UFC on Fuel TV 4 Preview
The middleweight division is once again stable after UFC 148 saw the reign of Anderson Silva continue. It is a reign that has lasted since 2006 and has left the middleweight division with few if any challengers. Chael Sonnen was one of the last middleweight sin the division that could pose a threat to Silva but there are still a number of middleweights looking to prove that they could be the next one. Two of these fighters will be featured on UFC on Fuel TV this week as Mark Munoz takes on Chris Weidman in a matchup of two middleweights looking to become the next challenger. Mark Munoz was on this path in 2011 as he looked to be a legitimate challenger to the title. Since entering the UFC Munoz has only lost two fights with a 7-2 record and was on his way to the #1 contender spot. Munoz was set to face Chael Sonnen in January 2012 with the winner moving on to face Anderson Silva. Then he suffered an injury during training forcing him to drop out of the fight and losing his chance to be the #1 contender. Now with over six months out of the octagon Munoz will look to take another shot at moving up the middleweight ladder where he hopes to finish where he left off at the top of the division. Meanwhile Chris Weidman is where Munoz was before his injury put all of the plans on hold. Weidman has made his mark since entering the UFC as he has fought his way to a 4-0 record since entering the UFC last year. Weidman is hoping that this start can propel him into the title conversation and putting Munoz on the list of wins will go a long way to doing that. After a great start to his career Weidman is looking to be the new face that can challenge Silva for the title. This matchup will go a long way to determining the next opponent of Anderson Silva and although both fighters might not get a shot immediately this can put them on the right track. For Mark Munoz this fight is a chance to prove that his injury was a small setback in his road to the title. Munoz will look to get the win and continue his climb up the middleweight ladder from where he left off. For Weidman this fight is a chance to prove that his 4-0 start in the UFC was no fluke and that he can fight with the best of them. Beating Munoz would be a massive boost for Weidman who is looking to be the next challenger for the belt. This fight pits two very similar fighters against each other as well with both fighters based in wrestling. Munoz is a wrestler who has adjusted his skills to become one of the best ground and pound specialists in the UFC. With a great ability to throwing power punches from the guard Munoz can easily KO someone from the top position. Weidman is also a wrestler but unlike Munoz has become more of a submission artist. He does not have the power of Munoz but his athleticism and ability to learn quickly makes him a dangerous fighter. This fight could be fought on the ground but if Munoz is smart he would keep Weidman standing and use his Muay Thai to beat the young fighter. If it goes to the ground it will all depend on whether Munoz can get the top position or if he will be forced to fight from his back. Weidman is a young talented fighter who is on the rise in the middleweight division but Munoz has been waiting a long time to get back in the octagon and will be anxious to finish the fight. With his power he will have a better shot than Weidman to end the fight and will likely win the fight via KO in the second round putting him back on the path to a title shot.
The co-main event at UFC on Fuel TV 4 will also feature a comeback as Joey Beltran returns to the UFC after being cut earlier this year. Beltran will take on James Te Huna in a match-up in the Light Heavyweight Division. It is not a match-up for the top contender as neither of these fighters have done enough to warrant a shot. Joey Beltran struggled in the UFC when he came in from Strikeforce in 2010. His first fights showed a lot of promise as he won his first two in the UFC but then lost his next two. After that he went 1-2 and after losing to Lavar Johnson Beltran was cut from the UFC roster forcing him into much smaller leagues. After a few wins in other leagues he will make his return filling in last-minute as he gets a shot to rejoin the UFC roster. Beltran will essentially be fighting for his UFC life while his opponent will be fighting to continue climbing. James Te Huna made his UFC debut with a bang in 2010 when he earned a KO victory over Igor Pokrajac but then lost his second fight against Alexander Gustafsson. Since the loss Te Huna has put together a two fight win streak and hopes to make it three against Beltran. If he can make it three wins in a row Te Huna will start getting tougher competition as he moves up the division. Both fighters come in with something to prove and with both possessing some major power the co-main event on Fuel TV could be an exciting but short fight.
Fight Card:
Main Event:
Mark “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” Munoz vs. Chris “The All-American” Weidman (Sportsnet)
Main Card:
Jaes Te Huna vs. Joey “The Mexicutioner” Beltran (Sportsnet)
Aaron “A-Train” Simpson vs. Kenny Robertson (Sportsnet)
Karlos Vemola vs. Francis “Limitless” Carmont (Sportsnet)
TJ Dillashaw vs. Vaughan Lee (Sportsnet)
Rafael Dos Anjos vs. Anthony “The Assassin” Njokuani (Sportsnet)
Undercard:
Damacio “The Angel of Death” Page vs. Alex “Bruce Leeroy” Caceres (Facebook)
Chris “Kamikaze” Cariaso vs. Josh “Taz” Ferguson (Facebook)
Rafael “Sapo” Natal vs. Andrew Craig (Facebook)
Marcelo “Magrao” Guimaraes vs. Dan “The Anvil” Stittgen (Facebook)
Raphael Assuncao vs. Issei Tamura (Facebook)
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Keep the events coming. Can’t get enough of the UFC :).