Prior to each UFC fight card, Jay Primetown takes a look at some of the key contests at each event. In the latest installment, we look at the UFC Fight Night 117 main event as Yushin Okami returns to the UFC to face Ovince St. Preux in a light heavyweight contest.
Yushin Okami (Record: 34-10, +400 Underdog, Power Ranking: D+)
The long time Japanese MMA veteran has reached a level in the sport that few Japanese fighters have achieved. He made it all the way to a middleweight title bout against Anderson Silva in 2011. Okami has most recently fought in World Series of Fighting and its reincarnation, Professional Fighters League. Okami has won his last four fights overall with the last two coming by decision.
Okami has become one of the most respected fighters to ever come out of Japan. Unlike most of his contemporaries, he came over to the United States at a relatively young age and fought during his prime years in the United States. Okami has fought a who’s who of MMA including Rich Franklin, Jake Shields, Anderson Silva, and Chael Sonnen. His game is based around his judo background. While his striking has improved over the years, he’s at his best when he’s able to take opponents to the mat and control them. He’s built a career on being a control fighter that grapples to win decisions. Of his 18 UFC fights, he’s only managed to finish four of them and more so none of them were contenders in their respective division at the time of the bout. Okami is taking this bout on only a week’s notice and most importantly it is the first time he will have fought at light heavyweight in his entire career. Most recently, he had dropped down to welterweight to be competitive.
Ovince St. Preux (Record: 20-10, -500 Favorite, Power Ranking: C+)
The Miami born St. Preux was a three sport athlete in high school who headed to the University of Tennessee on a football scholarship. In 2008, he began competing professionally in MMA having a solid career in Strikeforce prior to the UFC absorbing the organization a few years ago. St. Preux enters this bout on the back of a von Flue choke victory over Marco Rogerio de Lima in April.
St. Preux is very much an athlete turned fighter. His experience in other sports occurred much earlier in life prior to turning to MMA. He’s long for the weight class at 6’3” with an 80 inch reach. He’s an awkward striker and causes a lot of fighters issues due to his rather unorthodox striking. In addition to his striking game, he’s got a good submission game from top control. His von Flue choke is very good and he will look for it with just a minimal opening. Where St. Preux is vulnerable is when put on his back. His conditioning is not the best and he tends to slow down significantly as fights progress. He hasn’t shown much of answer when an opponent is able to score takedowns and force him to work off his back.
Matchup
Yushin Okami returns to the UFC to take on former light heavyweight title contender Ovince St. Preux. This is Okami’s first bout at light heavyweight and will really be at a size disadvantage against St. Preux. The Haitian American will have an eight inch reach advantage in this bout and will look to use his length in this fight to strike from the outside. The athleticism advantage to the American will also be one sided in this bout. St. Preux is a former NCAA football player for Tennessee while Okami is an aging fighter. Furthermore, Okami is taking this fight on a week’s notice. Very rarely do fighters have success on such short notice. All of the intangibles in this fight play against Okami. For Okami to have success he will need to grapple with St. Preux early and often. The problem is he has had success against fighters his size before, but this is much different as St. Preux is the biggest man he has ever had to face. Expect Okami to struggle for takedowns and then taking a counter on the feet that will send him to the canvas early in this bout. St. Preux Inside the Distance (-197) is currently the best line available, but I’m more curious in the knockout prop once it is released closer to fight date.
