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MMAjunkie Radio cohost and MMAjunkie contributor Dan Tom provides an in-depth breakdown of all of UFC Fight Night 117’s main-card bouts.
UFC Fight Night 117 takes place Friday at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The main card airs on FXX following prelims on FXX and UFC Fight Pass.
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Ovince Saint Preux (20-10 MMA, 8-5 UFC)
Ovince Saint Preux
Staple info:
- Height: 6’3″ Age: 34 Weight: 205 lbs. Reach: 80″
- Last fight: Submission win over Marcos de Lima (April 22, 2017)
- Camp: Knoxville MMA (Tennessee)
- Stance/striking style: Southpaw / Kickboxing
- Risk management: Fair
Supplemental info:
+ Blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu
+ 10 KO victories
+ 4 submission wins
+ 12 first-round finishes
+ KO power
+ Accurate left hand
^ Coming forward of off counter
+ Hard left kicks
+ Improved footwork
+ Underrated wrestling ability
^ Reactive shots and get-up urgency
+ Aggressive transitional grappler
^ Opportunistic strikes and submissions
– Traditionally struggles against the fence
Yushin Okami (32-8 MMA, 13-5 UFC)
Yushin Okami
Staple info:
- Height: 6’2″ Age: 36 Weight: 205 lbs. Reach: 72″
- Last fight: Decision win over Andre Lobato (July 29, 2017)
- Camp: Wajutsu Keishukai (Japan)
- Stance/striking style: Southpaw / Boxing
- Risk management: Good
Supplemental info:
+ Black belt in judo
+ 13 KO victories
+ 4 submission wins
+ 6 first-round finishes
+ Accurate jab
^ Checking or coming forward
+ Strong inside the clinch
^ Favors takedowns from here
+ Solid top game
^ Pressures and passes well
+ Effective ground striker
^ Works well from mount
– Fighting on one week’s notice
+/- 1-3 against UFC southpaws
Summary:
The main event for UFC Fight Night 117 takes place in the light heavyweight division when Ovince Saint Preux meets Yushin Okami.
Originally slated to face Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (who was forced to withdraw from the bout due to injury), Saint Preux will instead welcome back former UFC middleweight title challenger Yushin Okami.
A longtime 185-pound contender who has recently been plying his trade at welterweight, Okami takes this fight on just one week’s notice, and he won’t likely have to cut much weight to make the 205-pound limit.
Starting off on the feet, we have the intricate pairing of two southpaws.
Despite a matchup between two lefties opening up more options on paper, the action tends to not play out as projected given that many southpaws predicate their game on facing opponents who are orthodox, the most common stances found in the gym. For this reason, the better striker does not always win out the battles.
Nevertheless, Saint Preux should be the man who carries the on-paper edge in striking exchanges.
Although one of the bigger bodies at light heavyweight, Saint Preux’s athleticism allows him to be one of the more fleet-of-foot movers in the division, staying light while seemingly maintaining the ability to explode.
Utilizing stance shifts, Saint Preux will deceptively change the striking range and angles, while he simultaneously unloads check-hooks or intercepting uppercuts to catch and counter oncoming opponents.
Saint Preux also does well when he decides to come forward, particularly when working behind his battering ram of a left Thai kick. But whether he is going forward or countering, the former collegiate football player will still need to respect what’s coming back at him.
A steady, measured southpaw striker, Okami makes it a point to own the centerline as he chips away with straight punches in succession. At the heart of the Japanese fighter’s arsenal is an active and accurate jab.
Not only can Okami come forward behind his jab, but he also does a good job of using it as a check, which quietly helps temper his opponent’s aggression. Considering that Saint Preux is not exactly known for his defense, I would not be surprised to see Okami find some success within the counter striking department.
Still, the same can be said the other way, as Okami’s lack of head movement could prove costly against Saint Preux, who will have the more dangerous offerings both coming forward and off the counter.
Subsequently, I see this fight being sorted out inside of the clinch.
Whether it be in victory or defeat, each man has had many of their matches decided within this space, making the clinch a key factor in this fight. Though Okami is the more technical clinch fighter on paper, the Japanese fighter’s lack of urgency becomes particularly apparent here, often giving away stanzas or stretches of the match over time.
Even if Okami hits his patent outside-trip takedowns, he will need to show an immediacy above and beyond his norm, as Saint Preux’s athleticism alone is enough to equalize the situation. In fact, counter-wrestling is one of Saint Preux’s stronger suits, as the former football player has a healthy sense of urgency to his get-up game.
Furthermore, Saint Preux has also improved his wrestling fundamentals, applying more of an immediacy to his over and under-hooks, which in-turn help protect his hips. If Saint Preux can thwart the clinch offense of Okami, then it will probably end up being a long night for the Japanese veteran.
Even though Okami is an excellent grappler from topside, his skills do not shine as brightly from his back, something I do not see changing in facing a larger foe. Not only is Saint Preux an aggressive and dangerous transitional threat when on top, but his technique has also been growing, and he is becoming much more positionally aware in his approach.
With the oddsmakers opening Saint Preux somewhere north of a 5-1 favorite, I have a hard time disagreeing with them given the matchup at hand.
Due to Saint Preux’s traditional struggles with pressure against the fence, Okami’s path to victory becomes clear considering that the Japanese fighter has geared his game toward corralling opposition here in recent years.
Should Saint Preux fail to get off by sticking and moving in space, then we could see stretches of this fight play out surprisingly slow and competitive. That said, I have to imagine that the size difference and short-notice intangibles will become apparent once these two tie up in the clinch.
A crucial position on paper, I believe Saint Preux’s skillset and size will dictate the terms inside of the clinch, which will in turn help him to find a finish either standing or on the floor. Ultimately, I see Saint Preux finding success in countering with his left hand, and eventually reversing failed grappling offense from Okami to earn a stoppage from top position.
Official pick: Saint Preux inside the distance
Official outcome: To be determined
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