Preview: Bellator 229 ‘Koreshkov vs. Larkin’

Saad Awad vs. Goiti Yamauchi

Awad steps into the Bellator cage for the 20th time, hoping to end a two-fight drought when he battles the tough Yamauchi. The 36-year-old, who has amassed a 23-11 professional record, desperately needs a win if he wants to remain relevant in the weight class. The California native is not the most athletic fighter but makes up for it with grit and determination. The “Assassin” likes to take the fight to his opponent using a high-output striking game. He draws solid power by being a very large lightweight, while also sitting down on his punches. His short right hand is his best blow but he can depend on it too much, being pretty predictable in exchanges. The Training Lab representative invites his foe to a fire fight but has some serious defensive flaws. Awad lacks head movement, and often backs straight up when trying to avoid a blitz from his opponent. He was rocked by Brandon Girtz several times in his last bout. “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 16 veteran throws several kicks, which he uses more to win rounds than do damage. The Bellator mainstay will shoot in, but it often appears to be more of a habit than finding an opening. He regularly finds himself sprawled upon and taking damage.

Yamauchi has a lot in common with former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida than being a Brazilian with Japanese heritage. The young fighter mirrors his game after “The Dragon.” While the 26-year-old, who sports a 23-4 record, doesn’t have the decorated karate background that Machida has, his kickboxing style looks very similar. He likes to stand in a very wide stance, with his core lined up off center like many traditional martial artists do. The southpaw likes to work from range using his constant movement to open a moment to spring forward with an attack. He doesn’t have the big power that the Bellator 228 main event attraction has, but throws strikes like Machida does; his best attacks are his hook kick, question mark kick and push kick. He likes to stunt his opponent’s attacks with a perfectly-timed step-in knee. Like the Dragon, Yamauchi is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu blackbelt, who is a serious threat to end the fight with a submission. He has displayed great flexibility in scrambles, leading to subs from both the top position and bottom. His high-level grappling game has helped him handle his business in four out of his last five appearances. He picked up the biggest win of his career by defeating Daniel Weichel in his last outing. The Brazilian’s comfortability off his back has led him to give away valuable top control time to fighter’s who will stall in Yamauchi’s guard.

Both of these fighters appear to be on different trajectories at this time. Awad is 10-years the elder of Yamauchi and appears to have seen better days, while the Brazilian is likely just now entering his prime. Awad’s relentless pace is a tough task for anybody but if the California native obliges Yamauchi’s desire for some grappling, he could find himself caught in a submission. I believe Awad won’t have much of a choice and sees this fight taken to the ground. Awad hasn’t been submitted in over eight years, so I expect him to find a way to fight off the submission attempts from the BJJ black belt. However, he still loses a decision. Yamauchi by unanimous decision.

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