If an undefeated fighter is a virtually unknown to the mainstream fans the first reason that comes to mind is that he hasn’t fought top competition.  This could not be further from the truth when it comes to UFC 205 lb. contender Lyoto Machida. Lyoto has fought and defeated UFC stars Rich Franklin, B.J Penn, and Stephan Bonnar.  Most recently Lyoto won a one-sided unanimous decision over Pride Veteran Kazuhiro Nakamura at UFC 76 making Lyoto a perfect 3-0 in the UFC.  In this must read interview Lyoto explains how he bucked the trend and made a successful transition into the octagon, his toughest fight of his career, and who he wants to make unlucky victim number 12.  All of this and much more in this fightbeat exclusive.

JB:  Congratulations on your win over KazuhiroNakamura at UFC 76?
LM:  Thank you.

JB:  It looked liked you tried really hard to finish this fight a couple times with strikes from the mount position.  You also had a couple of close submission attempts.  Were you disappointed you didn’t finish this fight?
LM:  I was a little disappointed I couldn’t finish this fight, because in this particular fight I made a promise to myself that I was going to finish the fight.  Unfortunately I was not able to do that, but with all due respect Nakamura is a very tough fighter, and a hard guy to finish.

JB:  You were originally supposed to face Forrest Griffin.  Were you surprised he sub’d Shogun, and do you still want to fight him?
LM:  Yeah I was surprised.  I defiantly thought Shogun would win that fight.  I would love to fight Forest.

JB:  If you had your choice who would you like to fight next?
LM:  I would like to fight Keith Jardine.  Keith KO’d Forest, and just took out Chuck, so that’s who I want to fight.

JB:  Many former Pride Fighters have had a hard time recently being successful in the UFC.  What do you think is the biggest contributing factor: the cage, the rules, the drug testing policy in America, or are UFC fighters just plain better?
LM:  I think it is a combination of all those things you just mentioned.  Some fighters aren’t used to fighting in the cage.  The steroid testing that could be an issue also. But most of all I feel there is a lot more pressure on a fighter in the UFC.  There are so many eyes watching you, but your right it’s a combination of all these things, and depending on whom the fighter is one factor may play a larger role then another.

JB:  You have had a lot of success in the UFC thus far.  What advice would you give to Pride Fighters that are coming to the UFC to fight?
LM:  For those fighters coming into the UFC they need to take the time to study, and prepare for all situations you can find yourself in inside the octagon.

JB:  Lyoto you have fought both in the cage and in the ring.  You have fought under K-1 rules, Pride style rules, and the unified rules.  What is your preference?
LM:  I prefer the UFC Rules and fighting inside the octagon.  All the organizations I have fought for have there pro’s and con’s.  For me and my style of fighting I like the Octagon and the unified rules.

JB:  You landed some nice elbows from the top position against Nakamura.  Who has been instrumental in transitioning elbows into your mixed martial arts game?
LM:  My Muy Thai coach over at Black House really focuses on elbows and knees.  He stresses to us all the time that a fight can be determined off one elbow or one knee, so we work very hard on training these. 

JB:  You landed some nice knees from the Muy Thai clinch position on Nakamura.  Do you work on your Muy Thai skills with your teammate Anderson Silva?
LM:  For this particular fight I didn’t get to train with Anderson much, because of our fight schedules, and we live in different states.  In the past we have trained a lot together, and he has given me a lot of good advice about my Muy Thai technique, and added a lot of technical aspects to my game.  Anderson is a master in the clinch with both knees and elbows.

JB:  Anderson has a title defense coming up next month against Rich Franklin at UFC 77 in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Do you think it’s fair that he has to fight Rich in his hometown considering he is the champion, and has already knocked Rich out?
LM:  I don’t find this to be fair.  I don’t think he should have to go to Rich’s hometown to defend his title.  That being said I think Anderson will go into Cincinnati, and prove to the world why he is the middleweight champion.

JB:  Rio Hero’s made its debut in Brazil recently under Jorge Pereira.  It is a return to no rules style of MMA.  Do you support this organization?
LM:  I don’t support this at all.  The organizations that are doing it correctly are working under the sanctioned rules.  This type of organization is no good for fighters.  The sanctioned rules are in place to protect the fighters.

JB:  You have a background in Sumo wrestling.  How has this helped with your mixed martial arts career?
LM:  It has given me a stronger base and a lot more explosion from my hips, which help in defending and taking people down.  It has given me a better balance and a solid base.

JB:  I know you train with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira over at Black House.  He seemed to fatigue in his first fight in the UFC against Heath Herring.  Has he been working on his cardio?
LM:  Minatouro is for sure improving his cardio.  It is important for a fighter to work on their weakest strength.  He is one of the best fighters in the world.  His next fight will be a much better fight for him. 

JB:  You have fought some of the top names in the sport and are still undefeated.  Who would you say your toughest fight was?
LM:  The Rich Franklin fight was pretty tough.  It was only my third fight of my career, and he came in with a lot more experience.  Most people thought I was going to lose the fight.  Even my manager at the time told me he thought I was going to lose, but I believed in my heart that I could beat him.  After all those who doubted me it was very satisfactory to be the first one to knock Rich Franklin out.

JB:  Is there anything you would like to say to your fans in closing?
LM:  Thank you very much for the opportunity.  I like doing interviews, so my fans can get to know me.  Fighting MMA is my life.  When I am not training I am still thinking about it.  Every time I fight I am trying to get better, so my fans can be more satisfied with my performances.