FRESH OFF THE back of the successful introduction of women into the organisation last week, the UFC steam train rolls into Saitama, Japan, with another action packed event this weekend.
Wanderlei Silva returns to the place where he made his name in Pride all those years ago and he is up against it to prove that this isn’t to be his swansong as he faces Brian Stann in the main event of the evening.
Unsurprisingly the likes of Mizuto Hirota, Yushin Okami and Takanori Gomi will provide the big draw for the home fans in attendance as they face Rani Yahya, Hector Lombard and Diego Sanchez respectively.
Stefan Struve and Mark Hunt face off in the token heavyweight bout on the card while there are a number of interesting bouts on the undercard to ensure that even the most hardcore fans are catered for.
Silva’s swan song?
It seems as though every time that Wanderlei Silva is written off he produces a performance reminiscent of his Pride heydays which serves only to prolong his incredible career just that bit longer.
Calls were made for him to retire after being stopped by Chris Leben back at UFC 132 but he returned to winning ways when he defeated the dangerous Cung Le in a fight of the night performance.
His second war with Rich Franklin last time out produced another fight of the night bonus cheque and despite glimpses of his infamous old frenzied attack style, it was pretty clear that his offensive weapons were not as effective as they used to be.
Brian Stann is arguably the toughest opponent he has had to face since he fought “Rampage” Jackson back in 2008 and with his history of fighting in Japan and the Saitama Super Arena in particular, it seems fitting that this could be the last time we see him in action.
Stann looked to be heading towards a title shot before losses to Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping exposed weaknesses in his game but the American is such a progressive fighter that those losses should only serve to galvanise his position in the top ten of the middleweight division.
Of course Stann must fight a smart fight if he is to win. He must avoid getting caught up in a brawl and should steer clear of Silva’s awesome clinch game, both of which he is expected to do. If it is to be Silva’s last appearance, what a fitting end it promises to be for “The Axe Murderer.”
YouTube credit: MMAFights03
Hunt to topple “The Skyscraper”?
Stefan Struve has emerged as a possible contender again in the heavyweight division after winning his last five fights. The young Dutchman bounced back from a devastating defeat at the hands of Travis Browne to beat the likes of Pat Barry and Stipe Miocic. In his latest fight, he faces a style that has given him problems in the past.
Mark Hunt is a big strong heavyweight from a kick-boxing background whose KO credentials were verified when he became the first person to stop Cheick Kongo via strikes in almost eight years. Struve has struggled against this type of fighter in the past and this bout will be the acid-test to see if he has learned anything from those loses.
YouTube credit: Jaxson Fearing
Elsewhere, Hector Lombard will be looking to build on his last win over Rousimar Palhares but faces tough opposition in the form of Yushin Okami. Okami has won two on the bounce including an impressive decision victory over Alan Belcher and will look to avoid the big shots and grind out a win against the Cuban veteran.
Diego Sanchez’s heart and durability will need to be at full strength if he is to emerge victorious against Takanori Gomi. Sanchez has a unique ability to absorb serious amounts of punishment and still stay standing, and this could frustrate Gomi whose power has lessened over the years and could struggle to finish the fight.
Dong Hyun Kim must nullify Siyar Bahadurzada’s strong striking game if he has any chance of winning while Mizuto Hirota must control his aggressiveness against Rani Yahya if he is to send the fans in the arena home happy.
