White believes that Machida will continue to evolve into an exciting fighter once he gets comfortable in the Octagon; mentioning him in the same breath as UFC legends Matt Hughes, Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture.

"I saw it early on in Matt Hughes career," White said. "I saw it early on in Liddell's career, Couture. Any of those guys that ended up becoming big stars and real exciting fighters, it took them awhile to feel comfortable in the Octagon. And once you start to feel like that's your house, you start to let it go more. And I think that's gonna happen to Lyoto Machida too. And when it does, not only is he gonna be the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world, he'll probably be one of the most exciting fighters you'll ever watch."

Machida will get his opportunity to continue evolving into a more mainstream "fan friendly" fighter when he faces fellow undefeated Brazilian UFC top prospect Thiago Silva at UFC 84 on Jan. 31.

It'll be his choice whether to press the action and go against the style that has made him successful or to continue to refine that style, one that has placed him among the best fighters on the planet. He'll evolve; one way or the other.