Lyoto Machida carried the flag for an entire segment of the martial arts community and did so as one of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s most consistent and accomplished competitors. “The Dragon” will celebrate his 40th birthday on May 30.
Machida sports a 23-8 career record, with wins over onetime Strikeforce champions Dan Henderson and Gegard Mousasi, current Bellator MMA titleholder Ryan Bader and six former UFC champions: Rich Franklin, B.J. Penn, Tito Ortiz, Rashad Evans, Mauricio Rua and Randy Couture.