Former lightweight title challenger
Joe Stevenson will meet
Spencer Fisher in a pivotal 155-pound scrap at UFC 104 “Machida vs. Rua” on Oct. 24 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The lightweight matchup was part of a completed 11-fight lineup released by UFC officials on Friday.
The 27-year-old Stevenson has lost three of his last five fights. However, he rebounded from back-to-back defeats to
Kenny Florian and
Diego Sanchez with a unanimous decision victory over “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 5 winner
Nate Diaz in June. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and one of the lightweight division’s most respected and seasoned competitors, Stevenson holds notable wins against
Kurt Pellegrino,
Gleison Tibau and
Dokonjonosuke Mishima, among others. He has delivered nearly half (14) of his 30 career victories by submission.
Seemingly always on the cusp of title contention, Fisher has rattled off three consecutive wins since his unanimous decision loss to the world-ranked
Frankie Edgar in November 2007. The 33-year-old has been finished only once in 27 career appearances and has never been submitted. Fisher last competed in June, when he notched a unanimous decision against
Caol Uno at UFC 99. Wins over
Josh Neer,
Aaron Riley and
Thiago Alves anchor his impressive resume.
The UFC 104 spotlight will also shine on the welterweight division, as
Anthony Johnson will lock horns with
Yoshiyuki Yoshida.
One of the sport’s most talented fighters, Johnson will carry a two-fight winning streak into the match. The 25-year-old Georgian stopped the durable
Luigi Fioravanti on first-round strikes at UFC Fight Night 17 in February and has delivered five of his seven career victories by knockout or technical knockout. Johnson burst on the scene in 2007, when he flattened
Chad Reiner in a mere 13 seconds.
Yoshida, meanwhile, has posted 10 wins in 11 fights. A fourth-degree black belt in Judo, the 35-year-old has not competed since he submitted
Brandon Wolff with an opening-round guillotine choke at UFC 98 in May. Yoshida, who now trains under the Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts banner in Albuquerque, N.M., has been finished only once in 14 career bouts.
Undefeated light heavyweight champion
Lyoto Machida will headline UFC 104, as he will defend his crown against 2005 Pride Fighting Championships middleweight grand prix winner
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in the main event.
Lyoto Machida vs.
Mauricio 'Shogun" Rua
Ben Rothwell vs.
Cain Velasquez
Josh Neer vs.
Gleison Tibau
Spencer Fisher vs.
Joe Stevenson
Anthony Johnson vs.
Yoshiyuki Yoshida
Yushin Okami vs.
Chael Sonnen
Ryan Bader vs.
Eric Schafer
Chase Gormley vs.
Stefan Struve
Patrick Barry vs.
Antoni Hardonk
Jorge Rivera vs.
Rob Kimmons
Kyle Kingsbury vs.
Razak Al-Hassan
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