Tag: UFC on Fox 4

UFC on FOX 4 Results: Mike Swick Makes a Huge Statement After Long Absence

The welterweight division better take notice—Mike Swick is finally back.Swick fought for the first time in more than two years and didn’t disappoint in his long-awaited comeback fight, knocking out DaMarques Johnson at the 1:20 mark of the second…

The welterweight division better take notice—Mike Swick is finally back.

Swick fought for the first time in more than two years and didn’t disappoint in his long-awaited comeback fight, knocking out DaMarques Johnson at the 1:20 mark of the second round. Swick, who had lost his last two fights before his two-year hiatus, looked better than ever in his knockout victory.

Many thought that Swick would never return to the Octagon, let alone look as good as he did when he did come back. Swick had been out of the Octagon for over two years, first because of his bout with esophageal spasms, and then, with a left knee injury that derailed his first comeback attempt in 2011.

Any questions about ring rust were quickly put to rest as he immediately went to work on Johnson with his signature boxing combinations.

Swick is a fighter who has always lived up to his nickname “Quick,” and he went right back to what he does best in his fight with Johnson—consistently beating Johnson to the punch in their exchanges and ultimately landing an overhand right that put Johnson away.

The win marked the eighth career-knockout victory and his ninth career victory in the UFC.

After a two-year layoff and two-fight losing streak, Swick was in dire need of a win in his return, and that’s exactly what he got, now, he will need to build on his momentum to see how far his career can go.

The welterweight division is consistently one of the deepest in the organization so Swick has a lot to prove as he continues to work his way up the ranks, but with his elite hand speed as dangerous as ever, Swick is once again a must-see fighter.

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UFC on Fox 4: Did Machida or Shogun Put on the More Impressive Performance?

So, who looked more impressive tonight, folks? Well, that really depends on what you happen to be judging. UFC on Fox 4 offered up two excellent light heavyweight display but for very different reasons “Shogun” put on a much more exciting, …

So, who looked more impressive tonight, folks? Well, that really depends on what you happen to be judging. UFC on Fox 4 offered up two excellent light heavyweight display but for very different reasons

“Shogun” put on a much more exciting, gutsy performance against Brandon Vera. He could scarcely have put any more into the fight, as a demonstration of how much he wants another shot at the light heavyweight title.

On the other hand, Machida was his usual methodical self. He looked utterly at ease out there, completely outclassing Ryan Bader. In fact, it looked like he was toying with the former Arizona Sun Devil at times.

With all that said, Joe Rogan called it right when he said that Machida was the more impressive performer. He looked dominant against an extremely dangerous opponent.

In contrast, Rua’s bout was compelling largely because he gassed out early. His lack of cardio evened up the striking exchanges—Vera actually bested him on the feet.

To an extent, the same thing happened against Dan Henderson. “Shogun” has a habit of hitting a wall within the first few minutes of a fight, and somehow gutting his way through the remainder of the contest. If he took the time to get in shape, he would be even more formidable. A drop to 185 pounds—which is really where he belongs—would force him to improve his conditioning.

But more than tonight’s performances, the deciding factor may well have been their respective showings against Jones last year.

Rua looked extremely rusty against “Bones” last March, trudging forward and lunging at the would-be champion with telegraphed haymakers. He was comprehensively outstruck and outgrappled by the former Greco national champion.

Machida’s bout with Jones was in stark contrast to “Shogun’s” lacklustre effort. “The Dragon” arguably took the first round during their encounter last year, which is better than anyone has done since Stephan Bonnar took a young Jon Jones into deep waters.

Of course, all of this is based on the assumption that “Bones” will roll over Dan Henderson—a dangerous assumption to make. Should “Hendo” do the unthinkable, we may be deprived of the rematch we would all like to see.

However, the UFC appear to be playing the odds, banking on a Jones win. As a result, awarding Machida the shot is absolutely the correct decision and is the most compelling matchup they could possibly make for the current light heavyweight king.

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UFC on FOX 4 Results: What We Learned from Shogun Rua vs. Brandon Vera

Shogun Rua got the win, but it likely wasn’t enough to earn him a rematch with Jon Jones. Brandon Vera came into this fight as a serious underdog, but he proved he can hang with the best in the division in a grueling four-round war. Vera got rock…

Shogun Rua got the win, but it likely wasn’t enough to earn him a rematch with Jon Jones.

Brandon Vera came into this fight as a serious underdog, but he proved he can hang with the best in the division in a grueling four-round war.

Vera got rocked by a ton of shots and somehow found a way to keep on coming forward time and time again, but eventually, Rua’s onslaught was just a bit too much and “The Truth” was knocked unconscious in the fourth round.

 

What We’ll Remember About This Fight

Shogun really needed to impress if he wanted to earn the title fight against Jones, as Lyoto Machida made a strong case for himself in the co-main event against Ryan Bader.

Instead of coming out and making a statement, Shogun came out strong and ended up gassing himself out early in the fight, giving Vera a chance to have some success of his own.

 

What We Learned About Rua

He’s still one of the best in the world, but the wars are starting to take their toll on Shogun’s body.

Shogun looked a bit slow and a bit reluctant to trade with Vera on the feet, and he allowed Vera, a fighter who he normally would have destroyed, to earn himself some points.

 

What We Learned About Vera

Brandon Vera has talent, but he has even more heart.

Shogun rocked “The Truth” with a ton of hard shots throughout the fight, but Vera just kept on slugging away and he ended up landing some serious offense against Rua.

Vera won’t be fighting for a title anytime soon, but he just proved he deserves his spot in the UFC and that he can hang with almost anyone in the division.

 

What’s Next for Rua

Machida is getting the next shot at Jon Jones, so Shogun is left in a bit of a tough spot.

Shogun is still right on the outside of the title picture, so a fight against hot prospect Alexander Gustafsson makes a ton of sense and could provide another title contender at 205.

 

What’s Next for Vera

Vera looked more impressive than most people thought possible against Shogun, but he still walked away with the loss and he won’t be fighting another top contender anytime soon.

Still, there’s an opponent waiting out there that Vera desperately wants to get his hands on.

Thiago Silva defeated Vera by decision at UFC 125, but the fight was changed to a no-contest after Silva failed a post-fight drug test.

Since then, Vera has campaigned for a rematch against Silva, and after his performance against Rua, he’ll likely get him.

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UFC on Fox 4 Results: The Real Winners and Losers

If a UFC card goes down in Los Angeles and everyone misses it because the Olympics are on NBC, did it really happen at all?Having had my fill of Michael Phelps, I had my dial turned to Fox. And it did, I assure you.Hopefully MMA diehards tuned in for w…

If a UFC card goes down in Los Angeles and everyone misses it because the Olympics are on NBC, did it really happen at all?

Having had my fill of Michael Phelps, I had my dial turned to Fox. And it did, I assure you.

Hopefully MMA diehards tuned in for what was a great night of action on Fox and Fuel TV. Bleacher Report was on the scene at Staples Center where four of the best light heavyweights in the world were battling for a shot at Jon Jones and his championship belt.

UFC President Dana White told the world whoever looked the most impressive would get a title fight, so the stakes were high, not just to win, but to win in impressive fashion.

You can find the official results here. But sometimes the list of winners and losers doesn’t tell the whole story. In MMA, you can win by losing, if the fight is good enough, or lose ground with fans and promoters by winning a boring fight.

Who were the real winners and losers? Read on to find out.

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UFC on Fox 4: Mike ‘Quick’ Swick Wins Comeback by Knockout in Round 2

Mike “Quick” Swick was out of the Octagon for over two years until he returned successfully this Saturday night on UFC on Fox 4 against DeMarques Johnson.Johnson gave Swick a scare in the opening round as he mounted The Ultimate Fighter Season 1 v…

Mike “Quick” Swick was out of the Octagon for over two years until he returned successfully this Saturday night on UFC on Fox 4 against DeMarques Johnson.

Johnson gave Swick a scare in the opening round as he mounted The Ultimate Fighter Season 1 veteran and began to try to assert his ground-and-pound game.

Swick covered up and defended as best he could while on his back. Johnson tried to lock Swift into a chokehold, but Swick wouldn’t allow his foe the leverage necessary to finish the job.

Swick sustained some hard blows and suffered a lot of facial damage going into the second round.

Swick’s determination to do something impressive could be sensed as he walked out for the next round.

In a matter of moments, Swick knocked Johnson onto his back and delivered a perfectly timed right hand after dropping to the mat to capitalize on the situation.

The first right hand brought the full weight of Swick’s body from standing position down to the ground, wobbling Johnson’s face against the canvas.

Johnson was out cold.

The following two rights pounded Johnson’s head against the mat before the referee stepped in to call this welterweight contest to a halt.

Swick improved to 15-4 with eight wins coming by way of knockout as Johnson fell to 16-11 with four of those losses coming within the distance.

 

For more sports news and analysis, follow me on Twitter @justindavidtate

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UFC on FOX 4 Results: What We Learned from Cole Miller vs. Nam Phan

Two former contestants on The Ultimate Fighter took center stage at UFC on FOX 4, as Cole Miller battled Nam Phan in the night’s final preliminary bout.  Whether it is against Leonard Garcia, Mike Brown or Cole Miller, Nam Phan has a knack for tur…

Two former contestants on The Ultimate Fighter took center stage at UFC on FOX 4, as Cole Miller battled Nam Phan in the night’s final preliminary bout.  

Whether it is against Leonard Garcia, Mike Brown or Cole Miller, Nam Phan has a knack for turning his fights into high-octane slugfests.  

In a fight that never hit the mat, Phan and Miller stood and traded bombs for the full 15 minutes, leaving the judges with a difficult decision.

Two out of three judges saw the fight for Phan, and he picked up his second UFC victory for the effort.

 

What We’ll Remember From the Fight

Nam Phan is incredibly fun to watch, and Cole Miller is game to throw down.  The two featherweights battled toe-to-toe for 15 minutes, and the real winner of this fight was the fans who watched.  

Neither fighter showed the truly elite skills of the division’s top dogs, but each proved that he deserves his spot on the UFC’s roster.  

Cole Miller is a hit-or-miss fighter, and he was crisp with his striking but a little lazy with his striking defense against Phan.  Phan landed left hooks at will, and Miller’s inability to avoid damage cost him the decision.

 

What we learned about Nam Phan

If you have seen Phan fight in the past, this fight taught you nothing new.  The Vietnamese-American is an excellent boxer and he has a great chin, both of which were on display against Cole Miller.  

For Phan, the win over Miller is certainly an achievement to be proud of, but it really did not show any new wrinkles or developments to his game.

 

What we learned about Cole Miller

Cole Miller is extremely tall for the featherweight division, and he used his reach effectively, but not often enough against Nam Phan.  

Like with Phan, we really did not learn much from Miller.  I would have liked to see him attempt to take the fight to the ground, but he played to Phan’s strengths, and that decision cost him the fight.  

For Miller, this fight was another example of his squandered potential.  While he looked good and made the fight competitive for its duration, he did not show the brilliance he has flashed in his past performances.  

 

What’s next for Nam Phan

If the UFC brass is smart (and they are), Nam Phan is going to get another stand-up fighter in his next outing.

Phan is a solid fighter, but he is not good enough to contest the division’s upper ranks, so a fight with the winner of Max Holloway and Justin Lawrence makes sense for him moving forward. That fight will almost surely take place on the feet, and it will be another potential fight of the night matchup.

 

What’s next for Cole Miller

I always enjoy watching Cole Miller fight, but he is too often disappointing inside the Octagon.  

Miller’s well-rounded game makes him a threat wherever the fight goes, but he always seems to play to his opponent’s strength instead of imposing his will and dictating the fight.  

A loser-leaves-town matchup with Josh Grispi, who also lost earlier in the night, makes sense for Miller in his next bout.

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