Lyoto Machida will act as a workforce supervisor on the debut 12 months of the World Combat League, however that doesn’t imply he guidelines out combating once more. The GFL initially approached him with a suggestion to compete earlier than finally naming him the São Paulo workforce chief alongside coach Andre Pederneiras.
“They invited me as an athlete, however I stated, ‘No, I’m away for a while and I’d quite are available as a supervisor,’” Machida informed MMA Combating. “I need to see the way it goes, the modifications on the group. I noticed the signings, lots of people getting signed, however we need to see it occurring. I consider it’s going to be an awesome league and it’ll assist the game. You possibly can’t simply have one [organization], proper? Competitors is sweet, and that’s what we hope for as fighters and coaches. It opens extra doorways. For instance, ‘Dede’ [Pederneiras] has a number of athletes, who aren’t within the UFC, however have the abilities to be there, so perhaps one other door opens. But it surely’s all very new to me, similar to it’s for you.”
The previous UFC mild heavyweight champion defined he turned down the supply to combat for GFL as a result of combating shouldn’t be his precedence for the time being, and he prefers to check himself ready of management.
“I got here in as a supervisor, however I’m not taking away the opportunity of combating,” Machida stated. “I’m not saying I received’t combat once more. It’s not like that. But it surely’s not a precedence for me. It’s a brand new promotion, I need to see it occur, so I wished to come back in as a supervisor first to see the way it works. I’ve by no means been on this aspect earlier than.”
The 46-year-old veteran has overwhelmed the likes of Rashad Evans, Tito Ortiz, Ryan Bader, Dan Henderson, Randy Couture, Gegard Mousasi and Vitor Belfort throughout his 16-8 run within the UFC earlier than leaving for Bellator, the place he beat Rafael Carvalho and Chael Sonnen. He parted methods with the corporate after shedding 4 in a row from 2019 to 2022.
“The door as an athlete [is open, but] it’s not a precedence for me,” Machida stated. “I need to see this group first and be a part of it on this aspect. I prepare each single day. I’m not coaching like if I had a combat, in fact, however I’m doing what I all the time did, coaching jiu-jitsu, hanging, every little thing. If a possibility got here, it’s like I’m staying at 60 p.c, so I might push the tempo and put together for a combat.”
The GFL roster is full of veterans of the game, together with 5 of Machida’s former opponents: Mousasi, Yoel Romero, Mauricio Rua, Chris Weidman and Luke Rockhold.
“What would make me combat once more is perhaps a problem, one thing that made sense for me,” Machida stated. “Somebody from the identical era? OK, it may occur, however it will possibly’t simply be something or any combat. It’s a must to know your home and second. This isn’t the time to combat a 25-, 30-year-old. Not that. It’s the second to do the correct combat, if it has to occur. However proper now, it’s not a precedence.”
