At UFC on Fox 4, former UFC champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and massive underdog Brandon Vera will compete for a light heavyweight title shot and potential rematch with current titleholder Jon Jones.
Rua has only won once since being dethroned by Jones, and is coming off of a loss to current top contender Dan Henderson. Despite this, he was named by UFC president Dana White as the leading candidate for a September title fight.
An impressive performance against Vera on Saturday would evidently earn Rua an opportunity to avenge one of only six career losses.
Despite White’s declaration that the winner of the bout between Rua and Vera will be given a spot in a championship bout, the UFC on Fox 4 main event won’t be Saturday’s only fight with light heavyweight title shot implications. If Lyoto Machida or Ryan Bader put together an awe-inspiring performance in the evening’s co-main event, it wouldn’t be surprising to see White change his mind and grant the winner of that bout a rematch with Jones.
Tachi Palace Fights champion Ulysses Gomez will make his way to the Octagon for the first time at UFC on Fox 4, which will take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Gomez’s UFC debut will come against fellow newcomer and flyweight contender John Moraga. Moraga’s only loss in 11 career appearances was to The Ultimate Fighter winner John Dodson.
Shortly after the event concludes, Rua, Vera, Machida, Bader and several more of the night’s competitors will likely join UFC president Dana White for a post-fight press conference. A live streaming feed of the post-fight press conference will be available on the above video player.
After the press conference, stay tuned to Bleacher Report for more on UFC on Fox 4 and the rest of your MMA needs.
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