Lyoto Machida, Mauricio Rua prevail in UFC bouts at Staples Center

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

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

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

The favored Jones defeated Machida by second-round submission in December.

But White said on television it appears Machida has his “fire back.”

Karate-sharpened Machida (18-3) dominated the stand-up fight against former Arizona State wrestler Bader (15-3), who believed new boxing lessons would help him.

Instead, Machida won after Bader made the mistake of trying to charge in with a right-handed punch that Machida blocked with a left while ramming a right hand to Bader’s jaw, dropping him.

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

In 2009, Rua suffered a controversial loss to Machida at Staples that prompted White to force an immediate rematch Rua won by first-round KO.

Saturday, Rua, 30, blitzed Vera with knees and punches in the opening five minutes, but was fatigued and had to grind through the second and third rounds.

Rua then found an opening near the end of 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.

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

The night’s 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 (20-7-1) and claimed a submission victory in the third round by triangle choke.

Lauzon (21-7) withstood two Varner 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 was the fourth UFC fight on Fox after 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.

A light-heavyweight preliminary bout between Phil Davis (9-1) and Brazilian Wagner Prado (8-0) was stopped as a no-decision at the 1:46 mark of the first round after Davis unintentionally poked Prado in the right eye.

Prado, showing blood in the eye, was not immediately ready to resume fighting when asked by the referee to continue. UFC official Marc Ratner said Prado reported he was “seeing double.”

So the fight was stopped, much to Prado’s disappointment. He roared in disappointment and was nearly driven to tears pleading for a re-start.

lance.pugmire@latimes.com

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