The Complete Guide to UFC Fight Night 79: Henderson vs. Masvidal
The Ultimate Fighting Championship touches down for the first time in South Korea with Saturday's offering on its Fight Pass platform. The promotion has long drawn excellent fighters from the region, including Dong Hyun Kim and former title challenger Chan Sung Jung, and this looks to be the first card of many that capitalizes on the excellent talent in the country.
In the main event, Korean-American Benson Henderson takes on Jorge Masvidal, who steps up on late notice to replace the injured Thiago Alves. From an action perspective, this is an even better fight than the original.
It represents a huge opportunity for both men.
This is the last fight on Henderson's contract, and there is every indication that he will explore free agency after this bout. A win here would set him up for a big payday assuming he draws competing offers from the UFC and Bellator. For Masvidal, a win over Henderson would easily be the biggest of his career, and it would give him an in to the big-money fights that have always eluded him.
The rest of the card, however, lacks much in the way of compelling fights. Dong Hyun Kim, the most consistently excellent Korean fighter on the world stage, fights late-notice replacement Dominic Waters in the co-main event. Yoshihiro Akiyama, who is Japanese of Korean descent, takes on Alberto Mina in a decent but hardly must-see matchup.
The highlight of the card, outside of the headliner, is a barnburner of a featherweight fight between "The Korean Superboy" Doo Ho Choi and banger Sam Sicilia. The main card starts at 8 a.m. ET.
Even the most dedicated fans can safely skip the prelims, which start at 5 a.m. ET. Aside from a sneaky-good strawweight matchup between Cortney Casey and Seohee Ham, there is little of interest.
Let's take a look at each matchup.
The Fight Pass Prelims (Part 1)
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Welterweights
Dominique Steele (13-6; 0-1 UFC) vs. Dong Hyun Kim (13-6-3; 0-0 UFC)
Yes, you read that right: There's another Dong Hyun Kim entering the UFC. This one steps up on short notice to replace the injured Hyun Gyu Lim in the evening's curtain-jerker.
There's no real reason to be overly optimistic about this fight. Steele is a journeyman who entered the UFC on late notice in July, and Zak Cummings knocked him out in just 45 seconds. Kim is a longtime veteran of the Korean scene.
Steele can do a bit of everything and has some pop in his hands, but he isn't a great athlete and isn't particularly durable. Kim is a solid takedown artist and boasts an excellent top game.
While the Korean is a slight underdog, the combination of the home-crowd advantage and his solid mixture of wrestling and grappling should get the job done. The pick is Kim by knockout in the second.
Bantamweights
Ning Guangyou (5-2-1; 2-0 UFC) vs. Marco Beltran (6-3; 1-0 UFC)
Veterans of the UFC's international Ultimate Fighter series meet in a matchup of low-level bantamweights. Ning won the China series as a featherweight and then defeated Royston Wee at bantamweight in May. Beltran, a veteran of TUF: Latin America, beat Marlon Vera in Mexico last November.
Ning is a big, strong bantamweight. The 5'5" southpaw is a solid striker with big power in his hands, but his work on the feet mostly carries him into the clinch or covers his takedown attempts. From the top, he controls well and can do some damage. Beltran is a rangy athlete with solid power in his hands and decent forward-moving combinations.
This is Ning's fight to lose. He might have some trouble with Beltran's height (5'8") and reach (69"), but he's a vastly superior wrestler and grappler, and if he gets this to the ground, he should take it handily. The pick is Ning by decision.
Flyweights
Yao Zhikui (2-2; 1-1 UFC) vs. Fredy Serrano (2-0; 1-0 UFC)
The flyweight matchup between Yao and Serrano continues the theme of fights between alumni of TUF: China and TUF: Latin America. Yao took a highly controversial decision from Nolan Ticman in May, while Serrano knocked out Bentley Syler in March.
Serrano, a native of Colombia, has a legitimate freestyle wrestling pedigree and medaled at the Pan-American Games in 2007. He hits excellent takedowns and boasts great athleticism and power; while he's a bit rote with his combinations, his explosiveness and speed make up for predictability. Zhikui is big for the division and aggressive, but he's not terribly skilled at anything.
The Colombian is a differently level of athlete, and his wrestling ability and power should be the difference. The pick is Serrano by decision.
Women's Strawweights
Seohee Ham (15-6; 0-1 UFC) vs. Cortney Casey (4-2; 0-1 UFC)
Korea's Ham takes on the American Casey in what should be a banger of a strawweight matchup. Both women debuted on short notice against Joanne Calderwood—Ham last December and Casey in July—and both lost competitive but clear decisions to the Scotswoman.
Ham is a striker by trade and a good one who works at a quick pace. The southpaw circles constantly and flicks smooth punch-kick combinations with real power behind them. She's a good-enough wrestler and grappler to get by.
Casey is raw but tough, talented and athletic. Her striking mechanics are lacking, but she's aggressive and has good instincts on the counter. Although she doesn't seem to be a skilled wrestler, she's willing to jump guard for submissions.
This should be one of the best fights of the night. Casey is the favorite, but that seems off; Ham is a more skilled and technical striker and is good enough to keep this standing. The pick is Ham by decision.
The Fight Pass Prelims (Part 2)
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Lightweights
Tae Hyun Bang (17-9; 1-2 UFC) vs. Leo Kuntz (17-2-1; 0-1 UFC)
Korea's Bang draws the American Kuntz in a decent lightweight matchup. Bang fell to John Tuck by submission in May and prior to that knocked out Kajan Johnson. Kuntz made his debut against blue-chip prospect Islam Makhachev in May and was choked out in the second round.
Bang isn't a great athlete, but he has fight-changing power in his hands and a crafty approach for utilizing it. He works behind a consistent jab and has a knack for counter combinations, but he struggles to keep the fight standing. Kuntz is tough and willing to brawl, with good cardio and some pop in his hands.
The matchup favors Bang. Kuntz doesn't have the wrestling chops to hold him down, and the American is hittable enough on the feet to give Bang opportunities. The pick is Bang by knockout in the second round.
Featherweights
Yui Chul Nam (18-5-1; 1-1 UFC) vs. Mike De La Torre (13-5, 1 N/C; 1-2, 1 N/C UFC)
Nam, a native of Korea, takes on the American De La Torre in a solid featherweight clash. Nam, nicknamed "The Korean Bulldozer," dropped a decision to Phillipe Nover in May in a fight most observers thought he won. De La Torre fell to Maximo Blanco in 16 seconds in July after beating Tiago dos Santos e Silva.
Nam lives up to his nickname. He's an offense-first fighter whose game is defined by his aggression in all phases. Powerful punching combinations carry him forward into the clinch, where he can do serious damage, and cover his takedowns. While not the most technical grappler, he's a lot to handle on top, and he can generate serious power.
De La Torre is quick, athletic and aggressive. He drops potent punching combinations at a good pace, but he is quite hittable and offers little else.
While Nam is a slight favorite here, the fight favors him by a larger margin. He's a superior wrestler and clinch fighter, and his durability should allow him to walk through the American's shots. The pick is Nam by decision.
Middleweights
Dongi Yang (12-3; 1-3 UFC) vs. Jake Collier (9-2; 1-1 UFC)
Yang was one of the first Korean fighters in the UFC, and he returns to the promotion for the first time since 2012 against the American Collier. Yang dropped competitive fights to Court McGee and Brad Tavares before his release and has won two straight since then, the most recent a knockout win over Dennis Hallman. Collier lost his debut to Vitor Miranda but won a close decision from Ricardo Abreu in June.
The short and stocky Korean is a skilled fighter. He has big power in his straight left and left kick from the southpaw stance, but his best punch is his counter right hook. He's competent as an offensive and defensive wrestler and drops bombs from top position. The problem is output: Yang often slips into periods where he barely throws strikes as he stalks his opponent.
Collier is a solid meat-and-potatoes kickboxer with excellent cardio. He is rangy at 6'3" and uses his height well, with a long jab and front kick backed up with crisp punching combinations and strong low kicks. He wrestles well both offensively and defensively.
If Yang (5'11") were a little rangier or threw a little more volume, he would likely be the favorite here, but Collier's edges in height and offensive output should be the difference. The pick is Collier by competitive but clear decision.
Doo Ho Choi vs. Sam Sicilia
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Featherweights
Doo Ho Choi (12-1; 1-0 UFC) vs. Sam Sicilia (15-5; 5-4 UFC)
The third time's the charm as Korea's Choi meets the American Sicilia in a long-awaited featherweight bout. The two were scheduled to meet in May 2014 and then again in July 2015, but Choi pulled out both times with injuries. In the meantime, he brutally knocked out Juan Manuel Puig last November.
Sicilia has won two in a row since falling to Katsunori Kikuno last September, knocking out Akira Corassani and then taking a decision from Yaotzin Meza in July.
This matchup has violence written all over it. Neither fighter is yet close to the top of the division, but the winner will have secured himself a spot as a go-to action fighter at 145 pounds.
Choi is an unbelievably violent young fighter who will remind viewers of a more powerful and athletic version of Chan Sung Jung. The 24-year-old works behind brutal punching combinations mixed in with the occasional kick, and his flying knee is a consistent and dangerous weapon.
The Korean is perfectly willing to exchange in the pocket and has a sneaky counter game that belies his youth. It's a fine line between intelligently exchanging and brawling, however, and too often Choi lets himself get drawn into slobberknockers.
The rest of his game is competent. He has a sneaky arsenal of trips in the clinch, and his takedown defense has mostly been sufficient to keep him out of trouble on the mat. From top position his power is still there, but he isn't a submission threat.
Although he has rounded out his skill sets over the past several years, Sicilia's game is still built around his vicious right hand. He flicks hard kicks at range and then picks his spots to explode forward into his favored overhand right or a left hook, any one of which could end his opponent's night at any time.
There are two problems with this approach, though. The first is volume: Sicilia goes long stretches without throwing much and rarely strings together more than one or two shots at a time. The second is defense. Sicilia's head almost always stays on the centerline, and he struggles to avoid his opponent's kicks.
The rest of Sicilia's game has come along nicely. He has a nice trip game in the clinch and scrambles beautifully once the fight hits the mat. His top control is strong, he packs power in his ground strikes and he's developing a nice feel for submissions—d'Arces and guillotines—from the front headlock.
Betting Odds
Choi -230, Sicilia +190
Prediction
This is Choi's fight to lose. His takedown defense should suffice to keep this standing, and on the feet he throws much better volume and has a more diverse and technical offensive repertoire. The pick is Choi by knockout in the second round.
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Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Alberto Mina
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Welterweights
Yoshihiro Akiyama (14-5, 2 N/C; 2-4 UFC) vs. Alberto Mina (11-0; 1-0 UFC)
Akiyama, who is Japanese of Korean descent, draws Brazilian by way of Hong Kong-based Mina in a solid welterweight matchup. The Japanese fighter entered the promotion with a ton of hype behind him, but a brutal schedule and repeated injuries have led to an underwhelming UFC career. He defeated Amir Sadollah in September 2014 after a layoff of more than two years.
For his part, Mina was a touted prospect. He defeated Shinsho Anzai in August 2014 in an entertaining slugfest, and the 33-year-old could make a name for himself with a win over Akiyama here.
Akiyama had a deep background in judo prior to his MMA career, and while he seemingly forgot about his takedown arsenal for a while, he has returned to it in his last several fights. He excels at hitting dynamic counter takedowns, including step-in trips, inside trips off caught kicks and a variety of throws that use his opponent's momentum against him.
The Japanese fighter has a brutal base from top position and packs real power in his ground strikes. Submissions haven't been his strong suit against elite competition, but he can hit topside armbars and chokes. His takedown defense is stellar, as is his ability to scramble in the unlikely event his back hits the mat.
While he was never as good as he thought he was, Akiyama is still a talented striker. He's an exceptional athlete, even at 40, and packs serious power. Hard punching combinations meld with unorthodox kicks, particularly the spinning back kick, to give him variety. The problem is volume: Akiyama just doesn't throw enough, and he gives away decisions he should win.
Mina is a wild and aggressive fighter. He's big for the division at a rangy 6'0" but prefers to brawl rather than use his frame to stick and move. A beautiful counter left hook and well-timed flying knee are the basis of his game, but he's much more offensively oriented than defensively savvy. He's both hittable and a poor decision-maker, which often leads him into irrational exchanges.
A black belt in judo, Mina is a handful in the clinch. While not a terribly imposing takedown threat, he has a nice array of trips and throws, and his knees are dangerous.
The real strength of the Brazilian's game is his grappling. A high-level competitive black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, he is lethal everywhere on the mat. His top game is elite, with smooth passes, hard ground strikes and an array of topside submissions. Sweeps are another strong suit. He excels at getting to the back in transitions.
Betting Odds
Akiyama -150, Mina +130
Prediction
Unless Akiyama's age finally takes a toll on him, this matchup favors the Japanese fighter. He's better in the clinch, and given his strong defensive wrestling and smooth grappling, he is unlikely to find himself in trouble on the mat. If this does go to the ground, it will likely be with Akiyama on top, and he's the stronger clinch fighter to boot.
If Mina is going to win, it will have to be on the feet, and his wild striking and tendency to drain his gas tank bode poorly against an experienced and intelligent fighter. The pick is Akiyama by decision.
Dong Hyun Kim vs. Dominic Waters
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Welterweights
Dong Hyun Kim (20-3-1, 1 N/C; 11-3, 1 N/C UFC) vs. Dominic Waters (9-3; 0-1 UFC)
Dong Hyun Kim returns to South Korea for his first fight in his home country in more than a decade. He was supposed to face Jorge Masvidal, but the late injury to Thiago Alves led to a reshuffling of the card. Instead, he faces Jackson-Winkeljohn product Dominic Waters, who debuted on short notice with a loss to George Sullivan in July.
Kim has been a perennial top-10 welterweight and bounced back from a brutal knockout loss to Tyron Woodley last August with a late submission over Josh Burkman in May. For the Korean, he needs a showcase win here over an outmatched opponent to secure another matchup with an elite welterweight.
The Korean is a diverse fighter who has evolved in multiple directions over the course of his career. He began as a sprawl-and-brawler, became a suffocating top-control artist in the UFC, shifted into the role of a guns-blazing pressure fighter for a while and now seems to have settled into a measured but still aggressive approach.
Kim is competent everywhere. The southpaw works behind a rangy kicking game and a potent straight left at range, but his game mostly revolves around using those rangy strikes to push his opponent toward the fence, where he can catch him with a spinning backfist or elbow as he circles out. On the downside, he is quite hittable.
If he doesn't land a big shot, Kim is happy to dive into the clinch, which remains the judoka's strongest area. He is nearly impossible to shake off as he grinds against the fence, throwing short knees and punches while he looks for an array of trips and throws. Getting to the back while standing is another strong suit.
On the mat, the Korean is suffocating. He isn't terribly dangerous from top position, but his base is impossible to move, he passes fairly well and he can drop bombs when he chooses to. The occasional topside submission adds some variety.
A veteran of the Marine Corps, Waters has real talent and is improving from fight to fight. He is a bit rote with his striking, but has long arms (79" reach), quick hands and some pop. He also has a good feel for throwing in combination, routinely stringing two or three shots together at a time and mixing in sneaky kicks. On the downside, he is somewhat predictable and lacks defensive acumen.
Waters was a junior college wrestler, and he has a strong arsenal of takedowns. Chained singles and doubles are his specialty. He struggles to defend takedowns, however, and in general is much more skilled offensively than defensively.
His wrestling background lends itself to a strong front headlock game on the mat, which expresses itself in a quick move to the back and a strong snapdown. His top game is solid but nothing terribly special, and he struggles to do more than survive from his back.
Betting Odds
Kim -750, Waters +525
Prediction
As the betting odds indicate, this is Kim's fight to lose. Barring a disaster, he should be able to control Waters in the clinch and from top position, and the only real danger lies in Waters catching him with a big punch on the feet. The pick is Kim by wide decision with the strong possibility of a finish.
Benson Henderson vs. Jorge Masvidal
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Welterweights
Benson Henderson (22-5; 10-3 UFC) vs. Jorge Masvidal (29-9; 6-2 UFC)
Former lightweight champion Benson Henderson has a great deal on the line as he faces the veteran Masvidal, who moves into the main event on short notice following an injury to Thiago Alves. This is the last fight on Henderson's contract with the UFC, and a big free-agent payday could follow with an impressive win here.
Henderson stepped up on short notice in his last fight, finishing Brandon Thatch in the fourth round less than a month after a controversial decision loss to Donald Cerrone. Prior to that he fell in the first round to current lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos.
Like Henderson, Masvidal moved up to 170 pounds following a controversial decision loss, in his case to Al Iaquinta. The 5'11" American Top Team product viciously knocked out Cezar Ferreira in July and looks to settle in for a run at the welterweight elite.
The former champion looked smooth, athletic and quick in his welterweight debut. He has developed into a much cleaner and more technical striker in the last few years, and his edge in speed at 170 will serve the defined out-fighter well. His consistent right jab and steady diet of kicks allow him to overcome his relative lack of height (5'9") by fighting long.
The southpaw's striking game is based on consistent movement at range followed by leaping punching combinations or potent single kicks. He takes an attritive approach and likes to wear his opponent down with hard shots to the legs—he mixes up round kicks to the front and back leg, calf kicks and side kicks—with a vicious right hook to the body. If his opponent pressures, Henderson has a beautiful counter right hook.
While not a particularly dangerous striker, Henderson is defensively sound and difficult to time. Despite his famed cardio, he only works at an average pace; conversely, his movement and refusal to stand in front of his opponents make it hard to put volume on him.
At lightweight, Henderson often used his size to grind away in the clinch with knees and body-lock takedown attempts, but it's an open question as to whether he'll be able to do that against larger welterweights. The move up seems to have improved the timing on his shot takedowns, however, and he hit fantastic reactive double-legs against Thatch.
On the mat, Henderson has grown more dangerous. He controls well from the top, can still drop bombing ground strikes and passes smoothly to the back, where his rear-naked choke is lethal.
Masvidal is one of the more consistently underrated fighters in MMA. He has plus skills in every phase, with a smooth striking arsenal, excellent wrestling and dangerous submissions on the mat.
The Cuban-American generally prefers to strike. He works behind a crisp and consistent jab and a sharp straight right, and when he finds his rhythm and range, he strings together gorgeous combinations. Vicious leg and body kicks supplement his fine boxing arsenal.
What stands out most about Masvidal's striking game is his defense. He is one of the soundest defensive fighters in the entire sport, with layers of head movement, parries, blocks and angles to both avoid his opponent's shots entirely and take the sting away from partially landed shots.
The rest of Masvidal's game is likewise excellent. He is an outstanding defensive wrestler and has a fine arsenal of chained singles, doubles and trips of his own. On the mat, he controls well from top position, hits hard ground strikes and owns a developing submission arsenal.
The veteran is at his best in transitional spaces. He throws hard combinations and elbows on clinch breaks, sneaks in knees and punches as he defends takedowns, uses strikes to cover takedown attempts and moves seamlessly from defending takedowns to choke attempts from the front headlock.
The only real issue with Masvidal's game is a lack of urgency. He has a tendency of taking his foot off the gas pedal at key moments, dropping his volume or letting hurt opponents recover. This has led to multiple losses in fights he probably should have won.
Betting Odds
Henderson -260, Masvidal +220
Prediction
This fight seems closer than the betting odds indicate. Masvidal is a stiff challenge in every phase and will have advantages in height and reach to go along with more offensive output.
Still, the intangibles favor Henderson. He seems to be coming into his own as his career progresses, and he should be the substantially faster fighter here. Long fights suit him, and his cardio and work rate have gotten better at 170.
This should be close early, and then increasingly wide as Henderson adapts and puts his game together. The pick is Henderson by decision.
Patrick Wyman is the Senior MMA Analyst for Bleacher Report. He can be found on Twitter.
All betting odds via Odds Shark.
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