We just keep the ball rolling from event to event here at Pro MMA Now as we head into coverage for the UFC Live 4 event that will take place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Sunday night. The event will be headlined by a welterweight clash between Nate Marquardt and top ten fighter Rick Story. This will be Marquardt’s welterweight debut after fighting as a top 5 middleweight the past couple of years. This will be Story’s second fight in a month as he is coming off the biggest win of his career against highly ranked Thiago Alves at UFC 130. Let’s take a look at five huge questions going into the event:

Does Rick Story earn a title shot with a dominant win over Nate Marquardt?

  • I’m kind of on the fence with this one. Story attempted to go the logical route by calling out the #2 guy in Jon Fitch, but of course Fitch didn’t want that problem on his hands. This is Marquardt’s debut as a welterweight, but he was a top five middleweight before making the move. Story already has a win over Thiago Alves who was top five at the time. If Story is able to somehow put Marquardt away I think he may get the title shot. If not, he may have to take a fight against someone like Josh Koscheck or Jake Shields.

Who is the better kickboxer between Cheick Kongo and Pat Barry?

  • The UFC Live 4 event will feature a MMA fight between two fighters that are former kickboxers in Cheick Kongo and Pat Barry. Kongo will have the huge reach advantage and possibly the wrestling advantage if he wants to make it more than a standup slugfest. Kongo has the better looking kickboxing record, but I’m not sure of the level of competition he faced during that stint. Who would you say is the better kickboxer? This will probably be a standup war.

Can Matt Mitrione make some noise in the heavyweight division with a win over Christian Morecraft?

  • Don’t get it twisted. I’m not saying that a win over Morecraft will equal to Mitrione getting a shot at Cain Velasquez, but it should be a good test for Mitrione. Morecraft is a big guy that likes to take the fight to the ground to unleash ground and pound or go for submissions. Mitrione likes to stand and bang, so it’s an interesting contrast in styles. A win for Mitrione would be 5 in a row for the former football player.

Is it do or die for both Tyson Griffin and Joe Stevenson?

  • Both fighters have lost their last three fights, with KO losses between two decision losses. This will be both fighters featherweight debut against fighters who are not slouches. Typically fighters are released from the UFC after three consecutive losses, but both of these guys have had very good careers in the UFC so they have gotten a little leeway. However, four losses in row would probably be the last draw.

Be sure to check Pro MMA Now each day for UFC Live 4 fight previews beginning with Matt Mitrione vs. Christian Morecraft later today!

4 thoughts on “UFC Live 4 preview: Four questions going into the event”
  1. […] UFC Live 4 preview: Four questions going into the eventPro MMA NowWe just keep the balling rolling from event to event here at Pro MMA Now as we head into coverage for the UFC Live 4 event that will take place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Sunday night. The event will be headlined by a welterweight clash between …Nate Marquardt Prepares to Start New Chapter Off Right Against StoryHeavy.comThe UFC summer schedule with Rick Story and Nate MarquardtGamingTodaySlotsTodayUFC on Versus 4: Predictions You Can Take To The BankBleacher ReportMMAjunkie.com -MMAFighting.com -SB Nation (blog)all 33 news articles » […]

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