UFC on Fox 4 Update: Brandon Vera vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua Tapped for Main Event
By Chris Leslie on June 7, 2012
Rather than find a new opponent for fighter Hector Lombard after an injury to Brian Stann, the UFC has gone an entirely new route by tapping Brandon Vera and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua for the main event. Both Vera and Rua were pulled from other cards to make the bout happen. The UFC announced the news Wednesday night.
Brandon Vera was originally set to face James Te Huna at UFC on Fuel TV 4 before being pulled for the Fox card. Vera last fought at UFC 137 when he narrowly edged Eliot Marshall despite suffering an elbow ligament tear during a submission chain by Marshall. Vera’s original opponent, James Te Huna, will remain on the Fuel TV card with a new opponent being named shortly.
“Shogun” last fought at UFC 139 in an insane five round battle with Dan Henderson that he lost by decision. Rua was originally set to fight Thiago Silva at UFC 149 before Silva withdrew with injury.
The UFC has also shifted former headliner Hector Lombard to UFC 149 against Tim Boetsch.
UFC on Fox 4 takes place August 4 live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
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So when do the tickets go on sale?
Mismatch!
This won’t even be close.
Think it’s time to pack your bags Vera. Time for a confidence boost for Shogun
Vera matched up against Shogun, and a main event at that….WOW
Why not swap & put Shogun/Davis & Vera/Griggs makes more sense to me…Or if they don’t want to chance Davis boring Fox fans again in a main event then why not do Shogun vs Bonnar???…Speaking of does anybody know what’s going on with Bonnar these days?…After his last fight I remember him asking for a step up in competition and even asked for a fight with Rampage in Japan but haven’t heard much since
Poor Vera! No way Shogun can lose this, even if he under trains, and comes in as the bad version of himself. I’ll start the betting at Shogun -600
Man you guys are severely overlooking vera.
It should tell you something that UFC picked Vera to fight shogun and not Te Huna, who is on a nice winning streak and who’s still considered a top prospect.
Vera is a very dynamic striker and will not take this chance of a lifetime lightly..he wins this and he’s right back in the title mix. Don’t think he doesn’t know that. Shogun just bit off a big old mouthful.
This fight is going to be awesome though..both fighters will be happy to stand and bang and both fighters have a sick arsenal of attacks. Can’t wait.
There’s no overlooking Vera .. it definitely wasn’t a headscratcher when they released him the first time. They only brought him back because of the whole Thiago Silva issue.
This has to be a cruel cruel set-up for Vera. He can’t hang with Shogun.
Should tell us something about Vera?
Nothing we don’t already know. A one dimensional fighter, with a a very weak jaw. Has absolutely no finishing ability, tries to bore fighters and fans to death and who is constantly given way too many chances by the UFC brass. Who should still be fired if it wasn’t for Silva testing positive for roids? That’s about all we know.
The guy is toted as having some of the best muay thai striking in the game, but really when it comes down to it, he doesn’t. Sure he may look good hitting a heavy bag, but in the octagon, he just can’t put anything together and would be happy shadow boxing for 3 rounds.
I expect this to go down the same way as his fights against Bones and Silva. His face getting rearranged.
looks like vera will be looking for a new job soon.
he lost to jones.. then as close as it gets with hendo (5 rounds)
and now they give him vera? i don’t get it?
i think they don’t like vera and want him gone?
Its like a hit on Vera has been set up ….. and he is going down on national tv . OUCH
What a pu$$y move by Shogun. He gives an empathic “NO” to an actual up-and-coming fighter, then signs on the dotted line for Vera. Way to show that heart of a champion, ya poser.
Later news has proven that to be an incomplete story, the only official offers the UFC made were of Igor Pokrajac and Vera.
dbiz,
I agree, Shogun signing on to face Vera after saying no to Teixeira is pretty lame. Vera hasn’t. Beaten anyone noteworthy since Mir 6 years ago. He’s lost 3 of 4 and only beat Marshall by a close decision. Teixeira meanwhile has won 16 straight and in his last bout made quick work of Kingsbury subbing him in under 2 minutes. 11 ko’s & 5 subs in 18 wins. I know some people argue Teixeira is less known, but Vera is not on Shoguns level, I know it, most of you seem to know it, and I’d be will to bet Shogun knows it. Whereas Teixeira may very well be on his level and IMO should want to fight the best guys out there, whether they are well known or not. Just my opinion.
Oops!
Lol wow tell me what you guys really think about Vera.
@Cid
Damn the guy loses to bones and a very close decision to randy and he is a bum who shouldnt be the the UFC? Lol. No finishing ability? The dude has 6 finishes in the UFC including 5 at hw, in which 4 were kos. And.he trains bjj under Lloyd Irvin. But he’s one dimensional.
This is a perfect trap fight for shogun. Watch and see.
Devin,
Its not that I think Vera doesn’t have a chance. I think if the Vera that I remember from years ago shows up, the one who had 5 ko’s and a sub in 6 fights, I think he has a chance. I was a Vera supporter, and thought he had so much potential, he just didn’t seem to perform as well against higher competition. I love the fact both guys like to stand and bang, and I think Vera is good enough on the feet he might be able to make a fight out of it. I’m definitely looking forward to it.
shogun and machida both on this guard y not match them 2 up to settle the score in the exact building where their 1st matchup took place? my guess is the ufc does not want machida losing 2 in a row again
card*
Plus machida is already fighting bader.
@newfie
I do agree, vera def never seemed to live up to the hype. But I felt like he got a raw deal against randy and he got destroyed by bones back when no one knew that bones was bones. If the same dude who ko’d Mir shows up, which I think he will, then he has a decent chance. Gonna be a great match up style wise anyway, so excited for it. The event is also the day after my bday, and I live in LA, so maybe I’ll just go!
Cheers.
This card is definitely got the potential to be the best Fox card yet. Even though I do think shogun will tko Vera rather quickly, it still serves as an eyecatching main event. Machida and Bader is also a very interesting fight. Bader looked great in his last 2 outings, but I think Machida is a bad matchup for him. I believe bader will attempt to do what rampage did to beat Machida, but I just don’t see Machida being controlled against the cage like that again. I predict shogun by 1st round tko and machida by outclassing Bader in the 1st 2 rounds by keeping distance and peppering him with punches and Bader finally getting in on him in the 3rd and scoring a late takedown, battering a covered up machida with some ground and pound getting close to a finish, but machida survives the round and takes a very narrow 29-28 unanimous decision
Which will then set up to the rubber match between shogun and machida possibly as the main event of the next fox card or a comain under a payperview title fight. Possibly with gsp and Condit. I realize im reaching a bit here but a boy can dream haha
Do I think Vera will win? No, but not for most of the reason that have been given so far. If he has a glass jaw, then why does he only have two TKO losses (one from Bones and one from Werdum at HW) in 18 fights? He loses when he gets pushed around, over-powered, or when he is gassed and doesn’t get off his back or go for a sub from bottom. His decision loses are all on him, but I don’t necessarily think he lost to enter fighters ( on those particular nights, not necessarily careers). I think Vera will lose once again by lack of will and poor cardio. I think he still believes his hype from years ago, but the problem is that he is going against Shogun who is coming off a razor thin decision loss that he wants to bounce back from. Vera would have to catch Shogun early and capitalize, because he just doesn’t have the intangibles to make up for his deteriorating skill and lack of gas-tankanty more.