UFC on FX 4 vs. UFC 147: Which Card Is Superior?

UFC on FX 4 and UFC 147 air back-to-back this weekend, which should surely mark a big weekend for the UFC.

UFC on FX 4 airs Friday night at 9 p.m. EST in Atlantic City.  UFC 147 airs Saturday night at 10 p.m. EST in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. 

Both events should bring new excitement to the sport of MMA.  However, one of these events could result in a letdown.

Which card is superior: UFC on FX 4 or UFC 147?

Let’s weigh the pros and cons of each event.

Fight Cards

When comparing fight cards, the advantage goes to Friday’s event.

The fights are stacked with many familiar faces for the UFC fans, namely fan favorite Clay Guida. He is going against Gray Maynard, while Sam Stout faces Spencer Fisher. 

Both fights are in the lightweight division.

Ross Pearson, The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom winner, will also fight Cub Swanson in a featherweight bout.

Additional free fights will take place on Fuel TV and on Facebook. 

Matt Brown will fight on Fuel against Luis Ramos in a welterweight bout.  Dan Miller will take on Ricardo Funch on Facebook in a welterweight bout.

UFC 147’s card features many unknowns to both fans and the general public.

Despite boasting Silva/Franklin II, these unknowns might not generate enough revenue in PPV buys. 

However, this will mark the finale of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil. 

Sergio Moraes takes on Cezar Ferreira in a middleweight bout for a UFC contract.  Featherweights Rony Mariano and Godofredo De Oliveria will also fight for a UFC contract. 

Main Events

This marks a tie between the two events.

UFC on FX 4 features Gray Maynard and Clay Guida battling in the Octagon.  Both men could gain a title shot against UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar if they are successful.

Maynard is a wrestler who loves controlling the fight with his wrestling ability. Guida loves putting pressure on his opponent and has relentless stamina.

These two men should provide an exciting bout.

UFC 147 goes for the nostalgia, as Wanderlei Silva takes on Rich Franklin in a rematch after their encounter at UFC 99.  They will fight at a catchweight of 190 pounds.

Both men still want to prove they can still fight at the UFC level.  More pressure could be added to Silva, since he will fight in his native Brazil.

Since both men have knockout power, this fight may end quickly.

Star Power

UFC 147 takes full advantage of its star power.

Silva was originally supposed to fight Vitor Belfort in a battle between the two coaches for TUF Brazil, but Belfort withdrew after breaking his left hand.

Franklin, the former middleweight champion, stepped up and filled in for Belfort.  They first met at UFC 99, where Franklin beat Silva via unanimous decision. 

Fabricio Verdum will also be in heavyweight action, as he takes on Mike Russow.  Both are coming off victories in their last fights.

UFC on FX 4 is banking on Maynard and Guida.  They are not established stars in the company, but they are both very popular amongst fans.

This fight can catapult them into bigger success stories than the ones they have now.

Choice of Venue

How could you not love Brazil?

Brazil is the home of MMA.  UFC 147’s card is strong in Brazil because of many native Brazilians who will fight on this card.

The Mineirinho Gymnasium will feature an exciting event for the live crowd. 

Even though the main event changed twice, from Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen’s rematch to the failed Wanderlei Silva/Vitor Belfort bout, the Brazilian faithful will have plenty to cheer.

Expect the roof to be blown off.

Atlantic City is a nice venue for UFC on FX 4, as the Revel Casino will host Friday’s event. 

Even though UFC on FX 4 will put on a show for Atlantic City, the Brazilian fans will outweigh the fans in Atlantic City.

Victor: UFC 147

The card is stacked with exciting fights in the featherweight and middleweight divisions.

It also features a heavyweight showdown in Ferdum’s fight with Russow and a catchweight rematch between Silva and Franklin.

However, it lacks many names on the card that some of the casual fans might not have heard of. UFC on FX 4 has that advantage.

They also already announced which fights will be on Facebook and Fuel TV, allowing fans to check in and see even more free fights.

Despite the lack of names on the card, UFC 147 can provide exciting fights and make new names for the sport of MMA.

Keep in mind that there was a time when guys like Anderson Silva, Jose Aldo and Wanderlei Silva were unknowns.

UFC 147 can expose new potential superstars to a worldwide audience.