Saying that Machida took more damage doesn't really work in this type of scoring. The 10 point must round scoring doesn't allow you to give a 10-9 plus he looked more hurt. And there weren't any rounds where either fighter posted a 2 point lead. So you end up with this, like it or not:
(going off memory now, so I may have rounds in 1-3 out of place..but the point is stil valid.)
Rounds 1-3, there were 2 rounds that Machida put up enough well placed shots and made Shogun miss enough to take 10-9. Say the other round is an honest toss up. That goes to Machida as well since it's the challenger's job to beat the reigning champ decisively. He didn't. So it's now 30-27 or 3 rounds to none. Even if all 3 of the first rounds were a toss up, it's still Machida 3 rounds to none by this scoring system.
Shogun takes 4 and 5 I believe. It could've been 3 and 5, etc. As I said I'm going off my old man's memory.
That puts the fight as a win for Machida unless Shogun knocks him out, submits him or takes at least one round 10-8. And even that puts it as a draw.
Shogun obviously wins 2. You can't go back and give one of the toss-ups to Shogun becuase did more overall damage. There's no overall damage score to be given, only round by round. So, we get the decision as it was, 47-48 from all 3 judges. You can't add an extra point or award him a 10-8 for round 5. That was the only round I saw as a 100% win for Shogun. (maybe 1 other
)
That leaves that thought in your mind: Shogun figured him out. He disabled his mobility and took over the fight. True. But it still doesn't give him the fight, unfortunately. Same problem in a technical boxing match. The fans, and even the judges sometimes, get this feeling that fighter A won becuase of the
feel of the last round or couple of rounds. But when you go back and count up the hash marks round by round, it takes the emotion out of it. (probably the whole point of this method) So, the crowd boos. This isn't the judges' or the fighters' fault, it's the system.
I'll end my marathon post here. Shogun did figure out a strategy to negate Machida's elusiveness. And it worked. Machida didn't do anything impressive, but Shogun didn't TAKE the fight, only round 5. Up until the last couple of rounds I couldn't really call either fighter dominant. Obviously neither did the judges. So, Machida didn't WIN, he just didn't lose. So don't boo the judges, they just did their job.
*this stuff not aimed at you, Rainbowtiger. I just started the post from your point about doing more damage.