Ivan Menjivar (25-11) and Hatsu Hioki (26-7-2) find themselves in need of an important victory on Saturday night, when the UFC heads to Macau, China for its “TUF: China” finale event.
TUF: China Finale – Ivan Menjivar vs Hatsu Hioki Video Preview
Menjivar was flying high when he made the transition from the WEC, garnering three-straight victories under the UFC banner with two of those wins ending via stoppage. But the ‘Pride of El Salvador’ went 1-3 in his next four outings, with that lone win coming at the expense of recent RUFF signee, Azamat Gashimov.
Suffice to say, the 31-year-old Tristar native needs to ink his name on the win column, if he has any hopes of getting back into the contenders’ mix for Renan Barao’s 135-lbs title.
But that of course will be easier said then done against Hatsu Hioki (pictured), a former Sengoku and Shooto Featherweight champ who’s yet to to be stopped by strikes or submission. Hioki brought a huge wave of momentum to his UFC debut, controversially gaining a decision victory over George Roop before dominating recently retired Bartimus Palaszewski for three rounds at UFC 144.
However, after reportedly rejecting a title shot against Jose Aldo, the 30-year-old struggled to get results in his following outings, losing three straight. In fact, despite boasting a 2-3 record under the UFC banner, fans and critics alike have felt that the Japanese vet hasn’t quite hit his stride yet in the octagon.
While Hioki will undoubtedly be looking for takedowns and control off the bat, Menjivar poses a good threat in the stand-up department, but will certainly have to do more than just land power shots to stop his Japanese counterpart.
Check out this video preview of Hioki vs. Menjivar below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxcZCUL6IgU
________________________________________________________________________________
Follow Thinesh on Twitter (@ThineshJohnMMA), and keep up with the latest MMA news from MMASucka via Twitter (@MMASucka) and Facebook
Stay tuned right here at MMA Sucka for more live streams as well as videos highlighting the top fighters, commentators, coaches, promoters and other names in MMA and combat sports. We also bring you great offers on the latest MMA products and merchandise. You can also subscribe to our youtube channel for regular updates and all the latest fight news. You can also check out our sister site, at TheFightBuzz.com for the latest from the world of MMA and other combat sports.
