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UFC Fight Night on Versus – Preview & Event Coverage By Justin Bolduc
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This Sunday the UFC is set to make their Versus debut, which is home to the WEC which is also owned by Zuffa. The card features a strong light heavyweight main event clash between Jon Jones and Brandon Vera, as well as a compelling heavyweight co-main event bout between rising prospect Junior dos Santos and Gabriel Gonzaga.
Rounding out the main card is another heavyweight bout between strikers Cheick Kongo and Paul Buentello and a middleweight tilt between knockout artists James Irvin and Alessio Sakara. Fan favorites Clay Guida, Duane “Bang” Ludwig, and The Ultimate Fighter 10 finalist Brendan Schaub are also set to appear.
The card has been plagued by injuries, unfortunately. Initially Clay Guida was set to fight former UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk, but Sherk suffered an undisclosed injury. Anthony Johnson was scheduled to appear on the card against John Howard, but was forced off due to a knee injury for which he has recently had surgery for. PRIDE veteran Antonio Rogerio Nogueira was on tap to face Brandon Vera but pulled out due to an ankle injury. Additionally, Duane Ludwig was scheduled to fight Spencer Fisher, but Fisher suffered an undisclosed injury. The other removal was Rob Kimmons who was contracted to fight Mike Pierce. Kimmons suffered a leg injury in training.
This weekend's UFC card will also air on international television, appearing on ESPN in the UK, Rogers Sportsnet in Canada, and Televisa in Mexico.
Brandon Vera (11-4) vs. Jon Jones (9-1)
Brandon Vera exploded onto the scene with exciting finishes in his first four UFC bouts. Vera scored TKO stoppages over the late Justin Eilers, Fabiano Scherner, and former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir, as well as a submission over Assuerio Silva to extend his undefeated streak to eight victories.
Vera, who was originally scheduled to fight Antonio Rogerio Nogueira this weekend, tasted defeated for the first time when he faced former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia in 2007. Sylvia, who stands 6'8” tall and cut to make the 265-pound limit, showed Vera that heavyweight wasn't the place for the natural 205'er. Despite the setback Vera competed once more at heavyweight, losing to PRIDE veteran Fabricio Werdum in the end of round one.
Vera has gone 3-2 since making the move to light heavyweight. In his 205 pound debut he defeated Reese Andy by decision, but was then defeated by Keith Jardine. He won his next two against Michael Patt via leg kicks and Krzysztof Soszynski by decision. Most recently he lost a close decision against former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion Randy Couture at UFC 105.
Vera is a well-rounded fighter with solid Greco-Roman wrestling, dangerous Muay Thai, and underrated jiu-jitsu, but has seemed to lack the fire he once showed in his past destructions.
Intangibles: UFC Record: 7-4 (4 TKO, 1 Sub) Strengths: Good Muay Thai, Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt, Greco-Roman background Weaknesses: Which Brandon Vera shows up? Key Wins: Frank Mir, Krzysztof Soszynski, Assuerio Silva, Mike Whitehead, Justin Eilers, Reese Andy Notable Losses: Randy Couture, Tim Sylvia, Keith Jardine, Fabricio Werdum
Jon Jones is currently one of the hottest mixed martial arts prospects on the planet. While fighters such as Junior dos Santos, Todd Duffee, and Shane Carwin have reinvigorated a stagnant heavyweight division, Jones has risen to the occasion in the incredibly deep light heavyweight talent pool. With nine victories and one disqualification loss, Jones is seemingly unstoppable in his rise to contender-ship.
Jones made his UFC debut with a perfect 6-0 record, including five TKO's and one submission, in 2008. In his first three UFC bouts he displayed explosive wrestling, dangerous striking, and frantic pacing with decisions over IFL stand-out Andre Gusmao and The Ultimate Fighter finalist Stephan Bonnar, and a submission over Jake O'Brien.
In his most recent bout Jones was on his way to a one-sided beat down against Matt Hamill before the bout was stopped. There was confusion initially as it looked like Jones secured a TKO stoppage, but referee Steve Mazagatti had actually disqualified Jones for illegal use of downward elbow strikes. Despite the disqualification loss on his record, anyone who watched the bout against Hamill is more than aware of where Jones stands.
Intangibles: UFC Record: 3-1 (1 Sub) Strengths: Well-rounded striking, explosive wrestling base, lengthy reach Weaknesses: Relatively inexperienced against upper-level competition Key Wins: Andre Gusmao, Stephan Bonnar, Jake O'Brien Notable Loss: Matt Hamill (DQ)
Junior dos Santos (10-1) vs. Gabriel Gonzaga (11-4)
Junior dos Santos was brought into the UFC as a promising addition to the promotion, but mainly seen as feed for a lion. But dos Santos surprised the world and established himself as one of the top prospects in the world when he knocked out top ten ranked PRIDE veteran Fabricio Werdum in 1:21.
Following his first round destruction of Werdum, dos Santos was paired up with fellow prospect Stefan Struve – a bout which ended in only fifty-four seconds by TKO. Dos Santos has recently continued his path of destruction by finishing two dangerous strikers. Against PRIDE's 2006 Open-Weight Grand Prix champion and K-1 veteran Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, dos Santos beat the Croatian so badly that Filipovic called it quits two minutes into round three. In his most recent performance dos Santos knocked out Gilbert Yvel in 2:07 at UFC 108.
Dos Santos has never fought to a decision and holds seven TKO's and three submissions in his ten professional victories. “Cigano” trains alongside former UFC and PRIDE heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, highly ranked PRIDE veteran Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, and UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida.
Intangibles: UFC Record: 4-0 (3 TKO, 1 Sub) Strengths: Good boxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt, excellent defense Weaknesses: Can become over-aggressive Key Wins: Fabricio Werdum, Mirko Filipovic, Gilbert Yvel, Stefan Struve, Geronimo dos Santos Notable Losses: Joaquim Ferreira
Gabriel Gonzaga has consistently remained at the cusp of the top ten heavyweight ranks, even breaking in with a surprising head kick knockout over knockout specialist Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic in 2007. The Brazilian has failed to capitalize at the highest level however, falling to other elite competition he has faced.
Gonzaga held a professional mixed martial arts record of 4-1 when he joined the UFC in 2005 with a notable win over Branden Lee Hinkle and his sole loss at the time to Fabricio Werdum. Gonzaga defeated Kevin Jordan with a superman punch in the third round but didn't gain much attention in what was viewed as a terribly boring bout between two gassed heavyweights. Gonzaga was able to rebound however with strong finishes over Fabiano Scherner and Carmelo Marrero.
At this time Gonzaga was matched up with “Cro Cop” and shocked the world with a first round head kick knockout. Having earned a title shot, Gonzaga then faced Randy Couture, losing by TKO in the third round. Next Gonzaga rematched Werdum, losing again. Since then he has gone 3-1 with a pair of wins over Justin McCully and Josh Hendricks, a KO loss to Shane Carwin, and most recently a first round TKO over prospect Chris Tuchscherer.
Intangibles:
UFC Record: 7-3 (5 TKO, 2 Sub) Strengths: Devastating power, Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, well-rounded Weaknesses: Crumbles when bullied, conditioning Key Wins: Mirko Filipovic, Carmelo Marrero, Chris Tuchscherer, Justin McCully Notable Losses: Fabricio Werdum (2), Randy Couture, Shane Carwin
Cheick Kongo (14-6-1) vs. Paul Buentello (27-11)
Cheick Kongo has been a mainstay in the UFC heavyweight division since first fighting for the promotion in 2006. Kongo joined the promotion with a professional mixed martial arts record of 7-2-1 with four TKO's and knockouts and two submissions.
Kongo won his first two bouts in the UFC in impressive fashion by finishing the late Gilbert Aldana and Christian Wellisch in the first round with strikes. In his next bout he was exposed by natural light heavyweight Carmelo Marrero who used takedowns and ground control to win a lackluster decision. Assuerio Silva then tried the same approach as Marrero, but this time the judges scored in Kongo's favor. Kongo wrapped up 2007 with a decision win over PRIDE's 2006 Open-Weight Grand Prix champion Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic.
Since the start of 2008, Kongo has gone 3-3. He lost a split decision against PRIDE veteran Heath Herring but rattled off three-straight victories by TKO over Dan Evensen, Mostapha Al-Turk, and Antoni Hardonk. In his last two bouts he lost by decision to undefeated prospect Cain Velasquez and was most recently knocked down and choked out by former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir.
Intangibles:
UFC Record: 7-4 (5 TKO) Strengths: Good kickboxing, vicious Muay Thai clinch, great ground defense Weaknesses: Mediocre wrestling Key Wins: Mirko Filipovic, Assuerio Silva, Antoni Hardonk Notable Losses: Frank Mir, Heath Herring, Gilbert Yvel, Carmelo Marrero, Cain Velasquez, Rodney Glunder
Paul Buentello is a solid and often overlooked heavyweight. While not at the elite level, his solid kickboxing and experience make him a dangerous opponent for anyone and a boost to any promotion that picks him up. Buentello had a previous run in the UFC where he compiled a record of 3-1, only losing to former UFC champion Andrei Arlovski in a heavyweight championship bout. In his three victories he scored knockouts against Justin Eilers and Gilbert Aldana and a submission over Kevin Jordan.
After leaving the UFC for better financial opportunities with sponsors, Buentello began competing in Strikeforce. “The Headhunter” scored three knockouts with the promotion over David “Tank” Abbott, Ruben “Warpath” Villareal, and Carter Williams before facing PRIDE veteran Alistair Overeem for the promotion's heavyweight title. Buentello submitted in the second round due to knees to the body.
Since then the AKA fighter has posted wins in Affliction over Gary Goodridge and a Kirill Sidelnikov. In his most recent performance he lost his return to the UFC in an exciting bout against Stefan Struve by majority decision. In twenty-seven professional victories Buentello has finished seventeen opponents by TKO and nine by submission.
Intangibles:
UFC Record: 3-2 (2 TKO, 1 Sub) Strengths: Good kickboxing, durable, underrated ground game Weaknesses: Can fight too patiently and not jump at opportunities Key Wins: Justin Eilers, Kirill Sidelnikov, Gary Goodridge Notable Losses: Andrei Arlovski, Alistair Overeem, Stefan Struve, Evan Tanner, Dan Severn, Gan McGee, Ricco Rodriguez
Additional Notes
*Alessio Sakara (14-7, 1 NC) vs. James Irvin (14-5, 1 NC) is set for the main card in hopes of a knockout by the Italian boxer or “The Sandman”. Sakara enters Sunday's bout riding a two-fight win streak and holding a UFC record of 5-4 with one no contest. Irvin fights for the first time since being knocked out by UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva in 2008 and holds a UFC record of 4-3.
*In PDG's Fight to Watch, Clay Guida (25-11) takes on Shannon Gugerty (12-4). Guida claims to have gotten back to his roots which saw him relentlessly pursue the takedown and punish his opponent on the mat. “The Carpenter” is on a two-fight skid and holds a UFC record of 5-5. Gugerty is less known than his upcoming opponent but but has posted nine submission victories in his career. Gugerty is 2-2 in the UFC and enters Sunday's bout coming off a loss.
*Eliot Marshall (8-1) has a challenge ahead of him in Vladimir Matyushenko (23-4). Marshall appeared on The Ultimate Fighter 8 and lost on the show, but has since posted three consecutive victories, giving himself an unblemished UFC record of 3-0. Matyushenko has had a lengthy career dating back to 1997. The IFL, IFC, and UFC veteran is on a two-fight win streak and has compiled a UFC record of 4-2.
UFC on Versus Fight Card
Main Card Brandon Vera vs. Jon Jones Junior dos Santos vs. Gabriel Gonzaga Cheick Kongo vs. Paul Buentello Alessio Sakara vs. James Irvin
Preliminary Card Clay Guida vs. Shannon Gugerty (PDG's Fight to Watch) Eliot Marshall vs. Vladimir Matyushenko Duane Ludwig vs. Darren Elkins John Howard vs. Daniel Roberts Brendan Schaub vs. Chase Gormley Mike Pierce vs. Julio Paulino Eric Schafer vs. Jason Brilz
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