Though it lacked the shoulder-checking excitement of the UFC 148 weigh-ins, last night’s UFC on FUEL 4 weigh-ins were not without their fair share of close calls. Mainly, that of Rafael Natal, Francis Carmont, and Alex Caceres, who all had to drop trou in order to make weight for their scheduled contests with Andrew Craig, Karlos Vemola, and Damacio Page, respectively. Caceres went au naturale right off the get-go to make 136, whereas Natal and Carmont managed to shed a pound following the aforementioned removal of their trousers, which must have been lined with a paper thin piece of iron or had a ham sandwich in the back pocket. Mark Munoz, on the other hand, squeaked in at the 186 pound limit for his main event matchup with fellow wrestling standout Chris Wediman.
And speaking of ham sandwiches/UFC 148, Subway aficionado Jay Glazer sat down alongside Ariel Helwani and recently dispatched middleweight contender Chael Sonnen to break down tonight’s main event, as well as discuss Sonnen’s UFC 148 loss and his future in the sport after the weigh-ins had concluded. We gotta give props to Glazer, who came right out and asked Sonnen, “What the hell were you thinking with that spinning elbow?” to which Sonnen responded in good humor, “I wish I could tell you…but I fell down like a doofus and I gotta live with it.” That you do, Chael. That you do.
Check out both of those videos and the full weigh-in results after the jump, and make sure to swing by CagePotato at 7 p.m. EST, where we will be liveblogging all the action in between heated games of Battleshots.
Though it lacked the shoulder-checking excitement of the UFC 148 weigh-ins, last night’s UFC on FUEL 4 weigh-ins were not without their fair share of close calls. Mainly, that of Rafael Natal, Francis Carmont, and Alex Caceres, who all had to drop trou in order to make weight for their scheduled contests with Andrew Craig, Karlos Vemola, and Damacio Page, respectively. Caceres went au naturale right off the get-go to make 136, whereas Natal and Carmont managed to shed a pound following the aforementioned removal of their trousers, which must have been lined with a paper thin piece of iron or had a ham sandwich in the back pocket. Mark Munoz, on the other hand, squeaked in at the 186 pound limit for his main event matchup with fellow wrestling standout Chris Wediman.
And speaking of ham sandwiches/UFC 148, Subway aficionado Jay Glazer sat down alongside Ariel Helwani and recently dispatched middleweight contender Chael Sonnen to break down tonight’s main event, as well as discuss Sonnen’s UFC 148 loss and his future in the sport after the weigh-ins had concluded. We gotta give props to Glazer, who came right out and asked Sonnen, “What the hell were you thinking with that spinning elbow?” to which Sonnen responded in good humor, “I wish I could tell you…but I fell down like a doofus and I gotta live with it.” That you do, Chael. That you do.
Check out both of those videos and the full weigh-in results after the jump, and make sure to swing by CagePotato at 7 p.m. EST, where we will be liveblogging all the action in between heated games of Battleshots.
Weigh-in Video (starts at the 10 minute mark)
Interview with Chael Sonnen
When asked on the perceived illegality of the knee in question, Sonnen stated that:
Here’s the reality. We don’t do instant replay in this sport and we shouldn’t. It comes down to a judgement call and wherever the referee says the knee landed, officially, that’s where the knee landed. That’s an excellent official as they all are; he made his call and that’s the way it goes, and I will never complain or look back.
Helwani immediately brought up the recent decision by Sonnen’s camp to appeal the fight verdict, as it seemed somewhat contradictory to what Sonnen had just said, to which Sonnen replied that “We would never appeal a decision.” If that is truly the case, then I have just gained back a ton of respect for Sonnen. Now if only I could hold onto it for more than a week at a time. Sonnen also said that he would not even begin to consider retirement for at least a few more weeks, referring to but not mentioning the hasty, emotion-based retirements of guys like BJ Penn.
Preliminary Card (Facebook) Damacio Page (136 lbs.) vs. Alex Caceres (136 lbs.)
Chris Cariaso (125 lbs.) vs. Josh Ferguson (125 lbs.)
Rafael Natal (186 lbs.) vs. Andrew Craig (185 lbs.)
Marcelo Guimaraes (171 lbs.) vs. Dan Stittgen (170 lbs.)
Raphael Assuncao (136 lbs.) vs. Issei Tamura (135 lbs.)
Will Munoz follow through on his promise to throw some bombs? Will Beltran’s glorious return to the UFC at 205 lbs against the hard hitting Te Huna be all for naught? Will “The Angel of Death” fall prey to a submission yet again? Tune in tonight and find out.
Most of the staff is still recovering from UFC 148 so for UFC on Fuel TV 4, only Ryan and I will bringing you picks. But after his 6-0 performance on Saturday, who else’s picks.
Most of the staff is still recovering from UFC 148 so for UFC on Fuel TV 4, only Ryan and I will bringing you picks. But after his 6-0 performance on Saturday, who else’s picks do you really need?
Chris Weidman (-145) vs. Mark Munoz (+115)
Ryan: No clue why Weidman is the favorite to win. Munoz has faced higher level opponents and he looked more impressive than Weidman when you compare both their fights against Demian Maia. Munoz will shrug off Weidman’s submission attempts and control him on the ground. Munoz by TKO via GNP. Winner: Munoz
Alan: I’m with Ryan here. I don’t expect a finish but I don’t see why Weidman is the favorite. And not only is he the favorite, but the line has moved more in his favor since the end of last week, which means people are betting Weidman. I don’t understand it. Two great wrestlers usually equals a striking match and Munoz has a pretty clear advantage there. What am I missing? Winner: Munoz
James Te Huna vs. Joey Beltran
Ryan: Te-Huna is coming off 2 impressive knockout wins, while Beltran lost his last 2 fights in the octagon. Te-Huna is better than Beltran in every aspect of the game. Te-Huna by KO. Winner: Te Huna
Alan: This is going to be a slugfest and I’m taking Te Huna as well. Beltran has a brick chin but Te Huna has a brick fist so as long as he lands first, he should get a quick TKO victory. Winner: Te Huna
Aaron Simpson vs. Kenny Robertson
Ryan: As long as Simpson isn’t drained by his first weight cut to 170lbs (which he shouldn’t because he his a veteran wrestler), he should have no problem beating Robertson. Simpson is a better wrestler and a more powerful striker. Simpson by TKO. Winner: Simpson
Alan: What we have here is a great minds think alike type situation. The biggest challenge for Simpson in this fight will be the weight cut. As long as he doesn’t gas, he should win this one easily. No disrespect to Robertson but Simpson went from a huge underdog to a huge favorite when Robertson was announced to replace Jon Fitch. Winner: Simpson
Karlos Vemola vs. Francis Carmont
Ryan: Vemola is a beast at 185lbs. He will have no problem out wrestling Carmont and look to take his back. If Vemola can’t sink in the RNC he will finish the fight by GNP. Winner: Vemola
Alan: We agree again. I don’t think the gap is as big between these two and Vemola could be in trouble if he decides to stand and trade but as long as he looks to get the takedown and control Carmont on the mat, he should be able to earn the victory. Winner: Vemola
T.J. Dillashaw vs. Vaughan Lee
Ryan: Lee is a well rounded fighter, but Dillashaw will sooner or later take Lee down and submit him (most likely with a RNC). Winner: Dillashaw
Alan: I don’t think this one will be close. Dillashaw is constantly improving training at Team Alpha Male and Lee was supposed to be a feeder for Kid Yamamoto. Dillashaw did everything but finish Walel Watson in his last fight and hopefully he can take that next step against Lee. Winner: Dillashaw
Anthony Njokuani vs. Rafael Dos Anjos
Ryan: Njokuani has trouble with good ground fighters. On top of that, Rafael dos Anjos has developed some excellent striking. Rafael dos Anjos by submission. Winner: Dos Anjos
Alan: We finally disagree! But after Ryan’s perfect night, I don’t feel great about it. I don’t think Dos Anjos has the wrestling to get Njokuani down and keep him down. Danny Castillo struggled to keep him down and I don’t think Dos Anjos has that kind of wrestling. I expect Njokuani to keep this fight mostly on the feet and strike his way to victory. Winner: Njokuani
(Munoz pays tribute to his favorite terrible fighter, Emmanuel Yarborough, by squashing a scrawny ginger less than 1/3rd his size.)
By Elias Cepeda
At first, what he said kind of passed by unnoticed, but when I caught it, I was forced to ask him to clarify. We were talking to UFC middleweight contender Mark Munoz about training camp for his UFC on FUEL 4 main event scrap tonight against Chris Weidman and thought to ask how things were going with the gym he owns, Reign Training Center.
Munoz opened up the Southern California fight gym a couple years ago and since that time it has grown to house not just 9-5ers seeking workouts, but some of the best fighters in the world as well. Munoz said the business was going swimmingly, spoke about some of the challenges of starting up and managing a gym and, almost in passing, mentioned that he led training for the guys.
Well, certainly not while he was in camp, right? Wrong, Munoz corrected. The fighter has, in fact, been his own head coach and trainer for all the fighters at Reign as he has readied to fight Weidman.
“I actually lead the training along with training myself,” Munoz said. “I’ve been coaching for awhile now and for me, I love running practices. I think about how to run practices and how to be able to breakdown technique and to be able to help the whole group. I’ve been doing it for over 10 years when it comes to Division I wrestling. Love to teach and to coach and get a good workout in the process. The guys love it too. They see the workouts and feel that they are catered to them. I’m glad I can accomplish both coach and competing. I’ve always wanted to do both but with wrestling you can’t really do it.”
Simultaneously fighting and coaching? That’s some Bill Russell and Pete Rose stuff right there.
(Munoz pays tribute to his favorite terrible fighter, Emmanuel Yarborough, by squashing a scrawny ginger less than 1/3rd his size.)
By Elias Cepeda
At first, what he said kind of passed by unnoticed, but when I caught it, I was forced to ask him to clarify. We were talking to UFC middleweight contender Mark Munoz about training camp for his UFC on FUEL 4 main event scrap tonight against Chris Weidman and thought to ask how things were going with the gym he owns, Reign Training Center.
Munoz opened up the Southern California fight gym a couple years ago and since that time it has grown to house not just 9-5ers seeking workouts, but some of the best fighters in the world as well. Munoz said the business was going swimmingly, spoke about some of the challenges of starting up and managing a gym and, almost in passing, mentioned that he led training for the guys.
Well, certainly not while he was in camp, right? Wrong, Munoz corrected. The fighter has, in fact, been his own head coach and trainer for all the fighters at Reign as he has readied to fight Weidman.
“I actually lead the training along with training myself,” Munoz said. “I’ve been coaching for awhile now and for me, I love running practices. I think about how to run practices and how to be able to breakdown technique and to be able to help the whole group. I’ve been doing it for over 10 years when it comes to Division I wrestling. Love to teach and to coach and get a good workout in the process. The guys love it too. They see the workouts and feel that they are catered to them. I’m glad I can accomplish both coach and competing. I’ve always wanted to do both but with wrestling you can’t really do it.”
Simultaneously fighting and coaching? That’s some Bill Russell and Pete Rose stuff right there.
To understand the significance and novelty of such a thing, one has to understand that training for a fight, or for high level sporting competition in general, is one of the most selfish endeavors humans undertake. Not selfish in a particularly bad way, but selfish nonetheless. During camp, everything is about the fighter scheduled to compete. The timing of everything from meals to training time to recreation time as well as the specifics of what those training sessions consist of revolves around the needs of the competing fighter. Everyone’s attention is on them.
So the idea of said fighter also making it his job to pay attention to the needs of the other fighters, to be the main person responsible for taking care of them in fact, is pretty rare and remarkable. And just like Rose and Russell must have had the complete respect and trust of their fellow players when they coached and managed while also playing, Munoz must have that from his teammates for this scenario to work out.
The “Filipino Wrecking Machine” says that he tries to create a familial environment and that goes a long way. “We have great fighters coming in and the gym has been attracting those guys because of the comradarie we have in the room,” he said.
“I try to create a comfortable environment, a fun environment where we step foot inside and everyone says hi to each other. There are no cliques. I’ve been to a lot of gyms where it was very cliquish. Somebody new would come in and you wanted to knock them out during sparring (laughs). But that isn’t a comfortable environment. So I like to plan events where we’re hanging out and develop a closer bond. When you have a close bond, the team pushes each other a lot more.”
Munoz has been very clear recently in saying that he believes he will deserve a title shot if he gets past Weidman. After all, he’s won four straight and seven of eight in the division overall. He was also set to face Chael Sonnen in January in a number one contender match before he had to pull out in order to get his elbow surgically repaired. Perhaps you remember vomiting upon seeing the results.
“I don’t know why I’ve been getting overlooked,” Munoz said. “I’ve been busting my butt for a long time.”
Of course, if Munoz does get the next middleweight title shot, he’ll have to face a former training partner and man he still considers a friend, champion Anderson Silva. “It’s nothing personal,” Munoz explained.
“I still consider him a friend and the greatest fighter, pound-for-pound, in the world and in the history of MMA. But at the same time, I feel like I’ve arrived. I want a chance at it. In an ideal world I would love for him to retire. But we know that sometimes it’s not an ideal world. So its gonna work out the way its gonna work out.”
But before he can even cross that bridge, Weidman is in Munoz’ way, who might be one win away from a title shot himself if he is able to secure a win tonight. In his last bout at UFC on FOX 2, he beat up former #1 contender Demian Maia, and he did it on incredibly short notice.
Weidman, like Munoz, comes from a wrestling background. But Munoz says he will still swing for the fences on the feet, with no regard for Weidman’s takedowns.
“The thing is, I have confidence in getting back to my feet. If he takes me down I’m going to pop back up. That’s how I train and that’s how I fight,” Munoz said.
“I’m going to get back up and am still going to throw bombs. That’s just who I am. I’m not a fighter willing to score points to win. I’m looking to end the fight in a moment.”
Can’t argue with that gameplan. At least not from a fan’s perspective.
Mark Munoz and Chris Weidman square off at UFC on Fuel TV 4 in a middleweight fight to potentially determine who gets the next crack at Anderson Silva’s Middleweight Championship. The rest of the card features a wide variety of fighting styles and athl…
Mark Munoz and Chris Weidman square off at UFC on Fuel TV 4 in a middleweight fight to potentially determine who gets the next crack at Anderson Silva‘s Middleweight Championship.
The rest of the card features a wide variety of fighting styles and athletes that are sure to excite the crowd. From a light heavyweight slugfest between James TeHuna and Joey Beltran to fast-paced Flyweight action, this card offers a little bit of everything.
The event comes to you from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California live on Fuel TV. Bleacher Report will provide round-by-round coverage and analysis for all the fights on the card.
Main Card on Fuel TV
Mark Munoz (186) vs. Chris Weidman (186) James TeHuna (205) vs. Joey Beltran (205) Aaron Simpson (171) vs. Kenny Robertson (170) Karlos Vemola (186) vs. Francis Carmont (186) T.J. Dillashaw (136) vs. Vaughan Lee (135) Rafael dos Anjos (156) vs. Anthony Njokuani (136)
Preliminary Card on Facebook
Damacio Page (136) vs. Alex Caceres (136) Chris Cariaso (125) vs. Josh Ferguson (125) Rafael Natal (186) vs. Andrew Craig (185) Marcelo Guimares (171) vs. Dan Stittgen (170) Raphael Assuncao (136) vs. Issei Tamura (135)
The fourth installment of UFC on Fuel TV features a showdown between two of the top contenders in the middleweight division. In what may prove to be an unofficial title eliminator bout at 185 pounds, Mark “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” Munoz take…
The fourth installment of UFC on Fuel TV features a showdown between two of the top contenders in the middleweight division.
In what may prove to be an unofficial title eliminator bout at 185 pounds, Mark “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” Munoz takes on Chris “The All-American” Weidman.
Opening up the main card, Rafael dos Anjos and Anthony Njokuani do battle in hopes of remaining relevant in the lightweight division.
At bantamweight, gritty wrestler TJ Dillashaw takes on highly regarded BJJ black belt Vaughan Lee in what looks to be an entertaining grappling affair.
In yet another clash at middleweight, Karlos “The Terminator” Vemola squares off with Francis Carmont in a bout where the winner can expect a “name” opponent next time around.
Kenny Robertson returns to the Octagon against Aaron “A-Train” Simpson in a welterweight affair, while light heavyweights James Te-Huna and Joey Beltran will trade some leather in the co-main event.
Bleacher Report MMA Featured Columnists Andrew Saunders, Matt Juul and myself, John Heinis, bring you the action this time around.
Take a look inside to see who walks away victorious Wednesday evening.
Chris Weidman vs. Mark Munoz The headliner at UFC on Fuel TV 4 is a matchup of up and coming middleweights. After Anderson Silva’s dominant performance at UFC 148, fans are looking for someone who.
Chris Weidman vs. Mark Munoz
The headliner at UFC on Fuel TV 4 is a matchup of up and coming middleweights. After Anderson Silva’s dominant performance at UFC 148, fans are looking for someone who might be able to challenge him in the future and this fight features two of the brighter young prospects in the division. Both come from a highly decorated wrestling background as two time All-Americans with Munoz even capturing a national championship.
Munoz had his first professional MMA fight in the summer of 2007 and is 12-2 in his career. He has seven wins and two losses in his UFC career. One was in his first UFC appearance against Matt Hamill and the other was against perennial contender Yushin Okami. Since the loss to Okami, he has reeled off four straight victories including his last two appearances against Demian Maia and Chris Leben. As expected, his main asset in the cage is his wrestling but he is not a prototypical decision grinder like many of the former collegiate wrestlers. He has devastating power in his hands and has shown some of the fiercest ground and pound in all of MMA. He is one of the few fighters who has one punch knock out power on the ground as well as on the feet.
Weidman is less experienced than Munoz having made his debut in February of 2009 and having only eight professional fights thus far in his career. However, he has won all eight of those fights. His last four victories have come in the UFC with the last two coming against Tom Lawlor and Demian Maia. His most recent performance against Maia was lackluster at best, which could have been due to accepting the fight on late notice and struggling with the weight cut. Regardless of the reasons for the performance, he will need to improve greatly if he wants to continue his undefeated streak. Like Munoz, his game is predicated on wrestling but he seems to prefer submissions to ground and pound when looking to finish.
When two high caliber wrestlers meet in the octagon, the result is usually a less than technical kickboxing match. Based on previous performance, Munoz is the better striker but high level athletes like Weidman tend to grow exponentially between fights early in their careers so I expect him to show a marked improvement in his striking. That said, Munoz should still have the advantage. The key to this fight will be who, if anyone, can land takedowns. Munoz will more than likely look to use his wrestling defensively and hope to exploit a striking advantage. But if the striking is close, he may look for the takedown. Weidman will be the more likely fighter to try to engage in a wrestling match as earning top position would give him the opportunity to work his submission game.
Weidman is the favorite for this fight at -135 with Munoz coming in at +115. I know Weidman is the new hot prospect with his undefeated record but I don’t quite understand that line. We’ve seen these types of fights between top level wrestlers before and they almost always turn into striking matches. And based on what we’ve seen so far, Munoz has an advantage in that category. Expect to see these two stand for most of the fight and if that’s the case, Munoz should be able to oustrike his opponent. But if Weidman can get a few takedowns and control from the top position, he has the submission skills to finish the fight and earn the victory.
James Te Huna vs. Joey Beltran
The UFC gives the fans what they want with a heavyweight slugfest between James Te Huna and Joey Beltran. Both of these fighters approach the cage with the same gameplan every time. The are both looking to stand and bang until someone can’t stand any longer.
Te Huna is 14-2 overall including a 3-1 record in the UFC. He has won his last two fights against Aaron Rosa and Ricardo Romero via TKO in less than three minutes combined. His performance against Rosa in his last fight was particularly devastating and should have been stopped well before the forty seven second mark where it was finally ended. Te Huna’s weakness is his ground game but don’t expect Beltran to test it as he has done nothing but brawl throughout his career. He is 14-7 overall and went 3-4 in his most recent UFC stint being let go after back to back losses to Stipo Miocic and Lavar Johnson. Beltran has a ridiculous chin and has made a career of eating huge shots to land his own. This is a dangerous fight for him because he cannot afford to get hit too many times by Te Huna. This fight seems destined for a first round stoppage and unfortunately for Beltran, his jaw seems more likely to receive the shot that ends it.
None of the major bookmakers have odds for any of the fights on this card other than the main event but if they did, Te Huna would have to be a big favorite here. Beltran’s only hope is for his brick chin to allow him to survive long enough to land a haymaker on Te Huna. Expect a slugfest from the outset and this one will probably be done inside of the first five minute.
Aaron Simpson vs. Kenny Robertson
In a fight changed due to injury, Kenny Robertson replaces Jon Fitch to welcome Aaron Simpson to the welterweight division. Simpson has been a fixture in the UFC middleweight division for years but was never able to earn a signature victory. At thirty seven years old, he will make the cut to welterweight for the first time in the hopes of finding more success.
Simpson dropped a close decision to Ronny Markes in his last appearance. He hurt Markes early and won the first round but didn’t muster much offense after than and lost the last two rounds. Prior to that fight, he had won three straight following a two fight losing streak to Mark Munoz and Chris Leben. He will look to get back on the winning track against Robertson, who lost to Mike Pierce via TKO in the 2nd round in his only UFC appearance. However, that loss is the only one on Robertson’s record so this is an opportunity for him to earn his way into the UFC. Simpson comes from a wrestling background and has developed his striking over the years. He has the power to finish the fight with his hands and has done so on many occasions. Robertson prefers to bring the fight to the ground and work his submission game, which will be difficult to do against a wrestler like Simpson.
Unfortunately for Robertson, he faces a similar situation to what he faced in his first UFC appearance against Mike Pierce. Simpson is stronger and a better wrestler, which will make it difficult for Robertson to get the fight to the ground where he wants it. Expect Simpson to use his strength to control the fight and if he finds Robertson’s chin, the fight could be over quickly. However, if Robertson can make Simpson work and take the fight into the third round, we might see Simpson struggling with his cardio after cutting to 170 lbs for the first time. If that’s the case, Robertson may get the opportunity to get Simpson on the ground and work for submissions.
