Former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida put on a five round war inside the octagon over the weekend. Now “The Dragon” has decided to call out another former title holder.
Machida headlined UFC Fight Night 125 in a middleweight match up against rising prospect Eryk Anders on Saturday night, Feb. 3. The two mixed martial arts warriors ultimately went the distance, with Machida earning a split decision victory over his opponent.
Speaking in his post-fight interview, as seen in the video above, Machida revealed that he now has his sights set on former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping.
“Michael Bisping, I’m here for you, man.” Machida said.
In the UFC Fight Night 125 post-fight interview, Machida offered his thoughts on facing “The Count.”
“That fight was supposed to have happened a few years ago. We matured together, we are contemporaries, a fight between us would be important for the UFC, and cool for us to see what the outcome would be like. We came together in the sport, soon he retires, I retire, and the fight does not happen. I have a lot of respect for him as an athlete. My desire to fight him is just a desire to establish that victory.”
When asked about the possibility of facing Vitor Belfort, Machida revealed that he is not against the proposition.
“Look, I would prefer to fight with those who were not from my country. It is my preference, but as a professional I cannot say no. If I had a choice, I would choose a gringo, an outsider … but Vitor is a co-worker, a professional. I do not know if it would come together, but I see it from the professional side.”
