Franklin vs. Okami - UFC 72 Preview

You can tell a lot about a fighter from studying their style of fight and also, how they performed in their last fight especially when there is a stylistic difference.

This is not to say that the fighter will be the exact same fighter in their next fight (unless they choose to be) however, it is a good indication of what to expect barring any overhaul in style since the last time the fighter fought.

Wow, that was clear as mud.

I noticed a similarity in the fighting styles of Franklin and Okami's last opponents... they seemed to be the same style that each will face in UFC 72.

Mike Swick has a Rich Franklin style of fight as Jason MacDonald's strength is in his ground game much the same as Yushin Okami. Rich beat MacDonald and Okami beat Swick. Now the two fighters are up against the same style of fight again except this time, "Two men enter, one man leave" (Shameless Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome reference)

I've included Franklin and Okami's last bouts in the UFC and you tell me if I am way off base here. It's important to note that Okami has heavy hands unlike MacDonald, and Franklin is better at defending the takedown than Mike Swick. Both fighters have excellent conditioning as a lack of stamina will not play a factor in this UFC 72 main event.

Their records are eerily similar so it's tough to say either way who has the advantage.

Franklin: 21 - 2 - 0
Okami: 20 - 3 - 0

Let me know who you think will win this fight otherwise, I'll just flip a coin.

UFC 69 - Mike Swick vs. Yushin Okami

UFC 68 - Rich Franklin vs. Jason MacDonald