UFC 104 Preview: The Prelims

Yushin Okami vs. Chael Sonnen

The Breakdown: The UFC’s resident red-headed stepchild, Okami, gets his usual undercard spot. It comes against Sonnen, who surprised everyone not in his immediate family by brushing off Dan Miller’s jiu-jitsu game and turning him into his personal bobble-head. Doing the same to Okami would be miraculous, as Sonnen will have to find a way to keep this fight from turning into the kind of clinch-fest that Okami so routinely forces fans to endure. While Sonnen remains a solid Greco-Roman wrestler in his own right, he does not have Okami’s knack for transitioning into the Thai clinch or his overall striking ability. Then again, it has been a long time since Okami had to fight someone who could plant him on his back and show him how the other half lives.

The X-Factor: This looks like a wrestling match on paper, but evenly matched wrestlers often rely on their secondary skills when they cannot top control their way to a victory. If this fight turns that way, Sonnen seems woefully underequipped, as his whole game revolves around ground-and-pound. Meanwhile, Okami has proven himself a sound striker and has shown flashes of submission skills.

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The Bottom Line: Think of Okami as the UFC’s answer to the Ultimate Nullifier. Galactus may not lives in fear of him, but most of the middleweight division does -- and with good reason. Sonnen will learn why, as he struggles to figure out Okami’s timing on the feet and ends up spending more time in the clinch than on the mat. Consider it a recipe for disaster for anyone not named Anderson Silva. Expect another decision win for Okami and the usual post-fight hysteria about why he was not on the main card.