Tag: UFC on Fox 4

UFC on FOX 4: Shogun vs. Vera — Live Results & Commentary


(“Then it’s settled. I’ll crouch behind him, and you push him over.” / Photo via CombatLifestyle. For more photos from this set, click here.)

I’ve got an idea: Instead of obsessing about who really deserves the next shot at the light-heavyweight title, let’s just kick back tonight and enjoy some free fights on FOX, two of which happen to feature former 205-pound champions (both Brazilian) facing off against hungry contenders (both American). Throw in a lightweight feature between Joe Lauzon and comeback kid Jamie Varner, and Mike Swick‘s first Octagon appearance in two-and-a-half years, and you’ve got a lineup that should hopefully take some of the sting off that $55 you blew on UFC 149.

The UFC on FOX: Shogun vs. Vera main card kicks off at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, and our man Elias Cepeda will be guiding you through the play-by-play after the jump. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and give us the play-by-play for your own lives in the comments section.


(“Then it’s settled. I’ll crouch behind him, and you push him over.” / Photo via CombatLifestyle. For more photos from this set, click here.)

I’ve got an idea: Instead of obsessing about who really deserves the next shot at the light-heavyweight title, let’s just kick back tonight and enjoy some free fights on FOX, two of which happen to feature former 205-pound champions (both Brazilian) facing off against hungry contenders (both American). Throw in a lightweight feature between Joe Lauzon and comeback kid Jamie Varner, and Mike Swick‘s first Octagon appearance in two-and-a-half years, and you’ve got a lineup that should hopefully take some of the sting off that $55 you blew on UFC 149.

The UFC on FOX: Shogun vs. Vera main card kicks off at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, and our man Elias Cepeda will be guiding you through the play-by-play after the jump. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and give us the play-by-play for your own lives in the comments section.

We’re live, taters!

Well-written intro accompanied by highlights from the card’s main event fighters. The silky smooth voice of Ving Rhames narrating certainly helps, just sayin’…

Mike Swick Vs. DeMarques Johnson

Johnson is a tough out for anyone at welterweight, and we’re stoked to see Swick for the first time in two years. Impossible to know how to call this one, but we don’t have to wait much longer now to see how it plays out.

I’d forgotten how many commercials take place during these free network events. Twenty minutes into the telecast, we’re finally on to the fighter introductions. Let’s get it on.

Rd 1

Johnson looks relaxed. He’s too relaxed. He moves his chin from a down position to more upright and Swick lands a big right hand to the jaw, buckling Johnson. They clinch briefly and are again in free striking range.

Swick with another big right hand that hurts Johnson. Now another, and another. Johnson isn’t going down without a fight, though, and takes Swick down with a little over 3:30 left. Swick in full guard against the cage, Johnson working elbows to the face. Swick is controlling Johnson’s posture well, preventing the TUF 9 finalist from posturing up and getting leverage to land big shots.

Swick gets up to his feet and lands two big shots to the dome of Johnson. Johnson fires back and hurts Swick with a right hand. Swick gets turned away but gets back in the pocket and throws punches and knees.

Johnson gets another takedown, takes Swick’s back and now is in the mount with a little over 1:30 left. Johnson takes the back again as Swick turns over. Swick is trying but having no success getting back up to his feet. Swick turns in and gets a half guard. Johnson lands an elbow and then locks in a D’arce choke on Swick with under a minute left. Johnson appears to have the choke locked in but then lets it go.

Swick gets his full guard with twenty seconds left. Johnson with a left elbow to Swick’s head and a punch to the right side of Swick’s body. The round ends.

Rd 2

Swick popped up to his feet right away at the end of the last round. Johnson smiles at Swick from across the cage. They touch gloves and get to rocking again. Swick lands a right hand, Johnson lands his own. Johnson throws a leg kick, Swick grabs the kick and takes Johnson down.

Straight away, Swick lands a huge right hand to the downed Johnson and knocks him out, just like that. The first shot put Johnson’s lights out, but Swick was so quick that he got two more in the face of Johnson before referee Herb Dean reaches the action and stops it.

Mike Swick with the second round KO win.

Joe Lauzon vs. Jamie Varner

This card is full of matchups that appear too close to call on paper. And you know what, this writer happens to feel that, skill-wise, the night’s main event between Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Brandon Vera is in that category as well. I know, I’m in the minority. Anyway, we can all agree that this lightweight bout is a great one. Will Varner continue his rise back to the top or will Lauzon get back on a road to a title shot after losing his last one?

Lauzon might have a slight edge on the ground, but will he be able to get the fight there on his terms against the strong wrestler, Varner? And if they stay on the feet, who’s striking will be better? Both men love to box, so we might be in for a treat.

Rd 1

Lots of feinting from both men before Varner gets off with a couple of missing punches to the head and body. Varner throws another hard right hand to the head. Lauzon blocks it but it had power. Varner now attacking the body with hooks. He’s landing.

Varner lands a right kick to the body, and then a leftkick to the leg. Varner lands a huge left hand that rocks Lauzon. Lauzon gets back in the pocket and continues to stalk Varner. Varner is still the one to get off first in the exchanges.

Not anymore. Lauzon gets off first this time, forces Varner to shoot. Lauzon stuffs it, lands a knee to the head. Lauzon’s hands are low as he stalks but now he’s firing first. Varner circles away nicely though to stay out of danger. Varner with another body kick. Varner with a glancing right hand to Lauzon’s head. Varner throws big punches but Lauzon blocks them. Joe fires back and backs Varner up, hurting him, then half attempting his own takedown. Varner doesn’t let it happen. Lauzon is landing three times the head shots as Varner is. Varner may be tiring. He took the fight on short notice.

Lauzon lands a clean right hand with under a minute left. Jamie clips and drops Lauzon. Lauzon threatens with an arm bar from his open guard right away but Varner defends. Varner looks to pass, Joe turtles up. Varner with knees to the body as he has a front head lock on Lauzon.

The horn sounds, the two get to their feet and embrace before returning to their respective corners.

Rd 2

Varner with an inside leg kick, then an outside round house to Lauzon’s lead leg. Varner now firing hard with punches but Lauzon covers up well. Lauzon checks a leg kick, Varner throws another one that goes throw to the back leg and nearly sweeps Lauzon.

Varner with a one-two combo, the over hand right gets to the top of Lauzon’s head. Varner clips Lauzon again with a right and stuns him. Joe goes for a single leg, Varner goes for the guillotine choke. Joe passes to the full mount, then takes Varner’s back. Varner stands up and gets Joe off of his back from the standing position.

They are both up on their feet again, striking. Varner not slowing down, throwing lots of punches to the head and body. Lauzon with a nice jab. Varner goes back to the body with punches. Lauzon lands four hooks to the head of Varner, takes Varner down, gets side control. Varner turns to his back, Joe fires punches to the head of Varner. Varner manages to get back up to his feet. Joe stays on him in the clinch, pressing him against the cage with a minute left.

Varner goes for a take down, he’s tired, though. They fall to the floor but Joe gets on top of Varner. Joe gets his back, then takes the mount, then goes for an arm triangle position with twenty seconds left. With time running out, Joe goes for an arm bar, doesn’t get it, loses position and Varner lands elbows to the head as the horn sounds.

Rd 3

They embrace as the round starts. Joe stalking Varner again. Varner realizes that he started the round without a mouth piece. The action is stopped so he can get it. Nuts.

Varner biding his time but throwing mean when he musters the energy to throw. Lauzon shoots for a double leg take down, but Varner sprawls expertly. He separates, Joe lands a jab. Varner shoots for a takedown, and lands it. Varner in a half butterfly guard of Lauzon.

Lauzon reverses position and gets back up to his feet. Varner throwing hard, lands an uppercut on Joe. Varner cocks back and throws a big right hand. Joe with another jab. Varner teeing off on Joe with punches and elbows, but Joe covers up and blocks. Varner gets the take down, Joe reverses, then gets rolled but locks on a triangle choke.

Joe gets the tap out via triangle choke in the third round. As Mike Goldberg says – Joe now has 22 wins, all by stoppage.

Lyoto Machida vs. Ryan Bader

Rd 1

Machida with his typical chin up, legs-wide stance. Bader feinting, swinging, missing. Bader taking his time, though, and not going crazy. Bader lands a leg kick, Lyoto lands a left body kick.

Two and a half minutes left. Machida lands a knee, then throws a left body kick as Bader throws a punch. Lyoto is blocked, Bader misses. Bader rushes in with punches, Machida keeps is distance while backing up.

Machida with another body kick and then an attempted over hand elbow strike. Machida lands a snapping jab that tags Bader. Bader comes in, Machida cuts an angle to his right and fires a body kick. Bader throws a left hook then gets into the clinch.

Machida breaks free and then throws a front kick to the body. Bader lands a lunging jab. The round horn sounds.

Rd 2

Ryan feinting hard at the start of the round. Machida doing weird hand movement stuff to get Bader distracted, as he is prone to do. Bader rushes in once more and Machida swiftly knocks the TUF winner out with a short right hook.

“I feel very well…it was a great performance. I want to say, The Dragon is back!” Machida getting his English on during his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan.

Lyoto Machida back on the winning track with a second round KO over Ryan Bader. Will that be “impressive” enough for Machida to get another crack at champion Jon Jones? I guess that’s up to “Shogun” and Vera, up next.

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Brandon Vera

Rd 1

Vera with a big rear body kick on Rua. Rua shoots and scores a take down on the much larger Vera. As Rogan observantly points out, Vera has had the most difficulty when he’s been put on his back and ground down.

Rua working to pass Vera’s half guard. Rua almost passes the half guard but Vera recomposes. Rua keeps working and passes the guard to side control with three minutes left. Rua switches his hips from side control, Vera turns in and tries to get to his feet. Vera wall-walks and gets to the feet. Rua presses Vera against the cage in the clinch and then dives low for a single leg attempt. Vera pulls a guillotine choke and works it from his open guard.

Rua is out! He fires an elbow strike and is in Vera’s full guard. Rua immediately works to pass guard again. He gets to half guard and begins to fire punches to the head of Vera. Vera’s got a half butterfly guard and tries to lift Rua up in the air. Rua passes to side control again with just under a minute left. Rua takes the mount, Vera turns and gives up his back and Rua takes his back!

Rua has both hooks in with thirty seconds left. Shogun has an over-under grop, then gives it up to throw light punches and hammer fists. Vera does not let Rua flatten out his hips and the round ends with Rua face down, on Vera’s back.

Rd 2

Vera throws a kick but Shogun responds with huge punches to Vera’s head, rocking Vera. Vera backs up against the cage, takes more shots, then knees. Vera fires back with a left elbow to Rua’s head. Vera has been hurt but he’s not giving up, with four minutes left in the round.

Vera lands a a straight left punch to Rua’s head. Vera with a right hook to the head, then a left kick to the body, then a front stomp kick to Rua’s lead knee. Vera slips aright hand from Rua then lands a huge left hand of his own. Rua responds with a cross that hurts Vera. Rua gets Vera in a Thai plum clinch control and throws lots of knees. Vera blocks well but is on the defensive. He falls to his knees, is turtled up as Shogun throws big punches.

Vera gets to his feet and clips Rua on the chin! Rua with a right hand. Rua with another right hand! Vera with an elbow. Rua lands another right hand and presses Vera against the cage. Vera turns him around and has over-under control on Rua, with his head pressed against Rua’s chin for leverage. Vera lands a slam take down and is in Rua’s half guard with a minute left.

Rua is cut and fatigued after not being able to put Vera away with his big shots. Vera looks pretty tired as well, throwing knees to Rua’s body from the half guard. Rua’s half guard is loose but Vera isn’t looking to pass. Ten seconds left and Vera fires elbows to Rua’s head. The horn sounds.

Rd 3

Rua presses Vera against the cage and works for a take down. Vera trying knees from the clinch there. Rua drops down for another take down. Vera defends. They are in free standing range again.

Vera with another front kick to Rua’s knee. Vera with a punch-kick combination going to the head, body and leg. Vera slips a punch from Rua, Rua presses Vera against the cage. Rua has a front head lock and knees Vera to the head.

Vera drops down to his knees to avoid being legally kneed in the head again. Shogun working the front head lock, with Vera’s right leg hooked by his left arm. Rua stands up and tees off on Vera with punches and kicks while pressing down on Vera’s head. Vera gets up to his feet and immediately lands a multiple punch and leg kick combination.

Vera lands another strike combination. Rua lands a big shot to the head. Vera lands a front leg kick, then punches and knees, hurting Rua and forcing him against the cage. Rua responds by taking Vera down. They are in the center of the ring in Vera’s half guard with a minute and a half left. Rua tries to pass the half guard.

Rua nearly in mount, Vera turns away, Rua gets to triple attack position and hammer fists. Vera turns back into Rua, using his half guard. Thirty seconds left and Vera is still using his half guard. Rua mostly pressuring and looking to pass. The round ends with Rua on top in half guard.

Rd 4

Rua with a a big short punch. Shogun presses Vera against the cage and looks for a take down, Vera stuffs him. Rua lands a nice knee to the body and then head of Vera. Vera with his back to the cage, working his own knees to the legs and body of Rua now.

Vera throws a short left elbow followed by a short right elbow to the head of Rua. Rua lands his own big upper cut and presses Vera against the cage again, using his own head control on Vera’s chin, then following up with a left hook to the head. Both men with over under hooks, Vera with his back agaisnt the cage. Vera lands a knee to Rua’s body. Rua backs up and they are free standing with under 1:30. Rua with a straight punch landing, then Vera rocks Rua. Rua stalks and walks Vera down, landing a two punch combo that drops Vera to the mat. Vera is out of it, Rua lands a couple more academic strikes and the referee stops the fight.

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua beats Brandon Vera via 4th round TKO stoppage from strikes on the ground. Who do you think should get the next title shot, nation?

Thanks for partying all night long with us, now go be productive members of society before coming back tomorrow for post-event press conference coverage, analysis and more.

UFC on FOX 4 Results: What We Learned from Josh Grispi vs. Rani Yahya

Rani Yahya got back on track at UFC on FOX 4, picking up a first-round submission victory over Josh Grispi. It was the first time we’d seen the Brazilian ground specialist in the cage in just under a year, but ring rust didn’t seem to bother him.Grispi…

Rani Yahya got back on track at UFC on FOX 4, picking up a first-round submission victory over Josh Grispi. It was the first time we’d seen the Brazilian ground specialist in the cage in just under a year, but ring rust didn’t seem to bother him.

Grispi was getting the better of the stand up early, but got a little too comfortable a little too quick, and Yahya was able to capitalize and the bring the fight to the floor.

Yahya is one the most feared featherweights in the world when it comes to the ground game, and he reminded us why against Grispi, passing Grispi’s guard and sinking in a north-south choke to end the fight.

 

What we’ll remember about this fight

The submission.

The finish is typically the most notable part of a fight, and north-south chokes aren’t something we see often in the UFC.

 

What we learned about Grispi

He may not be a UFC-caliber fighter. With this loss, he is now 0-3 in the UFC.

 

What we learned about Yahya

Nothing we didn’t already know. The dude is dangerous on the ground. If he gets on top of you, he is probably going to lock something up and tap you out.

 

What’s next for Grispi

Unfortunately, release from the UFC is probably next for Grispi. It’s rare that a fighter goes 0-3 and is kept around.

 

What’s next for Yahya

I like the winner of Eddie Yagin vs. Dennis Siver for Yahya’s next fight.

 

Andrew Barr is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a stand-up comedian. Check him out on Twitter @AndrewBarr8.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC on FOX 4 Results: Best Move from Each Fight

BleacherReport is sitting here cageside, detailing the best moves from the UFC on FOX event at the Staples Center, headlined by Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Brandon “The Truth” Vera. Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

BleacherReport is sitting here cageside, detailing the best moves from the UFC on FOX event at the Staples Center, headlined by Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Brandon “The Truth” Vera.

 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC on Fox 4: Rua vs. Vera Live Streaming Post-Fight Press Conference Video

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…

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.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

The Unsupportable Opinion: If Lyoto Machida Wins Tonight, he Automatically Gets Next Title Shot


Props: Jason Deebank via MMAFanMade

By Seth Falvo (@SethFalvo)

We’re just hours away from UFC on FOX 4, where four men will attempt to become the least impressive light-heavyweight title challenger since Elvis Sinosic by winning in the most impressive manner possible. To paraphrase Jeff Fox, the winner of the upcoming Jones vs. Henderson bout will defend his belt against the winner of tonight’s semantics game. There’s got to be a catch, right?

Of course there is. Even the dimmest MMA fans among us have already interpreted this as a way for Dana White to back out of giving Brandon Vera a title shot if he were to actually defeat Shogun Rua tonight. Shogun is obviously the preferable contender, but just in case he blows this somehow, we’ll shrug it off and put the winner of Machida/Bader in the cage with Jones/Hendo, right? Quite the contrary: This semantics game was designed to give Lyoto Machida a title shot with a victory.

Right now, some of you are screaming “What kind of idiot hack journalist are you, Seth?!” at your screens. First, allow me to welcome you to Cage Potato; you’re obviously new here. Second, let me lay it out for you with four simple reasons after the jump.


Props: Jason Deebank via MMAFanMade

By Seth Falvo (@SethFalvo)

We’re just hours away from UFC on FOX 4, where four men will attempt to become the least impressive light-heavyweight title challenger since Elvis Sinosic by winning in the most impressive manner possible. To paraphrase Jeff Fox, the winner of the upcoming Jones vs. Henderson bout will defend his belt against the winner of tonight’s semantics game. There’s got to be a catch, right?

Of course there is. Even the dimmest MMA fans among us have already interpreted this as a way for Dana White to back out of giving Brandon Vera a title shot if he were to actually defeat Mauricio “Shogun” Rua tonight. Shogun is obviously the preferable contender, but just in case he blows this somehow, we’ll shrug it off and put the winner of Machida/Bader in the cage with Jones/Hendo, right? Quite the contrary: This semantics game was designed to give Lyoto Machida a title shot with a victory.

Right now, some of you are screaming “What kind of idiot hack journalist are you, Seth?!” at your screens. First, allow me to welcome you to Cage Potato – you’re obviously new here. Second, let me lay it out for you with four simple reasons.

1.) A victory over Ryan Bader is more impressive than a victory over Vera/Rua. Seriously. Heading into tonight, Ryan Bader is the only fighter out of the four “contenders” who has won two straight fights, having recently defeated Jason Brilz and Rampage Jackson in his last two bouts. Before that he was caught in a fluke guillotine by Tito Ortiz and dominated by Jon Jones (as was everyone else on this list, so that’s understandable), which make up the only two blemishes on his record. He’s the youngest of the four, the most decorated wrestler of the four and is always a game opponent.

The same simply cannot be said for either Brandon Vera or Shogun Rua. Excuse me if it seems like I’m harping on this, but Brandon Vera has not won a meaningful fight since he defeated Frank Mir back in 2006. He’s coming into tonight with a victory over a gift-wrapped Eliot Marshall, yet Vera almost managed to snatch defeat from the bitter jaws of victory and get knocked out in that fight. A victory over Brandon Vera earned Jon Jones a crack at Vladimir Matyushenko. There’s absolutely no reason why a victory over Brandon Vera should earn Shogun Rua a crack at Jon Jones.

As for Shogun? Let’s face it: He’s a thirty year old post-prime PRIDE veteran with bad knees. He hasn’t won back-to-back fights since he beat the mummified versions of Mark Coleman and Chuck Liddell that were on the UFC roster in 2009 (although he arguably should have won three straight). If he loses tonight, he’ll have lost three of his last four fights. I hate to say this, but if Shogun Rua loses tonight, it may be time to move him away from the title picture for good. But then again, “loses” is a bit misleading because…

2.) Vera won’t “win” so much as Shogun will “lose” if the unthinkable happens. It feels strange to argue that the casual fan’s opinion doesn’t matter, because, as I’ve pointed out before, it matters even more than most of us edumacated fans would care to acknowledge. Hell, their lack of interest in these Fox cards is probably what led to this mess in the first place. To the casual fan – who knows nothing of either Brandon Vera or Shogun Rua – a win is a win regardless. Plus Vera actually winning would kind of have that Rocky feel to it, so as long as he is exciting he will have earned a chance to get destroyed in a title fight, right?

There’s just one problem – “The Most Impressive Victory” won’t be determined by an ‘American Idol’ voting system. It will be determined by Dana White, who is anything but a casual fan.

Let’s admit it: If Vera goes out and wins tonight, hardcore fans like ourselves will all be wondering what was wrong with Shogun. And why wouldn’t we? We’ve been following the vicious knockout artist since his days of fighting in Muay Thai smokers in some dude’s house. We know what he’s capable of, and we know that a can like Vera shouldn’t be able to beat him. If he gets submitted, we’ll say that he just got caught; kind of like how we reacted to Werdum submitting Fedor. If he actually gets knocked out, we’ll wonder if Rua should start to consider retirement. We know too much to perceive it any other way.

Besides, if Vera does manage to beat Shogun Rua, it will more than likely be by neutralizing Shogun’s aggressive attack with a “Stick. Move. Wall. Stall. Rinse. Wash. Repeat.” offense. And as much as the casual fan may like a good story, the casual fan absolutely hates this style of fighting. With the turd on a plate that was UFC 149 fresh in his memory, the last thing Dana White wants to do is give a boring fighter a title shot.

I hope you aren’t done philosophizing, because…

3.) Likewise, Rua can’t “impressively” defeat Brandon Vera. I’ll keep this one short, because it’s essentially everything I just said in the last paragraph applied to Shogun instead of Vera. We know how mediocre Brandon Vera has been since 2007. Perceptions, rinse wash repeat joke, you get the idea. The bottom line here is that if Rua goes out and smashes “The Truth,” then, well…yeah. He was fighting a guy who only had a job in the first place because of Thiago Silva’s fake urine shenanigans. If Vera actually stays in this fight, we’ll all be talking about how bad Shogun looked to allow the 2012 Truth to be competitive against him. It’s a lose-lose scenario for Rua, which will make a Lyoto Machida victory look more impressive by default.

4.) Lyoto Machida vs. Jon Jones could give us the satisfying ending to the Anderson Silva vs. Jon Jones super fight we’re looking for. One of the reasons that the UFC has been driving boxing towards extinction was that Dana White wouldn’t allow his best fighters to duck each other. His fighters knew that it was all about protecting the UFC brand, not their own. If the fans wanted to see two guys fight, they either signed a contract to fight or started learning Japanese.

I used the past tense because, let’s face it, all of that is going on between Jon Jones and Anderson Silva. Both men have pretty much cleaned out their divisions, yet a super fight between the two is out of the question. These guys aren’t stupid. They know they’re too valuable to be released from the UFC, yet they can potentially lose all of that value with this proposed fight. It has to be Dana White’s worst nightmare as a promoter, and it can easily turn the fans that were drawn to the sport to avoid fighters ducking fights over to Bellator.

The UFC needs a way to either motivate both men to fight each other or make the fans lose interest in this fight, and Lyoto Machida provides both. Assuming that Jon Jones defeats Dan Henderson (because if he doesn’t, there goes the “I lose marketability” concerns), this sets “Bones” up with a fight against Anderson Silva’s Black House teammate, Lyoto Machida. This keeps some focus on the super fight, but it also keeps fans interested in the current title fight instead of dismissing it. In other words, with Vera/Rua, the fan perspective is “Look at Jones ducking Silva,” but with Machida, the perspective is now “Let’s see how Silva prepares Machida for Jones.”

We’ve seen Anderson Silva get fired up over cocky, disrespectful comments before (Sonnen, anyone?), and we’ve seen Jon Jones make plenty of those. If Jones goes on to defeat Machida again, does anyone honestly rule out the possibility of him calling Black House overrated? Didn’t think so. That could easily be enough to push Anderson Silva past protecting his image and into a fight with the cocky American. Likewise, if Machida actually defeats Bones, we’re no longer even entertaining the Silva vs. Jones discussion. Jon Jones just lost to Anderson Silva’s teammate, Silva has been vocal about not wanting to fight his teammates so we know a title fight between Machida and Jones is out…why do we want to see Silva move up to fight Jones again? The UFC’s best interest is providing fans with a satisfying ending to the Silva vs. Jones super fight, and Jones vs. Machida easily has the best chance of doing this. 

So there you have it. Lyoto Machida just has to defeat Ryan Bader to earn a title shot. Assuming that Sensei Seagal has been close by, Machida will probably win the casual fans over with a flashy knockout if he wins. As long as Jon Jones defeats Dan Henderson, Jones will get Machida, Henderson will get the rematch of the decade against Shogun Rua and Brandon Vera will finally get a pink slip. And all will be right in the world.

UFC on FOX 4: 3 Fights You Don’t Want to Miss

There are a number of great fights that will occur at the UFC on Fox card tonight in Los Angeles, making it a must-see event. Among the strikers, submission fighters and former champions are a number of finishers who plan on making the event memorable …

There are a number of great fights that will occur at the UFC on Fox card tonight in Los Angeles, making it a must-see event. Among the strikers, submission fighters and former champions are a number of finishers who plan on making the event memorable to fans.

Here are three fights that you don’t want to miss tonight, as they will be superb and entertaining.

 

Joe Lauzon vs. Jamie Varner

On the main card, lightweights Joe Lauzon and Jamie Varner are set to meet in an important 155-pound affair.

Both men are exciting fighters, and they match up interestingly. While both are similar in the striking department, Varner is a wrestler and Lauzon is a jiu-jitsu specialist.

Varner will be able to take Lauzon down to the ground, but in reality, will he actually want to? Lauzon is extremely active off his back and attempts a large number of submissions when on the ground.

Assuming the fight remains on the feet, it will be interesting to see who gains the upper hand. Lauzon has proven to be underrated with his boxing. He showcased this in his quick win over Melvin Guillard, smoking “The Young Assassin” with a beauty of a punch and finishing him with a choke.

Varner has shown he can hang with good strikers. In fact, his last three wins have come courtesy of his hands. He has knocked out Nate Jolly and Edson Barboza, and he made Drew Fickett tap out due to strikes.

This may well be the fight of the night. I wouldn’t miss it if I were you.

 

Cole Miller vs. Nam Phan

The featured bout on the undercard is a featherweight bout between two men who may be fighting for their jobs. Both Cole Miller and Nam Phan have more losses than wins in their last few fights.

In looking at the matchup, the big advantage may go to Miller, who is much taller and longer than Phan. But if there is one thing we have found out, it’s that Phan is very tough and will push forward regardless.

Phan is a very good boxer, using body shots and solid combinations to control his opponent. Miller will be the better grappler, in my opinion, as he is an aggressive submission fighter.

In his last three fights, Miller has gone 1-2. He has lost decisions to Matt Wiman and Steven Siler (his featherweight debut) and beat TJ O’Brien in the middle of the two losses. He will definitely want to erase the memory of his featherweight debut, where he was dominated by the surging Siler.

Phan has had a controversial start to his UFC career,  losing a decision to Leonard Garcia (most thought Phan won). He made up for that loss by winning the rematch in convincing fashion.

Unfortunately, that was his only win, as his other two fights were losses to Mike Brown and Jim Hettes.

These two will bring their best to the cage and put on a great fight. If you have Fuel TV, this fight is a must-watch. 

 

Lyoto Machida vs. Ryan Bader

The co-main event is probably more must-see than the main event is, as it’s probably the closer fight in terms of a matchup.

Both men have very different styles. Machida is a karate expert with good jiu-jitsu and a sumo background (not kidding). Bader, meanwhile, is a wrestler with decent boxing ability, which perfectly highlights their contrasting styles.

Even though I think Machida will knock out Bader within 10 minutes, this fight has the potential to be an interesting chess match. Machida is going to try and avoid Bader’s takedowns while using his striking to open up opportunities to end the fight.

Bader is riding a two-fight win streak, while Machida is coming off a title challenge in which he lost. Momentum is certainly on Bader’s side, while experience favors the Brazilian.

The kicker is that if the winner of this fight is more impressive than the main event winner, he will get a shot at the winner of Jon Jones and Dan Henderson.

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