Machida reflects after three months at Bellator MMA
Lyoto Machida: “I’m loving the treatment I’ve been getting from Bellator. It feels like I’m home.”
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida tested free agency and received an offer from Bellator MMA president Scott Coker; the UFC matched the offer, but Machida is a highly principled man, and had given his word, so karate is back, in Bellator MMA. ‘The Dragon’ will make Bellator debut vs. Rafael Carvalho on 12/15 in Hawai’i. Three months after signing, Machida reflected on his choice in an interview with Fernanda Prates for MMAjunkie.
It was a very tough decision, Machida said. I really like the UFC. I can only say nice things about my old home. I had a good relationship with everyone. Even if it became distant, I had a good relationship with all of them. Even with the Fertittas, they always respected me a lot, so I can’t complain. Because of that, it was a tough decision.”
… It was hard to leave. It was many years fighting in Brazil, all over the world, many fans. People going, ‘Lyoto, I want to see you again in the UFC.’ And then you switch stages and everything. But it’s important. It was a moment of decision and of courage, as well.
I’m loving the treatment I’ve been getting from Bellator. It feels like I’m home. I’m feeling a difference in that sense, because in the UFC, I felt very distant from everything. I wanted to talk, I wanted to ask for something, and I felt very distant. Not at Bellator. I feel close, because I talk directly to Mike Kogan, I talk directly to Scott Coker. So that makes it a lot easier. I’ve been feeling at home and, the way I see it, relationship is everything.
There was a concern with my career, too, something I hadn’t had in a while. That was decisive. The UFC was a lot like that at first, that’s how we were treated. Then it grew so much, and we lost a bit of that. When you have that again, you see, ‘Wow, that’s nice.’
I’m speaking from the bottom of my heart: I’m very satisfied. I’m very happy, truly.
Machida is happy with his new bosses, happy to fight Carvalho, happy the debut is in Hawai’i. happy he can fight in multiple divisions, happy at opportunity to earn a title shot, and he’s even happy about being called out.
That’s cool, said Machida. That’s cool. It shows that I’m still interesting, that people want to fight me. And I, more than ever, want to test myself, too.
This is just the beginning.
