UFC on FX 4 preview

Tonight’s UFC on FX 4 broadcast is more than a warm-up to tomorrow night’s UFC 147 pay-per-view but it does seem like simply counter-programming to the start of Bellator’s summer series with a couple fan favorites and a whole lot of up-and-comers.  UFC on FX 4 takes place at Revel in Atlantic City with prelims on Facebook and Fuel TV, the main card of course being live on FX.

Clay Guida is fighting much smarter than his early career but on the other hand his five “Fight of the Night” and two “Fight of the Year” awards were over two years ago, more recently he has “just” won “Submission of the Night” not to mention a higher percentage of his fights.  Gray Maynard has always fought smart which is how he earned a title shot and immediate rematch at UFC 125 and 136.  Guida’s four-win streak was broken in his last fight with a unanimous decision loss to Ben Henderson in a title eliminator fight at UFC on Fox, not counting draws and “no contests” Maynard’s undefeated streak ended at UFC 136 with a title shot loss to Frankie Edgar.  Now these two face off in what is not being advertised as a title eliminator but will definitely put one of them one step closer.  Most fans expect this to be a standup war with both having a hard time keeping the other on the ground should it come to that.

Sam StoutWith only one fight last year (win over Yves Edwards) and one so far this year (loss to Thiago Tavares) it is a little surprising to see Sam Stout in the co-main event slot.  Always one of the best strikers in the division Stout’s ground game has kept him out of contention with both of his losses being by such and the other five in his 17-7-1 record (6-6 in the UFC) being by decision.  Spencer FisherSpencer Fisher is also one of the most feared strikers in the division but his UFC record is arguably worse taking recent fights into account with two losses in the UFC last year, his most recent win being over relative unknown Curt Warburton at UFC 120 in October 2010.  Look for this to be a standup war but having little to no impact on the rankings.

The one to really watch on this card is Hatsu Hioki.  With only one loss in five years (in fourteen wins and one “no contest”) Hioki enters this fight against Ricardo Lamas on a five-win streak, two of which were in the UFC.  WEC holdover Lamas also has two wins in the UFC but is much less experienced with only thirteen fights to Hioki’s 32.  If any fight has the odds to win “Submission of the Night” it is this one.

Prelims on Facebook:

BW: Ken Stone vs. Dustin Pague
WW: Dan Miller vs. Ricardo Funch

Prelims on Fuel TV:

WW: Matt Brown vs. Luis Ramos
MW: Chris Camozzi vs. Nick Catone
FW: Joey Gambino vs. Steven Siler
WW: Rick Story vs. Brock Jardine
157: Ramsey Nijem vs. C.J. Keith
FW: Hatsu Hioki vs. Ricardo Lamas

Main card (FX):

FW: Ross Pearson vs. Cub Swanson
WW: Brian Ebersole vs. T.J. Waldburger
LW: Sam Stout vs. Spencer Fisher
LW: Gray Maynard vs. Clay Guida

Brian Ebersole airborn  Nick Catone