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"A fight between two former champions couldn’t be more fitting, two fighters who want their place in the sun. [Rampage is] a strong guy who has good boxing and wrestling. I feel he’s a bit limited standing, but he’s really strong and, although he may defend well on the ground, he’s not that good there, either. As I feel MMA is a sport in constant evolution, one tends to seek out all the possibilities, regardless of the facet of the fight that comes up. I’m going to exploit Rampage where he isn’t totally dominant. But I’m prepared for anything, whether it’s standing or on the ground... I see the professional side of it and know [trash talking is] his way of doing marketing. But nothing is worth talking about before the fact, because it really comes down to fight time. I’d rather not focus on that. Saying you’re going to make something happen is easy, but it’s when we’re locked in battle that we see what happens. I don’t fall for provocation and I’m focused."
-Lyoto Machida talks to GracieMag.com about his UFC 123 opponent Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and not buying into trash talk before fights.
Penick's Analysis: I'm sure Rampage will take these comments well. This will be an interesting matchup, because Lyoto's not wrong about Rampage's game at this point. Rampage has gotten away from his dominant slams and ground and pound and it's made him a different fighter in the UFC than he was in PRIDE. His striking is good, but he's been neutralized by leg kicks and movement before, both things that Machida can use to keep him at bay in this fight. But now I'm just curious to see Rampage's response to this.
[Lyoto Machida art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
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