We're in your corner

Born May 30, 1978 Lyoto Carvalho Machida is the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. This Japanese Brazilian mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter from Salvador, Brazil is 6ft 1 inch with a 74 inch reach and is known as “The Dragon”.

At age twelve he started training in the art of Sumo and earned a black belt at age 13 and went on to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at age fifteen. In 2001 he won the Pan American Karate Tournament and other amateur karate tournaments.

In the 2000 Machida was the runner up for the Brazilian Sumo Championships. Machida made his MMA debut in Inoki’s New Japan Pro Wrestling. He then fought runner-up Stephan Bonner in The Ultimate Fighter 1.

With a 3-0 record Machida fought Michael McDonald and Sam Greco then beat B.J. Penn in K-1 Hero’s. Signing with the World Fighting Alliance he began to compete in the U.S. and in his debut fight he defeated Vernon White. After the WFA went out of business the UFC then acquired Machida’s contract.

Winning his UFC debut fighting Sam Hoger and he also beat David Heath and then he also beat Kazuhiro Nakamura at UFC 76 and was nominated for the 2009 ESPYS “Best Fighter” category. Machida fought Rashad Evans at UFC 98 and was crowned the new UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.

Machida’s first title defense came in 2009 when Mauricia “Shogun” Rua fought him. Machida fought Rua in a rematch for the title for UFC 113 on May 8th in Canada. This match had been postponed for several months and Lyoto Machida eventually lost this rematch to Mauricio Rua by knock-out at the 3:35 mark of round 1.

Russian heavyweight MMA fighter Fedor Emelianenko was born September 28, 1976. World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts Heavyweight Champion and previously the winner of Pride Heavyweight Championship and also won in Pride 2004 Grand Prix, World Combat Sambo championship and is a Russian National Judo Championship medalist.

Trained by Vasiliy Ivanovich Gavrilov and Vladimir Mihailovich Voronov he started learning Sambo and Judo techniques when he began fighting. A strong will power and perseverance are his greatest strengths.

Receiving his “Master of Sports” title in Sambo and Judo back in 1997 he also earned his bronze medal in Russian Judo Championship. Coach Alexander Vasilievich Michkov coached his study of strike and he debuted in MMA for Japanese RINGS organization but was not allowed to make head strikes. At age 25 in 2000 he started Sambo mixed martial arts in spite of money being tight at the time.

Fedor Emelianenko has trained with sport specific training in kickboxing, grappling and boxing and is working to improve his strength and skills by training two or three times a day. Covering 7 to 9 miles twice a day he also works pull ups, crunches and dips. Travelling once or twice a year to Kisovodsk for high altitude training has improved his stamina. For more on his intense work out you should check out his recently published book on these and other unique techniques.

Muay Thai coach Ruslan Nagnibeda, Doctor Oleg Neustroev, grappling coach Voronov, boxing coach Michkiv, his training partners Roman Zentsov, and his brother Aleksander round out his team members.

With a default victory Fedor defended his World Championship title with opponent failing to show up in semis, by checking out the Bulgarian fighter in just 40 seconds of the start of the fight and finalist declining to fight. Finishing third In Nov 16, 2008 he lost to 23 year old Blagoi Ivanov at Combat Sambo World Championships.

Winning gold at the Tussian Combat Sambo Championship, February 21, 2009. So once again don’t forget to check out his new book Fedor: The Fighting System of the World’s undisputed King of MMA.