Name	Belém
Settlement type	Municipality
Official name	The Municipality of Belém
Nickname	"Cidade das Mangueiras"("City of Mango Trees")
Motto	Os Estados do Norte estão conosco e nos seguem (Northern states are for us and follow us)
Image seal	Coat of arms Belem do Para Brazil.jpg
Map caption	Location of Belém in the State of Pará
Pushpin map	Brazil
Pushpin map size	250
Pushpin map caption	Location in Brazil
Coordinates display	inline,title
Coordinates region	BR
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision type1	Region
Subdivision type2	State
Subdivision name
Subdivision name1	North
Subdivision name2	Pará
Leader title	Mayor
Leader name	Duciomar Costa (PTB)
Leader title1
Established title	Founded
Established date	January 12, 1616
Established title2
Established title3
Area total km2	1070
Population as of	2009
Population total	1,437,600 (10th)
Population density km2	1322
Population metro	2,249,405
Utc offset	3
Elevation m	10
Area code	+55 91
Postal code type	Postal Code
Postal code	66000-000
Website	Belém, Pará

Belém (, Bethlehem) is a city on the banks of the Amazon estuary, in the northern part of Brazil. It is the capital of the state of Pará. It is the entrance gate to the Amazon with a busy port, airport and bus/coach station. Belém lies about 100 km upriver from the Atlantic Ocean. The river is the Pará, part of the greater Amazon River system, separated from the larger part of the Amazon delta by Ilha de Marajó (Marajo Island).

Founded in 1616 by the Portuguese, Belém was the first European colony on the Amazon but did not become part of Brazil until 1775. Its metropolitan area has approximately 2.09 million inhabitants. It is also known as Metropolis of the Brazilian Amazon region or Cidade das Mangueiras (city of mango trees) due to the number of those trees found in the city. The newer part of the city has modern buildings and skyscrapers.

The colonial portion retains the charm of tree-filled Squares, churches and traditional blue tiles. Belém is served by the Val de Cães International Airport (BEL) that connects the city to the rest of the country and other cities in South America. Brazilians often refer to the city as Belém do Pará ("Belém of Pará") rather than just Belém so as to differentiate it from the biblical Bethlehem in the West Bank (Palestinian territories) and also from Belém in Portugal.

The city is home to the Federal University of Pará. The city has a rich history and architecture from colonial times. Recently it witnessed a skyscraper boom.

Name

The name Belém is the Portuguese for Bethlehem, the city where Jesus Christ was born. The city had a few other names before becoming Belém. Notice also that Brazil has a city called Natal, which means Christmas.

Geography

Museum.]] The city of Belém, capital of Pará, is full of indentations and recesses forming islands all around it. There are 55 of these islets, most of which are wild and uninhabited, although some are home to small populations.

These include the islands of Mosqueiro, fringed by 14 freshwater beaches, and Caratateua which receive a large number of visitors in summertime. In addition to these and also near Belém, is the island of Tatuoca which is the location of the only geophysical station in Latin America, one of seven in the world.

Situated in the Guajará bay, on the estuary of the Rivers Tocantins and Pará, the city began as a river port in 1616, immediately after the French were driven out of São Luís, the capital of the state of Maranhão. It is known as the "City of the Mango Trees" because of the large number of those trees growing there.

Climate

Belém has a tropical rainforest climate. A tropical rainforest climate, also known as an equatorial climate, is a type of tropical climate in which there is no dry season. All months have mean precipitation values of at least 60 mm. It is usually found at latitudes within five degrees of the equator, which are dominated by the Intertropical Convergence Zone. The tropical rainforest climate is denoted Af in the Köppen climate classification. Tropical rainforest is the natural vegetation in equatorial regions.

Vegetation

The Amazon represents more than half the planet's remaining rainforests and comprises the largest and most species-rich tract of tropical rainforest in the world. Wet tropical forests are the most species-rich biome, and tropical forests in the Americas are consistently more species rich than the wet forests in Africa and Asia. As the largest tract of tropical rainforest in the Americas, the Amazonian rainforests have unparalleled biodiversity. More than one-third of all species in the world live in the Amazon Rainforest.

History

In 1616 the fortified settlement of Feliz Lusitânia, later called Nossa Senhora de Belém do Grão Pará (Our Lady of Bethlehem of the Great Para River) and Santa Maria de Belém (St. Mary of Bethlehem), was established, consolidating Portuguese supremacy over the French in what is now northern Brazil. Belém was given city status in 1655 and was made capital of the State when Pará state was separated from Maranhão in 1772. The early decades of the 19th century were marked by political instability. Uprisings and internecine strife were finally ended in 1836, after considerable loss of life.

The sugar trade was important in the Belém region until the end of the 17th century. Thereafter the city's economic importance alternately rose and fell. Cattle ranching supplanted sugar until the 18th century, when cultivation of rice, cotton, and coffee became profitable. With the settlement of southern Brazil, where such crops could be produced more reasonably, Belém declined again. The city subsequently became the main exporting centre of the Amazon rubber industry, and by 1866 its position was further enhanced by the opening of the Amazon, Tocantins, and Tapajós rivers to navigation. The rubber era terminated after the boom of 1910–12, but Belém continued to be the main commercial centre of northern Brazil and the entrepôt for the Amazon valley.

The most valuable products now exported from the Amazon by way of Belém are aluminium, iron ore, and other metals. Nuts (chiefly Brazil nuts), pineapples, cassava, jute, wood veneers, and hardwoods. Japanese immigration after the 1930s was an important factor in developing jute and black pepper, notably at Tomé-Açu, just south of Belém, and near Santarém. Marajó Island, the largest fluvial island in the world, which lies just across the Rio Pará from Belém, has some livestock grazing. Electricity is provided by the massive Tucuruí Dam, some 300 km southwest of the city on the Tocantins River.

Belém has a modern appearance with tree-lined streets, several plazas and public gardens, and many noteworthy buildings. The north's leading educational and cultural centre, it is the seat of a bishopric, and its cathedral (Igreja da Sé, founded in 1917) is one of Brazil's largest. Santo Alexandre, the oldest of Belém's churches, was built in 1616. The Museu (museum) Paraense Emílio Goeldi, the Teatro da Paz (a classical theatre), and the public library and archives are other notable institutions. The Universidade Federal do Pará (1957), a teacher-training school, an agricultural institute, and an institute for research on tropical diseases are also in the city. The Ver-o-Peso (Portuguese: "see the weight") market in the old port centre is a major tourist attraction. The city is also home to a large football stadium.

Demographics

According to the IBGE of 2008, there were 2,139,000 people residing in the Metropolitan Region of Belém. The population density was . The last PNAD (National Research for Sample of Domiciles) census revealed the following numbers: 1,379,655 Pardo (brown) people (64.5%), 588,225 White people (27.5%), 156,147 Black people (7.3%), 14,973 Asian or Amerindian people (0.7%).

Education

Portuguese is the official national language, and thus the primary language taught in schools. But English and Spanish are part of the official high school curriculum.

Education institutions

Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA);

Universidade do Estado do Pará (UEPA);

Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia (UFRA);

Universidade da Amazônia (UNAMA);

Centro Universitário do Pará (Cesupa);

Amazon Valley Academy International School (AVA);

Culture

of Sé.]]

Círio de Nazaré

On the second Sunday in October, Pará celebrates the largest and greatest religious event in Brazil. The procession of the Círio of Nazaré. History goes that the popular Círio tradition started when a farmer and lumberman called Plácido José de Souza found an image of the Saint at the margin of the Murucutu creek, where the Basilica of Nazaré stands today. The humble man, then, decided to take the image home. However, the image would mysteriously go back to the place where it was initially found every time he took it home. So Plácido decided to build, at the margin of the creek, a small chapel. This episode was reported throughout the region as miraculous, attracting hundreds of believers to see the image and pay homage to it.

Since then, the Círio is celebrated as a long procession of faith, in which thousands of people follow the saint through the streets of Belém, in a manifestation that lasts around five hours for unity, emotion and devotion, with no distinction of social classes, to express the strongest devotion to the belief. The Círio is the regarded as the "Christmas of the Amazon" because it is a moment of congregation in which everyone is involved in the arrangements to receive the saint, in an atmosphere of fraternity with people becoming more sympathetic and happier. In early September, minor celebrations take place as a spiritual preparation for the Círio, with thousands of images scattered all over the capital and neighboring cities, gathering families from different parts of the capital to run pilgrimage of Our Lady among choirs and prayers. In the old times the celebration was limited to the Trasladação (Transfer), the Círio, the Procession and the Re-círio (post-Círio). But it was necessary to incorporate new manifestations to the tradition due to the people's yearning to honor their patron saint. On Saturday morning, prior to the Círio, the Saint is taken to the square of Ananindeua, a nearby city, in front of the Main Church to start at 6 am the Road Pilgrimage, organized by the Pará State Cargo Transportation Companies' Union (SINDICARPA), which conducts the image to the Icoaraci pier by road for a field mass.

Then, the river pilgrimage starts. It was created and organized by the former president of the Pará Tourism Company (PARATUR), Carlos Roque, to honor the "water men" who regard the Virgin of Nazareth as their patron saint. PARATUR also promotes a traditional ship contest to award the most originally decorated boat. When the Sacred Image leaves Icoaraci in the event's official ship, a Navy Corvette, it is followed by tens of boats and ships of all colors and types, decorated to greet the Virgin and follow her through the waters of the Guajará Bay to the pier of Belém, where it will be escorted by motorcyclists all the way to the Gentil Bittencourt School, only leaving at 6 pm for the Trasladação (Transfer), which is a symbolism for reviving the story of the discovery of the Saint and its return to the place where it was found, in a candle-lit procession, following the Carriage that is tied to a rope that is carried by the faithful until it arrives at the Sé Cathedral. During its course, a firework show takes place with thousands of colorful fireworks, sponsored by the Stevedores' Union, marking the passage of the Saint until its arrival at the Cathedral, where it is received, gently, with a religious program. At daybreak of the next day, the faithful start to gather at the Old City, believing that this will bring them closer to the Virgin. At around 4 am, the rope is stretched by Our Lady's guards and, within minutes, is held by the "vowers", who have long looked forward to an incredible back-and-forth choreography, like human waves, sparking the solidarity from the bystanders, who try to quench the thirst of those carrying the rope by offering them water.

While the 12 cars that take part in the procession, like the scouts' barge, the new barge, the angels' barge, the miracle's barge, amongst others, are orderly positioned to receive wax figures, wooden house miniatures and other images to thank for their achievements over the year. At 7 o'clock, the archbishop conducts Our Lady's image to the carriage as the bells toll and the fireworks explode, thus setting the beginning of the biggest religious event of Latin America. Throughout the course, the faithful make reflections on biblical themes, pray, sing, pay homage with a shredded paper shower, lifting their arms towards the sky, acclaiming during the procession and praising the Virgin. From the Padre Champagnat Street towards the Ver-o-Peso Market, passing by Portugal Avenue and Castilho França Boulevard, going up the Presidente Vargas Avenue, reaching the Republic Square to get to the Nazaré Avenue as far as the Architectonic Centre of Nazareth, known for its Sanctuary Square.

As it arrives at the square, the image is removed from the carriage for the celebration of a mass and then lifted so that everybody will be blessed by the patron saint of Pará. This marks the end of the procession, which is filled with emotion and endless applause by the crowd.

The festivities are 15 days long, with religious celebrations, like the Children's Círio, and its procession, held two Sundays after the Círio. Cultural activities, visiting the Círio Museum, and leisure, with an amusement park at the Arraial de Nazaré. The Re-Círio marks the end of the celebrations, with a shorter course, but with no less emotion, for the Saint's farewell, with tears, waving with white handkerchiefs, hope and thanks, to the Gentil Bittencourt chapel, bringing a feeling of lightness and renovation to expect for another year.

Convention and Fair Centre of the Amazon

Built in a 23,000-square-metre area, the Hangar Convention and Fair Center of the Amazon has 12 rooms, ticket offices, baggage keeping, press room, and a food court, distributed in two big buildings with a parking lot for 800 vehicles. In the outdoor area, genuine Amazonian trees will soon be planted. With Hangar, Belém joins the market for national conventions that take place in a different city each time. National conventions have never been held in the Northern region. An example is the Brazilian Computer Society Congress.

Hangar has some of the best technologies available in the world and is the most modern and functional space for events in the country. The business tourism sector has recently grown all over Brazil. According to the Brazilian Association of Convention and Fair Centers (ABRACCEF), on average, there are 17,500 events happening in the 53 main convention and exhibition centres of Brazil. These activities bring together approximately 28 million participants. Belém has a great potential for this type of tourism. The auditorium has room for 2,160 participants.

Architecture

In many ways, Belém's colonial architecture reflects the seventeenth century architecture of Lisbon in Portugal which served as the inspiration for the main housing projects of the time, with the frequent use of tile-hung facades. Neoclassical architecture is also present in buildings such as the Theatro da Paz, built in 1874. Many of the buildings at the end of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century also echo French architecture.

Belém began with the narrow streets of the Cidade Velha (Old City), a district which still preserves some structures that the Portuguese colonials built here, places like Forte do Castelo, a fort built to defend the region against French, Dutch and British colonization attempts, and one of the first structures in the capital. The Ver-o-pêso market is the biggest open market in Latin America where you can find everything, from the most exotic fruit, to the scented baths.

Cuisine

The local Amerindian culture extracts colors, scents, flavors and native tastes from the nature for a rich and exotic cuisine, adding up to the most authentic of regional cuisines. One such dish, "Cupuaçu", comes from the Cupuaçu tree, found in the Amazonian woods. Cupuaçu is easily identified by its smell and sour taste and it is highly appreciated both by local people and by tourists. Its pulp is also extracted to make juices, candies, jellies, liquors, and ice cream. Açaí is a palm tree with a long thin stem. Açaí is also known as Jussara, is purple-colored and has a delicious taste. It has been appreciated by the local population for a long time, but lately it has reached the national menu.

Freshwater crab is a very popular dish in the city's cuisine, and is only found in swamps. Its meat, well tempered, can be served in different forms: as a shell, the so-called unha (the claws) or toc-toc. It is a traditional local delicacy. "Maniçoba", is one of the highlights of the local cuisine. Its preparation is long and its final appearance is quite surprising for those who have never tried it, due to the dark look of the cooked maniva (ground manioc leaves). But this first impression ends pretty soon, after you taste the meal and its seemingly awkward ingredients. The maniçoba is served either in pottery dishes or in ordinary ones. It can be eaten with rice or only with manioc flour and capsicum.

World Social Forum

The World Social Forum 2009 took place from January 27 to February 1 in Belém.

Main sights

Tourism

Amazon Biopark Zoo

Located less than 15 kilometers from the center of Bethlehem, in the neighborhood of Tenon, the Bioparque Amazon - Crocodile Safari is surrounded by forests, rivers and streams. Summary of the Amazon landscape with lush flora and fauna, the zoo has about 14 Para miles of trails in an area composed of four interconnected ecosystems.

A large attractive Bioparque is the Museum of Paleontology and Malacology where visitors can watch a collection of three thousand pieces of exposed shells and mollusks collected from all continents. On site, you will also see paintings with motifs of cabloco Amazon.

Bioparque The Amazon is a private investment, authorized and licensed by IBAMA to function as C class zoo, the only category of Pará There are four different species of alligators in a population of thousands of individuals, highlighting açu for alligator, monkeys, anteaters, and the otters, hyacinth macaw, pspagaios, tucannos, pacaranas, harpy eagle, among other animals.

The space is also used research and environmental education, Bioparque is today one of the attractions of the most sought after leisure tourism. Access can be made waterway Maracacuera across the river, through the company specializes in travel and tourism in the Amazon Amazon Atakan Tour, departing by speedboat from the Docks and land by the highway Augusto Montenegro.

The total cost of attraction including the museum for a family of four individuals, two adults and two children is approximately $ 150.00. The Bioparque also offers a guide during the tour that lasts about three hours and can be reached by car within the zoo. A different program for you to break out of Bethlehem and instructive, the kids love it. A suggestion to complement the steak houses are paseio Rodovia Augusto Montenegro for lunch or restaurants with a menu of Icoaraci irresistible.

Rodrigues Alves Wood–Botanic Garden

Inspired by the Bois de Boulogne Park in Paris, the Rodrigues Alves Wood is a little piece of Amazonia preserved in the middle of the city. Comprising 16 hectares, in the ample Avenida Almirante Barroso, one of the city's busiest thoroughfares, having 2,500 native species, an orchidary, lakes, caverns, waterfalls and even a replica of a mountain. There you can see small animals characteristic to the region, such as squirrel monkeys, agoutis and macaws.

The Estação das Docas Complex

The Estação das Docas Complex reopened the windows of Belém to Guajará Bay. The restoration project covers the area of old warehouses of the Pará Docks Company. Constructed from prefabricated metal structures in England and that were built at the beginning of the twentieth century in Belém.

There are 18 thousand square meters of urbanised area, with coffee bar services, various restaurants, stores, travel agencies, banks, in addition to an auditorium and two memorials: The Porto Memorial and the Fortaleza de São Pedro Nolasco Memorial There is, also, a fluvial station and extensive external area.

Ver-o-Peso Market

Created in 1688, as a result of the Portuguese deciding to levy a tax for everything entering and leaving Amazonia. Despite resembling a large retailer, the mixture of colours, fragrances and objects is very interesting as well as folkloric.

Medicinal herbs, various regional fruits, arts and crafts, domestic utilities, meats, fish and seasonings and spices can be found there. The Market brings together two thousand stalls and traders in every part and is located near to the old Mercado de Ferro (Iron market), on the quays.

Infrastructure

Airports

.]]

Belém International Airport (Val de Cães) is the major airport serving the city of Belém. Since 2001, Belém International Airport has served as an example of the standards that Infraero implements at its airports. The building design uses plane curves on its roof to permit light to enter its entire large terminal hall.

The architect Sérgio Parada used adopted multiple-use totems integrated with light projectors, a sound system, air conditioning and public telephones. Currently Belém International Airport serves 2.7 million passengers a year, in a constructed area of 33,255.17 square metres.

Traditionally called Val-de-Cães Airport, it is responsible for increasing tourism in the Amazon region, as well as for the outflow of products and attracting new investments. The passenger terminal is fully air conditioned on two levels and has "futuristic" architecture, designed to take advantage of natural lighting. People with special needs have individualized service with own equipment at specific locations to facilitate their access. The terminal's interior is decorated with plants native to the Amazon region and is enclosed by a source able to imitate the sound of the rains that fall every day in the region.

The smaller Júlio César Airport, also administrated by Infraero, is used for general aviation.

Highways

BR-316 is the major access highway for those coming from the Northeastern Brazil. For visitors from the Southern, Southeastern and Mid-Eastern Regions, the best route is BR-010, which originates in Brasília in the South, and also PA-150, a route that links Belém to Southern Pará.

Fluvial

Belém can be reached by the Tocantins River and Amazonas River and by the Atlantic Ocean.

Distances

São Paulo: Rio de Janeiro: Brasília: Manaus: Teresina: São Luis: Santarém/Pará: Florianópolis: Cuiabá: Belo Horizonte:

Personalities

Benedito Nunes - philosopher

Caroline Ribeiro - model

Fafá de Belém - singer

Giovanni Silva de Oliveira - footballer

Giuseppe Antonio Landi - architect

Hélio Gracie - martial artist

João Amazonas - Marxist theoretician

João Clemente Baena Soares - diplomat

Lyoto Machida - mixed martial artist

Paulo Henrique Chagas de Lima - footballer

Sócrates - footballer and physician

.]]

References

External links

Category:Populated places in Pará Category:State capitals in Brazil Category:Port cities in Brazil Category:Populated places established in 1616

Name	Lyoto Machida
Birth name	Lyoto Carvalho Machida
Nationality	Brazilian
Birth date	May 30, 1978
Birth place	Salvador, Brazil
Death date
Other names	The Dragon
Residence	Belém, Brazil
Height
Weight
Weight class	Light Heavyweight
Reach
Style	Machida Karate, Shotokan Karate, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Sumo
Stance	Southpaw
Team	Black House
Trainer	Yoshizo Machida
Rank	3rd-dan black belt in Shotokan black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Years active	2003–present (MMA)
Mma win	16
Mma kowin	5
Mma subwin	2
Mma decwin	9
Mma loss	2
Mma koloss	1
Mma decloss	1
Spouse	Fabyola
Children	2
Relatives	Shinzo Machida, brother, Yoshizo Machida, father
Url	http://lyotomachida.net
Sherdog	7513
Updated	October 28, 2009

Lyoto Carvalho Machida (; born May 30, 1978) is a Japanese-Brazilian mixed martial artist from Salvador, Brazil who fights as a Light Heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. He is currently ranked as the #4 light heavyweight fighter in the world by Sherdog & Yahoo! Sports. The son of a Japanese Shotokan karate master, , Machida utilizes a karate striking style that implements a wide Shotokan stance and an elusive strategy.

On May 23, 2009, Machida won the UFC light-heavyweight championship from the previously undefeated Rashad Evans by knockout in the second round. Machida subsequently lost his title, and his undefeated streak, on May 8, 2010 when he was knocked out in the first round by Mauricio Rua in their rematch. Machida was named one of the Top 10 Most Superstitious Athletes by Men's Fitness.

Early life

Machida was born in the city of Salvador as the third son of the highly ranked head of the Brazilian branch of the Japan Karate Association, Shotokan karate master Yoshizo Machida. Yoshizo moved to Brazil from Japan when he was 22 years old. There he met and married Lyoto's mother, Ana Claudia. Growing up in Belém, Lyoto began training in karate at the age of three and earned his black belt at the age of thirteen. He also began training in sumo at twelve and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at fifteen. He won a number of amateur karate tournaments, including the 2001 Pan American Karate tournament.

He was the runner-up in the 2000 Brazilian Sumo Championships in the 115 kg division. As an adult, he became Brazilian Champion twice, and placed second in the South American Championship. He defeated American black belt Jiu-Jitsu fighter Rafael Lovato Jr. at L.A. Sub X. In addition to his sumo and karate achievements, he has a college degree in Physical Education. Lyoto's brother, Shinzo, is a Shotokan vice-champion (Australia 2006), losing only to number-one ranked Shotokan master Koji Ogata. Lyoto and Shinzo fought in a Karate Final 10 years ago in which Lyoto gave Shinzo a cheek scar that still exists today. His other brothers include Kenzo Machida, a TV journalist for one of Brazil's biggest TV stations, Take Machida and adopted brother Francisco Machida.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

UFC Debut

Machida made his UFC debut on the preliminary card of UFC 67 against Sam Hoger and won by unanimous decision. He followed up with a main-card debut at UFC 70 and won a unanimous decision against David Heath. He next faced judo practitioner and Pride Fighting Championship veteran Kazuhiro Nakamura at UFC 76. Machida won by unanimous decision and Nakamura would later test positive for marijuana.

At UFC 79, Machida faced the highly touted Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, a judo practitioner who was making his UFC debut after two quick upset victories over Pride veterans Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Ricardo Arona. He scored the first stoppage of his UFC career by submitting Sokoudjou with an arm triangle choke in the second round.

Machida's next fight was at UFC 84, facing former UFC light-heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz in what would be Ortiz's final UFC appearance before a long-standing dispute with Dana White led to Ortiz being out of a UFC contract for over a year. Machida frustrated Ortiz with lateral movement and counterstriking while successfully defending against the former champion's takedowns. In the closing minute of the first round Ortiz got Machida in a clinch, but Machida took Ortiz down, moved to side control, and had Ortiz in a modified crucifix position and began to punch Ortiz's unprotected face. In the final seconds of the third round, Machida landed a flying knee to the body of Ortiz and knocked him to the mat. As Machida moved in to finish the fight, Ortiz almost locked in a triangle choke before transitioning to an armbar attempt. Machida managed to escape and win a unanimous decision, and all three judges scored the fight 30–27 in his favor.

Machida was originally scheduled to fight fellow undefeated Brazilian Thiago Silva at UFC 89 in Birmingham, England, however, the bout was postponed due to a back injury sustained by Silva. The fight ultimately took place at UFC 94. After scoring several trips and knockdowns, Machida managed to knock out the grounded Silva in the final second of the first round. Machida's first UFC knockout earned Knockout of the Night Honors and a $65,000 bonus. In June 2009, Lyoto Machida was nominated for the 2009 ESPYS "Best Fighter" category, along with Anderson Silva, Manny Pacquiao, and Shane Mosley. However, Machida did not gain enough votes and the award was won instead by pro boxer Manny Pacquiao.

Light Heavyweight Championship

Machida met then light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans in another clash of undefeated fighters at UFC 98. Machida scored an early knockdown in the first-round, while Evans struggled to make any progress. In the second-round, Evans experienced a flurry of accurate punches by Machida rendering him unconscious before hitting the canvas. Machida was subsequently crowned the new UFC Light Heavyweight Champion; his performance earning him Knockout of the Night Honors with a $60,000 bonus for the second time in as many fights. This victory continued his undefeated streak in his MMA career and was also Evans' first career loss.

Machida was set to face Quinton Jackson in his first title defense, but Jackson opted to coach the tenth season of The Ultimate Fighter instead and then face fellow coach Rashad Evans. Pride Fighting Championship's 2005 Middleweight Grand Prix winner Mauricio "Shogun" Rua was then selected as Machida's first title defense which took place on October 24, 2009 at UFC 104, with Machida winning a unanimous decision victory, 48–47 from all three judges, with one stating that Machida "landed the more damaging strikes throughout the fight" and was the more "effective aggressor".

Machida vs Rua controversy

The decision resulted in controversy, with many members of the audience reacting negatively. Rickson Gracie, Wanderlei Silva, Vitor Belfort, Rampage Jackson, Thiago Silva, Jon Jones, and Antonio Silva all stated they felt that Rua won the fight.

Out of the three judges, Hamilton gave Machida Rounds 2, 3 and 4. Peoples and Rosales each gave Machida the first three rounds. One of the judges (Nelson Hamilton) later commented in a post-fight interview that his line of sight was obstructed for much of the action in Round 4, and that after reviewing footage of the round, he likely would have scored the round to Rua. However, since the verdict was unanimous, retroactively changing the score for this judge would still have resulted in a 2–1 split decision in favor of Machida. Hamilton also commented that he felt the commentary had led many fans to believe Shogun had won the fight decisively, when it was a very close, technical and difficult fight to score for all three judges. In spite of this, a significant amount of the audience, who hadn't heard the commentary, booed the decision after it was delivered, voicing their support for Rua. Writers for a number of sports websites/magazines also claimed they felt Rua had won.

There were also MMA fighters in attendance who, after the bout, voiced support for the decision. Among them were Minotauro Nogueira, Anderson Silva, Junior dos Santos and Rafael Cavalcante. Several of these fighters have been, or still are, training partners with Machida.

A Fightmetric analysis of the fight suggested that Rua had been more aggressive and had landed more blows to the head and legs than Machida, while CompuStrike reported that Rua landed almost twice as many strikes as Machida did. Both Fightmetric and CompuStrike explicitly state on their websites that they are not intended to be used to judge MMA events, and are merely a way to track a fighter's activity.

Because of the controversy surrounding the close decision, on May 8, 2010, at UFC 113 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Machida and Mauricio Rua faced each other again, seven months after their original fight. It was a very much anticipated rematch. Both fighters started aggressively and scored significant points in striking exchanges, and Machida scored a takedown via leg sweep from the clinch. Rua showed strong defense on the ground, spinning to attempt a knee bar before both fighters returned to their feet. At 3:30 of round 1 Rua swayed to avoid a hook left which had landed twice earlier in the round and landed a powerful counter overhand right to the temple, which knocked Machida down. Rua then took the full mount and proceeded to finish him with ground-and-pound, making him the new Light Heavyweight Champion while Machida suffered his first career MMA loss.

Machida vs Rampage Controversy

Subsequently after his first loss against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Lyoto lost a controversial decision to previous light-heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. During the first two rounds, Machida's evasive counterstriking was matched against Quinton Jackson's aggression and clinch/dirty boxing techniques. Both fighters scored in striking exchanges, but neither appeared to be the clear victor in either round. In the third round, Machida stunned Rampage with a straight counter left before following up with volley of punches, kicks and knees. He then secured a takedown followed by full mount, before attempting to finish the fight by arm-bar. According to FightMetric Machida outlanded Jackson 33 to 16 in the category of significant strikes. In spite of the dominant third round, and due to the way the North American MMA judging system is structured (almost every round is scored 10-9 regardless of the amount of action), the judges awarded Jackson the victory by split decision (29-28, 28-29 and 29-28). The most controversy centered around the scoring of Round 1, which one judge awarded to Machida while the remaining two awarded it to Rampage. At the end of the 3rd round, Rampage raised Lyoto's hand before returning to his corner. Moreover, Rampage appeared shocked when he was awarded the split decision, and in interview with Joe Rogan immediately following the fight, said that he felt a rematch with Machida would be the fairest thing to do.

Both Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Randy Couture stated that they believed that Lyoto won the fight. Despite the controversy surrounding this split-decision, UFC president Dana White said in interview that he did not feel an immediate rematch was necessary, citing that he personally felt Rampage had won the first two rounds. This is the complete opposite of the UFC president's view on the first Shogun vs Machida fight, in which he awarded Shogun an immediate rematch in spite of a controversial, but unanimous decision in favor of Machida due to the fact that he felt Shogun won the fight and that it was a title fight. Shortly after Rampage's fight with Lyoto at UFC 123, Rampage said "that was the toughest fight of my life".

Machida vs Couture at UFC 129

Machida is now set to fight Randy Couture at UFC 129 in Toronto Canada (although UFC.com has yet to confirm it.)

Fighting style

Machida uses a unique, unorthodox style in MMA that combines elements from his diverse training background to make it as suitable for the sport as possible. Machida has received both praise and criticism for back-peddling in his fights while winning on points. It is based mainly on Shotokan karate and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, but also integrates techniques from wrestling and Sumo which Machida says makes him "fully prepared for any situation" in the Octagon. Often described as "elusive," Machida relies on cautious and precise counter-striking that frustrates his opponents into making mistakes. Machida has earned considerable respect from MMA fans, fighters, and commentators for his effectiveness and winning ways. At the same time, his cerebral and conservative style is sometimes deemed boring and unsatisfying to watch. Machida has drawn fire from fans, and criticism from MMA commentators for his limited aggression and many decision victories. In response to these criticisms, Machida said, "If you don't like it, sorry. I always try to win." He also stated that he believes fans are coming to appreciate the efficiency of his style just like they came to appreciate Royce Gracie's jiu-jitsu. where he earned a "Knockout of the Night" honor for his first-round stoppage of then undefeated Thiago Silva. Machida noted that he started to include weight training in his preparation for the bout. Commentators hailed the knockout as a step in the right direction toward building interest in him as a potential champion. In addition, Machida showcased his improved English skills during interviews for the event, which gave him the ability to connect with fans more easily. Machida's limited English was previously seen as a marketing liability. After knocking out Rashad Evans at UFC 98, In the post fight in-ring interview with Joe Rogan, Machida announced to his fans, "Karate is back! Machida Karate!" Many fans referred to his style as "Machida Karate" since then.

In the November issue of the MMA Unltd magazine, Machida once again mentioned the phrase "Machida Karate", claiming that it was based on a very traditional form which is very different from modern sports karate. He also said that the Karate we see nowadays has lost many techniques over the years in which it was practised, and that his style was one of the very few that still kept those techniques. "My style is Machida Karate and it is a very traditional form", he said, "It differs from sports karate which we usually see in Karate schools and competitions as it has many elements which were lost in the style including the use of knees, elbows, takedowns and even some submissions".

Personal life

Machida's wife is named Fabyola. The couple have a son named Taiyo who was born in September 2008. In an interview, Lyoto discussed his practice of urine therapy, which he learned from his father.

Championships and achievements

Ultimate Fighting Championship

:*UFC Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time) :*Knockout of the Night Honors (2 times)

3rd-dan black belt in Shotokan

black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Black Belt Magazine

*2009 MMA Fighter of the Year

Mixed martial arts record

References

External links

Lyoto Machida Official website

Machida Facts and Training Routine

Category:Brazilian mixed martial artists Category:Light heavyweight mixed martial artists Category:Brazilian karateka Category:Brazilian people of Japanese descent Category:Living people Category:1978 births Category:People from Salvador, Bahia Category:Brazilian practitioners of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Category:Ultimate Fighting Championship champions