Breaking Down UFC on Versus 4: The Prelims
Added on Jun 23, 2011 by John Petit in
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The main card for UFC on Versus 4 is a little confusing. Mainly because a few of the better fights are on the under card. I will break down the main card as I do for all the events, but I thought a few of the fights deserved the treatment as well. The good news is that you will be able to see the under card on the UFC’s Facebook page so you won’t miss anything.
Featherweight bout:
Tyson Griffin vs. Manvel Gamburyan
Tyson Griffin had an awful 2010. After going 14-2, he dropped three straight fights in the UFC, and if he wasn’t such an exciting fighter he would be headlining regional shows. Manny Gamburyan is coming off a loss as well, but its a loss to Jose’ Aldo for the WEC featherweight title. Griffin decided to change things up and drop back down to featherweight, and this could be whats good for him. Gamburyan already has four fights in the UFC and he went 2-2, and before his loss to Aldo he was on a 3 fight winning streak. The momentum in this fight is definitely in Manny’s corner, but Griffin is never one to back away from any type of fight. Tyson has a lot to lose in this fight, and I expect him to walk out with the W.
Featherweight bout:
Joe Stevenson vs. Javier Vazquez
After going 2-3 in his WEC run many were surprised that Vazquez was brought over tot he UFC after the merger. Conversely, many people are trying to figure out why Joe “Daddy” even has a job in the UFC, as he has only one 3 fights out of 9 since 2008. This is easily a loser goes home match, and Stevenson seems to be really motivated for this fight. He has promised to “break something off” of Vazquez to win this fight which is out of character for the typically mild mannered Stevenson. The bad news for Stevenson is that Javier is a second degree black belt under Carlson Gracie and has never been submitted in his MMA career. The edge Stevenson has in this fight is one of experience as this will be Vazquez’s first fight in the UFC while Stevenson has been fighting for the UFC since 2005 and is 31-13 as a pro. I see Stevenson taking this one to the cards, and earning a tight decision.
Lightweight bout:
Joe Lauzon vs. Curt Warburton
J-Lau exploded on the scene in the UFC by knocking out Jens Pulver at UFC 63 and has gone 6-3 in the UFC and 19-6 over all. J Lau has 3 fight of the night awards, and 3 submission of the night awards out of 9 fights, and is coming off a submission loss to George Sotiropoulos. The 30 year old Curt Warurton is 1-1 in the UFC and 7-2 over all as a pro, and this will be his first time fighting on American soil. Fighting Lauzon is a huge step up for Warburton as J-Lau has been as violent as an exciting as he ever has been in his career. Lauzon’s thrashing of Gabe Reudiger is all you need to watch to know what kind of pressure he is capable of, and he has been in the cage with much more experienced fighters. I expect Joe Lauzon to win this fight, and I expect him to finish it early.
