Today’s UFC on FOX 4 fight card, emanating from Staples Center in Los Angeles, starts at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT airing LIVE on FUEL TV. The main card kicks off at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT and will air LIVE on FOX television.
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua faces Brandon Vera in the main event, and Ryan Bader faces Lyoto Machida in the co-main event. Whoever wins most impressively from these two light heavyweight match-ups will be given a shot at 205 pound champ Jon Jones.
After tonight’s fights, watch the UFC on FOX 4 post-fight press conference.
ProMMAnow.com (www.prommanow.com) will provide LIVE results and play-by-play commentary for all the bouts.
UFC on FOX 4 quick results:
MAIN CARD (FOX)
- Mauricio “Shogun” Rua def. Brandon Vera by TKO (strikes) Rd 4 (4:09)
- Lyoto Machida def. Ryan Bader by knockout (punch) Rd 2 (1:32)
- Joe Lauzon def. Jamie Varner by submission (triangle choke) Rd 3 (2:44)
- Mike Swick def. DaMarques Johnson by knockout (punches) Rd 1 (1:20)
PRELIMINARY CARD (FUEL TV)
- Nam Phan def. Cole Miller by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-29)
- Phil Davis vs. Wagner Prado ruled No Contest (eye poke) Rd 1 (1:28)
- Rani Yahya def. Josh Grispi by submission (north-south choke) Rd 1
- Phil De Fries def. Oli Thompson by submission (rear-naked choke) Rd 2 (4:16)
- Manny Gamburyan def. Michihiro Omigawa by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- John Moraga def. Ulysses Gomez by Knockout (strikes) Rd 1 (3:46)
UFC on FOX 4 play-by-play:
Ulysses Gomez vs. John Moraga
Round 1 – Leg kick from Moraga, counter left from Uly. Leg kick Uly. Again. Again. Moraga with an inside leg kick, then high. Clinch from Moraga, body shots from Uly. Leg kick and knee from Moraga. Moraga backs out and is cut. Leg kick from Moraga, again, buckles the leg of Uly. Again. Body shot. Inside leg kick from Uly. Outside leg kick. Big body shot from Moraga. Uly is cut do from a head butt. Big body kick from Moraga lands solid, best shot of the fight. Hook to the body from Moraga. Uly bleeding. Big leg kicks from Moraga, Uly shoots, pushes Moraga to the cage. Moraga trains with some great wrestlers. Moraga has to back out after not getting the takedown. They trade punches. Big right to the body from Moraga. Clinched, huge elbow from Moraga, follows up with punches and he knocks Uly unconscious. Wow! — Now go watch our pre-fight interview with Moraga on our homepage.
OFFICIAL RESULT: John Moraga def. Ulysses Gomez by Knockout (strikes) Rd 1 (3:46)
Post-fight quotes:
John Moraga: “I felt really good out there and I didn’t have any extra nerves considering it was my debut. I wanted to get my standup going a little quicker than I did but it all worked out in the end so no complaints. I had him up against the fence and was able to push his arm down and open him up to get my overhand through. When it connected I just followed up with shots as quickly as I could and got the finish. I don’t care who’s next and I just want to keep the UFC happy. Maybe someday I’ll get to avenge my only loss to John Dodson but that’s in the future.”
Ulysses Gomez: “I don’t know what happened out there and I’m really disappointed in myself. He just surprised me.”
Official scorecard:
Manny Gamburyan vs. Michihiro Omigawa
Round 1 – Leg kick Manny. Manny hunting as Omigawa moves side to side. Flying knee from Manny, he gets some height. Leg kick from Manny. Omigawa drops him with a big left. Manny gets right up and goes back to stalking. Leg kick and left from Omigawa. Big right from Manny backs him up. Nice right to the body from Manny, then a leg kick. Left from Omigawa, again, catches Manny with a right hook that staggers him just a bit. Head kick from Manny blocked. Omigawa with some great footwork, avoiding shots. Omigawa with another left. Body shot from Manny. Big overhand right from Manny connects, but not right on the chin. Omigawa is coming forward now, big left to the body. He swings, Manny shoots, stuffed. Great technical fight here with big power. Right counter hook from Manny. Great round of action and I have no idea why I hear a few boos. PMN scores the round 10-9 for Omigawa.
Round 2 – Omigawa connects early with some nice punches, has Manny backing up, he connects with a left haymaker, then shoots. Omigawa goes for a standing choke, lets it go. Manny going for a single, pushing Omigawa into the cage. He gets him down but he’s right back up. Two great Judo players here. Suplex by Manny but Omigawa is right back up. Manny with some knees, drags Omigawa down and takes his back, both hooks in. Manny looking for the choke. Ends up on top inside full guard. Omigawa uses the cage to get up to his feet. Manny looking for the leg, Omigawa escapes but catches a big right on the way out. Under a minute left. Leg kick from Omigawa. Right from Manny, an overhand, it’s blocked. Head kick from Manny is blocked. PMN scores the round 10-9 for Manny.
Round 3 – Leg kick from OMigawa. Manny lands a head kick hard that staggers Omigaway. Manny connects with punches as he hunts him down. Omigawa swings and connects and stops Manny from advancing. They are toe to toe now and Omigawa knows he’s behind now and is attacking a fighter that is getting tired from expending so much energy. Omigawa connects with some more punches and they tie up agains the cage. Manny backs out, eats a couple lefts. Left from Omigawa, right from Manny. Right from Omigawa and is stalking. They tie up, Manny drops levels. Manny gets the takedown but Omigawa gets right up. Manny leaning on him against the cage. Two minutes to go. Omigawa drops down for a choke and ends up on his back. Manny trying to hold him down but Omigawa is getting up, Manny helps him up by picking him up over his head for a big slam. Nice one. Omigawa gets right up and gets slammed again. Manny in side control but Omigawa gets right up again. He’s going for a guillotine as Manny is looking for a leg. Manny struggles. He lets it go and Manny is up. Head kick from Manny. Does not connect solid. Front kick from Manny, left from Omigawa. — I’m gonna call him OMGawa! PMN scores the round 10-9 for Manny and the fight 29-28 for Manny.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Manny Gamburyan def. Michihiro Omigawa by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Post-fight quotes:
Manny Gamburyan: “It feels so good to snap a three fight losing streak because losing hurts more than anything. I clipped him twice with head kicks and hurt him really badly. I think anyone else would’ve gone down but he just looked back at me like he was telling me to hit him again. All of my friends here in LA were telling me that I couldn’t lose at the Staples Center so there was a lot of added pressure. Omigawa is a really legit judo guy and I knew he would be tough so I trained super hard for this one.”
Michihiro Omigawa: “We knew he was the stronger fighter coming into this so I trained to avoid the takedown and tried to keep moving. I planned on throwing straight left punches to keep the distance and I think it worked very well. I thought I won the first and third rounds but it’s his hometown. I should’ve gotten the decision.”
Philip De Fries vs. Oli Thompson
Round 1 – Right counter from De Fries catches Thompson coming forward for the clinch. Thompson turns him around to the cage, clinched, knee from De Fries to the body, again. Thompson looking for a takedown but takes another knee and some body shots. Big John separates them. Clinch, knee from De Fries, knee from Thompson. Thompson gets an underhook and turns De Fries around to the cage. De Fries gets a single leg takedown but Oli is right back to his feet. Big John wants work as they struggle in the clinch. Big John separates them. Big leg kick from Thompson. De Fries lands a right hook, again, he shoots, stuffed. Boos from the crowd as the guys clinch up again. Knee from De Fries as he leans on Thompson, he backs out with a combo and the crowd boos as the bell sounds. PMN scores the round 10-9 De Fries.
Round 2 – Leg kick Thompson. De Fries drops Thompson with a right hand and follows up with several punches. Right on cue as Joe Rogan says “De Fries hasn’t got that much power” he drops Thompson. That was sweet. Thompson is back up and they are clinched against the cage. Knees from De Fries, he backs out and lands some punches, Thompson scores. They move to the center and De Fries lands more punches and a nice knee, he shoots for a single and gets Thompson down. De Fries gets on Thompson’s back as he turtles up. De Fries has loosened up as the fight progressed. His striking did not look too swift in round one, but he’s getting better. His arms could have been full of lactic acid. De Fries riding Thompson’s back and softens him up with shots, gets both hooks in and sinks in the choke. Thompson taps out. That’s how you get out of a fight when you know you’re beat. He didn’t even really try to defend except to turtle up. At least that’s the way it appeared.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Phil De Fries def. Oli Thompson by submission (face crank) Rd 2 (4:16)
Post-fight quotes:
Phil De Fries: “Very happy to go in there and get on a winning track. My training at Alliance MMA in San Diego has been amazing with all their great fighters and champions. As much as I love my fish and chips and being in England the time spent there just focusing on training made all the difference. There was huge pressure in this fight to win. I used to be scared to go in and get beaten up or hurt but in the UFC you’re just scared to lose. It took me a bit of time to get warmed up out there but I’m glad I got out of the fight with no injuries and I was able to use my Jiu Jitsu and show that us Brits have ground game too.”
Official scorecard:
Josh Grispi vs. Rani Yahya
Round 1 – Grispi with a couple rights, big leg kick buckles Yahya. Yahya shoots, gets hit coming in. Grispi throws a knee to catch Yahya coming in but ends up putting Grispi on his back, inside full guard. Yahya gets to side control after softening Grispi up. Yahya gets to North-South position and sinks in the choke, he turns clockwise tightening up and Grispi is forced to tap out. Very impressive.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Rani Yahya def. Josh Grispi by submission (north-south choke) Rd 1 (3:15)
Post-fight quotes:
Rani Yahya: “This feels awesome and I’m very emotional because I trained so hard for this victory. All my thanks go to God, my family, training partners, and coaches who helped me through this. I was mentally and physically prepared for this after I recovered from surgery and I feel better than ever. I wasn’t in the best position for the choke but I was able to put all my weight on his ribs and finish it.”
Josh Grispi: “He’s a legend on the ground and I know he loves that choke but in the spot he was in I didn’t think he was going to be able to tighten it enough to finish. I had my hand on his face and an underhook but somehow he got it really tight and things started to fade out around me. I didn’t want to be that guy asleep on the mat so I tapped. Congrats to Rani.”
Official scorecard:
Phil Davis vs. Wagner Prado
Round 1 – Prado’s story is amazing. Feeling each other out finding their range with strikes. Nothing landing after a minute. Getting closer to connecting. Nice right hook from Prado. He takes a poke in the eye from Davis who had his hand wide open and caught him coming in. Some blood coming out of his eye and the doctor stops it. He told the doctor he couldn’t see. Prado screams out in anger. He’s Brazilian and this is his UFC debut so there could be a language problem understanding here. I guarantee you he did not know they would stop the fight if he told them whatever he told them. He says he’s okay now but it’s too late. He is extremely upset. Very disappointing for him and Davis too.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Phil Davis vs. Wagner Prado ruled a No Contest due to unintentional foul (eye poke) Rd 1 (1:28)
Post-fight quotes:
Phil Davis: “I’m surprised that it turned out like this but I haven’t really seen the replay so I don’t know what happened. I don’t even know if I actually poked him in the eye for sure. It’s just very disappointing to wait so long to get in the Octagon and then have this happen and start the whole waiting period over again.”
Wagner Prado: “In MMA you’re supposed to have a clenched fist and Phil definitely didn’t which is why I got poked. The doctor didn’t ask me if I wanted to continue fighting he asked how I was feeling and I said that I was seeing double. I’ve never felt more comfortable coming into a fight. It’s been my dream to come to the UFC and show the fans what I can do win or lose. I just didn’t want it to end like this.”
Official scorecard:
Cole Miller vs. Nam Phan
Round 1 – No Arianny tonight. Wasn’t at the weigh ins either. Front kick from Miller. He checks a leg kick from Phan. Left from Miller. Leg kick. Phan trying to get in. Miller using his long reach to keep Phan back. Right from Miller. Leg kick from Phan. Right from Phan, body shot. This is Miller’s first fight at bantamweight. Nice left hook to the body from Phan. Cole Miller with a body shot and front kick. Left hook from Miller, straight left. Nice big left hook from Phan. Again. and Miller feels it, once again. Boom. Again! Triple jab and an overhand right from Nam. Looking great. Big combo from Phan, body and head. Jab from Phan, front kick from Miller. Left again from Phan. Miller tagged with a jab. Body head combo again from Phan. Leg kick. Blocks a roundhouse from Miller. Cole working the jab, left hook. Phan gets inside with a combo, again. PMN scores the round 10-9 for Phan. Great fight.
Round 2 – Nam Phan was looking awesome in that first round guys. 20 minutes til FOX TV. Left from Phan, leg kick. Cole with a leg kick. Right from Cole, jab, uppercut, high kick. Left hook from Cole another one to the body. He ducks a big shot from Phan. Body shot from Phan. Body kick from Cole, left to the body. Phan’s hands are looking really good and fast. Left hook from Cole. Nice combo from Phan. Right from cole. Fun boxing match guys. Nice left from Miller. Right from Phan connects solid. Double jab and a then a big right from Cole. Close fight too guys. Body shot from Phan. Cole tags him with jabs but Phan fires back. Front kick to the face from Miller. Left hook to the body from Phan. Nice body head combo from Phan. Right from Miller scores. Left from Phan. Inside leg kick. Nice right again for Cole, again, right down the pike. Nice jab from Cole. Phan still coming forward most of the time. Big left hook from Phan. Jab from Cole, slips and rips with a right. Double jab Phan, one two on top of it. Left hook. Wow, great action. PMN scores the round 10-9 Miller.
Round 3 – Left hook from Phan. Front kick Miller. Nice combo from Phan rocks Miller. Phan attacks. Body and head combos. Miller tries to fight back, seems to have recovered but eats a big left hook. Just ducks a head kick. These two great grapplers and there has not been one clinch guys. One cue Cole shoots, stuffed. Nice left to the body, right to the head from Phan. Great boxing. Left hook to the body from Phan. Again. Left hook to the face. Miller fires back with jabs. Big combo from Phan, body and head shots again. Big left hook to the body from Miller. Left right from Phan. Jab from Miller, left hook. Uppercut from Miller. Jabs from Miller, lands a nice right. Again. Miller landing some clean shots as the round winds down under a minute now. Phan getting a bit sloppy. Desperate maybe. Body kick, front kick from Miller. I think Cole got it. PMN scores the round 10-9 for Miller and the fight 29-28 for Miller. FIGHT OF THE NIGHT (so far).
OFFICIAL RESULT: Nam Phan def. Cole Miller by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-29) Rd 3 (5:00)
It was so close I have no argument with the result.
Post-fight quotes:
Nam Phan: “I had to win so I feel great. The fight was everything I thought it would be but I’m surprised he took me down that often. He is really tough on the ground so my goal was to sprawl and brawl throughout the fight. I saw a lot of Asian faces out there in the crowd so I wanted to put on a show for my people. I think the fans loved it so give me the fight of the night bonus! C’mon! I want to get back in there as soon as possible hopefully on the Macau card.”
Cole Miller: “Ya know I wish I would’ve been more well rounded out there. My boxing was solid but I should’ve worked a little harder. I heard the crowd react to some of his shots that didn’t really do any damage. My posture was too tall and as a result it looked a lot worse than it actually was. He only really clipped me hard with one of his punches. I tried not to force anything out there and stayed loose which cost me on the cards. I don’t want to call him one dimensional but he was everything I expected him to be out there. I just made a few mistakes.”
Official scorecard:
Mike Swick vs. DaMarques Johnson
Round 1 – Right hand from Swick. Johnson looks loose but eats a huge right and almost looked like he was out but clinched up. Again with the big right from Swick. Johnson throws a combo but Swick covers up. Swick gets caught coming in, happens again and Swick tries to get a Thai plum but gets put on his back by Johnson. Johnson inside full guard. Swick has knee braces on both legs. Johnson working the ground and pound. Swick pushes him off and gets up. Swick goes for the kill with huge punches. Johnson counters and lands and staggers Swick, they are both hurt. Johnson gets Swick to the ground, after going for a choke he gets full mount on Swick and is unloading punishment. Swick curls up on his side holding onto Johnson. Johnson sinks on a D’arce, lets it go. Thirty seconds left. Swick escapes, back to full guard. Right hand from Johnson. Swick’s face is busted up. PMN scores it 10-9 for Johnson. Great comeback for Johnson.
Round 2 – Javier Mendez told Swick he wasn’t following the gameplan. He didn’t want him in there brawling. Johnson looks fine. Swick looks ready. Johnson smiles. Touch gloves. Right from Swick, gets countered. Swick reaching with his punches. Left counter hook from Swick. Swick catches a leg kick drives in, puts Johnson on his back and finishes off the takedown with a huge right hand that puts Damarques unconscious. All I got to say about that is check our staff picks.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Mike Swick def. DaMarques Johnson by knockout (punches) Rd 1 (1:20)
Post-fight quotes:
Mike Swick: “It’s been such a long time and this just feels incredible. He came out much harder than I thought he would but I love being in that kind of fight. He caught me with a shot early on and my left eye went blank out there. I jumped ahead a couple times out there and thought I had the finish early on so when he kept coming I was worried. I really had to test my gut and by the time I got the finish I was throwing everything I had behind every shot just trying to end it. It’s so humbling to get such great support from the crowd out there and it was a welcome that I appreciate. I’m going to stay in shape and heal up so I can get right back in there.”
Official scorecard:
Joe Lauzon vs. Jamie Varner
Round 1 – Let’s see if they can keep up these great fights for FOX. Nice left hook to the body from Varner. Using great footwork on the outside. Huge left to the body. Nice body kick from Varner, leg kick, huge right to the head that rocks Lauzon. Right to the body from Varner. Lauzon lands a big knee out of the clinch. Flying knee from Varner misses. Jab from Lauzon, followed by a right. Body kick from Varner. Left hook. Right hand. Nice combo from Varner but Lauzon covers up and fires back. Varner slowing down. Nice body shot from Varner and a right. Right hand from Lauzon, again. But Varner drops him with a punch. Lauzon goes for an inverted armbar but Varner pulls out. Varner now inside is full guard, stacks Lauzon with a punch, gives him two knees to the body before the bell. PMN scores the round 10-9 for Varner.
Round 2 – Varner on the outside, inside leg kick. Outside leg kick. Nice right from Varner. Lauzon with a combo and Varner counters with a one two. Lauzon checks a Varner leg kick, tries it again but Varner goes right through him. Big right from Varner, one two, clinch, knee. Elbow from Varner. Clinch, goes for a takedown. Lauzon defends and drops levels. Varner drops down for a guillotine. Slips out and Lauzon takes his back. Varner gets to his feet and escapes a choke attempt. Nice combo from Varner. Varner is legit folks. Super legit. Nice combo to the body from Varner. Body head combo. But Lauzon attacks and is trying to make a point here. Lauzon lands big shots and attacks heavily. Clinched against the cage now as Lauzon gets the takedown, takes his back, hooks in looking for the choke. This is a WAR! Another fight of the night caliber performance. Lauzon in full mount now. Looking for arm triangle. Varner stands up and ends up on top, dropping elbows!! OMG folks this is these are the fights that we have needed on FOX! This is the UFC every man should know about! (and many women) PMN scores the round 10-9 Lauzon.
Round 3 – They hug. Varner realized he has no mouth piece, they put it in. Big elbow from Varner. Lauzon shoots, stuffed. Knee from Varner on the clinch break. Varner with the takedown. Moves to half guard. Lauzon gets free and stands. Varner fires off a combo. Lauzon has never been to a decision in a fight he’s won. Three big elbows from Varner. Another double leg takedown by Varner. Lauzon sweeps, Varner sweeps but ends up in a triangle. Lauzon has it deep and this fight is… over as Varner taps out before going to sleep! WOW!!!!! That’s one of the greatest fights we’ve ever seen and it was on FOX…. HUGE!!! Lauzon continues with his finishing streak. Lauzon is future Hall of Famer in my opinion. Even if he never wins a title.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Joe Lauzon def. Jamie Varner by submission (triangle choke) Rd 3 (2:44)
Post-fight quotes:
Joe Lauzon: “I’m happy all around with my performance. Jamie had great boxing and wrestling and came out tough early on. There’s a lot of mutual respect between us and I think that showed out there. I got caught a couple of times but I was never in any real danger in those transitions. He did an awesome job defending from his back and utilizing proper hand control to keep out of the rear naked choke. The triangle wasn’t very deep at first but I knew he’d try and struggle out of it and I’d be able to capitalize and put him in a worse position. I love to fight and can’t wait to get back in there as soon as I heal up. I’m sure I’m going to be a little sore in the morning but it’s all worth it.”
Jamie Varner: “The fight was going well for me and I expected him to come out hard like that. I wobbled him with a right in the first and thought I was going to be able to finish but couldn’t. I threw an overhand in the middle of the second and felt my hand break. Unfortunately I’ve broken them enough to know immediately when that happens. After that I transitioned and tried to use my kicks and elbows but that was really the missing weapon that I needed. I got locked up in that triangle and it was tight enough to know that I wasn’t getting out. It was either continue absorbing elbows and go out or tap.”
Official scorecard:
Lyoto Machida vs. Ryan Bader
Round 1 – Oh snap. Bader hanging back. Leg stomp by Machida, front kick. Body shot from Bader. Leg kick from Bader. Huge body kick from Lyoto. Big knee from Lyoto. Bader swings and misses. Front kick from Lyoto. Bader throws an elbow, misses. Right counter from Lyoto. So fast. Bader takes a big kick to the body. Such a great counter fighter. Bader clinches, Lyoto hit him with an elbow, and is free of the clinch. Body kick from Lyoto. PMN scores the round 10-9 Lyoto.
Round 2 – Inside leg kick from Lyoto. Again. Bader tries to rush in with a big shot and gets put to sleep. Goldy said it’s like walking into a woodchipper and this fight is done. Bader ran full speed into a short right counter. The main event has a lot to live up to to win most impressively now! As the fighter who wins “most impressively” is guaranteed a shot at the title.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Lyoto Machida def. Ryan Bader by knockout (punch) Rd 2 (1:32)
Post-fight quotes:
Lyoto Machida: “I think I successfully controlled the entire fight. I changed my stance back and forth from southpaw as often as possible to keep him guessing. I was just looking to counter when he made mistakes and that’s how I was able to finish him. The dragon is back. I lost my last fight but I feel better than ever and I’m ready to fight for the title again.”
Ryan Bader: “I have no recollection of what happened in there. But I definitely felt like I had to be the one to engage and force the issue since he never did.”
Official scorecard:
Mauricio Rua vs. Brandon Vera
Round 1 – Oh snap. Body kick from Vera, left hook. Knee from Vera and Shogun puts him on his back with a takedown. Vera trying to get up. Not where Vera wants to be. Rua on top in half guard. Left hand from Rua. Rua trying to pass, hammerfists from Rua. Rua gets to side control. Vera gets to his butt. Knee to the body from Shogun. Vera with two head kick attempts, clinch. Rua drops down for a single. Vera locks on a guillotine and drops down for it. Looks tight. Shogun pops his head out. Elbow from Vera. Big elbow from Shogun, passes to half guard. Punches from Rua. He’s trying to pass to side mount, he gets to the side now, looking to mount, takes Vera’s back, hooks in, hammerfists to the side of the head. Only 10 seconds left. Vera with a blind elbow. Great action. PMN scores the round 10-9 for Shogun.
Round 2 – Big inside leg kick from Shogun. They trade big punches. Shogun hurts him with big punches. Vera with an elbow that connects. Shogun backs up and they trade punches. Vera was almost done. But he’s still there, lands a big left hand. This looks like a pro wrestling match. Shogun looks winded. Big right hook from Vera connects. Vera is in this fight guys and Shogun looks spent. Big right from Vera. Shogun hurts him with a huge right haymaker. Shogun clinches up. Vera bleeding. Shogun with an uppercut. Head kick from Vera. Toe to toe in the center. Big right from Shogun. What is going on here folks? This looks like WWE. Nice right from Shogun. Vera with a right. Don’t forget this is a five rounder!! Clinched against the cage. The crowd cheers for Vera and he slams Shogun to the mat. Vera is on top in half guard. Under a minute to go. Vera laying on Shogun. Postures up with some elbows before the bell. Wow! PMN scores the round 10-9 for Vera.
Round 3 – Front kick from Vera, jumping knee. Clinched, Shogun looks for a single. Knee from Vera. Big knee from Vera, he backs out to the center. Elbow from Rua. Body shot, leg kick from Vera. Nice left counter from Shogun. Knee to the head from Rua. Vera goes to his knees to avoid the knees of Rua. Rua with a front headlock. Brandon on one knee. Vera is up, one two leg kick. Again. Right from Shogun. One two knee from Vera. Shogun with the trip lands on top of Vera, both guys look exhausted. Vera in half guard. Shogun with a couple punches as Vera tries to get up. PMN scores the round 10-9 for Shogun.
Round 4 – Right counter from Shogun, big left elbow from Vera. One two leg kick and a knee to the body from Vera. Huge left hook from Rua, goes for a single. Clinched. Knee from Shogun, again, this one to the head. Knee to the thigh from Vera. Rua leaning on him against the cage. Knee from Vera. Elbow from Shogun as he backs out. Nice elbow from Vera, big uppercut from Rua. Ref wants work as they wrestle for position in the clinch. Shogun backs out. Big left right, left right from Shogun. He’s hurt badly. Shogun finishes him off with a couple more shots and Vera goes down and out on his shield. He gave it all he got. That’s all you can ask for.
The fact that every fight ended in a finish on FOX TV is huge for the sport. This is the best UFC card in recent memory.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Mauricio “Shogun” Rua def. Brandon Vera by TKO (strikes) Rd 4 (4:09)
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