An international star, Hatsu Hioki will make his UFC debut in Las Vegas. | Photo: Taro Irei
Featherweights
Hatsu Hioki (24-4-2, 0-0 UFC) vs. George Roop (12-7-1, 2-3 UFC)
Roop’s one of those tall, lanky lighter-weight fighters that gives everything he has in the cage, even if the technical execution looks a little ungainly. Forever at a wrestling deficit due to his long build, Roop comes to bang and mix it up. Recent wins over Chan Sung Jung and Josh Grispi were impressive upsets that showcased Roop’s improving standup, sandwiched around a blowout one-round loss to Hominick. Roop remains a tad raw on the feet and defensively deficient, but Hioki is not a big striker and figures to want to take it to the mat. Style-wise, he has a good opponent in front of him that figures to be willing to open up enough to allow tie-ups and high-percentage takedown attempts.
Despite the tough transition of many Japan-based fighters of late in the UFC, Hioki is a 3-to-1 favorite at the sportsbooks. The only way he loses this one is if he gets caught with a perfectly timed head kick, which represents Roop’s best chance to win. However, Hioki’s strength and grappling ability should prove too much. He knows putting it on the ground is his best kind of fight, and he will plant Roop there in the first round, wearing him down with steady ground-and-pound and positional improvements.
The Pick: Roop is tough and will take a pounding, but Hioki will be too much, battering him prior to landing a fight-finishing submission in the third.
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