Sengoku: Another Jiu-Jitsu King Tries MMA

Jorge Masvidal vs. Ryan Schultz

In the hidden gem of Sengoku’s fifth bill, two lightweight studs who stumbled on the brink of breakout status look to get up, dust off themselves and dust up one another. It’s a sterling storyline regardless of circumstance, but in a super-stacked 155-pound division, it’s even better.

The 23-year-old Masvidal (13-3) rolled up seven straight impressive victories -- including his head kick mashing of reputable veteran Yves Edwards -- and looked like one of the next big things in the lightweight division. However, in his Sengoku debut against Rodrigo Damm in June, a fight he seemingly had under control took a sharp turn for the worse. Damm launched a long-range right cross that put Masvidal on the deck and prompted an all-too-early stoppage that halted Masvidal’s momentum and nixed his opportunity to enter Sengoku’s lightweight tournament.

Like Masvidal, Schultz (20-10-1) carried a rock-solid winning streak into his Sengoku debut in August. His string of sterling performances made the International Fight League champion an early favorite in Sengoku’s lightweight tournament. Unfortunately for Schultz, the four grueling years he spent regaining the hype he had when he entered the sport as a coveted 155-pound prospect quickly unraveled when Mizuto Hirota decided it was his coming out party instead and wickedly tamed “The Lion” with a superman punch to the mug.

“Gamebred” seems the perfect moniker for Masvidal. He exemplifies gameness and boasts a well-rounded game, even as the rugged undertones of street-fight nurturing are still readily apparent. Meanwhile, Schultz is a lunchpail-style grinder who, despite his faltering against Hirota, has improved his stand-up game and can still dominate his opponents from top position.

Unfortunately for Schultz, Masvidal is, to some extent, a prototype of the fighter against whom he struggles. Masvidal can grapple well enough to avoid danger in the clinch or on the bottom and can stay at range and counterstrike. Schultz often wears down quickly when he can’t get top position and becomes highly prone to getting blasted on the feet as a result. Look for Masvidal to withstand or thwart Schultz’s early offense and capitalize on his foe as the fight drags on. Masvidal is right-dominant, so expect the lightweight king of the Miami Boatyard to use his right hand or right foot to sacrifice the Nebraska native to the corn gods late in the bout.

Kiuma Kunioku vs. A Sol Kwon

I want to care about this fight.

I want to care because Kunioku (33-22-9), a former middleweight and welterweight King of Pancrase, finally realizes he should have been a lightweight all along. This after nearly 13 years in the sport, including time spent in the open-weight era of Pancrase.

I want to care because Kwon (5-3), while not one of South Korea’s top fighters, is tough as nails and fun as hell to watch.

Yet, I can’t force myself to care. Kunioku, with mild technical superiority standing and on the ground, should take a drab decision.

The lightweight tournament semifinals cannot come fast enough.

Travis Wiuff vs. Muhammed Lawal

Wiuff, fresh off his surprise 84-second sleep-job over traditionally iron-headed Kazuyuki Fujita in June, was slated to face grappling wizard Roger Gracie. Then, depending on whom you believe, Gracie either injured his ribs in sparring or, as WVR would like you to believe, wet his pants and started crying at the prospect of meeting Wiuff in his third MMA fight. Rather than let the bout go to waste, WVR capitalized on its insatiable lust for crossover athletes, wrangling former U.S. world wrestling team member Muhammed "Mo" Lawal, who will be making his MMA debut.

Lawal, 27, has a laundry list of wrestling laurels, including a NCAA Division II national championship, U.S. Open freestyle gold medal and a Pan-American Games freestyle gold medal. He officially announced in March that he had begun training at Team Quest's Temecula facility and then turned his attention to MMA following the Beijing Olympics. However, after longtime rival Andy Hrovat upset him at the U.S. Olympic Trials in June, dashing his hopes of Olympic gold in China, Lawal got into the MMA game a bit quicker than perhaps he would have hoped.

Unlike Lawal, an intriguing but unknown commodity, MMA fans are highly familiar with Wiuff's body of work. Over 60 fights deep in a seven-year career, Wiuff is solid albeit unspectacular, and he has put together 10 straight victories, including his one-night tournament win in the ever-infamous Yamma in April. As reliable a gatekeeper as MMA has, this bout may have been expected two years into Lawal's career. But what about now?

Lawal is a sensational wrestler with rare athleticism. Ryan Parsons says he's the best wrestler he's ever worked with. He has a 42-inch vertical leap and one of the most explosive double legs you'll ever see. However, he's also a debuting MMA fighter against a rock-solid veteran, and no matter how athletic you are, there is simply no way of telling what you can offer in MMA until you step into the arena.

I err on the side of caution, picking Wiuff to take a W with strikes, although I'll keep my fingers crossed that Lawal is more parts Randy Couture than Karam Ibrahim.