As Shogun Rua, Brandon Vera, Lyoto Machida and Ryan Bader go into battle this Saturday, many fans and members of the media will ponder where exactly the four warriors will go when it’s all over.Depending on who wins most impressively, the Rua versus Ve…
As Shogun Rua, Brandon Vera, Lyoto Machida and Ryan Bader go into battle this Saturday, many fans and members of the media will ponder where exactly the four warriors will go when it’s all over.
Depending on who wins most impressively, the Rua versus Vera winner or the Machida versus Bader winner will earn a No. 1 contender spot to face light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
But what of the winner who is not chosen? Could there be a constellation prize to earn them the next No. 1 contender position? How about Alexander Gustafsson, the big kid without an elite name.
UFC president Dan White has recently told publications that Gustafsson is in for a “big fight.” Could White have been coy about who the opponent would be because this Saturday will have the answer?
If Jones, the champion, will get the most impressive of the two winners, then it only makes sense that Gustafsson would be tested against the less-impressive winner.
A Jones versus Gustafsson match has been billed as being the last light heavyweight fight that could have some intrigue, but Gustafsson is still too unproven to be put in with a beast such as Jones.
If Gustafsson could pass the test of the winner of either Rua-Vera or Machida-Bader, he most certainly will have convinced a good deal of skeptics that he is ready to battle Jones.
For more MMA and other sports news and analysis, follow me on Twitter @justindavidtate.
With all the attention placed upon the headliners at the UFC on Fox 4 event, it’s easy to forget this card marks the return of former welterweight title contender Mike Swick.The AKA product was originally scheduled to return in Jan. of last year but th…
With all the attention placed upon the headliners at the UFC on Fox 4 event, it’s easy to forget this card marks the return of former welterweight title contender Mike Swick.
The AKA product was originally scheduled to return in Jan. of last year but the bout fell apart due to an injury with David Mitchell and Swick’s stomach illness returning. Swick has battled through a number of injuries and medical complications to step back into the Octagon for the first time since Feb. of 2010.
Prior to his extended leave, Swick saw his place in the welterweight rankings falter after dropping two straight bouts. The first was a tough fight against Dan Hardy and the second loss saw Swick be choked out by Paulo Thiago.
Swick joined the UFC’s ranks after competing on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter where Swick would fail to make it to the finals but impressed on the show’s finale by dropping Alex Schoenauer with a single punch. En route to building an impressive 14-2 record prior to the losses, Swick displayed amazingly quick hand speed, thus earning the nickname “Quick.”
He had built a run of impressive victories before dropping an unanimous decision to Yushin Okami at UFC 69, which forced Swick to drop to 170 pounds afterward. Again Swick built an impressive streak of wins until being dropped numerous times in his contest with Hardy to lose an unanimous decision.
The loss to Thiago in particular showed that something seemed a little off about Swick. He didn’t seem like himself and was summarily submitted by the Brazilian.
Now Swick finds himself facing off against DaMarques Johnson on the main card of the UFC on Fox 4 event. The bout was originally slated to be on the preliminary card but was bumped up to the main card after a bout between Travis Browne and Ben Rothwell was scrapped.
It may be a blessing in disguise or a curse for Swick as he will lead off the main card on Fox. It’s his first fight in over two years and it may have been better for him to compete on the prelims. We all know how the bright lights of the UFC can get to anyone, and Swick’s adrenaline will no doubt be flowing as he steps back into the Octagon.
Regardless of where Swick’s fight is on the card, he is without a doubt the fighter with the most of lose. He was once considered a top five talent at welterweight, and a loss to Johnson would be his third loss in a row. Losing three in a row and losing to a fighter of Johnson’s caliber would undoubtedly bury Swick in the seemingly crowded welterweight division.
Johnson has always been a “middle of the road” type of fighter, the type that Swick should have no problems with. Yet Swick will likely be a little rusty in his first fight back, which could hinder his performance against a durable fighter like Johnson.
Swick finds himself in an unfavourable place as a loss puts him back at the drawing board in his career while anything less than an impressive showing against Johnson does little to advance Swick back into the crowded realm of contenders at 170 pounds.
If Lyoto Machida earns another chance at Jon Jones by having an impressive win Saturday night, the title shot may just be a product of a shrinking light-heavyweight contender pool.Jones has run through the competition throughout his entire MMA career, …
If Lyoto Machida earns another chance at Jon Jones by having an impressive win Saturday night, the title shot may just be a product of a shrinking light-heavyweight contender pool.
Jones has run through the competition throughout his entire MMA career, taking out former champions left and right, including Machida. But “the Dragon” was the first person to really pose a challenge to “Bones” when they faced off at UFC 140, even connecting with a few power shots in the first round.
However, Machida was put to sleep pretty brutally in the second round, the first time he had ever been submitted in his career. It also doesn’t help that the karate ace is just 1-3 in his last four fights.
It will take another Karate Kid-style finish in order for Machida to get that second crack at the champ. He will have to really give Ryan Bader a beatdown and impress the fans.
Machida will also need some help from the guys fighting in the main event of the UFC on Fox 4 card.
If Mauricio “Shogun” Rua takes out Brandon Vera, he will make for a very good case for the top contender spot—and that’s if he puts on a show as well. Rua is only 1-2 in his last three fights and lost the light-heavyweight title in humiliating fashion to Jones at UFC 128.
And there’s a good chance that Rua will come through and finish Vera, as he is a heavy favorite against him.
But what about the rest of the 205ers?
Honestly, outside of Rua and Machida, there are limited options inside the division to challenge Jones.
Rising star Alexander Gustafsson is on a nice five-fight win streak and is coming off of a big win over Thiago Silva. The Swedish light-heavyweight, though, is only 25 and probably should face the likes of a former champ such as Machida or Rua before he gets a shot at Jones.
Other than Gustafsson, though, there aren’t any real viable options inside the UFC.
It’s really all in Machida’s hands if he wants that second shot. And, with a little luck, I think that “the Dragon” may just pull it off.
Last summer Ryan Bader found himself wondering where he fit in the UFC light heavyweight division. He was reeling in the aftermath of a stunning upset against Hall of Fame former champion Tito Ortiz, and the former TUF winner couldn’t seem to find his …
Last summer Ryan Bader found himself wondering where he fit in the UFC light heavyweight division. He was reeling in the aftermath of a stunning upset against Hall of Fame former champion Tito Ortiz, and the former TUF winner couldn’t seem to find his footing.
The loss forced him to question everything but it was amidst this personal chaos where he found his answers.
Rather than recoil and pine over the tough stretch, Bader rededicated himself to the grind. Alongside his teammates and close friends at his Power MMA, the former standout wrestler from Arizona State University reassessed everything about his skill set. Like a mechanic in a machine shop, he broke it apart to rebuild a stronger version.
The first glimpse the MMA world had of the new and improved Ryan Bader came against Jason Brilz at UFC 139 in November. It took him less than two minutes to finish the job, and the victory earned him the right to face another former champion in Quinton Jackson.
“Rampage” was to be his biggest challenge to date and by using improved speed and footwork, he was able to earn the unanimous decision victory.
The win served to push Bader back up the divisional rankings alongside a pack of others who are all seeking a crack at the title. On Saturday night, Bader will face the always-elusive Lyoto Machida and will look to keep his momentum rolling.
“Having those losses were tough,” Bader told Bleacher Report. “It brings your confidence down and makes you wonder if you belong. But we sat down and figured out what we were doing wrong. We got a new coaching staff. Most importantly we brought on a new head coach and boxing coach. We handed over the reigns and gave everything over to them to run our camps.
“Bringing the coaches on was huge. It helped us put everything together and now everyone is working towards the same goal. Coach is great about getting different sparring partners to emulate the opponent coming up. My boxing is a lot better because I’m actually working with a real boxing coach. Everything is working out very well.
“I’ve worked a ton of footwork and head movement. Those are the little things in striking you have to do and I had never done them before. My new coaches have me doing this day in and out and the results have shown. I went out there and knocked out Jason Brilz.
“In that fight I probably looked the best I’ve ever looked on my feet. In the next fight against Rampage we had a game plan to strike and get out. We didn’t want to play into his power and it worked out. I’ve started to do the little things which will make a huge difference.
“Since then I’m on a good little win streak. Those have come over some tough guys. Coming into this fight with Machida, I feel confident. It’s a great opportunity to fight on Fox in the co-main event against a former champion. That will be two former champions in a row and I’m looking to take him out.
Bader fired out of the gates in his career as we was victorious in his first 12 outings. Those accomplishments pushed him into the Top 10 rankings of the UFC light heavyweight division where the caliber of competition is fierce.
Despite stumbling in back-to-back outings against Jones and Ortiz, Bader has worked diligently to regain his status as one of the top 205-pound fighters in the organization.
Over the course of his comeback, Bader feels his overall skill set has improved drastically. Working with a boxing coach has increased both his speed and movement which are two attributes which will be tested against the versatile striking style of Machida.
“You can’t let him dictate the spacing,” Bader said. “If you play into his fight you’re in trouble. He keeps the type of spacing where you think you are safe but he can close that distance very quickly and strike.
“There is a fine line between being aggressive and over-aggressive and stupid. I’m going to be smart about it. We’ve been working on it and I’m going to use everything. I’m going to use my hands, wrestling, kicks, and implement them all together. I believe that will be the key to my success in this fight.
“It’s been a unique experience preparing for Machida, but I like that. I love the challenge. Every fight is different and Lyoto is definitely one of those fighters who is totally different than anyone I’ve ever faced. It’s fun figuring that out. It’s about getting the right sparring partners and we were able to find a guy who emulates him perfectly.
“Lyoto has had some losses in his past few fights but he just fought for the title and he’s facing nothing but the very best in the division. You are going to see that when you are fighting that caliber of guys. I’m expecting a tough fight and for him to be the best he’s ever been. I’m ready for it.”
When Dana White made the announcement this week regarding who could grab the next title shot, Bader’s name was amongst those listed.
The UFC President suggested whomever was to look the most impressive in victory would be granted the opportunity. While becoming a champion is Bader’s ultimate goal, his focus on Machida does not allow outside static to break through.
“I mainly block that stuff out,” Bader said. “I don’t need any extra motivation for this fight. It’s a huge fight. It is the co-main event on Fox against a former champion. I’m looking to go in there and win impressively any ways.
“It would be cool to get the title shot but I’m not thinking about that right now. I’m thinking about going in there and beating Machida. Everything else will take care of itself. A title shot is always in the back of your mind, but it’s not something that is going to change the way I fight or my game plan.”
Since winning the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter, Bader’s profile has been on a steady rise. He has compiled victories over a handful of impressive names but despite the quality wins, there are remnants of the TUF stigma still lingering.
While he feels the win over Rampage helped to break that stereotype, he is confident a win over Machida will be a definitive statement that he belongs at the top of the division.
“I do think there is a little bit of a stigma that hangs on you if you win TUF, but I’ve been fighting talented guys for awhile,” Bader said. “Starting with Keith Jardine, the competition only got better. Four or my last five fights have come against either current or former champions.
“I think when you start to face that type of competition you start to get away from that TUF stereotype. I definitely believe a win over Machida puts me right there at the top of the division. Every win over a tough guy just solidifies your career and your place in the bigger picture. That is what I’m looking to do.
“It’s about growing as a fighter. I got to a certain point using a certain skill set where I was able to get by with what I had. A few fights ago I changed that up. I feel as if I’m really progressing over the past year; more so over my past two fights than I have my entire career. I feel like I’m just hitting my stride and getting to where I want to become the best fighter I can be.
“People are going to see a new fighter on Saturday. I’ve been working with these coaches for just a short amount of time and I’ve grown so much. I’m going to bring new tools to the game. I’m going to be aggressive but smart, and I’m going out there and getting the win. I’m going to shock a lot of people.”
Amid his national television appearances, eight wins in the UFC and record-setting submissions as a percentage of wins in the promotion, it might be hard to remember that Joe Lauzon is a regular guy who not too long ago worked a nine to five office job like lots of other Americans. Shortly after he graduated from college in 2006 with a computer science degree Lauzon got a shot in the UFC and the storyline for the Massachusetts native typically went like this: Smart college kid is fighting, for some reason.
Lauzon was supposed to be an opponent in his UFC debut, nothing more, for the returning former lightweight champion Jens Pulver. Instead, he stopped the legend in the first round and six years later “Baby Joe” is still at the top of the sport – fighting on this weekend’s UFC on FOX 4 card against former WEC lightweight champ Jamie Varner.
The twenty eight year old is as surprised as anyone.
“I never expected it to go this far,” Lauzon says, speaking of the mixed martial arts career that he began back in high school. “I thought I’d get to do it for a year or so, maybe two years. Maybe I’d make a little bit of money and then I’d have to get back to working a real job. Now I’m dreading going back to a real job,” Lauzon laughs.
Amid his national television appearances, eight wins in the UFC and record-setting submissions as a percentage of wins in the promotion, it might be hard to remember that Joe Lauzon is a regular guy who not too long ago worked a nine to five office job like lots of other Americans. Shortly after he graduated from college in 2006 with a computer science degree Lauzon got a shot in the UFC and the storyline for the Massachusetts native typically went like this: Smart college kid is fighting, for some reason.
Lauzon was supposed to be an opponent in his UFC debut, nothing more, for the returning former lightweight champion Jens Pulver. Instead, he stopped the legend in the first round and six years later “Baby Joe” is still at the top of the sport – fighting on this weekend’s UFC on FOX 4 card against former WEC lightweight champ Jamie Varner.
The twenty eight year old is as surprised as anyone.
“I never expected it to go this far,” Lauzon says, speaking of the mixed martial arts career that he began back in high school. “I thought I’d get to do it for a year or so, maybe two years. Maybe I’d make a little bit of money and then I’d have to get back to working a real job. Now I’m dreading going back to a real job,” Lauzon laughs.
At the start of his UFC career, Lauzon maintained his full time IT job to pay off student loans. It wasn’t until after he was coached by BJ Penn and his staff on The Ultimate Fighter Season 5 and received an invite to go to Hawaii to train with the champ that Joe decided to switch to fighting full time.
At the time, it was a difficult decision for Lauzon. Looking back, he says he wishes he would have made it earlier.
“If I would have known how well things would have gone, I would have made the decision earlier,” he says.
Far from being jaded, opportunities like fighting on the main card for a nationally network televised bout still get Lauzon amped. “Fighting on FOX is definitely more exciting. There’s so much exposure,” he says. “It’s obviously nice to fight on pay per view cards, but this is great because FOX is free to everyone. I think it’s cool that Dana [White] is choosing me and Jamie to give back to fans. They know we can put on an exciting fight.”
Lauzon’s last fight was exciting, but not in the way he wanted. In February Joe got knocked out with a head kick by fellow contender and former WEC champion Anthony Pettis at UFC 144 in Japan.
“That was a long flight home from Japan,” he admits. “I watched [the fight] a little bit on the plane, but not too much. Since then I’ve watched it more. I got caught with a good kick. I wasn’t as attentive as I should have been. I think I put too much emphasis on the spinning back kick and didn’t see that one coming.”
Lauzon was able to put the loss behind him by focusing on the things he can control, however. He doesn’t want to lose again, obviously, but says there is no particular pressure to not lose two in a row, even though he has yet to in his career.
“You don’t want to lose one in a row. It’s not like there’s added pressure to not lose two in a row. Its probably going to happen at some point. Winning and losing is not as important as getting in a good camp. If I had won but hadn’t gotten in a good camp, I wouldn’t be as happy that I won,” Lauzon explains.
“I lost against Pettis but I had a really good camp so I cant beat myself up over it. As long as I put in a good camp, I can feel good about my effort no matter what happens.”
As Shogun Rua, Brandon Vera, Lyoto Machida and Ryan Bader go into battle this Saturday, many fans and members of the media will ponder where exactly the four warriors will go when it’s all over.
