Lyoto Machida knocks out Ryan Bader, will get title shot

Lyoto Machida beat Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at Staples Center again Saturday.

Even though the former Ultimate Fighting Championship light-heavyweight champion didn’t fight each other, Machida’s second-round knockout of Ryan Bader was deemed more impressive than Rua’s fourth-round technical knockout of Brandon Vera in the main event.

That decision, announced by UFC President Dana White on the Fox telecast, gives Machida the title shot at the winner of the Sept. 1 light-heavyweight title fight between champion Jon Jones and Dan Henderson in Las Vegas.

Karate-sharpened Machida (18-3) dominated a stand-up fight against former Arizona State wrestler Bader (15-3), who believed new boxing lessons would help him but was knocked out for the first time.

Instead, Machida won by second-round knockout after Bader made the mistake of trying to charge forward behind a right-handed punch that Machida blocked with a left and rammed a right hand to Bader’s jaw that dropped him.

Machida pounced and hammered Bader twice more with rights to the face to prompt the end at 1:32.

White said on television that Machida looks to have his “fire back.”

After suffering a loss by controversial decision to Machida at Staples in 2009 that prompted White to force an immediate rematch that Rua won by first-round KO, Rua endured some fatigue and grinded through the second and third rounds Saturday after blitzing Vera with knees and punches in the opening five minutes.

Rua then found an opening after a slow fourth round, hammering Vera (12-6) with two rights to drop him.

On the canvas, Rua (21-6) finished Vera off with more rights, prompting referee Herb Dean to stop the fight at the 4:09 mark.

Rua roared through the first round against his 34-year-old foe, delivering a knee to the fallen Vera’s chest and swatting his head with rights and lefts, adding a right elbow.

Yet, the activity clearly fatigued Rua, who took a Vera right kick to the face and was cut at the right eye, Vera taking Rua down for the final minute of the second round.

Although Fox’s audience was diminished by the Olympics, the network -- and the UFC -- was in need of action like Saturday’s after signing a seven-year, $100-million deal last fall.

The second television fight was a mixed martial arts classic filled with reverses, compelling chokeholds and rocking punches as lightweight Joe Lauzon endured the more stout Jamie Varner and claimed a submission victory in the third round by triangle choke.

Lauzon (21-7) withstood two Varner (20-7-1) takedowns in the final round and wrapped his legs around Varner’s neck, forcing the former World Extreme Cagefighting champion to tap out at 2:44.

Saturday’s show was the fourth UFC fight on Fox following a one-minute heavyweight title knockout in the debut and two lackluster cards.

This one opened with welterweight Mike Swick, returning from a 30-month layoff because of esophagus spasms, grabbing the right leg kick of opponent DaMarques Johnson in the second round, taking Johnson to the canvas and delivering three devastating blows to Johnson’s face to end the the fight by knockout at the 1:20 mark.

Swick (15-4) was in trouble in the first, absorbing blows from Johnson (18-11) on his back that left Swick cut under both eyes.