Sengoku ‘Ninth Battle’ Preview

Dream Featherweight Grand Prix Semi-Final
Michihiro Omigawa (6-7-1) vs. Marlon Sandro (14-0)

The Storyline: Omigawa comes equipped with more than 25 years of experience in judo; he was a Japanese college champion in 1998 and 1999 and a national champion in 2002. In the Sengoku grand prix, he finally justified some of the hype he received early in his career, as he dominated Affliction veteran L.C. Davis and totally outclassed the well-rounded Nam Phan.

Fans want to see Sandro throw more flurries of punches more often. The Nova Uniao black belt has acquired the questionable reputation as the “featherweight Ricardo Arona” by going the distance in six of his last nine fights. Most recently, the undefeated 31-year-old has picked up the pace. Fueled by the chance to get his big break in Sengoku, he has finished both of his tournament opponents. He victimized American Matt Jaggers with a sophisticated standing arm-triangle choke and knocked out Canadian Nick Denis in just 19 seconds.

The Breakdown: Omigawa-Sandro presents the latest chapter of the never-ending rivalry between Japanese judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Lately, fight fans saw Shinya Aoki and Vitor Ribeiro do battle. All told, this clash in styles dates back all the way to Mitsuyo Maeda’s tours through Brazil in the 1920s.

While Sandro relies mostly on chokes to put away his opponents, Omigawa prefers to work for a dominant position and pound out his adversaries. The Japanese veteran’s stand-up remains an underrated part of his game, as he has trained extensively with former Chute Boxe fighter and current Brazilian Top Team striking instructor Sergio Cunha in the past.

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The Prediction: Omigawa sports a 0-2 record against Brazilian opposition, and while Davis and Phan are nice wins that put him back on the map, they are not at Sandro’s level. Expect the Brazilian -- a world-class Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and King of Pancrase -- to stay just outside of Omigawa’s range, score points on the feet and play a conservative game on the ground en route to a decision.

Should Hioki and Sandro square off against each other in the final, the Japanese representative will enjoy a distinct reach advantage. It can work in his favor standing or become a problem on the ground, as his long limbs make him more susceptible to submission. Bank on Sandro winning on points, albeit by a small margin.