UFC Live 4: Marquardt vs. Story Preview & Prediction

Posted on | June 20, 2011 | No Comments

By: Holli Yargo

UFC Live 4 on Versus is packed with potential for fight of the night. For a non-pay-per-view event, this holds one of the best cards and promises some very exciting bouts.

The first worthy of mention is actually the first preliminary fight of the evening: Lamas vs. Grice.

Grice is a veteran while Lamas is still pretty new on the scene. Lamas, the obvious underdog, with nine wins and two losses, appears well-rounded but hasn’t really faced the kind of competition he will in Matt Grice. In contrast, Grice boasts 14 wins and three losses. The wrestler from Oklahoma is just as successful with his striking as he is with his takedowns. His biggest win was against Tito Ortiz training mate Jason Black but his experience in the UFC cage, alone, could spell the difference between him and Lamas. Lamas will have his hands full but shouldn’t be counted out. Despite the fewer fights and lack of quality competition, he could end up a surprising victor.

Lauzon vs. Warburton

This is another match up that seems out of balance. Joe Lauzon made an instant name for himself in his debut fight in 2006 when he decidedly defeated the legendary Jens Pulver by TKO. His level of competition has always been top notch which would be putting him in line for a title fight if not for significant losses to Kenny Florian, Sam Stout, and most recently, George Sotiropoulos. The former network administrator from Massachusetts narrowly missed the title of The Ultimate Fighter with a surprising but unanimous decision loss to Manny Gamburyan.

Lauzon’s opponent, Curt Warburton, only has a seven and O record but the Brit does have UFC experience that will prevent the infamous adrenaline dump of a newcomer and has faced off against legitimate competition in Spencer Fisher, even though he lost. I see this going Lauzon’s way but, as they say, anything can happen in MMA.

Stevenson vs. Javier Vazquez

Joe “Daddy” Stevenson is probably the most respected gate-keeper in mixed martial arts. He has an impressive 36 and 13 record but the perception is that he’s on a decline and the UFC is using him to test guys still coming up. His last win was against Spencer Fisher in 2009 and his last three fights were against high-potential fighters George Sotiropoulos, Mac Danzig, and Danny Castillo. They all ended in a loss which should have meant the end of Stevenson’s career in the octagon. But it would appear that Dana White and the Fertitta’s recognize his value as a measuring stick.

Javier Vazquez, a veteran of the WEC, like the afore mentioned Lauzon, can hang his hat on a win over Jens Pulver. But, if he thinks a win over a legend broken by too many wars and too much hard living will afford him an easy W against Stevenson, he may well be in for a surprise. Personally, I’m not ready to count out Stevenson just yet. He just needs to bring the right frame of mind.

Griffin vs. Gamburyan

I love Tyson Griffin but my gut tells me Manny Gamburyan, who is a crazy animal, is going to put first man to defeat Uriah Faber in the hospital. Their size and record are nearly identical but Gamburyan has a killer instinct that’s just scary.

Marquardt vs. Story

Underdog Rick Story looks like he should be getting down off a tractor rather than stepping into a cage but after 16 professional fights; he’s only suffered three losses with the last one being in June of 2009. His last six contests were against very formidable opponents in the UFC and all resulted in wins for the Tacoma, WA native. His striking is decent but probably not as strong as Marquardt’s but his strength, like his opponent’s, is on the ground.

Nate “The Great” Marquardt is a grizzled warrier with a hefty record of 34-10-2. Currently fighting out of Denver, CO, Marquardt has exceptional conditioning with impressive recent wins over Demian Maia and Dan Miller. He appears well on his way to a title shot but he has much more to lose than Story. If Story wins, he’s added a major feather to his cap, putting him very high on the Zuffa radar. If Story loses, he’s only left himself where he is right now. He’ll have suffered a loss but to a very experienced man already favored to win. If Marquardt wins, he adds a win to his record against decent competition but if he loses, he falls far and hard to young blood and provides a name for Story.

Marquardt’s strength and power are ridiculous but Story is certainly no joke. He has natural talent that is developing quickly and with deadly precision. Marquardt is the type of fighter who pushes his opponent and is always thinking about his next move.

There really isn’t a single match up on this card which threatens to be a snooze. It’s such a good card it would have been well worth the $49.95 to see on PPV. But how awesome is the Zuffa people for letting us watch it without increasing our cable/satellite bill.