Machida The Underdog To Win In His Return To The UFC

Published on October 24th, 2017 4:25 pm EST
Written By: Dave Manuel
This weekend's UFC Fight Night card will see the returning Lyoto Machida square off against Derek Brunson in the main event. Machida will have the home town advantage, as the card is taking place at the Ginasio do Ibirapuera arena in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Machida, who was once the Light Heavyweight champion of the world, will be making his return to the Octagon following a lengthy 18 month suspension after testing positive for 7-Keto-DHEA, which is a substance that is banned by USADA. The last time that we saw Machida was on June 27th, 2015, when he lost to Yoel Romero via third round knockout.

With Machida approaching the age of 40, many are wondering how he will fare after a lengthy layoff.

Derek Brunson will certainly not be an easy opponent for Machida, as he has wins over Uriah Hall and Lorenz Larkin under his belt. Brunson possesses some tremendous knockout power, and Machida will have to be his elusive self if he wants to take down Brunson.

The big question heading into this fight will be how Machida performs following his long layoff. In addition, people can't help to wonder how Machida will do in a USADA world, which has changed the career trajectories for many formerly dominant fighters.

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Let's take a look at the odds for this fight:

Derek Brunson, 1.62
Lyoto Machida, 2.3

Total Rounds

Over 2.5 Rounds, 2.2
Under 2.5 Rounds, 1.7

Will Fight Go The Distance?

No, 1.25
Yes, 3.75

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Those expecting to see the formerly dominant Machida may be in for a disappointment on Saturday night, as the former champion is approaching his 40s and has not fought in over two years. Machida's entire fighting style is predicated on his quickness and elusiveness, and it could be a long night for Machida fans if "The Dragon" has lost a step.