• UFC

Machida would be easier for Jones than Shogun - Kawa

ESPN staff
April 19, 2011
Lyoto Machida and Mauricio Shogun Rua have both talked down the threat of Jon Jones in the light-heavyweight division © Getty Images
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Jon Jones' manager has reacted badly to Lyoto Machida's claims that Mauricio Shogun Rua was not 100 per cent when he fought at UFC 128, claiming Machida is merely trying to stop himself falling deeper down the 205lb rankings.

Machida lost convincingly to Rua back at UFC 113, before Shogun went on to lose even more heavily in his first defence against Jones in March.

A defeat to Rampage Jackson at UFC 123 currently has Machida on a 0-2 record, and Jones' manager Malki Kawa believes the Brazilian is attempting to justify his place in the division by stating the Rua that lost to Jones was a shadow of the man that beat him at UFC 113.

"This is Machida's way of saying: 'Hey, I'm not as bad as I seem now'. It's Machida's way of getting himself into the title picture if he beats Randy Couture," Kawa told ESPN.

"The only reason [Machida] would say something like that is because of the way Jon beat Shogun; it makes it seem that if [Jon] fought Machida, he would do the same thing to him. That's the consensus out there.

"So, he has to sit there and start answering those types of questions. Instead of making it sound like, 'Holy cow! Jon Jones is the man at 205', it's easier to say that Shogun had something wrong with him.

"In reality, Jon Jones would probably beat Machida just as fast, if not faster than he beat Shogun."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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