UFC 97 Breakdown: The Prelims

Denis Kang vs. Xavier Foupa-Pokam

The Breakdown: After a disastrous UFC debut against Alan Belcher, Kang gets his shot at vindication against the awesome name and quicksilver kickboxing of Foupa-Pokam. A UFC neophyte, Foupa-Pokam has the striking to give Kang pause on the feet, but the Frenchman’s lacking ground game makes this a tough promotional debut for “Professor X.” The Achilles’ heel of Foupa-Pokam’s game happens to be one of Kang’s specialties, as his wrestling and jiu-jitsu are both above par and more than capable of sending Foupa-Pokam home with a loss and a doctor-prescribed rehab program.

The X Factor: If Foupa-Pokam can bank on anything, it’s Kang’s own subpar fight IQ. Prone to making mistakes and using the wrong gameplan, Kang needs to be wary of Foupa-Pokam’s striking, as “Professor X” would only need a moment’s carelessness to knock the would-be contender’s UFC career even further off course.

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The Bottom Line: It’s no secret that the UFC wants to build Kang into a future challenger for the middleweight crown. After botching his debut, expect Kang to come out focused and ready to bulldoze Foupa-Pokam on the mat. Once Kang scores the inevitable takedown, it will not take him long to show off the sound jiu-jitsu game that will eventually have Foupa-Pokam looking for a way out.