Welcome to the world of martial arts philosophy as articulated by one of its most esteemed practitioners, Lyoto Machida. A decorated mixed martial artist, Machida’s prowess extends far beyond the confines of the Octagon. Throughout his illustrious career, he has not only showcased his physical prowess but also shared profound insights into the mental and spiritual dimensions of combat sports.
Hailing from Brazil, Machida’s journey in martial arts began at a young age, deeply influenced by his father, who was also a karate master. His disciplined approach to training, coupled with a unique blend of karate, sumo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and other martial arts, propelled him to the pinnacle of success in the world of MMA. However, it’s not just his fighting techniques that have captivated fans and fellow athletes alike, but also his wisdom and philosophy towards combat and life itself. Through his interviews, speeches, and interactions, Machida has offered profound reflections on discipline, respect, perseverance, and the quest for self-improvement.
Below, you’ll find a collection of insightful quotes from Lyoto Machida, encapsulating his ethos and approach to martial arts and life. These words serve not only as inspiration for aspiring fighters but also as timeless reminders of the values that transcend the confines of the fighting arena. Whether you’re seeking motivation, guidance, or simply a glimpse into the mind of a martial arts legend, these quotes are sure to resonate.
I feel that not only have I been out there promoting my style of karate, but just promoting the traditional martial arts, and it makes me very happy. Lyoto Machida
A fight involves the emotion, the strategy of combat. There are many factors connected to a fight. Lyoto Machida
I don’t like to rush things. Lyoto Machida
I’m a real martial artist, my father always taught me that some way I have to train every day, no matter what happens your life. Lyoto Machida
I loss that fight to Phil Davis, but I’m not convinced on that fight. Because it wasn’t fair for me. I’d like to do another fight. Lyoto Machida
I’m a professional, and I focus on one fight at a time. Lyoto Machida
I have a lot of respect not only for the fighter but the man Vitor Belfort. I think he has done a lot for the sport, and we all have to respect him. Lyoto Machida
A fight is a fight, and you never know what is going to happen until you start fighting. Lyoto Machida
I think we both matured together in this sport, so I think fight between Michael Bisping and myself would mean a lot. Lyoto Machida
Brock Lesnar is a big challenge for me because he’s a big guy: very, very strong, very, very powerful, very, very fast. I like the challenge. Brock Lesnar, for me, would be a very good fight. Lyoto Machida
I believe in myself. Lyoto Machida
I think to keep my principles. To keep my principles, I think, is the most important thing. Every day, everyone change. It’s normal, but your principle never can change. Lyoto Machida
I don’t fight without being prepared, even when I lose. Lyoto Machida
I can’t say ‘OK, let’s begin to exchange and see where it goes.’ We want to give a fight and give people a good show, but you have to play on a safety zone. Lyoto Machida
Every fight has taught me something. Lyoto Machida
Having your father to help you to get back up is good, but you need to get up by yourself and walk alone. Life goes on. Lyoto Machida
Every fight is a little bit different. Lyoto Machida
I believe in my striking game against Weidman’s wrestling. He’s complete in every aspect of the game, but I’m confident in what I do. Lyoto Machida
If you want to get to the top, you can’t say you won’t fight this one or that one. You have to be open to fight the best. Lyoto Machida
For sure, Jacare would be a great opponent. I have all the respect for him, but I would like a lot to have the opportunity of facing him someday. Lyoto Machida
I believe in me. Lyoto Machida
When I prepare for a fight, I never expect it to be easy. I believe that that would create a chance for me to not give my best in the Octagon. Lyoto Machida
If you have a dream in your life, go hard. It’s possible. Lyoto Machida
Chris Weidman is a tough guy; he’s well rounded. He’s known for being a wrestler. He’s very good on the ground. He can knock people out standing up. Lyoto Machida
Machida Karate is for real combat. Other karate may be not for real combat because there are many rules for the competition, and a lot of the rules aren’t good for real combat – you can’t do some takedowns, you can’t finish the fight on the ground. Machida Karate is very different. Lyoto Machida
Sometimes when you chat about something, a few ideas come up, you go this way or that way in training. Lyoto Machida
My way of thinking is like that: always positive. Lyoto Machida
I like to be busy, especially after I lost against Luke Rockhold. The best way to recover is to get another fight. Lyoto Machida
My father is a Japanese Shotokan karate master, so I have been training karate with my family since I was three years old. I got my black belt in karate at 13 and got introduced to judo and sumo shortly after. Lyoto Machida
We always want the knockout or the submission. Lyoto Machida
I never underestimate anybody. Lyoto Machida
I’m not gonna change my principles. I’m not gonna change anything just to make money. Lyoto Machida
It’s an honor to fight someone like Randy Couture. Lyoto Machida
Whether you’re winning or losing, you’ve constantly got to be changing. Lyoto Machida
One of my brothers teaches karate at our gym and also handles the administrative side of the gym. My other brother is a fighter like me and teaches a class at the gym. So my brothers are always at the gym together training. Lyoto Machida
I feel like Randy Couture has helped build the history in this sport. Lyoto Machida
Its not just about competition: it’s my life, my lifestyle. So I train every day, and I feel very good, because sometimes training is like meditations for me; it’s a good escape to me to the problems for everything. Lyoto Machida
As a professional, I get in a dilemma between sport and entertainment. There’s these two sides. Lyoto Machida
Your technique, your drive – that’s what you should carry with you. Lyoto Machida
Many of my greatest fights and moments were in the UFC, and they were always good to me. Lyoto Machida
I have a great run in the UFC. Lyoto Machida
I don’t want to be in this sport just to participate. I want to be in this to win, and that’s what motivates me every day to break down barriers and to get better every time and to exceed my limits and to win fights. Lyoto Machida
If you want something, you can get it. Lyoto Machida
I always go there to put on a fight knowing that my opponent is well prepared and will do his best. That’s the challenge that motivates me. Lyoto Machida
If I had a choice, I’d rather not fight someone from Brazil, but as a professional, I couldn’t say no. Lyoto Machida
Every fight is a new story, a new training camp. Lyoto Machida
Every time you step into a different cage, you can feel the difference. Lyoto Machida
Even if you win, or you lose, you have to respect your opponent. Lyoto Machida
Separating your profession from friendship is very difficult. Lyoto Machida
I try to learn from my losses, see how they can help me in the future. Lyoto Machida
It’s best to keep a strategic fight and try to win because the level of the sport is so high. Lyoto Machida
I eat very healthy all the time, low on fats and sweets and no fried foods. Lyoto Machida
I tried all my life to be a champion. Lyoto Machida
We teach the karate methodology, bringing back the history of the martial art, the attacks that stopped being used when the martial art became a sport and that my brother and I use in the cage. Lyoto Machida
Everything Mousasi says only motivates me. I have a win over him, and I think he’s a little bothered by it. Lyoto Machida
The way I stand and my posture really complicates my opponents; they don’t understand it and don’t know what to do about. The way I stand there in front of them really throws them off. Lyoto Machida
I respect Brock Lesnar as a fighter, but I know that I can fight him. Lyoto Machida
In the mornings at around 5:30 A.M., I train karate with my family. Lyoto Machida
My father is a master in karate. He always taught me the philosophy of Karate. When I’m talking about philosophy, I mean respect to willpower, self confidence. Those qualities, I think it’s very important, not just for fighting, but for any person. Lyoto Machida
I like to empty my mind and focus on developing my abilities in training. Lyoto Machida
Fighting in Brazil is always great because you’re close to the fans. It’s a good energy on fight day: during the open workouts, the support on social media is always closer. Lyoto Machida
I’m a fan of Fedor, have been a fan since he was in PRIDE, a great champion, and since I like to challenge myself, new challenges, that was one of the offers that came with my move to Bellator. Of course fighting Fedor would be an honor, a dream. Lyoto Machida
I focus on my opponents the same way whether they are a champion or not. Lyoto Machida
I don’t believe in ideal places for a fight. Lyoto Machida
As you go in there, you keep winning; after you’ve had a loss or two, people start to humanize you. Lyoto Machida
Rafael Carvalho deserves a lot of respect and seriousness in my camp. Lyoto Machida
Fighting in Bellator is a dream come true for me. Lyoto Machida
I have no control of life. I have to prepare myself for any situation. Lyoto Machida
We must recognize our opponents’ merits. Lyoto Machida
The future belongs to God. Lyoto Machida
My main objective is always the belt. Lyoto Machida
Right after my fight against Luke Rockhold, I had surgery on my left hand. I just took out some fragments from back then. Too many training, and I had some fragments in my hand. Lyoto Machida
Karate is my main martial art; that is what I train in every day. It has always been in my life. Sumo is another Japanese martial art that I got into at an early age. It is something that has helped and added to my overall stance and is a good base. It is not something I necessarily use in all my fights, though. Lyoto Machida
Hard moments can happen with anyone. And these are the situations that you have to overcome. Lyoto Machida
My dad taught me; Mr. Steven Seagal taught me, also. Lyoto Machida
I want to be the middleweight champion. Lyoto Machida
It’s important to have the support of your family, but when is time to move away? You have to walk with your own legs one day. Lyoto Machida
Anderson Silva, Georges Saint-Pierre, and Rodrigo Nogueira are some of the top fighters in the UFC among many other great fighters. The UFC has many of the toughest fighters around. Lyoto Machida
It’s very hard because the sport evolves so fast, changes so fast. So, you have to be there to see the changes that are happening in the moment. That’s why I keep training every day. I try to mix myself in all of the academies. Lyoto Machida
At middleweight, I started to find an ideal weight for me. I face guys my size, my height, and with my physique. Lyoto Machida
I’ve always worked hard and stayed focused. Lyoto Machida
When I signed with Bellator, I knew this would be a new positive chapter in my career. Lyoto Machida
I’m a guy that always had positive thoughts in every situation in my life. Lyoto Machida
I will not talk bad about the UFC. Lyoto Machida
If I have a chance, I’d like to fight at 185 pounds. Lyoto Machida
I have fought my brother some times before. We got hurt sometimes, needed stitches, but it was normal after the fights. We always had a positive rivalry that pushed both of us to our best. Lyoto Machida
In karate, there’s a lot of respect. In fact, when an opponent accepts to fight me, he’s giving me a chance to show my work, so I can’t diminish him at all. Lyoto Machida
When I was 15 years old, I watched Royce Gracie in the cage, and I thought I’d like to do the same thing. Lyoto Machida
Only because you moved forwards, it doesn’t mean you were effective. Sometimes it’s the wrong criteria to be used. Lyoto Machida
My father was a very tough guy with me and my brothers. He wanted to teach us a lot of discipline and life philosophy. As I became more interested in martial arts, he started teaching a lot of fighting philosophy and karate philosophy. While he was a tough father, he also knew when to be sweet and show a softer side. Lyoto Machida
I have a good relationship with the UFC. Lyoto Machida
If you lose three or four in a row, people start talking about retirement. They are not used to this sport like they are used to tennis. If you take a look at how many times Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer lost, it’s all part of the game. Soccer is no different: teams go through bad times and then rise again. Lyoto Machida
I won’t cling to the past. Lyoto Machida
I always go into every fight trying to forget about what happened in the past, whether I won or lost. Lyoto Machida
Mousasi is a very tough fighter. Lyoto Machida
I like to be busy and fight many times a year and showcase all my potentials. Lyoto Machida
I live my life – I walk the right path – but I can’t be like, ‘Oh, I’m scared of this or that.’ Lyoto Machida
Learning is constant. I learn something new every day. Lyoto Machida
It’s not my style to talk trash to my opponents. Lyoto Machida
