LYOTO MACHIDA puts his light-heavyweight title on the line against dangerous Brazilian striker Mauricio Rua at UFC 104 this weekend.
The Dragon is unbeaten in his professional mixed martial arts career and holds the honour of being the least-hit fighter in the organisation.
His first few UFC fights divided fan opinion with many failing to understand his stick and move style.
Coming from a karate background, Machida likes to circle and sidestep his opponents until openings present themselves, rather than looking to slug it out.
Three decision victories in his opening bouts saw him accused of being boring, over-cautious and even afraid of engaging with his opponents.
But as he grew more confident inside the Octagon, he became more aggressive and less likely to sit back and look for single-strike counters.
His last two fights have shown an aggressive side and a knockout power that few knew he had.
A first-round KO of Thiago Silva was followed by a two-round mauling of Rashad Evans which produced one of the knockouts of the year and put the 205lbs strap around Machida's waist.
Rua on the other hand was one of the stars of legendary Japanese promotion Pride, which was bought out by the UFC a couple of years ago.
But since joining the UFC ranks, Shogun has failed to replicate the electrifying form he showed in Japan.
At the time of his arrival, fans were predicting he would be the light-heavyweight champion within two fights.
But after his shock debut defeat against Forrest Griffin, people wondered if Shogun would be able to even stay in the UFC.
However, it later emerged Rua was suffering from serious knee injuries prior to the fight.
In fact, he underwent surgery on both knees immediately after the bout.
The joints proved troublesome and required treatment on more than one occasion and sidelined him until January this year.
He reappeared at UFC 93 for a three-round battle with veteran warhorse Mark Coleman but failed to silence his doubters due to a lacklustre performance.
Shogun looked sluggish and uncoordinated, prompting further speculation that his best days were behind him.
But his next fight — against former champion Chuck Liddell — showed flashes of his old brilliance.
Well-timed kicks and fast hands took their toll and The Iceman was put to sleep in the closing stages of the first round.
When Rua and Machida meet on Saturday, The Dragon will pit his karate and ability to avoid damage against Shogun's forward pressure and relentless Muay Thai-based aggression.
Machida's recent performances make it extremely hard to bet against him and with the exception of that Liddell fight, Shogun has not looked anywhere close to his prime in the UFC.
But he is one of the greats of mixed martial arts and if he is on form he will be Machida's toughest fight to date.
Look for Machida to set the pace of the fight and retain his belt by stoppage or decision, but don't blink — this is truly one of those clashes where anything could happen.
