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Going into UFC 129, only one fight in the company's history had ever been won by a knockout using a front kick to the face. That knockout came just a few months ago when Anderson Silva connected with one on Vitor Belfort in the UFC 127 main event.
But on Saturday night, Silva's fellow Black House training partner, Lyoto Machida, joined the club with his unbelievable, Karate Kid-like flying front kick to the face.
It almost seemed like a joke when both Anderson Silva and martial artist Steven Seagal claimed that Silva had learned the kick from Seagal, but after it happened again, there may actually be something to it.
MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani caught up with Seagal after the event, who talked about the Machida knockout of Randy Couture.
"Machida is like a son to me, so is Anderson," Master Seagal said, almost seeming to hold back tears. "We worked very hard on that kick for a long time."
"I really, really worked hard on that kick and I wanted him to do that kick. He wanted to do it and he knew he could, and he did," he laughed.
"I was screaming at him," he continued. "I was like, 'Do the kick! Do the kick!'"
"I'm amazingly proud. I love the boy and I'm just astounded."
After the Anderson Silva front kick that knocked out Vitor Belfort, there were many fans and experts alike who joked and made fun of Seagal's proclamation that he "invented" the kick. But Seagal cleared up some confusion in this interview.
"Everybody has their own opinion. Some people have sour grapes, some people have jealousy," he told Helwani. "I didn't invent anything. I modified them in such a way that I think I can make my students, and myself, in a real fight, land them and hurt people."
"I'm not saying I invented anything and no one should put those words in my mouth."
Still, he understands that there will continue to be people who doubt his true expertise.
"Many people consider me one of the great masters in my own field and many people probably think I'm an idiot that doesn't know anything. All I can say is, everybody's entitled to their own opinion. I love the martial arts, I dedicate my life to the martial arts, I devote a lot of time and love to preserving the martial arts and helping my students and my friends."
Seagal is now very good friends with numerous members of the Black House team and has been a fixture in the corner of Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida at recent UFC events.
"Nobody's paying me to come here," he revealed. "I came here because people asked me to come and asked me to help. I'm giving my heart and the little bit of knowledge I have."
With back-to-back wins with "Seagal front kicks," we may be seeing much more of the actor at future UFC events.
UFC 129 Results Video: Steven Seagal Amazingly Proud of Lyoto Machida Front Kick | Bleacher Report
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