The weigh-ins for UFC on Fox took place last night without incident, as all of the fighters made their contracted weight. There was no physicality at the scales, despite a couple of intense stare downs.One thing to take away from this weigh-in, which h…
The weigh-ins for UFC on Fox took place last night without incident, as all of the fighters made their contracted weight. There was no physicality at the scales, despite a couple of intense stare downs.
One thing to take away from this weigh-in, which has been something spoken about for a while now, is LyotoMachida‘s weight. Yesterday, Machida weighed in at 201 pounds—four pounds under the weight limit for light heavyweight.
Undoubtedly, some are going to continue to call for Machida to drop to middleweight, which I doubt will happen. Either way, he looked in shape and ready to do battle against American wrestler Ryan Bader.
The main event’s stare down also went respectfully, as both Vera and Rua did their photo obligations, a quick interview and were on their way. Both men were humble and excited, which may be a preview to a good fight Saturday night.
Above is the weigh-in highlights for every fight on Saturday’s card. Take a look and you will see how healthy and ready every fighter is.
Mauricio Rua (-350) vs. Brandon Vera (+290) Ryan Poli: I get the feeling that Vera will use this big opportunity to get a big upset win. However, I’m not predicting a win based on a.
Mauricio Rua (-350) vs. Brandon Vera (+290)
Ryan Poli: I get the feeling that Vera will use this big opportunity to get a big upset win. However, I’m not predicting a win based on a gut feeling. Shogun is the favorite for a reason and from a logical perspective, he should win the fight. Shogun by decision. Winner: Mauricio Rua
Alan Wells: This line is way too close. Shogun should destroy Vera. If he doesn’t, his days as a top contender are over. Simple as that. Normally, I would never bet odds this strongly in favor of one fighter but I actually think there’s value here considering the real talent disparity. Winner: Mauricio Rua
Emily Kapala: The oddsmakers have it right by picking Rua over Vera. He is the highest value pick, and he is going to come out with the win August 4. The winner of this fight could be a lightweight title contender. Winner: Mauricio Rua
Elise Kapala: The fight between Vera and “Shogun” Rua will be an interesting fight. With Shogun once again fighting for a title contendership spot, I think he will utilize his Muay Thai to defeat Vera. Winner: Mauricio Rua
John Rivera: If this fight had happened six years ago then it might be more deserving of main event status. As it is I’m not sure why Bader/Machida isn’t the headliner. Regardless, this should be an entertaining affair. Unless you’ve been living under a f**king rock then you know who Shogun is. His legendary five round brawl with the great Dan Henderson is widely considered throughout the MMA community to be one of the best fights in the history of the sport and if you youtube Infinite Warriors, you’ll see why this is some seriously epic sh*t.
Right so we all know Rua is a badass amongst badasses. Because of this A LOOOOOOTTT people think Shogun will show up and violently molest Brandon Vera much as Thiago Silva did. This is most likely what we’ll see on fight night, but if we’re lucky we’ll see something else….we’ll see a Brandon Vera that we haven’t seen in a while: the one who started his career knocking out heavyweight’s left and right, the one who went three close rounds with all-time great Randy Couture, in short the one that comes to fight.
Both guys are technical strikers with very solid grappling skills, but here’s the kicker. Shogun can take all the damage Vera can dish out and keep coming forward whereas the opposite is simply not true. Vera, while a great fighter and athlete, simply hasn’t shown the kind of aggression and tenacity needed to put a guy like Mauricio Rua away. I see Shogun taking a first round tko win unless by some miracle old Vera shows up to make it a fight in which case I still have Shogun grinding out a decision victory. Winner: Mauricio Rua
MMAFix Staff Pick: Mauricio Rua (5-0)
Lyoto Machida (-330) vs. Ryan Bader (+270)
Ryan Poli: Bader Proved that he is among the elite when he defeated Rampage Jackson. However Machida already defeated a strong wrestler in Randy Couture, and Machida’s performance against Jon Jones was far better than Bader’s. Machida by KO. Winner: Lyoto Machida
Alan Wells: This fight is the opposite of the first in terms of betting value. I don’t think Bader will pull off the upset but he is undervalued here in my opinion. I’m picking Machida to win but if I’m gambling, I’m putting my money on Bader. Winner: Lyoto Machida
Emily Kapala: Once again, the oddsmakers are right on key by picking Machida. He will definitely shine as a potential title contender in the lightweight division. If you’re going to put money on a fight August 4, this would be the fight to do it on. Winner: Lyoto Machida
Elise Kapala: The fight between Machida and Bader is also expected to be an excellent fight. I think it will be a very close fight, seeing as both fighters have excellent striking ability but also defensive game. I think Machida will come out with the victory, though. Winner: Lyoto Machida
John Rivera: Right off the bat I’m thinking…uhhh Lyoto wins by 2nd round SICKASSKARATEDEVASTATION! All one word and yes it is a technical term.
Ok let’s be serious. Ryan Bader is a bad dude for sure. He is STRONG, to say the least. his wrestling pedigree as an NCAA Div. I All-American wrestler speaks for itself, and any opponent he faces needs to be wary of his knockout power. That said, they call Lyoto Machida the Dragon for a reason….and that reason is because he is a monster who will terrorize you and all of your friends right before he MURDERS EVERYONE!!
Ok, let’s try to be serious this time for real…..Machida possesses vastly superior striking and incredible defensive/counter wrestling skills. He has a black belt in brazilian jiu-jitsu, a highly unorthodox style that remains difficult to emulate in training, and trains with arguably the best pound for pound fighter in the history of the UFC, Anderson “The Spider” Silva. With losses in three of his last four fights, Machida will try to make a statement with a finish. Bader will have to be truly impressive to fight off the second round tko blitz that Machida will be looking for. If he does he will have to use repeated take downs and clinch work against the cage to try to make a case for a decision. I see Machida winning either way. Winner: Lyoto Machida
MMAFix Staff Pick: Lyoto Machida (5-0)
UFC’s Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida are headlining the stacked UFC on Fox 4 free card on August 4. The former title contenders will square off in their own respective battles as they attempt to regai…
UFC’s Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida are headlining the stacked UFC on Fox 4 free card on August 4. The former title contenders will square off in their own respective battles as they attempt to regain their lost championships.
There are plenty of reasons to watch the UFC on Fox, the main one being that it’s free. The other primary reason is because they’re lining up some great fights for fans to enjoy in between their pay-per-view extravaganzas.
Let’s take a look at which fights you simply CANNOT miss on Saturday night.
Mauricio (Shogun) Rua vs. Brandon Vera
The main event of the night is sure to not disappoint. Former champion Shogun Rua is coming off of a devastating loss to Dan Henderson at UFC 139 in what many believe could be the bestMMA fight of all time.
A win here for Shogun could set up the former champ with a rematch versus Henderson or Jon Jones. Can he reach down deep and recover from disappointments against Henderson and Jones?
Brandon Vera has shown promise but has never been able to get over the hump in his career. The unlikely event of a win over Rua here would effectively count as that.
This one will likely come down to a decision as Rua’s striking will be tested by Vera, who has only been taken down by striking twice.
Lyoto Machida vs. Ryan Bader
“The Dragon” and Bader will make up the Co-Main Event at Fox 4. This fight could really go either way. Following a huge 2009, Machida has failed to live up to Joe Rogan’s branding of the “beginning of the Machida Dynasty.”
Bader has a real chance at upsetting the favorite Machida because of his excellent wrestling skills. If he can keep things close, he will have the opportunity to capitalize on those skills while keeping Machida away from using his strengths
Bader has to take him down and not get caught on the way in…That’s going to be the fight right there. After Tito [Ortiz] caught him and knocked him almost out, I think there’s a question on Bader’s chin, but he has to take chances to get the win. Bader has to go forward, throw punches and set up the takedown. But I always side with the striker. I’m going for Machida to catch him coming in and stopping him.
There is also an underlying storyline that you may not know about. On his way to winning The Ultimate Fighter competition, Bader had a little run-in with Machida. He stated (via Dana Becker of Fightline.com):
Lyoto was demonstrating a move, he checked a kick, came under and swept my leg, knocking me on my back. I was a little upset because I had a fight in just a few weeks. So, he had me do it again, and I thought there was no way he’ll sweep me again. But, again, he sweeps me to my back; it was all in fun.
Joe Lauzon vs. Jamie Varner
Jamie Varner has had an up-and-down MMA career but is back in what you might call a redemption match against Joe Lauzon. This one looks like a true title contention bout for Varner, who defeated Edson Barboza, an exciting prospect, by TKO in May.
The draw of this match comes from the uncertainty. Lauzon is severely inconsistent and could come out and completely dominate, or come out and get pummeled. He hasn’t had a real signature win in his career and this wouldn’t be that.
However, defeating Varner as he is rising from ashes would do wonders for Lauzon’s career by helping set up a shot at something to make his mark.
(“You know the deal, guys. Whoever puts on the most impressive performance tonight gets the title shot.” [*unzips*] / Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle.com. For more photos from this set, click here.)
By Ryan Sarr
Who is going to win the “Jon Jones Sweepstakes?” That is the big question heading into the UFC’s fourth venture onto network television tonight. Dana White was so pissed about the boring, lackluster abomination that was the UFC 149 main card, that he decided to award a light-heavyweight title shot to the man who wins the “most impressively” among the four main and co-main event participants. (Yes, even Brandon Vera) The only problem with this scenario is that all four men — Shogun, Vera, Machida, and Bader — have each been decisively destroyed by Jon Jones in previous fights.
Nonetheless, this fight card is still very intriguing and offers many reasons to tune in. First of all: It’s free on Fox. Second, all four main card bouts are likely to be exciting, fast-paced battles. It also marks the return of the very talented Mike Swick to the Octagon, who hasn’t fought in over two years. Finally, we have a chance to see a true Cinderella story play out once again as Jamie Varner gets a chance to take another huge step up in his comeback by fighting on a main card on network television. So, join me as I break down the main card for UFC on Fox 4 and offer my predictions as to who will emerge victorious.
DaMarques Johnson said in the fight promo, “There’s a 50% chance I’m gonna win this fight, there’s a 100% chance that somebody’s taking a nap,” and Johnson has the track record to back it up: None of his fights in the UFC have gone the distance. The Jeremy Horn protégé has slick submission skills to go along with his heavy hands. We know Johnson will bring a fast-paced, exciting style into the Octagon, and his opponent Mike Swick will almost certainly do the same.
(“You know the deal, guys. Whoever puts on the most impressive performance tonight gets the title shot.” [*unzips*] / Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle.com. For more photos from this set, click here.)
By Ryan Sarr
Who is going to win the “Jon Jones Sweepstakes?” That is the big question heading into the UFC’s fourth venture onto network television tonight. Dana White was so pissed about the boring, lackluster abomination that was the UFC 149 main card, that he decided to award a light-heavyweight title shot to the man who wins the “most impressively“ among the four main and co-main event participants. (Yes, even Brandon Vera) The only problem with this scenario is that all four men — Shogun, Vera, Machida, and Bader — have each been decisively destroyed by Jon Jones in previous fights.
Nonetheless, this fight card is still very intriguing and offers many reasons to tune in. First of all: It’s free on Fox. Second, all four main card bouts are likely to be exciting, fast-paced battles. It also marks the return of the very talented Mike Swick to the Octagon, who hasn’t fought in over two years. Finally, we have a chance to see a true Cinderella story play out once again as Jamie Varner gets a chance to take another huge step up in his comeback by fighting on a main card on network television. So, join me as I break down the main card for UFC on Fox 4 and offer my predictions as to who will emerge victorious.
DaMarques Johnson said in the fight promo, “There’s a 50% chance I’m gonna win this fight, there’s a 100% chance that somebody’s taking a nap,” and Johnson has the track record to back it up: None of his fights in the UFC have gone the distance. The Jeremy Horn protégé has slick submission skills to go along with his heavy hands. We know Johnson will bring a fast-paced, exciting style into the Octagon, and his opponent Mike Swick will almost certainly do the same.
Swick hasn’t fought in over two years due to esophageal spasms, a condition which his doctors told him would never allow him to fight again. Well, he proved them wrong and now his comeback fight will be in front of a national television audience. Swick is a UFC veteran, with over 10 fights in the Octagon, but his last two outings have been losses. Like Johnson, Swick loves to stand and trade, and possesses knockout power in both hands. Look for this fight to stay on the feet, with each man exchanging heavy blows in the pocket. The question is: How much ring rust will Swick have? Johnson hasn’t beat anyone of Swick’s stature, but Johnson has fought six times since Swick last fought.
Prediction: The chances of this fight making it out of the first round are slim. Johnson will definitely come with the thunder, but Swick will be too much on the feet. Swick wins by counter-punching his way to a first round TKO.
Jamie Varner (20-6-1, 2-1 UFC) vs. Joe Lauzon (21-7, 8-4 UFC)
10 months ago, Jamie Varner had just lost to our favorite gay for pay Ultimate Fighter Dakota Cochrane, and it was looking like he would never fight under the Zuffa banner again. But, after winning two fights in smaller shows, the UFC called in May and gave Varner a short-notice fight against the undefeated Edson Barboza at UFC 146. Barboza was coming off his Sportscenter-worthy spinning wheel kick KO of Terry Etim, and it seemed Varner was being fed to the beast. Varner had other plans however, and knocked out Barboza in the first round. So, now Varner gets another huge opportunity in Joe Lauzon, who is a consistent contender in the lightweight division.
The jiu-jitsu specialist Lauzon has 21 victories, with 17 coming by way of submission. This does not bode well for Varner, who has never been knocked out, but has proven susceptible to submissions in the past, losing in this manner to Shane Roller, Hermes Franca, and Ben Henderson. Lauzon is coming off a first round KO loss to Anthony Pettis, and will no doubt be looking to avoid Varner’s heavy hands and drag this fight to the ground. If Lauzon can take Varner down, a choke or armbar will be soon to follow, but if Varner can keep this fight standing, he could pull the upset and put himself “in the mix” in the UFC’s 155lb division.
Prediction: While the Cinderella story of Jamie Varner is enticing, look for that story to have a sour ending Saturday night. Lauzon will not give Varner the chance to knock him out, and Lauzon will win by first-round armbar.
Of all the men to fight Jon Jones, Lyoto Machida seemed to have to most success, frustrating Jones in the first round of their fight with his unorthodox striking and exceptional defensive skills. But, that success was short-lived as Jones choked Machida unconscious and dropped his lifeless body on the mat in the second round. Now Machida gets a chance to rematch Jones if he can impressively defeat Ryan Bader. Bader, on the other hand, is riding a two-fight win streak following his shocking loss to Tito Ortiz last summer. In his last fight, Bader defeated perennial contender Rampage Jackson, though Jackson came in overweight and undermotivated.
In this fight with Machida, Bader needs to use his excellent wrestling skills to put Machida on his back where he is more vulnerable to attack, but as many fighters have found out, that can be very difficult to do. Machida’s unorthodox striking and karate skills are difficult to defend standing up, and with Sensei Seagal in your corner, you never know when a front kick might be unleashed. Bader does have an outside chance of landing a big punch ala Shogun Rua, but the longer the fight stays on the feet, the more it favors the Dragon. The wrinkle in this fight, though, is the fact that both men are vying for that title shot, so we may see Machida be much more aggressive than usual, which could play into Bader’s favor if Machida was to open himself up to counter-strikes. Either way, this should be a very exciting fight between two contrasting styles.
Prediction: Bader will quickly realize he is unable to take Machida down, and will be looking to end it with big punches. This will leave Machida many openings to counter, which he will not miss. Machida floors Bader with punches and finishes the job with a second round choke.
If you find it quite odd that Brandon Vera is headlining a network television UFC card with a chance for a title shot if he wins, you are not alone. Once considered the future of the UFC heavyweight division, Vera’s career has been consistently mediocre since 2007. After stunning Frank Mir at UFC 65 in 2006, Vera lost his next two fights, dropped to light heavyweight, and then lost to Keith Jardine. Vera got his chance against Jones two years ago, but Jon Jones broke his face (literally) with a devastating elbow that was tough to even watch. Now after being released and subsequently re-signed by the UFC, Vera gets to face Mauricio Rua, who many consider the number three light-heavyweight in the world.
Shogun, who is coming off his fight of the year loss to Dan Henderson, is itching for another crack at Jon Jones. Shogun claims he wasn’t 100% in the Jones fight, and wants another shot at the champ. But first, he has to deal with Vera. Even though Vera’s record is pretty terrible as of late, he does possess the skills of an elite fighter. Unfortunately, the things Vera does well, like leg kicks and clinch striking, Shogun seems to do a little better. Also, Shogun has proven very difficult to finish when 100%, and his penchant for violence can lead to an early night for his opponents. Look for Shogun to be very aggressive early in this fight, doing all he can to punish Vera with leg kicks and big punches. If Vera can survive the early onslaught, his chances of winning improve significantly, as Shogun’s cardio has been suspect in the past, and you never know how conditioned he will be for a fight. Nonetheless, this should be an exciting stand-up war as both men want that title shot and rematch with Jon Jones.
Prediction: Shogun has proven he’s an elite light-heavyweight, Vera has not. Shogun will simply out-class Vera early, leaving “The Truth” scrambling and searching for answers. Shogun wins by second round TKO, leaving Vera’s face a bloody mess.
Extra prediction: With Machida and Shogun both winning “impressively,” Dana decides to have these two fight to determine who will face Jonny Bones for the title.
UFC on Fox 4’s main event is Mauricio Rua’s to lose.The 30-year-old Brazilian MMA fighter will face off against Brandon Vera on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. If he isn’t the last man standing, it’d be a shocker. Rua is the more …
UFC on Fox 4’s main event is Mauricio Rua’s to lose.
The 30-year-old Brazilian MMA fighter will face off against Brandon Vera on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. If he isn’t the last man standing, it’d be a shocker. Rua is the more talented fighter, and with a title shot on the line, he has more to fight for.
John Morgan of MMAjunkie.com reported that Rua talked about how the importance of a victory vs. Vera is amplified by the fact that a belt could be within his reach. He said:
I prefer to look at it from a different perspective. I don’t look at it as any kind of pressure but as a way to have more motivation for the fight next Saturday. It doesn’t matter. The belt is a result of a good job, good work. I’m now focused on the fight of next Saturday. Then I’m going to start to think about the future. Right now, all that matters is Saturday’s fight.
Since losing his light heavyweight championship to Jon Jones, Rua has knocked out Forrest Griffin in the first round and lost in the Fight of the Year to Dan Henderson.
According to Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports, UFC president Dana White said of his match against Henderson: “[Rua‘s] last fight with Dan Henderson was one of the sickest fights I’ve ever seen in my life.”
That sounds like a fan to me.
With only one more win likely standing in between Rua and a shot at a title, he isn’t losing—especially to Vera.
In the American’s last four fights, he was defeated by unanimous decision against Randy Couture, knocked out in the first round by Jones, dealt a loss by unanimous decision again vs. Thiago Silva (until Silva attempted to cheat on his urine test) and beat Eliot Marshall.
Marshall, Vera’s only victory since three summers ago, isn’t anything special with a 10-4 career record against other mediocre fighters.
The 34-year-old Vera’s downslide will continue on Saturday.
David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua will face off against Brandon Vera in the main event of UFC on FOX 4, Saturday, August 4. With a victory, Shogun could propel himself into a title fight opposite the winner of Jon Jones vs. Dan Henderson, setting up one of tw…
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua will face off against Brandon Vera in the main event of UFC on FOX 4, Saturday, August 4.
With a victory, Shogun could propel himself into a title fight opposite the winner of Jon Jones vs. Dan Henderson, setting up one of two potential rematches.
First things first—can Shogun beat Vera?
All indications are that he can. Though Shogun has not blasted through competition in the light heavyweight division of late, he’s put in consistent performances against top-notch competitors and has dished out as much as he’s received.
Except for the thrashing he received at the hands of Jon Jones.
But that Shogun has been able defeat Lyoto Machida, Forrest Griffin, and fight Dan Henderson at the level he did, suggests that Vera may be in over his head.
Of course, things don’t always go the way they should in MMA. Vera is a very dangerous striker who could conceivably pull out an upset over Rua.
But that is an unlikely outcome.
Rua can, and probably will defeat Brandon Vera on Saturday night. And he will likely receive a title shot for his efforts, though that honor may still go to Lyoto Macida or Ryan Bader.
Still, that only Brandon Vera and a single uncontrollable result separates Shogun from a title shot suggests that he is not done contending for it just yet.
But does he have a legitimate shot at reclaiming his title?
It’s difficult to address this question in the affirmative if Jon Jones retains his belt, given the result of the first time the two matched up.
If Henderson is champ when Shogun makes the next run, then the obvious answer is “yes.”
But returning to the hypothetical Jones rematch, Shogun would enter as a massive underdog and would have to improve upon his previous performance in every conceivable way.
Throw in that his body is rapidly breaking down—specifically his knees—and it is reasonable to think that he might not even do as well as last time, if that’s possible.
What it ultimately comes down to is that Shogun could be a UFC champion again, but odds are he won’t be. Not because he isn’t fighting at a championship level, but because Jones raised that level to a point where the old championship form invariably brings nothing but one-sided defeat in title fights.
Rua remains an influential player in the 205-pound title picture and has just as good a chance to score divisional gold as anyone else chasing Jones.
But just because his chances are as good as anyone else’s, does not mean they are very good at all, so long as the man to beat stays right where he is.
UFC on Fox 4’s main event is Mauricio