More fights are coming to Fight Pass online digital network this weekend (Sat., Sept. 20, 2014) when UFC Fight Night 52: "Hunt vs. Nelson" kicks off from Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. MMAmania.com's Patrick Stumberg continues our UFC Fight Night 52 "Prelims" party with the second (and final) part of a two-part under card preview series.
Twenty-five rounds of heavy leather.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is off to the "Land of the Rising Sun" this Saturday (Sept., 20, 2014), hitting Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, with UFC Fight Night 52. At the helm are former K-1 champion Mark Hunt and The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10 winner Roy Nelson in the five-round Heavyweight main event, both eager to ensure that most of that time is unnecessary.
Pride FC legend Takanori Gomi is back in the co-main event, facing unbeaten TUF 15 veteran Myles Jury, while "Sexyama" himself, Yoshihiro Akiyama, returns to action for the first time since 2012 against Amir Sadollah.
That's not all.
We've got another three "Prelims" under card matches to preview and predict (check out our first installment here). So let's get on that below:
135 lbs.: Alex Caceres vs. Masanori Kanehara
After a rough 1-3 start to his UFC tenure, Alex Caceres (10-6) embarked on a surprising turnaround, going unbeaten in his next five fights and choking out prospect Sergio Pettis. Unfortunately, his resurgence came to an end in July courtesy of Urijah Faber, who forced Caceres to tap to a rear-naked choke early in the third round.
He has finished seven professional opponents ... five by submission.
After a 1-3 stretch that saw him knocked out all three times, Masanori Kanehara (23-11-5) found new life at 135 pounds, winning six straight before a bizarre disqualification loss in April. The former Sengoku champ owns wins over the likes of Chan Sung Jung, Michihiro Omigawa and Kid Yamamoto.
He has finished 17 opponents ... nine via submission.
I am eternally grateful to whatever runs this universe that the Faber vs. Yamamoto and subsequent Faber vs. Kanehara bookings fell through. This is actually a pretty solid fight. Kanehara’s a skilled all-around fighter who is thus far the only UFC opponent to stand taller than "Bruce Leeroy."
It’ll be close.
Kanehara is a skilled counter-puncher and Caceres should be willing to trade. I expect a close, entertaining striking bout; Caceres’ boxing is still a work-in-progress and Kanehara has the tools to punish him for it. Kanehara’s clean punching edges Caceres’ effective kicking in a fun three-round affair.
Prediction: Kanehara via unanimous decision
145 lbs.: Katsunori Kikuno vs. Sam Sicilia
Katsunori Kikuno (21-6-2) enjoyed a successful Octagon debut, defeating Quinn Mulhern by unanimous decision to earn his fifth straight victory. His bizarre proclivity for abandoning his guard cost him dearly against Tony Ferguson in his second appearance, resulting in the first knockout loss of Kikuno’s career.
This will be his Featherweight debut.
Though Sam Sicilia (13-4) fell in his first in-house fight on TUF 15, he started his UFC career successfully, knocking out castmate Cristiano Marcello for his seventh straight finish. He has since struggled to maintain that form, losing three of his next five.
He has stopped seven opponents ... all inside two rounds.
This fight boils down to one simple question: "Is Kikuno going to fight like an idiot?" If he stands there with his hands at his hips, throwing sporadic power punches and poker-facing his way through incoming fire like he has been in the last few years, Sicilia’s going to beat him up and take a decision. If he remembers that he’s a good enough striker to give Eddie Alvarez trouble and has a gut-churning crescent kick, he’ll wipe the floor with Sicilia.
Never let it be said that I’m not an optimist when it comes to how Japanese MMA veterans will do.
Sicilia is an extremely limited fighter whose power is greatly overstated and whose punch resistance leaves a lot to be desired. So long as Kikuno has his head on straight, I see him finishing Sicilia with a body kick and follow-up punches midway through the second stanza.
Prediction: Kikuno via second-round technical knockout
170 lbs.: Hyun Gyu Lim vs. Takenori Sato
After brutal knockout wins in his first two UFC appearances, Hyun Gyu Lim (12-4-1) got his first shot at stardom in Jan. 2014, facing former Strikeforce champion Tarec Saffiedine in the Macau, China, main event. Despite a gutsy effort, Lim had no answer for Saffiedine’s crushing leg kicks, losing a unanimous decision and snapping a seven-fight win and finish streak.
He has finished eleven opponents, nine via knockout and all inside two rounds.
Takenori Sato (17-9-7) -- the middleweight King of Pancrase -- entered UFC unbeaten in his previous 10 fights. Unfortunately for him, he drew Brazilian dynamo Erick Silva in his promotional debut, succumbing to strikes in less than one minute.
He will give up four inches of height to "The Ace."
There are several things Lim needs to fix if he’s ever going to reach the upper tier of the division. His boxing, while powerful, is painfully awkward, an issue compounded by his horrible balance. His cardio has also been a consistent thorn in his side.
Luckily for him, Sato is a few tiers below that.
Sato does not have the wrestling nor the striking to overcome Lim’s massive physical advantages. The fact that he’s been stopped by strikes six times doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence either. Hopefully, Lim will remember the Saffiedine fight and continue working to improve after this without getting the wrong impression from the thrashing he’ll give Sato.
Prediction: Lim via first-round technical knockout
A crazy main event and fun times all around. Sleep is for the weak, anyway.
See you bright and early, Maniacs.
Current UFC "Prelims" Prediction Record 2014: 136-58 (1 NC)
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