Hairgate Begins UFC on FX 4 Hype

This Friday night Atlantic City will host its first UFC event since UFC 53 in 2005 when Revel Atlantic City serves as the venue for UFC on FX 4. A five-round bout between lightweight contenders Gray Maynard and Clay Guida headlines a main card that includes a trilogy match pitting Spencer Fisher against Sam Stout, with prelim fights airing on FUEL TV and Facebook.

As is usually the case in the stacked lightweight division, there is a lot at stake for both fighters, each of whom comes off defeats against the current and former champion at 155. Guida dropped a unanimous decision to Benson Henderson in November on the undercard of the UFC’s debut on FOX, which snapped a four-fight winning streak. Maynard is off two consecutive wars with Frankie Edgar, the last the third in a trilogy that saw Edgar hand “The Bully” his first MMA defeat to retain the lightweight title. A Maynard (10-1-1 MMA, 8-1-1 UFC) win vaults him back into top contention while a victory from “The Carpenter” potentially starts one final push towards a title shot. A loss places either back in the middle of the shuffle with no telling if they will sniff a chance at UFC gold again.

The top storyline to date? Hairgate. Maynard's camp apparently filed a complaint with the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board about Guida’s famous shoulder-length curls. Though Maynard told MMAjunkie.com he was unaware of his camp’s request, Guida will braid his hair for the fight.

More on Friday’s event, including predictions, later this week, but here are the basic facts:

Location: Atlantic City, New Jersey
Venue: Revel Atlantic City
Broadcast: FX, FUEL TV and Facebook

MAIN CARD (FX)
Clay Guida vs. Gray Maynard
Spencer Fisher vs. Sam Stout
Brian Ebersole vs. T.J. Waldburger
Ross Pearson vs. Cub Swanson

PRELIMINARY CARD (FUEL TV)
Hatsu Hioki vs. Ricardo Lamas
C.J. Keith vs. Ramsey Nijem
Brock Jardine vs. Rick Story
Joey Gambino vs. Steven Siler
Matt Brown vs. Luis Ramos
Chis Camozzi vs. Nick Catone

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)
Ricardo Funch vs. Dan Miller
*Dustin Pague vs. Ken Stone

*Pague is an injury replacement for Francisco Rivera, two weeks after his submission victory over Jared Papazian.

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