UFC 104: Machida vs. Shogun | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Roe Jogan
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
Introduction
UFC 104: Machida vs. Shogun. October 24, 2009. Staples Center, Los Angeles, California. Lyoto Machida retained the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship with a unanimous decision over Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua — 48-47, 48-47, 48-47. The decision was immediately and widely regarded as one of the most controversial in UFC history.
Rua landed significantly more strikes: 80 significant strikes at 55% accuracy against Machida’s 35 at 32%. Dana White told the post-fight press conference he believed Shogun had won the fight. The crowd booed heavily. White confirmed an immediate rematch — which took place at UFC 113 in May 2010, where Rua won by TKO in round one.
Cain Velasquez stopped Ben Rothwell by TKO in round two. Chael Sonnen defeated Yushin Okami. Ryan Bader impressed in LHW. Pat Barry knocked out Antoni Hardonk in 41 seconds. 14,892 fans attended.
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Quick Stats
3. The Build-Up
4. Main Event
5. Co-Main Event
6. Full Results
7. Bonuses & Awards
8. Records & Milestones
9. Legacy & Impact
10. FAQ
11. References
Quick Stats
Date: October 24, 2009
Venue: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
Attendance: 14,892
Main Event: Lyoto Machida (c) vs. Mauricio Rua — UFC LHW Championship (5 rounds)
Result: Machida def. Rua — Decision (Unanimous) — R5, 5:00 (48-47, 48-47, 48-47); booed; immediate rematch confirmed
Controversy: Dana White publicly said he thought Shogun won; crowd booed; Rua outworked Machida by all metrics
Notable: Cain TKOs Rothwell; Chael Sonnen def. Okami; Bader LHW debut; $60k bonuses
The Build-Up
Rua had rebuilt his career with TKOs of Mark Coleman (UFC 93) and Chuck Liddell (UFC 97). Machida was 18-0 as champion after knocking out Rashad Evans at UFC 98. The matchup was billed as a genuine test for the karate champion — Rua’s pressure, leg kicks, and aggression against Machida’s counterstrike system.
Machida was a 4-to-1 favourite. Rua entered as a heavy underdog.
Main Event
Lyoto Machida (c) vs. Mauricio Rua — UFC LHW Championship
Rua pushed forward with leg kicks and body punches throughout five rounds. Machida counterpunched, maintained distance, and was not seriously hurt. The key split in judging: Rua outworked Machida in volume; Machida scored cleaner but rarer strikes and defended all four takedown attempts. Judges scored it — controversially — 48-47 for Machida on all three cards.
FightMetric breakdown: Rua 80/146 (55%) significant strikes; Machida 35/108 (32%). Rua had 4 takedown attempts; Machida 0. The striking volume and aggression appeared to favour Rua on any conventional scoring framework.
Post-fight: Dana White — the UFC president — told reporters ‘I thought Shogun won the fight.’ The crowd booed the decision announcement. White confirmed a rematch within minutes.
Co-Main Event
Cain Velasquez vs. Ben Rothwell — Heavyweight
Velasquez took Rothwell down repeatedly and pounded him from top position. He stopped him with punches at 0:58 of round two. Velasquez was 8-0 and had now beaten credible heavyweights consecutively — Kongo, Rothwell. The HW title picture had him as a coming contender.
Full Results
Preliminary Card (some on Spike TV)
Stefan Struve def. Chase Gormley — Submission (Triangle Choke) — R1, 4:04 — HW; shown on Spike; Sub Night ($60k to Struve)
Kyle Kingsbury def. Razak Al-Hassan — Decision (Split) — R3, 5:00 (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) — LHW
Jorge Rivera def. Rob Kimmons — Decision — R3, 5:00 — MW
Chael Sonnen def. Yushin Okami — Decision — R3, 5:00 — MW
Ryan Bader def. Eric Schafer — Decision — R3, 5:00 — LHW
Main Card
Pat Barry def. Antoni Hardonk — KO — R1, 0:41 — HW; Fight of the Night ($60k each)
Anthony Johnson def. Yoshiyuki Yoshida — KO — R1 — WW
Joe Stevenson def. Spencer Fisher — TKO (Elbows) — R2, 4:03 — LW
Gleison Tibau def. Josh Neer — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 — LW; catchweight (Neer overweight)
Cain Velasquez def. Ben Rothwell — TKO (Punches) — R2, 0:58 — HW; Co-Main
UFC Light Heavyweight Championship (5 rounds) — Main Event
Lyoto Machida def. Mauricio Rua — Decision (Unanimous) — R5, 5:00 (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) — controversial; Dana White said Shogun won; immediate rematch confirmed
Bonuses & Awards
Fight of the Night: Antoni Hardonk vs. Pat Barry — $60,000 to each fighter.
Sub of the Night: Stefan Struve vs. Chase Gormley — $60,000 to Struve.
Records & Milestones
Most controversial LHW Championship decision — 48-47 x3 for Machida despite Rua outlanding, outworking, and outpressing him by most metrics.
Dana White publicly disagrees with official result — rare for a promotion president to openly state they believed the official result was wrong.
Immediate rematch announced — UFC 113 in May 2010; Shogun stopped Machida by TKO in round one.
Cain Velasquez 8-0 — continues his unbeaten run; closing in on a HW title shot.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 104 is the definitive entry in the UFC’s catalogue of controversial decisions. The numbers were stark, the president of the promotion said so publicly, and the crowd responded immediately. The fact that the rematch at UFC 113 ended with Shogun stopping Machida in round one reinforced the sense that Rua had been the better fighter at both events.
The Machida-Shogun controversy contributed to wider discussions about judging methodology in MMA — particularly the weight given to aggression and damage versus counterstrike accuracy and takedown defence. Those debates were never fully resolved, but UFC 104 gave them their sharpest example.
FAQ
Was the Machida vs Shogun decision at UFC 104 controversial?
Yes. One of the most controversial in UFC history. All three judges scored 48-47 for Machida despite Rua landing more significant strikes (80 vs. 35) at higher accuracy. Dana White told the post-fight press conference he believed Shogun had won.
What did Dana White say about the UFC 104 main event decision?
White publicly stated at the post-fight press conference: 'I thought Shogun won the fight.' He also immediately confirmed a rematch would take place.
Who won the UFC 104 Machida vs Shogun rematch?
Mauricio Rua won the rematch at UFC 113 in May 2010 by TKO in round one, becoming the new UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.
How did Cain Velasquez perform at UFC 104?
Velasquez defeated Ben Rothwell by TKO in round two, improving to 8-0. The win continued his rise toward a UFC Heavyweight Championship shot, which came at UFC 121 in October 2010 against Brock Lesnar.
Who was Chael Sonnen fighting at UFC 104?
Sonnen defeated Yushin Okami by decision in a middleweight bout at UFC 104, continuing his MW contender run that eventually led to his famous title fight against Anderson Silva at UFC 117 in August 2010.
References
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