The UFC is back on FOX tomorrow night with a card that may not have you excited at first look but should provide some very entertaining bouts once it plays out. UFC on FOX: Shogun vs. Vera will take place at The Staples Center in Los Angeles and both the co-main event and main event carry title implications for the each of the four fighters involved.
Before we get to those two bouts I wanted to take a minute and look at the first two fights that will be televised on FOX. First we will see the return of Mike Swick to the Octagon after a 30-month layoff due to various illnesses and injuries. The 33-year-old welterweight will face DaMarques Johnson in what should prove to be an explosive contest. In a lightweight tilt we will see if Jamie Varner can continue his career resurgence as he battles the always tough Joe Lauzon.
The co-main event will see former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida face TUF winner Ryan Bader. The last time we saw Machida he was choked out and dropped like a bad habit by current champ Jon Jones at UFC 140. Bader on the other hand beat an out of shape, uninspired Quinton Jackson at UFC 144 via unanimous decision. In the main event Brandon Vera will look to cash in his golden ticket as he battles another former 205-pound champion in Mauricio Rua.
UFC President Dana White has said that the winner of one of those two bouts will face the winner of Jones-Dan Henderson which will take place at UFC 151 on September 1 in Las Vegas. Jones has defeated all four of these men in convincing fashion. He battered and bruised Rua to win the title, choked out Bader to gain the title shot and broke Vera’s face back in March of 2010. Machida seems to have given him his stiffest test, but the result was still the same. Another dominating win for Jones and another opponent left scratching his head because they couldn’t solve his puzzle.
This may be the best UFC on FOX card yet and has four bouts with the potential to end in dramatic fashion. The UFC and FOX are looking to rebound from their card which took place in May. That event had some good fights, but the ratings weren’t all that impressive. It’s MMA, it’s on free television and there is a title shot on the line, I have a feeling fans are going to be happy with how things turn out.
Now on to the Hot Seat. Let’s take a look at what fighters are in desperate need of a win to keep their job with the organization…
Oli Thompson:
Having suffered a 2nd round TKO loss to Shawn Jordan at UFC on FX: Alves vs. Kampmann in March, Thompson now faces a must win situation. It’s never beneficial to your career to lose your first two bouts inside the Octagon. At 32-years-old Thompson doesn’t have time on his side as he has already passed his prime and there isn’t any room for a fighter who isn’t winning fights whether he’s a flyweight or a heavyweight. He could be kept around to fight on any European cards the UFC has planned as he is from England or maybe as an injury replacement should a fighter get hurt. Other than that if he wants to force the UFC’s hand and give him more fights he will have to win tomorrow night.
Manny Gamburyan:
At one time Gamburyan was the number one contender and faced Jose Aldo for what the WEC Featherweight Championship. He had knocked out former champ Mike Thomas Brown for the opportunity to challenge Aldo. He went on to lose via 2nd round TKO to Aldo and has since lost two more bouts via decision in the UFC. Not only has he lost three in a row he has been hit with the injury bug on two separate occasions. He has to win here or he’s gone. Four losses in a row with three in the UFC would run his overall record to 11-8 and that just doesn’t cut it in the worlds’ largest MMA promotion.
Because he and Gamburyan are both under intense pressure to win and put on a solid performance the fans may be the ones who turn out to be the real winners or they could both be overly cautious and put on a bathroom break bout. Omigawa has not been good since coming over from Japan. He lost his first two fights to Chad Mendes and Darren Elkins before winning a decision against Jason Young. He followed that up with a loss to Yuri Alcantara at UFC 142. With a 1-3 record since returning to the UFC and a 13-11-1 record overall he is in the same boat as his opponent Gamburyan – win or seek opportunities elsewhere.
I found myself surprised when I started typing Grispi’s name. Back in January of 2011 he was ready to face Aldo for the UFC Featherweight Championship, but Aldo got hurt and Grispi decided to take on a young, unknown fighter named Dustin Poirier. Grispi would go on to lose to Poirier and it wasn’t like it was a close fight, as “The Diamond” controlled the action from start to finish. Six months later at the TUF 13 Finale Grispi fell victim to a body punch KO courtesy of George Roop. He was injured and has been out of action since to deal with some family issues. Now he is set to rumble Rani Yaha and potentially faces his third loss in a row. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Grispi needs the win tomorrow, not only to keep his job, but to restore his confidence as well.
Nam Phan and Yaha may not be in serious jeopardy, but each fighter could make it a lot easier on White and Joe Silva by picking up wins. Both men face two fight losing streaks and really need a strong performance. I could see a scenario where both guys go out and put on a great fight and lose, but still keep their jobs.
That’s it for this edition! Make sure to tune in tomorrow night and see how these fighters fare.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
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