Light heavyweight title, it made me think that we may have another BJ/GSP/Spider situation, where there looks to be no real threat to them in their respective divisions, therefor superfights seem to be the only answer... But when Rua had (what I thought was won) three rounds easily, I thought that maybe there was going to be an upset and maybe, just maybe we were going to see him have a run with the title after a totally unpredictable fight... But sadly that wasn't to be.

So, roll on the rematch, it was be a massive draw and will be one of the most hugely anticipated MMA fights of all time, but I think that Machida will not make the same mistakes twice, and while Shogun proved he can (and did) do it, maybe Lyoto 'the dragon' Machida will forever be undefeated and maybe Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua will always be second best... the only man to beat (yet, not beat) the best pound for pound fighter in the world...

I think it was a lot closer than some people are claiming. Shogun never really dominated Machida, but he did beat him. I scored it 49-46 shogun, maybe 48-47 at a push.

Shogun landed more effective and meaningful strikes - the effect of his leg kicks was glaringly obvious.

Shogun was the aggressor - Machida's style will always put him at the disadvantage here. For 4 rounds solid Shogun was coming forwards, stalking the champ

Octogon control - Shogun again controlled Machida's movement. He was pushing forwards constantly and Machida crossed the line from being "elusive" to flat out getting away from Rua. At least twice Machida had to look around to get his bearings. Then you weigh in Shogun missing the takedown but turning it into a clinch and pinning Machida against the cage with knees to his thighs.

The fight was Shogun's, it was an atrocious call by the judges. A call I could see coming when I heard Cecil Peoples name read out as a judge. That man has no call to be in the arena let alone calling fights. He is, to be blunt, a muppet

Shogun looked good. He looked strong, determined and patient. His strikes were simply faster and more accurate that Lyoto's. Before the fight I'd backed Lyoto to pick him apart and (T)KO him late in the second but I was proved happily wrong. What we saw was the Shogun of old, the Pride Shogun who was hailed as the most dangerous man on the planet during the reigns of both Liddell and Wanderlei. Before that fght I was a Machida fan, I thought Shogun had slipped off the top and lost his edge. I'm still a fan of The Dragon's, his style is so unique and he is always interesting to watch but Shogun just reaffirmed my faith in him. My respect for Mauricio is back and I could actually be routing for Rua in the rematch. Whoever wins, I win too.

A rematch? Yes please. I think Shogun will come out and be slightly more aggressive this time round. It'll be all or nothing, and it will possibly set up either a thrid to settle the score, or Shogun vs Anderson Silva.

A xxx poor decision? Yes. Things to look forwards to? Very much so.

I aint seen it, yet, usually everybody i talk to has varied opinions but this time i havnt read a statement, article, response or talked to any friends or UFC fans that have given this result Machidas way.

I think it was a lot closer than some people are claiming. Shogun never really dominated Machida, but he did beat him. I scored it 49-46 shogun, maybe 48-47 at a push.

Shogun landed more effective and meaningful strikes - the effect of his leg kicks was glaringly obvious.

Shogun was the aggressor - Machida's style will always put him at the disadvantage here. For 4 rounds solid Shogun was coming forwards, stalking the champ

Octogon control - Shogun again controlled Machida's movement. He was pushing forwards constantly and Machida crossed the line from being "elusive" to flat out getting away from Rua. At least twice Machida had to look around to get his bearings. Then you weigh in Shogun missing the takedown but turning it into a clinch and pinning Machida against the cage with knees to his thighs.

The fight was Shogun's, it was an atrocious call by the judges. A call I could see coming when I heard Cecil Peoples name read out as a judge. That man has no call to be in the arena let alone calling fights. He is, to be blunt, a muppet

Shogun looked good. He looked strong, determined and patient. His strikes were simply faster and more accurate that Lyoto's. Before the fight I'd backed Lyoto to pick him apart and (T)KO him late in the second but I was proved happily wrong. What we saw was the Shogun of old, the Pride Shogun who was hailed as the most dangerous man on the planet during the reigns of both Liddell and Wanderlei. Before that fght I was a Machida fan, I thought Shogun had slipped off the top and lost his edge. I'm still a fan of The Dragon's, his style is so unique and he is always interesting to watch but Shogun just reaffirmed my faith in him. My respect for Mauricio is back and I could actually be routing for Rua in the rematch. Whoever wins, I win too.

A rematch? Yes please. I think Shogun will come out and be slightly more aggressive this time round. It'll be all or nothing, and it will possibly set up either a thrid to settle the score, or Shogun vs Anderson Silva.

A xxx poor decision? Yes. Things to look forwards to? Very much so.

The guy is simply awful, he really doesn't have a clue and has a list as long as my arm of poor decisions he has made.

The sooner the MMA organisations are allowed to appoint their own judges/referees the better. How the commissions can justify overlooking one of the best officials in MMA in John McCarthy, and appointing liabilities like Steve Mazzagati and Yves Lavigne is beyond me.

Peoples is effectively a boxing judge, and he scores fights based on his boxing experiennce which simply doesn't make sense in MMA.

People's has admitted himself that he doesn't score leg kicks or take downs like he does punches. Are they not legitimate MMA techniques? Mazzagati and Cecil are the two biggest travesties in MMA. The UFC needs to introduce a new scoring method, the 10 points Must systems doesn't work in MMA, they need to find a middle ground between the old Pride system and the current one.

People's doesn't think you can win a fight with leg kicks? Let Shogun leg kick him. Bet his opinion changes.

And now Lyoto requires an op on his hand so the rematch is even further away

People's has admitted himself that he doesn't score leg kicks or take downs like he does punches. Are they not legitimate MMA techniques? Mazzagati and Cecil are the two biggest travesties in MMA. The UFC needs to introduce a new scoring method, the 10 points Must systems doesn't work in MMA, they need to find a middle ground between the old Pride system and the current one.

People's doesn't think you can win a fight with leg kicks? Let Shogun leg kick him. Bet his opinion changes.

And now Lyoto requires an op on his hand so the rematch is even further away

Yeah, looks like we won't see the rematch until mid 2010 now. Lesnar-Carwin has been postponed as well. 106 isn't looking to great now that fight isn't happening.