Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida:
Lyoto Machida is undefeated and his style has yet to be unlocked. He's proven that he has knockout power, stopping Thiago Silva, and Rashad Evans in his last two bouts.
Lyoto's unorthodox karate striking has been a problem for every fighter he has faced up to now in his 15-0 career in MMA. His deceptive reach and combinations have kept every fighter he's faced at bay, and confused.
A huge factor in Lyoto's success in his surprising speed, and his ability to close the distance to his opponent in lightning quick fashion. He throws his combinations, and escapes the pocket before he sustains any real damage. Statistically, Lyoto is the most elusive fighter in UFC history.
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua:
The 2005 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix Winner is on a two fight win streak, both via TKO. Aside from his early first round stoppage of Chuck Lidell, Shogun has shown a tendency to gas out in the later stages of his fights in the UFC.
Shogun is no stranger to high end competition, and he holds wins over Quentin "Rampage" Jackson, Ricardo Arona, Kevin Randleman, and current Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem.
It seems that Shogun hasn't quite hit his stride yet since arriving in the UFC. His loss to Forrest Griffin in his debut fight was seen as a bit of a disappointment, and his late third round stoppage of Mark Coleman was hardly a convincing show of his abilities.
Shogun took some time off to take care of some nagging injuries, and came back strong against Chuck Lidell, an aging fighter in the twilight of his career.
Breakdown:
So why the title shot for Shogun? Rashad Evans and Quentin Jackson were tied up for Season 10 of the Ultimate Fighter, and the once stacked Light Heavyweight division has dried up somewhat, with most up-and-comers too green for a shot, and the established fighters coming off of hard losses.
It's Shogun's time to step up and try to find a leak in Machida's airtight defense, all the while avoiding the brunt of Lyoto's high intensity offense.
Shogun has shown that he has power in his hands. If he can slip past Machida's defense and land a key shot, he may be able to overwhelm him with a flurry of shots, as he was able to do with many high profile opponents from his glory days in Pride.