A Night at the Fights: UFC on FOX 4 edition

UFC on FOX 4 was a smash success on nearly all levels.

It dazzled the casual fan with a thoroughly enjoyable card from start-to-finish; it thrust several fighters back into contender status; it may even have restored consumer confidence following a dreary spectacle in Calgary in the UFC's last major pay-per-view. (Check out TJ Molland's rundown on UFC 149, if you need a refresher.)

It did miss the mark in one regard, though.

Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua and Lyoto Machida took very different paths to victory on Saturday night, and only one would leave with what they truly sought-- another shot at the light-heavyweight championship.

The problem is UFC boss Dana White gave it to the wrong man.

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In the evening's co-main event, Machida did what Machida does.

He was barely scathed while dancing outside of Ryan Bader's range, until finally Bader grew tired of being outpointed. The former Arizona State wrestler -- who threatens with proven power in his hands, as well -- took his chance in the second round, leaping in at Machida with the misplaced hope of at last landing even a semi-significant punch. Instead he ran into a startling right hand that left him crumpled and unconscious.

White promised before the card the most impressive performance among the top two bouts would result in the next title shot at 205 pounds. Machida (18-3, 10-3 UFC) didn't need his translator to get his point across.

But would Shogun or Brandon Vera put on a more impressive showing? Yes and no.

Both Muay Thai specialists, Shogun and Vera went back-and-forth in the type of battle old MMA fans would have expected from the pair circa 2006. Vera looked like his old self, landing short elbows and cringe-inducing kicks to the body. Rua though wore down 'The Truth' with lunging punches, timely takedowns and ground-and-pound, knees from the clinch, and -- just like the Dan Henderson fight his last time in the octagon -- an alarming ability to absorb shots.

Rua (21-6, 5-4 UFC) survived a tight choke, and even some Vera ground-and-pound, to eventually secure a fourth round TKO victory. The win was certainly not without flaws. It appears unlikely Rua will ever show an interest in defence; he often seems like keeping his hands up is more grueling then taking the punches to the face that follow. It seems equally unlikely he'll ever show serious dedication to his cardio (Rua later admitted he started to gas in the second round against Vera.) What he does though, as good as anyone, is use his limbs to bludgeon opponents into submission or unconsciousness.

Pair his tough victory over Vera with his performance in his last two fights (a first round KO of Forrest Griffin; and a tight decision loss to Henderson, which I thought should have been a draw) and I think Shogun deserves the shot at the winner of September’s Jon ‘Bones’ Jones-Henderson title bout.

Machida was impressive as hell against Bader, but that was his first fight since being choked out by Bones. He also faced little adversity in what was a perfect matchup for him style-wise; Bader has average speed, limited striking range, and Machida’s takedown defence is among the best in the game.

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Other thoughts from a satisfying UFC on FOX 4:

-Perhaps the world’s toughest admitted computer nerd, Joe Lauzon rode out the storm against rejuvenated former WEC champ Jamie Varner and forced a third-round tapout by triangle choke. Slowed considerably since dropping Lauzon several times in the first two rounds, Varner took J-Lau down only to be swept and caught in the fight-ending submission in the ensuing scramble. Lauzon (22-7, 9-4 in the UFC) has now amazingly secured a finish in every one of his 22 career victories. Give this man another decent name on a main card.

-Mike Swick (15-4, 10-3 UFC) is deserving of the same treatment after a beastly second round KO of a grounded DeMarques Johnson. The welterweight overcame some serious shots in – like 8 of the other bouts on the card – an unquestionably entertaining (and free!) fight. I thought ‘Quick’ also looked noticeably healthier at 170 pounds in his first bout since 2010 due to lingering injuries and illness. He always looked thinned out at welterweight, but against Johnson it seemed like he had significantly more muscle on his frame.

-It’s too bad Phil Davis’ eyepoke ended his matchup with UFC newcomer Wagner Prado prematurely. The Blackhouse fighter showed flashes of intriguing stand-up in the minute and a half no-contest against the heavily-favored Davis.

-Don’t let the fact his first-round submission victory lifts him to 2-3 over his last 5 appearances fool you, Rani Yahya (17-7, 2-1 UFC) is a terrifying threat to anyone on the ground at 145 pounds. His jiu-jitsu credentials are long, but I was surprised he dusted Josh Grispi that quick with a north-south choke variation.