UFC 175 Fight Card & Predictions: Weidman vs. Machida

Experts have already forwarded their views on the possible outcome of UFC 175, which features Chris Weidman versus Lyoto Machida at the main event on July 5 at the Mandalay bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In a report by MMA Mania, Chris Weidman, current UFC middleweight champion, will face light heavyweight champion Lyoto Champion. Weidman has received acclaim after defeating Anderson Silva two times. Weidman will be defending his title for the second time in his career. Machida is eyeing on the middleweight title to make history for earning a multi-division championship, a feat only accomplished by two others in UFC history - BJ Penn and Randy Couture. Machida is gracefully dropping down to 185 pounds to meet Weidman.

Weidman, however, is the preferred fighter between the two. He has proven himself more than enough by convincingly defeating the arguable best pound-for-pound fighter in UFC history, Anderson Silva. He is a great wrestler, striker and submission artist. Weidman has shown that he can manage a very versatile fighter like Silva whether on his feet or on his back. He also has the knockout power to immediately cause an upset should things not go as strategized.

On the other hand, Machida can fight for a long period of time. Weidman has never gone five rounds so it is somehow expected that Machida may take the champion to unchartered territory. Machida is a great submission expert and wrestler. The two will probably spend several minutes on the mat. There is no definite winner between the two so fans are betting modest, according to Bleacher Report.

An article by Bloody Elbow featured the possible loopholes that Machida may try to penetrate to win the bout. First, giving him body shots usually causes his defense to weaken, in some cases revealing his head. Using combinations against Weidman may also work favourably for Machida, although the latter is not known to be an avid combination hitter. Machida should be careful about Weidman's left jab, which is usually followed up by a power punch that can knock out any opponent. The idea is to stay aggressive and be on the offense from the start of the game. This can run counter to the original plan of prolonging the match to wear Weidman down.

Overall, Machida's skill set has to be adjusted drastically to counter Weidman's style of fighting. Unless Machida develops these quickly, Weidman will keep his belt.