Gamma Labs arrives in primetime this Saturday night as Gamma fighters Joe Lauzon and Jamie Varner square off on the main card of UFC on FOX 4. Both fighters will be looking to impress as they fight on the largest stage of their careers and attempt to elevate their status in the UFC’s toughest division.
Varner is coming off a tremendous upset over Edson Barboza Jr. that has resurrected his career and thrust his name back into lightweight contender discussions. Barboza, a Muay Thai specialist, was undefeated entering the fight and was being hyped as the future of the UFC lightweight division. Varner’s fighting career seemed to be going in the opposite direction, as he had endured a four fight winless streak, retired, and un-retired, all in the last few years. A former WEC champion, Varner was brought in on short notice as a replacement opponent for Barboza and labeled as a huge underdog by both fans and bookmakers. The fight didn’t turn out as expected though, as Varner shocked the world and stopped Barboza with a vicious barrage of punches just 3:23 into the first round. A powerful puncher with great boxing, strong wrestling, and a sturdy chin, Varner’s physical abilities have never been questioned. Varner feels that his mental game has finally caught up with his physical skills and he is ready to make a run at the UFC lightweight championship.
Lauzon is a fan-favorite who has provided UFC faithfuls with exhilarating fights for the last six years. He has compiled an overall record of 21 wins and 7 losses, with all 21 of his victories coming by way of finish. He is coming off the first knockout loss of his career, as he was stopped in the first round by an Anthony Pettis headkick at UFC 144. One of the most intelligent fighters in mixed martial arts (he is a self-proclaimed “nerd” who owns a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Wentworth Institute of Technology), Lauzon has always been able to learn from his defeats. He has never lost back-to-back fights and he plans on righting the ship against Jamie Varner. Lauzon will likely look to get the fight to the floor and use his aggressive submission game to take advantage of Varner’s suspect jiu-jitsu skills.
It’s too tough for us to choose a winner in this fight, but we predict that the fans will be the big winners because this scrap will deliver action from start to finish. Look for this bout to produce an award for knockout of the night, submission of the night, and/or fight of the night. Who do you think will get the victory?
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