UFC on Fox 4: Shogun Rua vs Brandon Vera

Here we are, just one day away from UFC on Fox 4.  I already broke down the co-main event (which should have been the main event) between Machida and Bader here:  http://cinemakingdom.com/?p=182

Shogun Rua

Shogun is without a doubt one of the greatest LHWs of all time.  He is also very inconsistent lately.  Going only 4-4 in his last 8, he sometimes shows up looking like a killer who can outstrike anyone and at other times comes in out of shape, losing to guys he is far superior to.  Granted, most of those losses were after knee surgeries (he has blown out his ACL 3 times) where he had a long time off.  With all of his knee problems he is lucky to be fighting at all.

Since the knee problems Shogun has still shown off his fantastic striking skills a few times but it seems like whenever he has to go to the ground he tends to gas out fairly quickly.  I am guessing he probably can’t roll as well as he used to due to the injuries.  He also tends to fight down to his opponents level.  When he fights someone great like Machida (Shogun is still the only guy to ever outstrike Machida) he comes in with a great game plan and fights smart.  When he fights someone like Mark Coleman or Forrest Griffin he comes in and just fights sloppy and slugs it out.  He recently replaced his manager as well so who knows how he will show up.  If Shogun comes in top form expect this to be a short night, if he comes out sloppy, who knows.

Brandon Vera
What can I say about Brandon Vera?  He came on the scene and started destroying heavyweights in the UFC (his rise was very much like Jon Jones’ actually), including Frank Mir (which only took him 1 minute).  Then he had a contract dispute and had a long time off and has never been the same since he came back.  I don’t know what changed during that time off, but that killer he once was died somewhere along the way.  Vera then dropped to 205lbs.

Being a smaller heavyweight, if was argued he would be better at 205lbs but he has never looked spectacular there.  Some guys just perform worse when they cut weight, I think Vera is better at HW.  Going 4-3 (1 NC) at light heavyweight since his debut in 2008, he has never beat anyone of note really.  The thing is, he is a skilled stand up fighter and he has some pretty good takedowns as well.  He just never seems to be able to put it all together anymore.

Final Thoughts

Shogun should win this fight but if he shows up sloppy and out of shape and Vera shows up like he used to we could see an upset.  I think Vera should try to mix things up and go for some takedowns to keep Shogun guessing and try to tire him out.  If Shogun shows up as the killer he most of the time, I think he puts Vera away sometime in the first 2 rounds.  Shogun is capable of taking people down as well but in this case I don’t think he has to in order to win but mixing in some takedowns mixed with his brutal Ground & Pound wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

UFC on Fox 4: Lyoto Machida vs Ryan Bader

Alright guys, the UFC on Fox 4 is coming up this weekend.  Oddly enough, this card is way better than the last UFC PPV event, and it's free!  In the co-main event we have Lyoto Machida vs Ryan Bader.

Lyoto Machida

Lyoto Machida is coming in off of a loss against champ Jon Jones (which he looked fantastic in until the end) and hasn't fought in 8 months.  His inactivity isn't Machida's fault as he had been trying to get a big name fight, it's just everyone else was injured or tied up with another opponent already.  Machida is going through the toughest time of his career currently, going only 1-3 in his last 4, but all of his losses were to top 5 opponents and some of the greatest LHWs of all time.

It will be interesting to see how Machida performs after such a long layoff.  He is also getting older, turning 34 this past may.  Is Machida past his prime or has he just made a some mistakes in his last few fights that cost him?  We shall see.  I personally think he is still one of the best LHWs in the division and he tends to be a nightmare match up for wrestlers and brawlers.

Ryan Bader

Going 2-2 in his last 4, Bader is coming in off a win against Rampage Jackson.  This sounds pretty good as Rampage is one of the best LHWs ever, but he also came in with an injury and way over weight for the first time in his career.  It was pretty obviously this win was more about Rampage being out of shape than Bader being the superior fighter so it's hard to take much from it.  Bader is also the only win on Tito's record in the last 6 years (since Tito beat up Ken Shamrock a couple of times back in 06).

I've never been very impressed with Ryan Bader.  He is basically the typical MMA fighter these days, a big strong wrestler who wings right hands.  I'm not saying he is a terrible fighter, I just don't think he is that exceptional (for a top 10 LHW).  All he brings to the table is a double leg takedown (which is useless against southpaw Machida), lay & pray, and a big right hand.  I think he is sort of a poor man's Rashad Evans and we all saw how that fight against Machida turned out.

Final Thoughts

I think Machida (unless he just shows up totally off of his game or gets some fluke injury) is just a nightmare match up for Ryan Bader.  How the fight plays out just depends on if Machida is conservative in this fight or attempts to make a statement.  I think he can put Bader away quickly if he gets in there (like against Rampage in the 3rd round) but he may be content to avoid any risks and fight Bader similar to how he fought Tito. 

Lyoto Machida's Signature Moves

Pretty cool video.  Machida is one of my favorite fighters.  I'm going to be doing a breakdown between Machida and Bader before their fight. 

WarZone Fighting Challenge

This is my Cousin's MMA promotion.  I'm so excited for him!

WFC is excited to announce our first show will be held Oct. 6th at The old Whitesburg HS!

WarZone Fighting Challenge, Kentucky's new premier MMA show! Wars may be fought with weapons but are won by men. The shows will feature some of the best fighters from the surrounding areas. WarZone Fighting Challenge is a fighter first organization. We are in the business of showcasing the talents these men and women work so hard to obtain. Our mission is to get these fighters we showcase in our shows to the next level. WarZone also wants tio provide fun family entertainment for all MMA fans. WarZone's promoter is Rick Seals and match maker is Jon Haynes. Check for updates on upcoming events, fighter photos and bios. We would like to thank all those who support the WFC.