Sengoku ‘Eleventh Battle’ Preview

Kazunori Yokota vs. Eiji Mitsuoka

The Breakdown: Two of Japan’s most underappreciated lightweights lock horns, as Yokota and Mitsuoka look to break away from the pack currently hunting for a shot at Mizuto Hirota’s Sengoku crown. While Yokota’s versatility has been his calling card, Mitsuoka would rather rely on his submissions, especially against Yokota’s vastly superior striking and movement. Some may assume Mitsuoka will mimic the top control special Satoru Kitaoka used against Yokota, but he does not have those hyper-drive takedowns, and Yokota will not need much vertical time to turn his head into a post-modern art project.

The X-Factor: Taking down Yokota will not be easy, but it certainly seems doable. The more relevant issue remains whether or not Mitsuoka can seal the deal before Yokota escapes back to his feet. We have all seen Mitsuoka pick up easy submissions before, but Yokota will test his takedowns and top control every step of the way. If either is not up to snuff, Mitsuoka will never get a chance to tap him out.

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The Bottom Line: This will be the closest fight of the night, as Yokota uses his movement and fluid striking to pick up points while Mitsuoka applies relentless pressure with his wrestling. The deal-breaker for Mitsuoka will be his inability to consistently score the takedown, which will leave him short on points and oxygen come gut-check time. By then, Yokota will have this fight well under control, as he coasts to a unanimous decision nod.