It wasn’t the most-hyped event that the UFC has put on in recent months, but UFC on Fox 4 proved once again that just because there isn’t a title fight on a card doesn’t mean that it won’t deliver with some incredible fights. T…
It wasn’t the most-hyped event that the UFC has put on in recent months, but UFC on Fox 4 proved once again that just because there isn’t a title fight on a card doesn’t mean that it won’t deliver with some incredible fights.
The co-main events featured two light heavyweight bouts, one between Lyoto Machida and Ryan Bader, and the other between Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Brandon Vera.
Shogun vs. Vera was originally scheduled to be a No. 1 contenders’ fight, with the winner becoming the next challenger in line for a shot at the UFC light heavyweight championship. But when the Internet cried out against this decision due to Vera’s relative lack of success in the cage recently, UFC President Dana White made the decision to give all four light heavyweights on the main card a shot at becoming the No. 1 contender.
The fighter with the best performance would be given the title fight, which meant that every man had a ton to gain by putting it all on the line…and they did just that.
This unique format allowed for some epic moments that we won’t soon forget. Let’s look back at the best of those moments from UFC on Fox 4.
In the main event of the UFC on Fox 4 event, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua put on a great performance against Brandon Vera. Rua came close to finishing the bout on numerous occasions, but Vera was able to fend off “Shogun.” The end of the contest came in the f…
In the main event of the UFC on Fox 4 event, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua put on a great performance against Brandon Vera. Rua came close to finishing the bout on numerous occasions, but Vera was able to fend off “Shogun.” The end of the contest came in the fourth round as Rua was finally able to put away Vera.
The bout was action-packed and was the perfect send-off to the best card that’s aired on Fox thus far. Fans were anticipating a muay Thai battle but instead were treated a MMA fight that featured every aspect of this great sport.
“Shogun” earned the victory and showed a few new weapons in his arsenal but also showcased some of the negatives we’ve come to expect when Rua steps into the Octagon.
If there was ever such a thing as a moral victory in an MMA fight, Brandon Vera achieved just that. He battled former UFC champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua through four rounds and showed flashes of the old Vera that became one of the top prospects in the …
If there was ever such a thing as a moral victory in an MMA fight, Brandon Vera achieved just that. He battled former UFC champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua through four rounds and showed flashes of the old Vera that became one of the top prospects in the UFC.
In the end, however, it was not enough, as Vera dropped to the canvas after another offensive barrage from “Shogun.”
Vera had found himself in the rare position to earn a title shot with a questionable record and will likely find himself back in the middle of the pack in the 205-pound division.
Dana White seemed to be impressed with Vera’s performance, which will likely earn him another shot at victory inside the Octagon.
He may have not earned a title shot just yet, but Mauricio “Shogun” Rua did pick-up the 18th knockout win of his career with his finish of Brandon Vera in the main event of UFC on Fox 4 last night.Shortly after the Shogun-Vera bout, UFC President Dana …
He may have not earned a title shot just yet, but Mauricio “Shogun” Rua did pick-up the 18th knockout win of his career with his finish of Brandon Vera in the main event of UFC on Fox 4 last night.
Shortly after the Shogun-Vera bout, UFC President Dana White announced that Lyoto Machida was the most impressive and will face the winner of Jon Jones and Dan Henderson for the Light Heavyweight Championship.
So, who is next for Mauricio Rua? Here are four possible opponents.
Shogun’s struggles defeating Brandon Vera signal the end of the former champion’s title hopes. Mauricio Rua would have had his hand raised when all was said and done, even without the fourth-round TKO. However, this was supposed to be a wal…
Shogun’s struggles defeating Brandon Vera signal the end of the former champion’s title hopes.
Mauricio Rua would have had his hand raised when all was said and done, even without the fourth-round TKO. However, this was supposed to be a walk in the park for the light heavyweight title hopeful.
Does this say less for Rua or more for Brandon Vera for his unexpected performance?
After seeing the impressive dominance Lyoto Machida exhibited in his second-round knockout via straight right hand to the jaw of Ryan Bader, you would think Rua would have been more aggressive.
Machida stepped up under the spotlight of the nationally televised UFC on Fox 4 and earned his way to a title shot at UFC 151 in September.
Shogun just kind of showed up.
The former champ may have won each round, using quick takedowns and surviving the Vera storm, but he didn’t do it decisively. He didn’t make a statement that Dana White was looking for. One that said, “I want my title back.”
Speaking of White, he said the following to Bleacher Report and MMA media following Saturday night’s event:
“Leading up to this fight Shogun did turn down a fight. Shogun has not been terrorizing me for another shot at Jon Jones. And Lyoto Machida has. Lyoto Machida wants it,” White said. “He’s been all over me. He’s been aggressive about this thing. He went out and fought tonight and he fought a top 10 guy.”
This is White’s way of saying that Rua struggled fighting a guy everyone thought he should have beaten. UFC on FOX 4 wasn’t set up to be an exhibition of technical skill and longevity by the co-main eventers, it was supposed to be exciting and over quick.
Machida heard the message, loud and clear. Rua shied away from the opportunity and it will be sometime, if ever, that he finds himself in a position to step back into the octagon with the light heavyweight championship on the line.
Let’s see if Rua delivered on his pre-fight promises.
“I will put on a great show for my fans to pay them back for all the support they have given me over the years,” explained Shogun. “It has been a great motivation for me and I will give my best against Brandon Vera on Saturday.”
If that’s your best, Shogun, you’re definitely in trouble.
Mauricio Rua vs. Brandon Vera Mauricio Rua is better than Brandon Vera. We knew that coming into the fight. But even in a loss, Vera showed the heart of a champion. He brought the fight.
Mauricio Rua vs. Brandon Vera
Mauricio Rua is better than Brandon Vera. We knew that coming into the fight. But even in a loss, Vera showed the heart of a champion. He brought the fight to Rua and refused to quit. He could have been finished at several points in the fight. Instead, he continued to throw back at Rua and put every ounce of his being into the fight. He fought until his body shut itself off against his will.
The first round opened with a quick kick from Vera. But Rua set the tempo for the fight almost immediately by landing a surprise takedown. He passed to side control but didn’t do much damage. Vera got back to his feet and attacked with a guillotine but Rua defended fairly easily and landed ground strikes before taking Vera’s back. Rua dominated the round and the outcome of the fight seemed inevitable at that point. Rua opened the second round with a big leg kick followed by a punch combination that pushed Vera back to the cage. Rua pounced for the finish and the fight seemed over. Vera briefly dropped but popped back up. And not only did he pop up, he popped up throwing. For the rest of the round, both fighters took turn landing huge shots. Vera landed big elbows and Rua responded with big punches and knees. Both fighters seemed to be tiring more from the damage they were absorbing than a lack of conditioning. Vera scored a takedown late in the round and rode out the remaining time in top position. The third round saw both fighters continue to tire. But that didn’t stop them from continuing to exchange big shots. Both fighters were hurt but neither was dropped at any point in the round. Rua landed two takedowns including one at the end of the round. The fourth round was similar to the third until Rua landed a combo that hurt Vera. He followed him to the cage and landed another big right hand. Vera’s body finally gave out on him and he crumpled to the mat.
For Shogun, his performance may have earned him a title shot. That will be up to the UFC. Lyoto Machida’s victory over Ryan Bader was impressive and I’m not sure exactly how they will determine whose performance was more impressive. But the more important outcome of this fight was what it means for Brandon Vera. He went toe to toe with one of the best light heavyweights in the history of the sport. Hopefully, he can bring the work ethic and mental approach he discovered for this fight into his future fights. If he does, he will be a threat. He won’t fulfill the title potential he showed early in his career, but his performance was enough to earn him the right to continue fighting at the higher levels of the division.
Lyoto Machida vs. Ryan Bader
Lyoto Machida put on a clinic against Ryan Bader on his way to a devastating second round knockout. Early in his UFC career, Machida was considered a boring fighter because he stayed on the outside and avoided danger forcing his opponents to attack and take all the risks. After several flashy finishes, he seemed to lose track of that strategy and became the aggressor. After suffering losses for the first time in his career, he returned to his roots and used his movement to beat Ryan Bader. Bader spent the entire first round trying to find a way to close the distance. He was not successful. Machida stayed on the outside and landed counter kicks and knees whenever an opportunity arose. The second round was playing out exactly the same way and the fans began to get restless just as they did in Machida’s early UFC fights. As soon as the fans started booing, Bader bull rushed Machida and lost the fight as the former champion obliterated him with a counter right. Only Bader knows if he rushed because he heard the fans booing but the timing certainly begs the question.
The win obviously puts Machida in the discussion for the next title shot. The only question will be whether the UFC determines his or Mauricio Rua’s victory to be more impressive. The loss is a setback for Bader as he continues to struggle with the top tier of the light heavyweight division. He made no attempt to use his wrestling to keep Machida off balance and will need to utilize his full game if he hopes to be a title contender. Power boxing will not be enough against the elite of the division and that seems to be all he brings to the cage recently.
Jamie Varner vs. Joe Lauzon
Taking this fight as a replacement and not having the time to go through a full training camp came back to bite Jamie Varner in the second fight of the night. He hurt Lauzon several times in the first round with big right hands but was unable to finish. By the middle of the round, he was already breathing through his mouth and trying to buy time between combinations. Lauzon brought the same aggression and explosiveness he brings to every fight firing back at Varner and landing a big knee in the middle of the round. The second round saw the momentum begin to shift definitively in favor of Lauzon as Varner continued to tire. Lauzon managed to take Varner’s back twice in the round and landed the bigger punches in the exchanges. The fighters engaged in several brawling flurries and were both lucky to escape without being hit cleanly. By the beginning of the third round, Varner looked exhausted and Lauzon had an obvious cardio advantage. Varner came out and immediately used his explosive takedowns to try to control the round. He took Lauzon down almost immediately but Lauzon got up quickly. Varner again landed a takedown but Lauzon used the momentum to sweep. Varner countered and reversed position but in the transition, Lauzon locked up a triangle and Varner was unable to escape.
This was arguably the fight of the night but it could have been even better if Varner had been able to perform at his peak but he took the fight and has no excuses. If he could have continued to land takedowns and navigate his way through the final round, he probably would have won a decision. Instead, Lauzon gets the victory and muddies the picture at lightweight even further. The division is so deep that it will be difficult for any one fighter to string together enough victories to get into the title picture. Fortunately for the UFC, Anthony Pettis is already in line for the next shot so the division has some time to sort itself out. Lauzon will likely see another one of the top contenders in the division and try to put together back to back victories. For Varner, he will likely have to step back and once again begin climbing perhaps the toughest ladder in the UFC.
Mike Swick vs. Demarques Johnson
Mike Swick opened UFC on Fox 4 by earning a knockout victory over Demarques Johnson in a triumphant return to the octagon after more than two years away due to injuries and illness. The opening round saw both fighters land big strikes and engage in dangerous brawling exchanges. Both fighters were hurt at various points but neither landed clean enough to end the fight. After landing a right hand, Johnson pressed forward and ended up on top of Swick. From there, he progressed to the full mount and landed heavy shots. Swick escaped the mount but quickly found himself in a perfect D’Arce position. But luckily for him, Johnson seemed to lack the technical ability to finish the choke and allowed Swick to escape the position and the round. Swick came out in the second round looking to change the momentum. He landed a left hand early in the round. Johnson threw a kick, which Swick caught and used to score a takedown. As Johnson’s back was hitting the mat and before Swick had even landed on top of him, Swick landed a huge right hand in the transition and knocked Johnson out cold. Swick landed two more shots before referee Herb Dean was able to step in to stop the fight.
Overall, Swick couldn’t have hoped for a much better outcome. He showed some rustiness and he never seemed to get fully comfortable in the fight. He left openings for Johnson and a better fighter might have been able to take advantage of those openings. But Swick did enough to earn the victory and even managed to do so in a way that reminded fans of his reputation for quick finishes earlier in his career. Swick will obviously earn a step up in competition and only time will tell how far this comeback will go. For Johnson, this puts him on the verge of leaving the UFC. Because he provided an entertaining fight, he likely earned some leeway but he needs to put together a couple wins in a row if he wants to move forward in his career.
