Tag: UFC on Fox 4

UFC on FOX 4: Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua vs. Brandon Vera Promo Video

Here is the promotional video for UFC on FOX 4: Mauricio Rua vs. Brandon Vera, which takes place in seven days’ time. Rua will attempt to bounce back from defeat following his highly acclaimed clash with Dan “Hendo” Henderson in November of…

Here is the promotional video for UFC on FOX 4: Mauricio Rua vs. Brandon Vera, which takes place in seven days’ time.

Rua will attempt to bounce back from defeat following his highly acclaimed clash with Dan “Hendo” Henderson in November of 2011.

The match in question garnered Fight of the Night honors and has also been heralded as one the greatest fights in the history of the Zuffa-based promotion.

At UFC 128, Jon Jones literally ripped the 205-pound championship from his grasp. Five months later, the PRIDE legend avenged a defeat over old foe and former 205-pound titlist Forrest Griffin, winning via first-round knockout.

Vera, a former WEC heavyweight tourney winner, is also on a redemptive mission of sorts having lost fights to Randy Couture, Jones and Thiago Silva (the fight with Silva was later overturned to a no-contest after it was revealed Silva’s urine sample was inconsistent with human urine).

That said, in his last outing, Vera scored a unanimous decision victory over Eliot Marshall.

The video also features co-main-eventers Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida and Ryan “Darth” Bader.

Machida has had a rough time of late and is looking to get back to his winning ways. First he lost his light heavyweight belt to Rua.

Next was a split-decision loss to Quinton Jackson before he turned the tide and defeated former two-division titlist Randy Couture. Nevertheless, in his last bout, he came unstuck against the divisional reigning champ, Jon “Bones” Jones.

With regards to Bader, not so long ago, he was near enough on the hot seat after falling to both Jones and former light heavyweight king Tito Ortiz.

However, two victories (Jason Brilz and “Rampage” Jackson) later, he’s now on course to make it three in a row, which could probably thrust him back into the title mix.

Here’s the show’s full card.

 

Preliminary Card

(FUEL TV 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT)

John Moraga vs. Ulysses Gomez

Michihiro Omigawa vs. Manny Gamburyan

Oli Thompson vs. Phil De Fries

Josh Grispi vs. Rani Yahya

Phil Davis vs. Wagner Prado

Nam Phan vs. Cole Miller

 

Main Card

(FOX 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT)

Mike Swick vs. DaMarques Johnson

Joe Lauzon vs. Jamie Varner

Lyoto Machida vs. Ryan Bader

Mauricio Rua vs. Brandon Vera

 

UFC on Fox: Shogun vs. Vera is scheduled to take place on August 4, 2012 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif.

 

For additional information, follow Nedu Obi on Twitter.

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UFC “Quick Break”: Shogun Rua vs. Brandon Vera

Whether you just have a short downtime during work or don’t want a lengthy breakdown, these “Quick Breaks” are for you. “Quick Breaks” are short breakdowns of upcoming fights. In a summed up focus of strengths, weaknesses and variables, thi…

Whether you just have a short downtime during work or don’t want a lengthy breakdown, these “Quick Breaks” are for you. “Quick Breaks” are short breakdowns of upcoming fights. In a summed up focus of strengths, weaknesses and variables, this will analyze what could happen in the fight and end with this writer’s prediction.

The UFC will return to the Staples Center in California to put on a light-heavyweight showdown between two very dangerous strikers.

In a division dominated by the young and talented Jon Jones, contenders are scrambling and trying to climb their way to a chance to dethrone him. This will be UFC’s fourth event on the FOX network, which will air at 8:00PM EST, with prelims airing on Fuel TV before at 5:00OM EST.

In the blue corner you have Brandon Vera. Truly a fight of huge significance, “The Truth” is looking to get back to his winning ways.

After having some rough years in the UFC recently, Vera has a chance to beat a top contender and get his name back into the upper echelon. Vera is 12-5(1), and he has had only one victory inside the Octagon in the past three years. Shogun will be a test for him, but his Muay Thai and jiu jitsu are very strong parts of his skillset. It will be interesting to see how his skills match up against his opponent’s.

In the red corner you have Mauricio Rua. “Shogun” himself has had a back and forth success the past few years, but has remained in the spotlight due to his skills and his epic battle with Dan Henderson.

Shogun is 20-6, and will be coming off a loss, as opposed to the one win that Vera is riding. However, because of the performance he had with Hendo and because Vera’s recent win was a decision, it is hard to tell who is riding the better momentum. Shogun’s Muay Thai and overall kicks and strikes pose a big challenge for anyone in the division, and he will be testing himself against someone with similar strengths.

Since both men possess strong standup skills, this fight should be a war.

The question might be which Shogun will show up, since his performances have varied fight-by-fight. An on-point Shogun is a lethal one, and Brandon Vera healthy and ready is a threat as well. Both men will surely throw kicks and various strikes, but the ferocity of Shogun’s striking might gain him the upper hand. If someone is walking away with a stoppage, odds favor the former champ in Shogun Rua.

Both men have tasted brutal defeat at the hands of Jon Jones, and both men are in need of a strong win. In a match that should showcase some great striking, Shogun and Vera will top off a night of great fights.

Prediction: Shogun Rua wins via TKO in the first or second round. 

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UFC on Fox 4 Upset Alert: Brandon Vera vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua

  When you look at the headlining fight for the UFC’s fourth show on Fox, most fans would predict that the heavily favored man with more name recognition and career success will win, that being Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. I would be a liar if I sa…

 

When you look at the headlining fight for the UFC’s fourth show on Fox, most fans would predict that the heavily favored man with more name recognition and career success will win, that being Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.

I would be a liar if I said that at first glance this fight didn’t appear to be a one-sided mismatch.

The facts are that after Brandon Vera defeated Frank Mir, Vera has only posted a record of 4-5 with one loss that resulted in Vera being released from the company, only to be brought back when the contest was overturned to a no-contest. 

So why would anyone even consider picking against the previous UFC Light Heavyweight champion?

First off, let’s focus on the history of Mauricio Rua since he has entered the UFC.

Rua came into the UFC being regarded as the best light heavyweight in the world defeating such men as Quinton Jackson, Rogerio Nogueira, Kevin Randleman and Alistair Overeem.

His debut match inside the Octagon came against someone who many would believe was just a stepping stone, Forrest Griffin.

Griffin would go on to not only defeat Shogun but actually submit him much to the amazement of the majority of fans and experts alike.  

Rua would go on to have another very poor performance against Mark Coleman, a fighter who was well past his prime but earned a stoppage victory.

Next up were the the remnants of Chuck Liddell, a fighter much like Coleman who had seen his better days pass him by.

Rua would soon after win the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, lose it in his first defense, redeem himself against a declining Forrest Griffin, and then he came up short in a historic fight against Dan Henderson.

Now with the history lesson concluded, let’s focus on the real statistic and a very important, somewhat shocking fact.

Mauricio Rua is only a .500 fighter in the UFC with a record of 4-4. Three of those wins are over fighters who were well past their primes and really showed it.

Still though this doesn’t give a direct answer to the outcome. It just shows that Rua isn’t the untouchable fighter who he has been made out to be.

Vera will enter this fight standing 6’3″ tall and having a reach of 78″ which will give him a 2″ reach advantage which will be multiplied with his height advantage of 3″.

Furthermore, Vera is a kickboxer who knows how to use a reach advantage. Let’s not forget that of Vera’s recent losses, two of them were very close contests.

 

Overlooking Vera would be Rua’s biggest question mark, and personally I just feel that he isn’t going to show up in the best condition that he can and should.

Vera will be at the disadvantage if this fight hits the ground but should be able to defend himself. However, if the match stays standing I fully expect Rua to be at the disadvantage.

What is completely overlooked here is the hunger that Vera has, and now is the time for him to show that he isn’t just the guy who never turned the corner.

Vera is searching for a win that would catapult him back into the mix as a contender, and Rua would be the perfect opponent to get him where he wants to be.

Vera should be considered a very dangerous opponent for Shogun if not for anything else than he has everything to gain and nothing to lose, but Shogun’s biggest obstacle may just be himself.

Rua has all the tools to win this fight, but if he steps into the Octagon looking past his opponent and isn’t fully prepared, I expect Brandon Vera to pull off a massive upset victory.

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Twitter Beef of the Day: The UFC Responds to Cheap Shot from…The Los Angeles Kings?


*Someone* who runs the Los Angeles Kings’ Twitter account is jealous that our Guida vs. Danzig was better than theirs.

Judging from a quick glance at our Twitter followers, I’m guessing at least thirty percent of our readers are either Canadian or Eastern European. I’m guessing at least twenty percent of our American readers are hipsters who “ironically” “like” things that most of their peers don’t care about. I’m also guessing at least ten percent of the remaining American readers are from Pennsylvania, New York, New England, Minnesota or Detroit. Basically, if my assumptions are accurate, I’m guessing we have a lot of hockey fans here.

Those of you who follow hockey may already know that whoever runs the Los Angeles Kings Twitter account doesn’t exactly shy away from a good ole fashioned Twitter beef. That account is ready to deliver a knockout punch to anyone who takes a jab at their players, fans or the awful ratings that the Los Angeles Kings brought in on their way to their first Stanley Cup in team history. Oh, and apparently anyone who invites their players to an event for free publicity, because that’s clearly an insult to the organization somehow.

With the UFC heading to the Kings’ stomping grounds, the Staples Center, for August 4th’s UFC on FOX 4, the company offered the Stanley Cup champions an invitation to the event. Much like Lebron James at UFC 148, the invitation is a good way to build momentum for the Kings – not to mention the NHL as a whole – leading up to the 2012-2013 season. For whatever reason, however, the Kings decided to respond to this by tweeting “Sorry, the Cup is only for those who play a real sport.”


*Someone* who runs the Los Angeles Kings’ Twitter account is jealous that our Guida vs. Danzig was better than theirs.

Judging from a quick glance at our Twitter followers, I’m guessing at least thirty percent of our readers are either Canadian or Eastern European. I’m guessing at least twenty percent of our American readers are hipsters who “ironically” “like” things that most of their peers don’t care about. I’m also guessing at least ten percent of the remaining American readers are from Pennsylvania, New York, New England, Minnesota or Detroit. Basically, if my assumptions are accurate, I’m guessing we have a lot of hockey fans here.

Those of you who follow hockey may already know that whoever runs the Los Angeles Kings Twitter account doesn’t exactly shy away from a good ole fashioned Twitter beef. That account is ready to deliver a knockout punch to anyone who takes a jab at their players, fans or the awful ratings that the Los Angeles Kings brought in on their way to their first Stanley Cup in team history. Oh, and apparently anyone who invites their players to an event for free publicity, because that’s clearly an insult to the organization somehow.

With the UFC heading to the Kings’ stomping grounds, the Staples Center, for August 4th’s UFC on FOX 4, the company offered the Stanley Cup champions an invitation to the event. Much like Lebron James at UFC 148, the invitation is a good way to build momentum for the Kings – not to mention the NHL as a whole – leading up to the 2012-2013 season. For whatever reason, however, the Kings decided to respond to this by tweeting “Sorry, the Cup is only for those who play a real sport.”

The tweet has since been deleted, but whaaaaat? They invited you to come watch fights, guys, not to a triathlon for Christ’s sake.

Seriously though, how does free publicity warrant a cheap shot towards the UFC? I’m willing to bet that there’s a significant chunk of MMA fans who like hockey (such as myself and Jason), and that there’s an even bigger percentage of hockey fans who like MMA. Unfortunately for the Kings, an organization that’s all about promoting fights is probably the last group of people that you want to pick a fight with – even if it is just online. Here’s how the UFC responded:

That knockout is worth the five minute major.  Next time, keep it on the ice.

UFC Injury of the Day: Ben Rothwell Tweaks Ankle, Won’t Fight Travis Browne at ‘UFC on Fox 4?


(Ben Rothwell: One of the few men on Earth who can mess with the Zohan.)

Aw hell, this never gets easier. We regret to inform you that Ben Rothwell — who most recently made Brendan Schaub see God at UFC 145 — has been forced to withdraw from his main card fight against undefeated heavyweight rising star Travis Browne at UFC on FOX 4: Shogun vs. Vera; an ankle injury was the culprit. Though there were early reports that Strikeforce veteran Devin Cole would come in on short notice to get demolished by Browne, it now appears that Browne is being moved off the August 4th event altogether, and the prelim match between Mike Swick and DaMarques Johnson will be promoted to the main card.

Matt Mitrione was also offered the chance to fight Browne at UFC on FOX 4, but he wisely turned it down. As MMAFighting reports:


(Ben Rothwell: One of the few men on Earth who can mess with the Zohan.)

Aw hell, this never gets easier. We regret to inform you that Ben Rothwell — who most recently made Brendan Schaub see God at UFC 145 — has been forced to withdraw from his main card fight against undefeated heavyweight rising star Travis Browne at UFC on FOX 4: Shogun vs. Vera; an ankle injury was the culprit. Though there were early reports that Strikeforce veteran Devin Cole would come in on short notice to get demolished by Browne, it now appears that Browne is being moved off the August 4th event altogether, and the prelim match between Mike Swick and DaMarques Johnson will be promoted to the main card.

Matt Mitrione was also offered the chance to fight Browne at UFC on FOX 4, but he wisely turned it down. As MMAFighting reports:

Mitrione was once scheduled to fight Rob Broughton at UFC on FOX 4 before visa issues forced Broughton off the card…According to Mitrione, he was informed that his fight against Broughton was going to be scrapped from the card five weeks ago…Since then, he has yet to be booked on another UFC card. He was hoping to fight on Sept. 7 in his hometown of Indianapolis, but that card was recently canceled.

“Since I haven’t been booked,” Mitrione said, “I have been home visiting my children and not training in a way that would allow me to do two things: put on a fight that the fans deserve and fight a top-tier fighter like Travis Browne.”

Mitrione, who hasn’t fought since last October due to various injuries, admitted to thinking long and hard about the opportunity, but ultimately felt like he made the right decision.

“It’s inevitable that Travis and I will fight,” he said, “but he and the fans deserve the best me possible because that scrap will certainly have title implications when it happens.”

UFC on FOX 4: Next LHW Title Challenger May Be Determined at Staples Center

The upcoming UFC on FOX 4 fight card will be anchored by two light heavyweight battles. In the evening’s main event former UFC champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua will face Brandon Vera, while in the evening’s co-main event another f…

The upcoming UFC on FOX 4 fight card will be anchored by two light heavyweight battles. In the evening’s main event former UFC champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua will face Brandon Vera, while in the evening’s co-main event another former champion, Lyoto Machida, will meet Ryan Bader. 

These four fighters all have one thing in common—they’ve all fought and lost to current UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. And if things go well for Jones when he faces Dan Henderson at UFC 151, one of these four fighters may earn themselves a rematch. If Jones’ championship run ends on that September 1 fight card, one of the four could end up being Dan Henderson’s first challenger for the crown…or at least that’s what UFC president Dana White says is a possibility.

White, in an exchange with FOX Sports, said:

These fighters have a huge opportunity to show the world why they deserve to fight for the UFC title next. Winning isn’t enough at UFC on FOX. This division is so competitive these fighters have to look great to separate themselves from the pack. I’m expecting all of these guys to go all-out to prove why they should be next in line for a title shot.

While that statement is clearly not a promise, it does send a message to the four fighters: On August 4, all eyes will be on them, and the UFC does not expect a repeat of the UFC 149 main-card fiasco. In short, impress your boss and maybe you’ll earn a shot at the winner of the Jones vs. Henderson scrap.

The one difficulty the UFC faces, as I mentioned above, is that Jones has defeated all four light heavyweights competing at the top of the FOX card. With that in mind, the UFC may be hard-pressed to sell a rematch between Jones and any of the four fighters, especially considering that Jones was dominant in all four of those victories.

If Henderson defeats Jones, the promotion has a different scenario to ponder as Henderson has only faced Rua in the past, defeating him by unanimous decision at UFC 139 in a fight that many recognize as one of the best in UFC history.

The odd-man out in all of this talk seems to be Alexander Gustafsson. The 25-year-old Gustafsson is 14-1 in his career, with his last bout being a unanimous decision victory over Thiago Silva in April of this year. Many have been quick to compare Jones and Gustafsson, but according to Jones, the comparison is essentially lazy and off-base:

“I don’t think it is appropriate to be comparing us,” Jones said at the UFC 145 press conference. “The only thing we have similar is that we are both tall. Were different fighters, I kick fast, I’m good in the clinch and accurate and he has great boxing.”

It will be interesting to see how this and the UFC middleweight title play out over the next few weeks.

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