Summary:

Seoul’s main event is set to be a showcase of high-level MMA as newly minted Welterweights Jorge Masvidal and Benson Henderson do battle. With both fighters being well-rounded veterans, this technical stand-off has hardcores salivating as we’ll potentially get a peek of what top shelf MMA can look like. Originally slated to face Thiago Alves, Benson’s new opponent won’t be on short notice as Masvidal was originally booked for this card(against Kim who’s also a Southpaw).

On the feet, I strongly feel distance management will be the name of the game as Jorge will try to find his range while Ben attempts to manage it. Luckily for Henderson this is something he’s made a career off of as he’s edged out many strikers & scorecards with his stylings. Generally circling just outside of range(and usually along the black inner-octagon lines) is where Henderson calls home as he’ll explode into counter attacks and reset to this space. His main tool to manage & check range is his kicks, something I suspect Ben will lean heavily on given Jorge’s defenses.

Though renown & respected for his striking skills, one of Masvidal’s few technical flaws is his reluctancy to check kicks. This could play a big factor in this fight given the variety & effectiveness of Henderson’s leg kicks. Variating his techniques & targets, Ben will go from inside-to-outside as he attacks thighs, calfs, and even the rear leg given his opponents stance. Henderson’s left body kicks & right side-kicks could also have play with Jorge’s natural inclination for a shell defense. Ben will still have be very mindful while throwing these as Masvidal show’s the ability to catch kicks and counter(Something he could use to get an offensive angle or even behind Ben).

Though Jorge is often pressuring forward, he’s ultimately a counter fighter as he looks read and react to his opposition. Though I stated Henderson’s advantage at distance, it’s the mid-to-pocket range where Masvidal makes his money and should have the advantage here. Look for Henderson to safely navigate these waters with his classic hard slip to the right(his orthodox opposition’s left/weak side) as he comes back into play with a right body hook-left hand follow up. Though only facing one Southpaw in the UFC(Tim Means) Masvidal showed excellent “outside-foot awareness” and should not make things comfortable for Henderson.

Masvidal’s biggest threat in this fight is his counter punching abilities(especially off clinch-breaks or exiting exchanges) as that will be his best chances against Benson in particular. Henderson will sometimes(especially when throwing his left hand) put himself out of position and off balance. In doing so, this will cause him to counter balance himself as he’ll use his(sometimes wild) head-movement off strikes to reset. The problem with this is that he’ll occasionally reset right back into a dangerous range, as we saw him burned by this in his Dos Anjos fight. Henderson will most likely dictate the striking distance by playing all-the-way out, or all-the-way in.

That brings us to clinch space, which I feel is a Key Factor in who wins this fight. With Masvidal’s dangerous inside elbows & knees, expect Ben to employ his strong & savvy clinch game as he’ll use his entire body in syncronisity to operate. Using his leg dexterity to strike or assist take-downs, he favors grounding opposition from the body lock. Ben will likely have trouble(at least early) getting Masvidal down who has solid take-down defense at 83%. Not to mention Masvidal’s underrated counter-wrestling and transition game, which can really make the ground exchanges fun should Jorge keep pace.

The pace however, is where this fun road begins to split for me. Masvidal has shown to coast & conserve energy in previous bouts, and though crediting this to extreme weight cuts(something he avoids at Welterweight), he’s still shown some inconsistency overall. Benson on the other hand, has excellent conditioning and an experienced know-how on winning 5 round affairs. As a fan of Masvidal, I’m happy to see him finally get a big fight as he more than has the tools to beat the former Champion. But I ultimately see Henderson’s distance game frustrating Masvidal to be the most likely outcome. I hope this fight will visit all the terrains of MMA as this is a match up where both men can shine technically and send us off satisfied.

Summary:

In a maincard that’s been played like “Musical Chairs”, Dong Hyun Kim draws Dominic Waters as his dance partner. Returning to fight in his home country of Korea, expect Kim to try and make a statement against his late replacement. Though Dominic is no stranger to late notice fights, He’ll be stepping up to another level as he attempts to spoil Kim’s homecoming.

Starting off on the feet, Dominic shows a fairly basic striking arsenal as he primarily will look to set up his Double-leg. Overall lacking in speed, volume, and aggression, Waters will use his opponents forward pressure to change levels for a shot. He’ll have to mind Kim’s power punching as Dominic shows to keep his head upright(exposing him to overhands) and dipping it low in exchanges(opening up uppercuts).

Though Kim has similar defensive issues of his own, his pressure, volume, and experience should more than make the difference. Unless Waters can score his double and get on top, he shows to struggle and fade in fights. Given Kim’s on paper 88% TD defense to his in fight technical grappling, it doesn’t look promising for Dominic.

Especially if Waters ends up on his back(as he shows reversal susceptibilities), his inactivity could lead to his first stoppage loss should he allow the Korean to dictate. I’m not trying to disrespect Dominic Waters chances as he’s a hard worker with a good camp(Jackson-Wink), I just feel it’s a bad match up skills gap aside. That said, Kim would be a solid choice even for the price in Fantasy MMA.

Summary:

In another potential fight of the night, Yoshihiro “Sexyyama” Akiyama faces Alberto Mina in his return to Korea. With only one fight in the last 3 years, Akiyama’s inactivity will be the intangible coming into this fight. Usually teaching & training around the world, Alberto Mina has spent this camp at Kings MMA in effort to improve his striking and overall game.

Traditionally, Mina will come out circling looking to range find with kicks. Though possessing improved hands and deceptive power, it’s coming off his punches where he’s most vulnerable. Often throwing himself out of position, Alberto’s head will keep high opening him up to counter strikes. This is where Akiyama will have his best chances to win this fight or at least sway it’s momentum.

Despite his strong Judo base, Akiyama has made his money striking in this latter-half of his career. His counter right is his most dangerous & accurate punch that should have plenty of play if Mina hasn’t shored up his defenses. Alberto also shows a tendency to lean/slip heavily to his right, and though Akiyama doesn’t show much switch-kicking, he bares a solid left hook.

The intangibles of Mina’s striking progress aside, his best chances will be getting this to the floor. There the BJJ Champion can create havoc with his relentless chains of submission attacks. The problem with that scenario is that I’m not sure that Alberto will be able to get Yoshihiro down.

Despite Mina’s Judo background and improved Double-legs, Akiyama boasts a 95% take-down defense rate in 21 fights.Even Jake Sheilds struggled for his lone take-down that came at the tail end of 3 rounds and roughly twenty attempts. Alberto Mina has the tools to win and arguably the intangibles in his favor. But in looking at actual in-fight stylings, it’s hard not to side with Korea’s “Sexyyama”.

Summary:

Kick-starting the main card is potential fireworks as Sam Sicilia is tasked with testing Korean prospect Doo Ho Choi. With almost one year since his last fight it will be interesting to see what form the young Korean prospect returns at. Should Choi have not added any new tools to his game, his pre-existing ones could still prove trouble to the stylings of Sicilia.

Sam will utilize an aggressive pressure style to draw out brawls on his terms. Favoring his right hand in particular, Sicilia wields KO power that makes him dangerous against anyone at Featherweight. However, this aggressive nature comes at a cost as Sam keeps his hands low and head high in exchanges. This leaves him susceptible to counter shots(particularly right hands) that will be costly against a striker like Doo Ho.

Standing offensively squared to oppsition while staying light on his toes, Choi positions himself in a constant state of offensive/counter-offensive readiness. With an ability to reel-off quick kicks, it’s Choi’s punches that should serve him best against Sam. Utilizing feints, Doo Ho will draw out opponents reactions and counter strikes. He’ll use these opprotunities to off-set his opponents timing as he’ll intercept them coming in with beautifully accurate jab-crosses.

I see this in particular being effective in this fight should Sicilia stay at range. Sam’s best shot is making this an ugly & grinding affair by testing the prospect in-close and on the floor. Sicilia is very physically persuasive in the clinch and should he get on top, he shows a solid positional game that could cause Choi problems.

However, entering the clinch space to begin with posses it’s own dangers as Sam tends to lead his entries with his head down and forward. If Sam doesn’t mind this he’ll put himself right in line with Choi’s deadly knees. Owning multiple KO’s via this method, Choi’s excellent timing & feints come to fruition as he masterfully will misdirect and catch opponents here(Not to mention his shown TD defense & good balance against previous legitimate threats).

Should Sam ground the Korean, it may still be an uphill battle given Choi’s transitional grappling where he chains submission attacks into scrambles back to his feet. Though showing a good chin, it’s Choi’s willingness to brawl that could burn him here. Sicilia’s raw power keeps him a live-dog in any fight, and if Choi get’s overconfident it could potentially cost him. With that said, We should be in for a big bang either way, But I suspect Asia’s most promising talent to make a statement here.