‘UFC on FOX 4: Shogun vs. Vera’ event review
After a fairly lacklustre series of fight cards, the UFC needed something special this weekend to keep interest burning and Dana White even added some fuel to the flames by proclaiming that the most impressive light-heavyweight victor on the main card would get a rematch with Jon ‘Bones’ Jones. The incentive worked and ‘UFC on FOX 4: Shogun vs. Vera’ goes down as the best effort on FOX to date, with a main card filled with amazing finishes and a solid prelims broadcast to add to the night. Now that the dust has settled, it’s time for MMABay to round-up last night’s action from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, and take a look at what lies ahead for the winners and losers in the City of Angels…
‘Shogun’ has to dig deep but stops Vera in the fourth, not enough to warrant title-shot
The much derided main event of the evening was a bona-fide classic, as former PRIDE light-heavyweight, Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua, found Brandon ‘The Truth’ Vera in inspired form as the underdog made a real fist of it at the Staples Center. Vera certainly had his moments but the moment belonged to ‘Shogun’ who had to dig deep before switching off his opponent’s lights in the fourth round.
It was hardly vintage ‘Shogun’ – in all honesty, that fighter has probably gone forever – but the Brazilian showed his heart and durability to get the job done. The first round was surprising, as Rua quickly grounded Vera and worked from half-guard before the two scrambled up and Vera leapt on a guillotine choke. ‘Shogun’ worked himself free before passing guard and taking the back as the clock ran down, before charging out for round two and putting Vera in immediate danger against the cage with knees and hooks. Vera hung in there and even responded with some hard shots of his own including a kick to the body but was dragged to the canvas. Late in the round, a bloodied Vera took down the Brazilian but by this point, both men looked drained.
It was Rua who came on stronger in the third, roughing up ‘The Truth’ both against the cage and on the ground for much of the frame, leaving him three rounds up as the two answered the bell for the fourth. The round was fought mainly in the clinch but late on, ‘Shogun’ unloaded with wild but accurate punches at the fences that eventually dropped Vera in a heap – Rua clinching the stoppage with a few more vicious shots at 4:09 of the fourth round.
Next for Shogun: The Chute Boxe legend did it the hard way but ‘Shogun’ gets himself back in the win column and will now wait for a suitable contender to emerge as Rua will only need one more victory to get his own rematch with Jon Jones. Expect the PRIDE standout to reignite an old rivalry with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira or face surging Swedish prospect, Alexander Gustafsson at the end of the year.
Next for Vera: Credit where it’s due – Brandon Vera came close to shocking the world last night and more than held his own with one of the best light-heavyweights on the planet. ‘The Truth’ folded eventually but the UFC will show their gratitude to Vera by handing him a winnable fight against Nick Penner or Anthony Perosh.
‘The Dragon’ rises to the occasion, knocks out Bader in style to become number one contender
Dana White ruffled a few feathers when he laid down the challenge to the four light-heavyweight contenders in action last night – basically, the most impressive winner would be next in line for a title shot. With that in mind, Brazilian karate master, Lyoto ‘The Dragon’ Machida, left little to debate in Los Angeles as the former champion pole-axed Ryan ‘Darth’ Bader in the second round.
From the off, it was clear that this wouldn’t be a good night for Bader. The wrestler was unable to get near a relaxed-looking Machida who responded with a knee up the middle or a counter-shot whenever Bader tried to close the gap and took a lacklustre first round.
But things took a stunning turn in round two, as early on, ‘Darth’s ill-advised attempt at rushing the counter-striker proved to be costly as Machida landed a perfect, short right hand that dropped Bader like ton of bricks. ‘The Dragon’ landed another for good measure, respectfully celebrating the knockout with a bow as the referee waved the fight off at 1:32 of the second round.
Next for Machida: In terms of the title picture, the Black House stalwart was merely an afterthought until Dana decided to open the invitation to the co-main event fighters but Machida is now officially the number one contender at 205lbs once again. Just months have passed since ‘The Dragon’ was slain by UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones but Machida will now await the winner of UFC 151′s main event as ‘Bones’ defends his title against Dan Henderson.
Next for Bader: The former NCAA division one wrestler sees a two-fight streak snapped in highlight-reel fashion and the Arizona native will need time to lick his wounds after being knocked out for the first time in his career. ‘Darth’ had no answer for Machida from the off but ‘The Ultimate Fighter 8′ winner will be back towards the end of the year, perhaps facing veteran wrestler, Vladimir Matyushenko.
Lauzon proves he’s more than a first-round killer, submits Varner in thrilling lightweight bout
The writing seemed to be on the wall when lightweights Joe Lauzon and Jamie Varner locked horns on the main card – ‘J-Lau’, a stone-cold killer in the first round, looked destined to fall short in the cardio department against a seasoned veteran. But Lauzon had other ideas and he in fact out-lasted Varner in the cardio department before submitting the former WEC champion in the third round of a fantastic addition to the FOX televised card.
Varner started the fight well, landing the better shots as he both wobbled and dropped Lauzon in round one but as the five minutes drew to a close, the veteran seemed to be breathing harder than he should. The second round was fought at a frantic pace, with Lauzon having dominant position several times on the ground as the two traded positions and had the crowd riled up, ‘J-Lau’ taking the round to set up a mouthwatering final period.
While clearly shattered, Varner started brightly, throwing hard shots and hitting a couple of double-legs but the second attempt saw Lauzon sweep and lock in a triangle choke off his back, softening up the veteran with elbows to the dome. Varner fought, but was forced to tap 2:44 into the final round, handing Lauzon a huge victory and ‘Submission of the Night’ bonuses to cap a great night for ‘J-Lau’.
Next for Lauzon: The Massachusetts native bounces back from a brutal knockout loss to Anthony Pettis by taking his anger out on another former WEC champion and ‘J-Lau’ showed marked improvements in his all-round game, especially in the cardio department. The natural-born finisher will be keeping a close eye on next weekend’s co-main event, as Donald Cerrone or a rematch with Melvin Guillard could be next for Lauzon.
Next for Varner: The experienced lightweight looked destined for a stoppage at one point last night but Varner’s gas-tank was on a different page and the veteran was a sitting duck in that final round. Now 2-2 in the UFC, the well-rounded Varner could serve as Brian Ebersole’s introduction to the lightweight division.
Swick makes emotionally charged comeback – knocks out Johnson in great card opener
The main card started with a bang and the welterweight clash between Mike Swick and DaMarques Johnson proved to be a suitably thrilling way to open the FOX card. Due to injury and health problems, Swick hadn’t stepped foot inside the Octagon for two years but the Texan rolled back the clock last night as he picked up a front-runner for ‘Knockout of the Night’ in Los Angeles.
Both welterweights came out banging from the first bell and Swick looked sharp as he buzzed ‘Darkness’ with some clinical shots and had the former TUF finalist in big trouble in round one. But Johnson turned the tables on Swick, taking control from the top and alternating between ground and pound and d’arce choke attempts to nick the round on the scorecards.
In the second round, Johnson paid for a lazy low kick as Swick first caught the leg then tripped ‘Darkness’ to his back and landed a picture-perfect right hand as they hit the canvas. Johnson immediately went limp and Swick landed two more bullet right hands for good measure before straddling the cage in ecstasy.
Next for Swick: It was great seeing the American Kickboxing Academy welterweight not only looking far healthier but turning in a fine performance reminiscent of his earlier UFC fights when Swick was landng knockouts for fun. The striker will be gunning for a recognised name when he returns to action and a fight with submission specialist, Mike Pyle, could be next for ‘Quick’.
Next for Johnson: His record looks uglier by the month but Johnson is an exciting fighter and when the UFC really needed an electrifying start to the FOX card, ‘Darkness’ was happy to oblige. That will not be forgotten and Johnson will get a final chance to prove he belongs against a fellow striker like Chris Clements.
Preliminary Card round-up
The preliminary card may have cost us U.K fans a small fee (bizarrely) but those who dragged out the debit card were not disappointed. The broadcast was closed up by an entertaining featherweight scrap that saw ‘The Ultimate Fighter 12′ alumni, Nam Phan, take on lanky submission specialist, Cole Miller. The 6ft 1in Miller towered over the shorter, stockier Phan but it was the Vietnamese-American fighter who immediately began making his presence known. Phan consistently tagged ‘Magrinho’ with sharp, short left hands and mixed up his boxing with some slapping kicks to the body and legs and on more than one occasion, had Miller on rubber legs. After three rounds, all three judges swayed in Phan’s favour, handing the Californian a crucial unanimous decision victory.
Next for Phan: Just when it seems we’ve seen the last of Nam Phan, the striker picks up a very important win when defeat would have seen him released by the UFC. The versatile stand-up artist earns a stay of execution and could return to face the in-form Steven Siler.
Next for Miller: ‘Magrinho’ was a big lightweight and the cut to 145lbs just doesn’t seem a good fit for the Georgia native who has now lost back to back fights inside the Octagon, both at his new weight-class. Miller has shown next to nothing in these fights and will need to beg for a third chance to make the grade, but if it comes, expect Miller to face fellow featherweight beanpole, George Roop.
One of the highlights of the undercard was supposed to be the return of top light-heavyweight prospect, Phil Davis, who took on undefeated Brazilian newcomer, Wagner Prado. What was intended to be a clash between two of the division’s brightest prospects disintegrated quickly, as following a few tentative exchanges, Prado rushed ‘Mr Wonderful’ to the cage and received a finger to the eye for his troubles. Clearly in pain, ‘Caldeirao’ waved for the referee and with his vision blurred and his lower eyelid cut, there was no coming back for the Team Noguiera man as the fight was declared a No Contest just minutes into the very first round.
Next for Davis: While an immediate rematch would make sense, few will want to see it and with Prado needing time to heal his eye, expect ‘Mr Wonderful’ to be moved on to a fresh challenge before the year is out. A fight with veteran wrestler, Vladimir Matyushenko, would be a good measuring stick to see where Davis stands in the 205lb division.
Next for Prado: ‘Caldeirao’ unleashed a few primal screams upon realising the fight was over and the 8-0 Brazilian was clearly frustrated to have not showcased any of his skills last night. Once his eye has healed up, expect Prado to take on a low-level light-heavyweight such as Nick Penner.
Another featherweight bout on the prelims saw the down-at-heel former WEC standout, Josh Grispi return from hiatus having endured a torrid year both in and out of the cage. ‘The Fluke’, who was 0-2 in the UFC, faced BJJ guru, Rani Yahya, in what seemed an evenly matched fight but the Brazilian was not in a charitable mood. Yahya took a little while to adjust to the reach advantage of the lanky Grispi before quickly taking down the American and putting on a top-control clinic. The highly-decorated grappler effortlessly passed guard and eventually caught Grispi with a north-south choke, forcing the tap midway through the first round.
Next for Yahya: The grappling maestro moves to 2-1 in the UFC and had been flirting with the idea of dropping back down to 135lbs before taking this fight on relatively short notice when Grispi’s original opponent dropped out. Yahya will probably follow through on this idea and could face wrestler, Bryan Caraway, later this year.
Next for Grispi: The Massachusetts native looked sensational in the WEC but a 0-3 run in the big leagues is simply not good enough and Grispi will be released in the weeks to come to get his head and his game together. A few wins in the little leagues and the talented youngster could get a recall to the big stage.
Slightly out of place in the sun-drenched environment of Los Angeles was a heavyweight bout pitting two big, burly British lads against one another as Phil De Fries took on Wolfslair Academy big man, Oli Thompson. Both men were coming off a loss and a sluggish first round reflected that, as neither could take full control against the cage and the former strongman Thompson was able to ward off the takedowns of De Fries. But in round two, the fight exploded into life as the taller De Fries landed a flush, straight right hand that dropped Thompson like a stone; the grappler pounced, softening up his opponent with hammerfists before securing the back. De Fries barely had to struggle to sink in the choke once his hooks were locked and Thompson didn’t need long to tap, handing De Fries the submission victory late in the second round.
Next for De Fries: Now 9-1, the Sunderland boy has climbed to 2-1 in the UFC and looked a changed man from the sheepish, timid prospect who fought Stipe Miocic earlier this year. De Fries was confident he had the skill-set to take out his fellow Brit and training with Alliance MMA in California will do the grappler no harm as he looks to take the next step in his UFC career. Providing he gets past Rob Broughton in October, Matt Mitrione seems a logical next opponent for De Fries.
Next for Thompson: I think it’s safe to say that, judging from his two UFC losses, Thompson’s strongest attribute is ‘strength’ and now that he’s had to drop all of his strongman muscle, the Brit seems very limited indeed. Two losses and two finishes will spell the end of Thompson’s run in the UFC and the likeable heavyweight will most likely return to home shores to seek a contract with BAMMA.
A cracking featherweight bout lit a fire under the rears of the early stragglers in the Staples Center as judo players, Manny Gamburyan and Michihiro Omigawa went to work from the first bell as each looked to save his flagging UFC career. Gamburyan landed early and hard with a stunning jumping knee but it was Omigawa who rallied and dropped the Armenian to keep the judges guessing at the end of round one. Gamburyan then upped the ante, rocking Omigawa badly with a headkick and a follow-up flurry of vicious punches that sent the Japanese veteran staggering across the cage but impressively, still standing. Despite landing some great counter-shots that visibly troubled Gamburyan, Omigawa was unable to defend several takedowns and a big slam at the death and the judges saw it for ‘The Anvil’ who took the decision after a very competitive scrap.
Next for Gamburyan: The Hollywood resident was on the ropes in terms of his UFC employment and despite some very hairy moments last night, Gamburyan put on one of his better recent performances. The powerful grappler showed he can take a punch and keep on coming and Omigawa is a handy name to add to the resume so expect ‘The Anvil’ to face a winning featherweight such as Darren Elkins later in the year.
Next for Omigawa: The Japanese veteran never, ever gets embarassed or out-classed in a fight but as his 1-6 UFC record proves, Omigawa just can’t win a fight either. Perhaps age is catching up to the judoka but either way, the former DREAM and Sengoku man will be cut loose by the UFC in the days to come.
The first fight of the night set the tone for an electrifying night of action in Los Angeles as flyweight newcomers, Ulysses Gomez and John Moraga got the card off to a flier on the Facebook prelims. Gomez, a former title-holder under the Tachi Palace Fights banner, was highly favoured but it was the underdog who shone last night as Moraga steamrolled ‘Useless’ in front of his home state fans. The former collegiate wrestler was able to keep the fight standing as Gomez fished for the odd takedown and began putting his combinations together, cutting Gomez during an accidental clash of heads. Against the cage, Moraga suddenly exploded and a short elbow strike to the dome led to a knee and a rapid-fire series of punches that ruined Gomez, crumpling him in a heap against the fences. Who said the little guys don’t have knockout power?
Next for Moraga: The 11-1 prospect was flying under the radar going into his UFC debut but based on that evidence, Moraga could make some real waves at 125lbs. A former NCAA wrestling stud with heavy-hands and a solid ground game? Welcome to the big leagues, Mr Moraga. The Arizona native could face the in-form Chris Cariaso next with the winner being one major win away from a title shot.
Next for Gomez: ‘Useless’ came with a big reputation, but the Californian looked very tentative last night especially once he’d tasted Moraga’s power and the UFC newcomer falls to 9-3 in his professional career. Gomez will get a second chance, most likely against a bottom-level flyweight such as Josh Ferguson with the loser trimmed from the roster.
That’s all for ‘UFC on FOX 4′ and next weekend sees ‘UFC 150: Henderson vs. Edgar II’ go down at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. Be sure to check out MMABay throughout the week as we preview all of the action coming next Saturday night.
By Steve Davies
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