The UFC 104: Machida vs Shogun main event is crucial for both its headliners, as one aspires to win a title while the other is a defending champion.
Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida, the UFC light heavyweight champion, will defend his crown for the first time against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua on Saturday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
"I hope I’ll win," Machida told UFC.com. "Shogun is a very aggressive fighter with good knees, good punching, but I’ll try to push him into my style."
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Rua, meantime, is eager to clinch a UFC title. "Lyoto is a great fighter and someone that I actually like. However, we are professional fighters and it's my goal to be the champion, so fighting him is a great challenge," he said.
"I think he is a complete fighter, good standing up and good on the ground, so the ingredients make for a great fight," added Rua.
Machida, who hails from Belem, Brazil, will also put his undefeated MMA record (15-0) on the line in UFC 104.
He scored back-to-back knockout wins this year over Rashad Evans (UFC 98) and Thiago Silva (UFC 94).
Rua, who is also Brazilian, scored back-to-back technical knockout victories this year. He defeated Chuck Liddell in UFC 97 and Mark Coleman in UFC 93. He has a record of 18-3.
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Aside from being Brazilians, Machida and Rua both revealed that the people they consider as their heroes come from their families.
Rua said his hero is older brother Murilo Ninja. "I'm a fighter today because of him. He was the guy that motivated me to get into the sport."
Machida, for his part, said his father is his hero.
He even shared to Men’s Fitness that he learned the practice of drinking urine from his father.
"I feel very well doing this. It is something I learned from my father when I was young. It really strengthens my immune system, and those who have tried this say there is no harm. I really don't recommend it to anyone. It's something my father passed on to me," he said.