All the attention was on Vitor Belfort’s retirement fight at UFC 224. Little did anyone know it was likely Lyoto Machida ’s last appearance in the octagon, as well. The former UFC light heavyweight champion and current middleweight contender Machida (24-8 MMA, 16-8 UFC) completed his UFC contract with his fight against Belfort at UFC 224 in May. “The Dragon” won by second-round knockout with a highlight-reel front-kick finish. Now, Machida, No. 11 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA middleweight rankings , has signed an exclusive, multi-fight deal with Bellator, company President Scott Coker verified with MMAjunkie following a report from ESPN
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Former UFC champ Lyoto Machida signs multi-fight deal with Bellator – MMA Junkie