UFC on FOX 4: Shogun Rua vs. Brandon Vera Head to Toe Breakdown

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In what’s on paper one of the more lopsided main events in recent history, Shogun Rua will fight Brandon Vera to secure a Championship shot.

Dana White has recently come out and said the winner of this fight will next contend for the Championship.

Don’t be fooled. That’s just Dana’s way of trying to sell a fight.

If Brandon Vera somehow wins this one, there’s no way he’ll be next to fight for the Championship. This is Dana’s way of saying that they have full confidence in Shogun Rua to not only win against Vera, but to make it look easy.

This is a fight, however, and in the Octagon, anything can happen.

So let’s take a look at this fight and see who truly holds the advantage on paper going in.

Tale of the Tape

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Coming into this fight, the former Heavyweight Brandon Vera will have a slight size and reach advantage.

But will size ultimately rule out skill in this fight? We'll see

 

	Rua	Vera
Record	20-6	12-5
Height	6’1”	6’3”
Reach	76”	78”
Age	30	34
Finishing %	90%	66%

Striking

If you want a fight that’s almost guaranteed to take place standing up, then this is it. Both men want to simply knock the other out.

Brandon Vera comes into the fight with 7 of his 12 wins coming by way of knockout. The former heavyweight uses a strong boxing attack to set up his opponent and has solid fundamentals.

Still, even as good as "The Truth" is, Shogun Rua is better.

The Muay Thai master has knocked out Chuck Liddell, Alistair Overeem and Rampage Jackson. He uses his hands like heat seeking missiles and always goes for the kill.

No number epitomizes that more than the fact that out of 20 wins, 17 have come by knockout.

Advantage: Shogun.

Grappling

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Even though both men are predominantly strikers, there is a distinct advantage when it comes to the grappling game.

One man averages 2.4 takedowns per 15 minutes while the other averages only .75. One is a BJJ Black Belt and the other is a brown belt. And one is a Muay Thai master, which involves a devastating clinch that Rampage Jackson has nightmares about.

That man is none other than Shogun Rua.

Whether it be by takedown or by Thai clench, Rua is going to be the dominant grappler in this one.

Advantage: Shogun.

Intangibles

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Shogun is the winner of what could be the greatest mixed martial arts tournament ever in PRIDE’s 2005 Grand Prix.

He defeated Rampage Jackson, Rogerio Nogueira, Alistair Overeem and Ricardo Arona. Also a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, it’s safe to say that Shogun thrives in the moment and can definitely win the big one.

The opposite can be said about Vera.

He has proven that he can defeat the Eliot Marshalls and Krzysztof Soszynski’s of the MMA world. What he hasn’t done was win against Randy Couture, Jon Jones, Keith Jardine and Fabricio Werdum.

Advantage: Shogun.

Prediction

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There’s no doubt that Shogun is favored by a mile to not only win this fight, but to win it in spectacular fashion. He has every advantage going in and will face immense pressure to perform well, especially if the Co-Main Event has an incredible finish.

Brandon Vera is essentially playing with house money. Nobody really expects him to win, but this still is the man who's knocked out Frank Mir and gone the distance with former UFC Champ Tim Sylvia.

With his crisp boxing and solid chin, he has a puncher's chance in any matchup. With no one picking him, you can bet on Vera eyeing a title shot of his own.

So unless your last name is Vera, the only truth you should believe is that Shogun will win this fight. He should make it look relatively easy, barring a lapse in good judgment.  

Prediction: Shogun by 1^st round TKO.