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- UFC 4: Revenge of the Warriors
UFC 4: Revenge of the Warriors
Camron Gieschen
September 28, 2022
Setting The Stage:
Date: 12.16.1994
Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
Venue: Expo Center Pavilion
TV Announcers: Bruce Beck & Jim Brown
Ring Announcer: Rich Goins
Post-Fight Interviews: Jeff Blatnick
Attendance: 5,857
PPV Buys:120,000
MMA Bouts: 10
Preview:
The UFC is back with its fourth tournament featuring eight combatants (seven fights) with six alternates (three fights) who had to fight for their place to avoid what happened last time, with Steve Jennum winning the tournament with just one fight.
There are also a few new additions to the broadcast team, with Bruce Beck on the call with Jim Brown and 1984 Gold Medal Greco Roman wrestler Jeff Blatnick handling the post-fight interviews.
This card features four returning athletes in Royce Gracie, Kieth Hackney, Steve Jennum, & Kevin Rosier (Alternate). Stick around to see if Jennum can prove the haters wrong and retain his title as Ultimate Fighting Champion of UFC 4.
Fight #1:
Joe Charles defeats Kevin Rosier via Submission at 0:14 of Round 1
Fight #2:
Marcus Bossett defeats Eldo Dias Xavier via KO/TKO at 4:55 of Round 1
Fight #3:
Guy Mezger defeats Jason Fairn via KO/TKO at 2:13 of Round 1
Fight #4:
For our first televised bout of the evening, we have the two-time champion Royce Gracie facing off against the 51-year-old Ron “Black Dragon” Van Clief. Clief is the founder of Chinese goju karate and claims to have black belts in ten different martial arts. At 51 years old, he is by far and away the oldest combatant the UFC has ever had.
The bell rings, and Gracie immediately shoots and completes a takedown landing in side control. Gracie, showing patience, holds the position for about a minute before transitioning into full mount. Then, Gracie begins to soften up Clief with a series of palm strikes and elbows to the head that make Clief roll over and allow Gracie to take his back and complete the rear naked choke.
Royce Gracie defeats Ron Van Clief via Submission at 3:59 of Round 1
Fight #5:
Keith Hackney vs. Joe Son
The night's second fight features a returning fan favorite, Keith Hackney, vs. a bonafide heel in Joe Son. Keith is well known for his victory at UFC 3 over the world's largest athlete Emmanuel Yarbrough in which he hurt his hand and was unable to continue. Son is notorious for being in Kimo’s corner and storming the octagon after Royce Gracie could not continue after his bout with Kimo that Royce won at UFC 3. He also claims to have started his own martial art called “Josondo” we will see how that works out for him.
As the fight begins, Son takes the center of the cage with his hands at his waist. Hackey throws a lead front kick that wizzes by the face of Son but fails to connect. Son taunts Hackney by sticking his chin out at him, and Hackney responds with what I’m calling the first calf kick in UFC history! Hackney then presses forward, throwing punches before Son grabs hold of him and takes him down. Hackney scrambles to his belly with Son holding him securely in a north-south position. Hackney begins building a base to stand, and Son jumps on a front headlock attempting to choke Hackney. Hackney rises to his feet and lands a punch straight to his groin of Son as Son drives Hackney into the cage. Pressed up against the cage, Son attempts a standing Guillotine but is swept to the mat by Hackney! Hackney proceeds to land brutal punches to Son's groin, which breaks his grip on the choke. With the fight tilting in favor of Hackney, Son taps and gives up the fight anticlimactic.
Keith Hackney defeats Joe Son via Submission at 2:44 of Round 1
Fight #6:
The reigning champion of the UFC makes his way to the cage to defend his title and prove the naysayers wrong against the WBF Intercontinental Heavyweight Boxing Champ with 25 KOs, Michael Bowen. Bowen, a true pioneer of the sport, is the first to wear and compete in modern MMA gloves!
The contest begins with both men feeling each other out, throwing some strikes but nothing significant. At about a minute into the bout, Bowen loads up with a lead left hook that Jennum ducks and shoots for a takedown. Bowen is able to stuff the first attempt but is pushed up against the cage and tripped down to the mat and on his back with Jennum in full mount! Jennum rains down blows as Bowen struggles to escape; Jennum utilizes the cage by grabbing hold with his left hand to stabilize himself, with Bowen bucking beneath him while using his right hand to blast punches to the face! Just when it seems all hope is lost, Bowen finds his grip on the cage and is able to use it to get back up to his feet! Every fight that hit the mat has spelled the beginning of the end, so it’s nice to see a guy get back to his feet. That said, Jennum puts Bowen back up against the cage and hip tosses him back down and into full mount. Jennum continues to bounce punches off the face of Bowen as both men appear to be completely exhausted. After a barrage of punches, a lightbulb goes off in Jennums head, and he Grabs Bowen's arm and locks up an armbar for the finish!
Steve Jennum defeats Melton Bowen via Submission at 4:47 of Round 1
Fight #7:
Oklahoma's own Anthony Macias, a Thai kickboxer, comes into the bout with a 30-1 record with 14 KOs. He's going up against Dan Severn, a decorated wrestler with 70 titles to his name; he’s sure to be a favorite in this match and the competition.
The match begins, and Macias starts the party with two heavy leg kicks. Heavy enough of that, Severn blasts a double leg takedown that triggers a mad scramble in which Severn takes Macias down five times! The Fifth was a suplex that bounced Macias head off the mat and visibly rocked him as you can see him try to shake out the cobwebs. Severn then flattens out Macias and begins to work for the choke, prying his hands underneath the neck. Before he can lock his hands, Macias taps, conceding the match.
Dan Severn defeats Anthony Macias via Submission at 1:45 of Round 1
Fight #8:
Both men enter this bout relatively unscathed from their previous bouts though Gracie is sporting a black eye. Additionally, it is announced during Hackney's walkout that Steve Jennum is out for the tournament, and Macus Bossett will be taking his place against Dan Severn.
The bout begins, and both men meet in the middle, circling each other, looking for an opportunity. Gracie is the first to make a move, shooting for a double leg stuffed by Hackney! Hackney then grips Gacies collar and rips two clean right hands on Gracie! Frustrated, Gracie pressures Hackney and shoots but is stuffed again by Hackney! After the second stuff, Gracie isn’t deterred and presses Hackney against the cage, this time getting a hold of him but still unable to get him down to the mat. Hackney grabs Gracie's collar (reminiscent of a hockey fight) and throws more heavy blows that land on Gracie. Gracie eats the shots, keeps control of Hackney, and starts delivering blows of his own with knees to both the head and body. Three minutes into the bout, Gracie has yet to get Hackney to the mat. Gracie pulls guard as a last resort to get things down where he knows he can win the fight. He immediately gets to work throwing up his legs for a triangle while also working the arms of Hackney, searching for an arm bar. Hackney, however, defends and is able to posture and land a big right hand that lands him back in Gracie's guard, where Gracie gets to work again looking for a triangle. Gracie starts striking from the bottom with both punches and elbows to get Hackney to move into a position that Gracie can finish. Hackney is able to break one last time and land a few more strikes on Gracie but, in doing so, gives up his arm, which Gracie grabs for the arm bar and the finish!
Royce Gracie defeats Keith Hackney via Submission at 5:32 of Round 1
Fight #9:
Dan Severn vs. Marcus Bossett (Replacing Steve Jennum)
While Bossett had a long first bout, he had plenty of time to recover for his replacement fight. Bossett is a Karate fighter coming in vs. the accomplished wrestler Dan Severn; we will see how long he can last!
The bell rings, and Severn takes the center of the cage with Bossett bouncing along the outside light on his feet. Severn keeps a high guard, giving way to a booming body kick from Bosett that Severn takes well. Bossett then attempts a high kick that misses, and Severn ducks for a takedown that he lands easily, landing in side control. Severn then moves to mount and sets up an arm triangle that forces Bossett to tap!
Dan Severn defeats Marcus Bossett via Submission at 0:52 of Round 1
Fight #10
The matchup that everyone was hoping for as two of the favorites in the competition go head to head to see which martial art reigns supreme, Wrestling or Jiu Jitsu! Gracie looks a little beat up, much like his entrance after his victory over Kimo, in which he ended up withdrawing from the competition after making the walk due to a corner stoppage. Though when referee John Mcarthy speaks to Gracie in the cage, he looks to be ready for war. Severn makes his walk in a sweat-soaked shirt, but it makes no mistake, he is the fresher fighter walking into this match, with both of his lead-up bouts ending under two minutes.
The final begins, and both men meet in the center, sizing each other up. Just about one minute into the bout Severn shoots and lands a takedown which Gracie seems to welcome immediately, establishing his guard and striking his heel into the back of Severn. Severn leans hard into Gracie, ensuring there is no separation for him to utilize, while Gracie lands short punches to both the midsection and the face of Severn. The two continue in a war of attrition for the next five minutes, where no real significant strikes are exchanged besides a headbutt from Gracie. 5:15 timestamp in the fight, you can see Gracie fishing for a reverse choke by reaching over Severn's head with his right hand and grabbing his sleeve while attempting to get his left arm under the chin of Severn. Severn is able to defend the submission over the next few minutes, using his brute strength to create separation and eventually break the grip. The two continue to fight for position, landing blows where they can over the next five minutes until about the ten-minute mark, where Severn begins to get more urgent, perhaps feeling Gracie fade a little bit, having been on the bottom for the entirety of the match. At this point in the fight for Gracie, an advantage, if any, is that he is backed up right in his corner, where you can hear his brothers giving advice. At the 10:30 mark, Gracie throws his legs up, setting up a triangle which he fails to lock up. The crowd gets behind Severn, chanting USA, which seems to give Severn some life as he rains down punches on Gracie that he wears well. Going on fourteen minutes, and the war of attrition continues! Fifteen minutes in, Gracie uses his left foot to grab hold of the cage and sneaks his right leg up and over the neck of Severn, positioning himself for a triangle! Though the commentary assures the viewer that Severn is fine, around the 15:30 mark, his posture begins to change as Gracie seemingly gets the lock tighter and tighter! Severn then drops to his knees and reluctantly taps out, conceding the match to Gracie in the most grueling match to date! Gracie wins his third UFC title, proving yet again that JiuJitsuu is the best martial art in the world.
Royce Gracie defeats Dan Severn via Submission at 15:49 of Round 1