Tag: UFC on Fox 4

UFC on Fox 4 Video Highlight: Lyoto Machida Knocks Out Ryan Bader

Did you miss UFC on Fox 4, or did you like Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida’s knockout over Ryan Bader so much that you want to see it again?UFC.com has your back. Just hours after the conclusion of UFC on Fox 4 in Los Angeles on Saturday, they have uploaded…

Did you miss UFC on Fox 4, or did you like Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida‘s knockout over Ryan Bader so much that you want to see it again?

UFC.com has your back. Just hours after the conclusion of UFC on Fox 4 in Los Angeles on Saturday, they have uploaded Machida‘s highlight-reel KO to YouTube.

Bader was a game opponent, but Machida was a tough stylistic matchup for him. He was unable to figure out The Dragon’s elusive style and paid the price. In the second round, Bader gave in to frustration and decided to charge recklessly at Machida.

Given that Machida is primarily a counterstriker, this move played right into his hands. Machida was able to move back just slightly to avoid Bader‘s assault, while launching a straight right hand of his own. The punch was enough to put Bader out, and shortly after the referee stepped in and saved Bader from taking any more damage.

Before the event, UFC president Dana White announced that the light heavyweight who put on the most impressive performance at UFC on Fox 4 would receive the next crack at the belt. After the fights, White confirmed that he was most impressed with Machida‘s performance and that the karate master would meet the winner of Jon Jones versus Dan Henderson, which takes place at UFC 151.

In the event that Jones wins at UFC 151, Machida will get the chance to avenge his loss to the current UFC light heavyweight champ, who defeated Machida by submission at UFC 140.

 

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

Lyoto Machida vs. Ryan Bader Results: Patience the Key to Victory for Machida

We heard it from Machida’s own mouth. “The Dragon is back.” Lyoto Machida looked like the fighter who dominated the UFC’s light heavyweight division a few years ago, when he soundly defeated Ryan Bader in the co-main event of UFC on Fox 4. …

We heard it from Machida’s own mouth.

“The Dragon is back.”

Lyoto Machida looked like the fighter who dominated the UFC’s light heavyweight division a few years ago, when he soundly defeated Ryan Bader in the co-main event of UFC on Fox 4.

Taking virtually no damage and frustrating his opponent, Machida used his karate to jump in and out of Bader’s range to win nearly every exchange.

Prior to getting knocked out by Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 113, Machida was thought to be nearly unbeatable, picking apart everyone the UFC decided to put in front of him.

Back then, Machida was known for sitting on the outside and waiting for his opponent to make the first move and landing a heavy counterstrike soon after.

His dominant wins over Tito Ortiz and Thiago Silva solidified his status as a top contender, and “The Dragon” made the most of his first UFC title opportunity when he defeated Rashad Evans to win the belt at UFC 98.

But consecutive tough fights against Rua seemed to change Machida, who soon after lost a close decision to Rampage Jackson due to Jackson’s aggression.

As a result, Machida came out much more aggressive in his next few bouts and got caught by Jon Jones in his title fight because of it.

Tonight, as soon as Machida stepped back and beautifully countered Bader’s superman punch with a right hand that landed flush on the chin, it became obvious that Machida was back to his old self.

Looking a lot like his training partner Anderson Silva at times, Machida showed off some impressive head movement and dropped his hands multiple times, showing little to no regard for his opponent’s striking.

Instead of staying inside Bader’s range, like he did against his previous opponent in Jon Jones, Machida waited on the outside of the pocket, and as soon as the opportunity presented itself, he pounced.

Machida gave Jon Jones more problems than anyone else in Jones’ career thus far, and if he gets a chance to fight Jones again, it could be very interesting.

If Machida is patient enough to wait outside of Jones’ long reach, he could force the champion to make a mistake when Jones tries to push the action.

Stylistically, Machida poses the most problems for Jones, and if the same “Dragon” that fought tonight shows up against “Bones,” we could see Jones in trouble for the first time in his UFC career.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Dana White Explains Why Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua Didn’t Get the Title Shot

One of the biggest stories coming out of UFC on FOX 4 is that Lyoto Machida will receive the next shot at the winner of Jon Jones vs. Dan Henderson. The shot was dependent on an impressive win, and his knockout of Ryan Bader definitely met those criter…

One of the biggest stories coming out of UFC on FOX 4 is that Lyoto Machida will receive the next shot at the winner of Jon Jones vs. Dan Henderson. The shot was dependent on an impressive win, and his knockout of Ryan Bader definitely met those criteria. 

There were still some questions as to why Dana White and Joe Silva decided to award the shot to Machida instead of Rua, who picked up an equally impressive knockout over Brandon Vera in the main event.

After the post-fight press conference, White spoke with Bleacher Report and the MMA media to explain why the shot went to Machida. 

“Leading up to this fight Shogun did turn down a fight. Shogun has not been terrorizing me for another shot at Jon Jones. And Lyoto Machida has. Lyoto Machida wants it,” White said. “He’s been all over me. He’s been aggressive about this thing. He went out and fought tonight and he fought a top 10 guy.”

White added, “if you go down the laundry list of reasons why he should have gotten it tonight and the fan poll thought so for Machida.” 

This isn’t anything new for White who loves guys who want big fights over guys who continue to turn them down. Rua’s disinterest in facing Glover Teixeira definitely had a major impact on his placement in the company, and the fact that he didn’t absolutely smash Vera did as well. 

I’d love to see Rua vs. Alex Gustafsson sometime in the future for the next shot after Machida. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Shogun Rua vs. Brandon Vera Results: Keys to Victory for Shogun

It wasn’t as easy as most believed it would be, but Mauricio “Shogun” Rua left UFC on Fox 4 with a TKO victory over game competitor Brandon Vera Saturday in Los Angeles.It was a hard-fought contest and Vera surprised many, showing that he was capable o…

It wasn’t as easy as most believed it would be, but Mauricio “Shogun” Rua left UFC on Fox 4 with a TKO victory over game competitor Brandon Vera Saturday in Los Angeles.

It was a hard-fought contest and Vera surprised many, showing that he was capable of standing and trading with one of the sport’s greatest strikers in Shogun. Even more surprising than Vera’s ability to trade with Shogun was Shogun’s ability to take down the Greco-Roman expert Vera.

Indeed, Shogun’s grappling wound up being a big key to his victory. He was able to take Vera down multiple times and keep him there for minutes at a time, keeping himself ahead on the scorecards and frustrating Vera simultaneously. Though he ended up winning TKO, Shogun’s takedowns would have been useful if the fight had gone to the scorecards.

Another factor that helped Shogun win was his aggression. Late in the fight, Shogun seemed a touch too submissive at times, allowing Vera to back up and not controlling the Octagon. However, when Shogun would turn the heat up and decide to blitz Vera, he often had success.

It’s no secret that Shogun fights his best when he’s fighting aggressive, and there are few men on this planet that can deal with the storm that he brings.

Shogun’s cardio wasn’t where it needed to be, but fortunately his skills were enough to pull him through.

The last key to Shogun’s victory—and this is probably the least significant—is errors made by Brandon Vera. For some reason, right before Shogun knocked him out, Vera chose to adjust his mouthpiece, while still sitting in Shogun’s striking range. Shogun capitalized immediately and ended the fight.

It was a strange decision from Vera, who must have believed that Shogun was taking a breather and wasn’t going to pounce. Either way, it cost him big.

That’s not to say, though, that Shogun only won because of a mistake by Vera. Shogun was winning the fight at that point anyway.

It was a great main event to top off a great night of fights.

 

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 Prelims Results: Josh Grispi’s Career in Trouble After Another Loss

At one time Josh Grispi looked like one of the most dangerous, up-and-coming featherweights in the world. But now his career may be the thing that is in danger.With his submission loss during the preliminary bouts of UFC on Fox 4, he has now lost three…

At one time Josh Grispi looked like one of the most dangerous, up-and-coming featherweights in the world. But now his career may be the thing that is in danger.

With his submission loss during the preliminary bouts of UFC on Fox 4, he has now lost three straight fights. This most recent setback came at the hands of Brazil’s Rani Yahya.

Yahya himself had lost three of his last four fights, so the bout represented a desperate situation for both men.

Yahya responded and Grispi did not.

Grispi was once the No. 1 contender to take on Jose Aldo based on his success in the WEC. But ever since he joined the big company with the little name, he has found the going too tough.

The UFC is not an organization that will allow long periods of futility. Though Grispi was wildly successful in other organizations, compiling a 14-1 record before his UFC debut in 2011, fans and Dana White will evaluate him based on his time with the UFC.

Grispi has lost his UFC bouts in almost every way imaginable. Yahya’s submission victory goes in line with the KO loss Grispi suffered from body punches from George Roop, and the decision loss in his debut against Dustin Poirier.

At this point Grispi’s biggest win is a victory over a fading Jens Pulver in 2009, while both men were in WEC. It’s a tough reality, but this is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately business.

White may not cut Grispi just yet, but if he loses his next fight we should all wait for the announcement to come.

The UFC represents the best and highest profile MMA competition in the world, and at this point, Grispi has not measured up.

 

Follow Brian Mazique and Franchiseplay on Youtube and Twitter for reactions, analysis and news from the world of sports and sports video games

Subscribe on Youtube

Follow @BrianMazique

Follow @franchiseplay

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC on FOX 4 Results: Power Ranking the Preliminary Card Fights

UFC on FOX 4 delivered from top to bottom, and while the main card is obviously going to get the majority of the press, the preliminary fights were exciting in their own right. The prelims were full of guys that love to put on exciting fights, and the …

UFC on FOX 4 delivered from top to bottom, and while the main card is obviously going to get the majority of the press, the preliminary fights were exciting in their own right.

The prelims were full of guys that love to put on exciting fights, and the Fuel TV main event between Nam Phan and Cole Miller proved just that with their three-round war that got the crowd fired up just before the main card kicked off.

With more exciting fighters like Phil Davis, Manny Gamburyan and Rani Yahya filling out the card, the prelims had a lot of hype behind them, and for the most part, they lived up to it.

Begin Slideshow