The win set the 185-pound division buzzing about the potential for “The Dragon” to make a run at a title there. In 2009, Machida won the light heavyweight title when he knocked out champion Rashad Evans in the second round at UFC 98 in Las Vegas.
Coming up on five years since Machida won his first UFC title, take a look back at how he stopped “Suga.” At the time, the bout was a battle of unbeatens.
Machida (20-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) is gearing up for his headlining fight at UFC Fight Night 36 next week in his native Brazil against Gegard Mousasi (34-3-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC), where he’ll look to stay on track in the middleweight division and keep working toward what he hopes will be a title shot in 2014.
Check out the knockout above. Then don’t miss UFC Fight Night 36 on Feb. 15 at Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil. The event airs on FOX Sports 1 with preliminary-card action streaming on UFC Fight Pass.
For more on UFC Fight Night 36, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
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