May 23rd will be a night fans will not be able to forget in a long while.

For years, many have wondered whether Lyoto Machida would become a champion. Machida’s elusive fighting style can either be a nightmare for fans watching this unique, unorthodox fighter in action or a joy for those who love watching the technical aspects of his game.

Machida is for one not a knockout machine like Anderson Silva or Chuck Liddell, but in his last two fights, he proved that he can knock even some of the toughest knockout artists in the UFC today. His stunning knockout of Thiago Silva at UFC 94 had MMA fans talking and of course, his undefeated run coupled by demands from fans that he deserves a shot at the UFC Light Heavyweight Title led him to an eventual title shot.

And it was then at UFC 98 where he fully seized the much-needed opportunity.

In what many considered one of the most anticipated fights of the year, Machida went one on one with another fighter who is undefeated in the UFC, the reigning UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans.  Fans have often asked who would win if these two were to ever meet in the ring. They asked whether Machida’s elusive style would stand a chance against Evans’s explosive striking and excellent wrestling.

Many have said that it is so hard to prepare for a fight against Machida because of how difficult it is to simulate his style during training. What makes Machida so unique is his Shotokan karate style, which he used to great effects in all of his fights which has left him undefeated in his MMA career. Add to his mastery in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, his mastery in the art of sumo and some Muay Thai background and you got yourself a fighter who is simply impossible to beat.

So when Machida eventually fought Evans, it seemed that Machida’s strategy would be to either have the fight go the distance or submit him. After all, trading strikes against a fighter known for his knockout power would be suicidal.

But Machida didn’t seem to care. A fight is a fight. Plus, the UFC Light Heavyweight Title was at stake. A barrage of punches was able to stagger and eventually knock out the champion and seconds later, the dream was finally realized and Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida has finally ascended to the top of the Light Heavyweight Division as the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.

On a personal level, it was really exciting for me to watch as Machida celebrates his huge title win. Six years ago, I remembered sitting up on the stands at the Tokyo Dome, one of the 55,000+ fans on hand watching a hybrid wrestling and MMA PPV event ran by New Japan Pro-Wrestling. It was on that very night where Machida made his MMA debut against Pancrase’s Kengo Watanabe. Seeing that it was his debut and that he was Antonio Inoki’s protege, he made a grand entrance flanked by a traditional Brazilian percussion band to hype him up as he made his way to the ring in a traditional Brazilian warrior’s attire. His fight however was boring to me at that time. It was my first live exposure to MMA and I wouldn’t say it was the best first impression I had of Machida despite him winning the match by decision.

I was one who was critical of Machida’s fighting style in the past, but at that point, I had not fully understood the logic behind his fighting style. About four years later, I watched his fight against Rameau Theirry Sokoudjou at UFC 97 and found that he had improved a lot. At the same time, as I continued watching his fights, I realized the beauty of his unique fighting style. He may not be the most exciting fighter to watch, but he is one to observe carefully, one to analyze well with each movement he makes. In a way, it is like watching a pro-wrestling match in Japan back during the All Japan Pro-Wrestling days with Mitsuharu Misawa and Toshiaki Kawada taking charge. These fighters may not have flashy wrestling styles, neither were they larger-than-life characters you would see in the WWE, but they constantly put on five star matches against each other and their fellow top-level peers such as Kenta Kobashi and Akira Taue. One way to appreciate their matches is to observe and analyze the way they wrestle, what moves they used, how their ring psychology plays out etc. In a way, you have to think well when watching a 90s All Japan match as opposed to watching a WWE match where you don’t necassarily have to think to enjoy a match.

It’s the same with watching a MMA fight especially when Machida is in it. That’s what made him a fighter who has mixed reactions in regards to the way he fights, be it positive or negative. It really depends on what you have in mind when you’re watching a Machida fight. Should you watch it with the mindset of a casual MMA fan or as an MMA analyst? If you really want to appreciate his style, the latter would always be the better choice.

Now that Machida is on top of the world as the Number One Light Heavyweight Fighter in the world, it is pretty certain that he would stay on top for a very long time to come. Unless someone is smart enough to break him down physically and mentally during a fight, it will be a tough task to take the UFC Light Heavyweight Title away from The Dragon. For now, The Dragon continues to rise into the horizon as the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and the top fighter at 205 pounds.