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September 22, 2017 | Posted by Robert Winfree
UFC Fight Night 117

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Main card (FXX at 10 p.m. ET)
#6 Ovince Saint Preux (206 lbs.) vs. Yushin Okami (203.5 lbs.)
#1 Claudia Gadelha (115 lbs.) vs. #4 Jessica Andrade (116 lbs.)
Takanori Gomi (156 lbs.) vs. Dong Hyun Kim (156 lbs.)
Gokhan Saki (206 lbs.) vs. Henrique da Silva (205 lbs.)
Teruto Ishihara (145 lbs.) vs. Rolando Dy (145 lbs.)
#5 Jussier Formiga (126 lbs.) vs. Ulka Sasaki (125.5 lbs.)

Undercard (FXX at 8 p.m. ET)
Keita Nakamura (170 lbs.) vs. Alex Morono (170 lbs.)
Syuri Kondo (116 lbs.) vs. Chan-Mi Jeon (116 lbs.)
Shinsho Anzai (171 lb.s) vs. Luke Jurneau (170 lbs.)
Daichi Abe (171 lbs.) vs. Hyun Gyu Lim (170.5 lbs.)

Hello everyone and welcome to 411mania’s LIVE coverage of UFC Fight Night 117. I’m Robert Winfree and I’ll be your host for the evening. Before we really get started I’ll have to ask for a bit of patience on your end, this is my first time doing this with a two monitor set up and while I think it will inevitably make things easier and smoother there are always bumps along the road. As for this event, well it’s the UFC’s first trip back to Japan since 2015. We lost half of the main event last week when former champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua got injured and was replaced by a returning Yushin Okami to take on Ovince Saint Preux. The real draw for me is the co-main event where Claudia Gadelha and Jessica Andrade battle it out for position in the strawweight division. Also here kick boxing great Gokhan Saki makes his UFC debut and Takanori Gomi fights in his home country again. As mentioned this is the UFC’s return to Japan, it comes to us from the Saitama Super Arena in Tokyo, Japan with Todd Grisham and Dan Hardy on commentary.

In your weekly check on which rule set we’ll be using, Japan has adopted the changes to the rules so you need both palms or fists (or a knee of course) to be considered downed. There’s also some clearer language around scoring, particularly 10-8 rounds, and extending your fingers towards your opponent regardless of contact is a foul.

Daichi Abe is undefeated and making his UFC debut, he’s trying to make a good first impression and get the biggest win of his career. Hyun Gyu Lim had a bit of hype around him after a fast start in the UFC but he’s currently on a two fight losing streak and in serious need of a win. The odds closed at a pick ’em of -115 for each man.

Welterweight Bout: Daichi Abe (5-0, 171 lbs.) vs. Hyun Gyu Lim (13-6-1, 170.5 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Lim is four inches taller and has five and a half inches of reach on Abe. They touch gloves to get us going. Abe lands an inside leg kick. Both men are circling and feinting, Abe looking for his lead hand to do work. Abe lands a left to counter a leg kick. Lim lands a straight right, Abe just eats it and lands a bit of a counter. They trade lefts, both men land solidly. Another exchange of left hooks. Lim lands a bit of a right but Abe lands a counter left. Abe lands a right, Lim’s right eye is swelling a bit from those earlier left hooks. Lim lands a couple of overhand rights and Abe backs up a bit. Lim with another straight right, he’s throwing the punch straighter than Abe and is consequently reaching the target first when they trade rights. Abe lands a bit of a counter left, that punch is working well for him. Abe lands a hard counter right after slipping a right. Abe has a right blocked and lands a follow up left that wobbles Lim but Lim recovers along the fence. Abe lands a bit of a left and slips after taking a glancing counter. They both miss a few punches as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Abe

ROUND TWO: They touch gloves again. Lim is swelling around both eyes, the right is a bit worse, but he’s still very able to see and fight. Abe lands a couple of inside leg kicks, Lim returns them as they’re both range finding. Abe lands a body kick but he eats a counter from Lim. Abe lands a left hook, tries to follow up but Abe takes an eye poke. Both guys were reaching with fully extended fingers, that was bound to happen this round. Replay confirms the eye poke as the doctor comes in to check on Abe. Abe is able to continue, he might be milking this a bit and the doctor comes back in to do some translation between the ref and the fighter. When Abe is told he doesn’t get five minutes he insists he can fight and we’re back to fighting. Both guys still with open hands and fingers, really surprised the ref hasn’t warned them. Abe lands a double jab then a right. Lim lands a bit of a right. Lim lands a solid counter right that immediately halts Abe’s forward motion, he’s backing up and has some swelling around the left cheek and eye, that was a good punch. Lim with another straight right, he set that up nicely and it split the guard of Abe. Abe’s left hook is getting sloppy coming back and Lim is getting a read on the counter right. They trade pawing left hooks again. They trade some inside leg kicks, Lim lands a right that rocks Abe for a moment. Abe’s left hand work is really falling off and he’s paying for it in real time. Lim feinting much better, Abe lands a right behind the ear to wobbly Lim just as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Lim, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: They touch gloves for the final round. Abe opens up with inside leg kicks. Lim double jabs then lands a right, Abe bends at the waist but doesn’t go down. Lim lands an inside leg kick. Abe lands a bit of a left hook, most of his offense is limited to inside leg kicks this round. They trade rights, and Lim lands a bit of a delayed one two follow up. Lim still feinting well, once he started using those in the second he baited out a lot of arm motion from Abe and he’s finding openings. They trade rights, and trade rights again. Lim lands a looping left hook. Abe lands a jab. Lim starting to lean a bit on the right, not diversifying his offense. Lim lands a jab. Abe nearly lands a head kick. Abe baits a right, lands a right of his own that drops Lim. Lim back up but his nose is pouring blood and visibly broken. Abe tries a body kick, then winds up hitting a takedown as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Abe, 29-28 Abe overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Daichi Abe via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

Abe stole that with his late knockdown, persistent stuff from him. Abe on the mic now. He thanks the UFC for having him and thanks the crowd for coming out so early in the morning (it’s 9:30 am in Tokyo right now). He says the gameplan was to engage with leg kicks then follow with punches once that was compromised but Lim’s distance management was great and he’s sad he couldn’t get the finish. He mentions training that punch specifically for Lim as a result in tape study.

Here’s the finishing exchange, Abe baits the shown right from Lim, Lim doesn’t get his left back in position and squares up, then boom comes the right from Abe.

Shinso Anzai (9-2) is 1-1 in the UFC and that lone win came because of a hand injury to his opponent, he’s trying to get a more emphatic win this time around. Anzai hasn’t fought since 2015 so he’s trying to knockoff some ring rust as well. Luke Jumeau (12-3) is on a seven fight winning streak including a successful UFC debut, he’s trying to keep that momentum going tonight and move up the proverbial ladder. The odds are with Jumeau here, -260 against +200 on Anzai.

Welterweight Bout: Shinsho Anzai (9-2, 171 lb.s) vs. Luke Jurneau (12-3, 170 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Jumeau is four inches taller but only has an inch and a half of reach on Anzai. Feinting from Anzai to start, he’s backing Jumeau up thus far. Jumeau being very patient so far, they trade rights but I think Jumeau landed a little better. Anzai tries a bad double leg that Jumeau avoids. Anzai lands a body kick. Both guys reaching with extended fingers again, really wish the ref would get on that. Anzai pushes forward and lands a knee to the head of Jumeau from a brief clinch before Jumeau gets free. Jumeau avoids a takedown attempt. Jumeau lands a leg kick. Anzai lands a left hook that wobbles Jumeau, they get close and trade in the clinch to the body and head. Jumeau winds up holding Anzai on the fence, Anzai spins him and lands a few knees to the body. Anzai lands a right elbow as they break. Jumeau ducks a left hook. Jumeau has serious damage to his right eye after that left hook, there’s swelling and maybe some bleeding around the nose. Jumeau avoids a ducking rush and lands a hard right. Anzai gets the clinch again and lands a couple of knees to the body. Jumeau lands a knee to the body before they break. Anzai back to moving forward, he’s not giving Jumeau too much time to reset. Anzai avoids a right. Jumeau lands a bit of a left hook. They circle the final ten seconds away.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Anzai

ROUND TWO: Anzai circling, gets a quick double leg, Jumeau back up and they trade lefts as they break. Anzai lands a left hook then a body kick. Jumeau lands a bit of a right. Anzai lands a right then misses a head kick, he slips but gets back up quickly. They clinch up again, Jumeau has Anzai on the fence. They separate without incident though. Anzai lands a glancing right. Jumeau lands a left body kick. Anzai lands a bit of a right. Jumeau is getting outworked. Anzai hits a double leg into the guard of Jumeau. Jumeau holding a head lock but Anzai pressure passes to half guard to remove the threat of the guillotine. Anzai gets his head free, Jumeau now wraps around the back of the head to try and control him. Anzai with some short punches. Jumeau able to get to full guard. Anzai avoids Jumeau’s legs, lands a few punches but Jumeau is able to get to his feet at distance. Jumeau lands a jab. Jumeau lands a right uppercut as Anzai was ducking, Anzai backs off. Jumeau is able to land that uppercut again just before the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Anzai but there’s a Jumeau argument to be made, 20-18 Anzai overall

ROUND THREE: Anzai circling again, tries a double leg that Jumeau is able to avoid. Jumeau lands a leg kick. Anzai lands a left hook, Jumeau lands a right uppercut. Anzai lands a body kick, and tries a double leg that stalls out on the fence. They settle into the clinch and trade knees to the body while jockeying for position. Jumeau is able to spin Anzai. They separate and resume circling. Jumeau lands another leg kick then misses a couple of punches. Leg kick from Jumeau lands. Anzai tries a double leg, Jumaeau blocks and reverses, Anzai spins to get his back standing. Anzai switches to a single leg but Jumeau fights him off along the fence and they separate. They trade rights, Anzai lands a body kick then a left hook. Overhand right from Anzai lands and he switches to a double leg that stalls out. Anzai lands a couple of punches and knees, Jumeau spins him then pulls free. Jumeau lands a knee to the body and avoids a double leg attempt. Anzai visibly fatigued now, Jumeau lands a leg kick. Jumeau lands a left to the body. Anzai tries a double leg, it again stalls out on the fence. Anzai can’t get it and Jumeau pushes him over then punche shim as Anzai regains his feet. They trade knees to the body, Jumeau lands a couple of right uppercuts. They trade rights and the round ends in the clinch.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Jumeau, 29-28 Anzai overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Shinso Anzai via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x2)

I can’t get behind that 30-27, Jumeau at least took the third without much issue. Anzai gets an interview, he says he’s feeling good before the emotions get the best of him for a second or two. Asked about the time off, he’s trying broken English and Japanese mixed together, he says he spent all two years training hard and he feels great winning in his home town.

Syuri Kondo is a popular professional wrestler who’s also been proving herself in combat sports, she’s got a 13-1 professional kick boxing record and is undefeated in MMA. Kondo won the Pancrase strawweight title in her last fight and now has a chance to make a big impression on the biggest stage in MMA. Chan Mi Jeon lost her UFC debut but looked pretty good along the way, she’s still very young and is trying to get that all important first UFC win. This is another close match by the odds, -140 for Kondo and +110 for Jeon.

Strawweight Bout: Syuri Kondo (5-0, 116 lbs.) vs. Chan-Mi Jeon (5-1, 116 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Jeon is an inch taller and has half an inch of reach on Kondo. Some feinting from both women to start, extending fingers again from both fighters. Jeon lands a straight right. Kondo stalking forward, they both miss rights. Kondo lands a jab. Jeon just misses a right. Kondo lands a straight right. They trade rights, these two are starting to go off when they hit close quarters. Kondo lands a bit of a right. Jeon lands a bit of a left then has a head kick blocked. Kondo lands a right, she’s getting close and reading the exiting angles of Jeon. Jeon lands a right after catching a kick. Kondo lands a leg kick. Kondo is following a bit too much, Jeon lands a knee to the body. Kondo lands a right. Kondo lands a body kick but eats a left. They trade in close, Konod lands a couple of rights as Jeon tries to circle away. Kondo lands an overhand right. Front kick to the body from Kondo. Jeon working front kicks to the body. They trade again in close as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Jeon

ROUND TWO: Circling to start the second, Kondo slowly moving forward. Kondo lands a bit of a right then a front kick to the body. Jeon lands a right, and Kondo lands a body kick. Jeon misses a wheel kick. Kondo lands a leg kick. They trade in close, Kondo stumbles Jeon with a right. Kondo still pushing forward, lands another right. Kondo lands a jab, Jeon trying to keep her back off of the fence. Jeon lands a knee to the body. Kondo lands another right. Jeon eats a jab and lands a right. Jeon lands a left hook and a leg kick. They both miss rights, Kondo lands a front kick to the body. Kondo lands a right. Kondo lands another right then a front kick to the body. Jeon lands a right. Kondo still coming forward, she’s angling a little better now though in terms of setting up her offense. They trade lefts, Kondo lands a right. Jeon is bleeding from the nose. Kondo lands a knee to the body, Jeon responds with an elbow. The pressure is getting a bit to Jeon at this point. Jeon lands a left, Kondo lands a front kick to the body. They split jabs and brawl a bit as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Kondo, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: Circling again, both women range finding a bit to start this round. Jeon lands a jab and avoids a right. Jeon lands another left. Jeon lands a body kick and they split jabs. Kondo lands a leg kick. Right from Kondo, Jeon lands a leg kick. Kondo avoids a combination from Jeon. Jeon lands a leg kick, she’s much more mobile this round. Kondo lands a right. Jeon lands a three punch combination and Kondo lands a right. Jeon lands another couple of punches. Kondo lands a right. Another right from Kondo then a jab. Kondo pushing forward more now. Jeon lands a couple of leg kicks, Kondo lands one of her own. Jeon lands a left and eats a counter right. Kondo misses a spinning back fist. Kondo lands a body kick, Jeon complains of an eye poke but the ref didn’t see it and makes Jeon continue. Kondo coming forward, they’re trading nearly constantly. Kondo wobbles Jeon for a second with a right. Kondo lands a leg kick then a spinning back kick to the body that lands. Leg kick from Kondo, Jeons’s lead leg wobbles a bit. They get close and trade again, Jeon avoids a spinning back fist and they split rights as time runs down.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Kondo but could go either way, 29-28 Kondo overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Syuri Kondo via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)

I can’t agree with 30-27, I feel it seriously over values the raw aggression from Kondo in the first without considering the volume of offense she was taking to do so. Fun little brawl though, and no interview as time will become an issue.

Here’s some highlights, these two spent three rounds going after each other.

Keita Nakamura has traded wins and losses while going 2-2 in his current UFC run, he’s coming off of a loss though and is trying to rebound with a win tonight in his home country. Alex Morono was knocked out in his last fight but the result was over turned after his opponent failed a drug test for marijuana, he’s trying to erase that memory and extend an eight fight unbeaten streak. The odds lean towards Morono, -140 to +110 on Nakamura.

Welterweight Bout: Keita Nakamura (32-8-2 1 NC, 170 lbs.) vs. Alex Morono (13-3 1 NC, 170 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: These two are the same height, Nakamura has an inch of reach on Morono. Nakamura fighting southpaw. Morono comes out and throws a right that just misses. Morono circling, looking for an angle for his right. Morono lands a jab. Nakamura lands a left to the chest. Morono misses a left and eats a counter right. Morono blocks a high kick. Morono lands a bit of a right. Morono lands a right. Nakamura taking a very sedate pace, playing defense and getting reads on Morono. Morono lands a right to the body. Nakamura lands a bit of a left. Hard body kick from Nakamura hurts Morono, Nakamura wings a left that cuts Morono around the right eyebrow. Another body kick from Nakamura lands. Nakamura avoids a wild right then avoids a high kick. Morono lands a body kick. Nakamura lands another body kick. Morono misses a spinning back fist and a right hook. Nakamura lands a bit of a left and a body kick. Nakamura blocks a couple of rights, Morono lands a jab as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Nakamura

ROUND TWO: The cut over the right eyebrow of Morono is visible but unless it opens up more or bleeds a lot it wont stop the fight. Morono coming forward again. Morono blocks a body kick. Nakamura lands a body kick. Morono avoids a superman punch. Nakamura eats a bit of a left hook, fires back with a left of his own. Nakamura lands a bit of a left then a body kick. They trade lefts, Nakamura lands a bit of a head kick and Morono responds with a leg kick. Morono’s cage cutting is impressive but he’s struggling to really get consistent effective offense off of it. Morono lands a jab. Nakamura with another body kick. Morono lands a couple of hooks as Nakamura is along the fence. Nakamura with another left kick that’s blocked. Nakamura lands a left and a body kick. They both have high kick’s blocked. Nakamura lands a left to the body. Nakamura lands another couple of body kicks and eats a bit of a right to close out the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Morono but could go either way, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: Nakamura comes out kicking to start the third. Nakamura lands a bit of a left. Body kick from Nakamura then a right. Morono misses a right. Nakamura ducks a right, gets a takedown into side control. Morono gets towards half guard, Nakamura keeping his legs and hips free thus far. Nakamura can’t keep Morono down and Morono separates once they’re standing. Nakamura tries another body kick. Nakamura lands a straight left. They trade looping lefts. Morono blocks a high kick. They get close, Morono lands an elbow that opens up the temple of Nakamura as they pull apart. Nakamura pushing forward now, lands a bit of a left. Nakamura hits a takedown, Morono holding a guillotine but Nakamura pulls free and Morono scrambles to his feet quickly. Nakamura still pressuring forward, lands a body kick again. Another body kick from Nakamura. Straight left from Nakamura, Morono is really falling off. Morono misses a kick. Nakamura lands another left, and the cut on Morono’s eyebrow is bleeding again. They both miss high kicks, a little sloppy brawling as time runs down.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Nakamura, 29-28 Nakamura overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Keita Nakamura via split decision (28-29, 29-28 x2)

No interview, again we’re short on time but a fun little fight that got better as time wore on. We’re still on FXX moving from the prelims to the main card.

A few highlights from that fight, again a fun little scrap.

Jussier Formiga is one of the better flyweights in the world but he’s struggled against the truly elite, he’s coming off of a loss to possible title challenger Ray Borg and needs a win to defend his top five spot. Yuta “Ulka” Sasaki is coming off of a really impressive comeback win against Justin Scoggins, his only flyweight loss thus far is to Wilson Reis and if he can take out the top ranked Formiga he’ll likely find himself ranked and looking towards a bigger name opponent next time. Formiga is a significant -400 favorite to a +300 payout for Sasaki.

Flyweight Bout: #5 Jussier Formiga (19-5, 126 lbs.) vs. Ulka Sasaki (20-4-2, 125.5 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Sasaki is five inches taller and has four inches of reach on Formiga. Sasaki fighting southpaw. They touch gloves, Sasaki fighting long so far. Formiga lands an inside leg kick. They trade power hand punches. Formiga circling so far, Sasaki lands a counter right hook. Sasaki lands a body kick, Formiga lands a bit of a looping right. Sasaki lands a body kick, Formiga lands a combination. Sasaki lands another body kick. Formiga eats a knee and lands a bit of a right. Sasaki lands a body kick. Sasaki lands another body kick and avoids a counter right. Formiga is looping that right a lot and is missing. Sasaki lands another body kick, Formiga lands a couple of counter hooks. Formiga tries a double leg, it takes a while but he does finish the takedown and moves into side control. Sasaki quickly to full guard, Formiga passes to half guard. Formiga looking to pass, and does so right into mount. Sasaki gives up his back, Formiga has a body triangle as Sasaki is on a knee trying to shake him off. Formiga gets under the chin with a choke, he switches his grip as Sasaki hand fights, Sasaki keeps trying to fight but Formiga switches his grip again and finally gets the figure four position and Sasaki has to tap.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Juessier Formiga via Submission, rear naked choke, at 4:30 of Round 1

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Formiga for his work this evening. Formiga gets an interview after that. We’ve got two translators going, one for the Japanese audience and one for Portuguese because that’s what Formiga speaks. He says he had a great performance and wants to keep winning, he’s not too worried about the title right now. Asked who he’d like next he says he loves coming to Japan and fighting here then asks for his title shot, somewhat contradicting himself from just a few minutes ago.

Here’s the finish, pity it leaves out the grip switching Formiga was doing. He started traditional, went palm to palm as Sasaki was hand fighting, rolled through and switched to the figure four as Sasaki gave that opening.

Teruto Ishihara had a bit of hype around himself after a quick start in the UFC, but that’s cooled as he’s dropped his last two fights to Artem Lobov and Gray Maynard. Ishihara is trying to get back on the winning side of things here and prove he’s still got what it takes to be in the UFC. Rolando Dy lost his UFC debut when the doctor stopped his fight with Alex Caceres, he’s trying to put that behind him and get his first UFC win here. The odds are close but lean towards Ishihara at -170 against +140 on Dy.

Featherweight Bout: Teruto Ishihara (9-4-2, 145 lbs.) vs. Rolando Dy (8-5-1 1 NC, 145 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Dy is an inch taller and has half an inch of reach on Ishihara. Ishihara fighting southpaw, and they touch gloves to get things going. Dy circling, Ishihara stalking forward. They clash on kicks. Ishihara fades a high kick and lands a left that drops Dy. Ishihara on top now, lands a few punches while Dy closes his full guard. Ishihara working to posture up, lands an elbow that might have cut Dy. Dy trying to wall walk, Ishihara standing and holding a front head lock. Dy back up and lands a knee to the body. Ishihara hits a single leg and is back on top and lands a left. Another couple of punches from Ishihara land. Ishihara lands a couple of elbows. Ishihara with a few more elbows. Dy trying to wall walk but Ishihara is smothering him and landing short lefts at every opportunity. Dy again looking to wall walk but Ishihara is taking his posts away and forcing him back to the mat. Ishihara lands another elbow. Ishihara lands another flurry as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-8 Ishihara

ROUND TWO: Ishihara bouncing this round, he’s coming forward again. Dy lands a bit of a right. Dy avoids a left, they clinch and Dy lands a knee that goes to the groin of Ishihara. Ishihara walks it off quickly and we’re back to fighting. Ishihara lands a bit of a left, Dy responds with a head kick that lands. Ishihara dives for a double leg against the fence but Dy defends and spins free. Dy lands a right then a left hook. Dy with another right to left hook as Ishihara throws a naked inside leg kick. Dy avoids a left and lands a knee to the body. They both fall a little short with power hand punches. Dy lands a bit of a right and avoids a left. Ishihara lands a left, Dy lands a left hook as well. Ishihara lands a body kick, Dy returns it. Dy lands a bit of a right. They trade lefts, they trade power hand punches. Dy lands a knee to the body as Ishihara dives into the clinch. Dy pushes free without incident. They trade power hand punches again, Ishihara landed a little better. Dy lands another body kick. Ishihara lands a couple of inside leg kicks. Dy lands another couple of body kicks. Hard left hook from Dy lands, Ishihara lands a left of his own. Dy lands a body kick, right then another body kick as the last real blows of the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Dy, 19-18 Ishihara overall

ROUND THREE: Dy avoids a straight left and lands a body kick. Ishihara tries a double leg, Dy lands a knee that wobbles him, Ishihara holds the clinch and pushes Dy into the cage. Dy pushes free of the clinch. They both miss power hand punches, Dy tries a body kick or an inside leg kick that seems to hit the groin of Ishihara and we’ve got time. Ishihara is in a lot of pain, replay shows a knee that did land partially to the groin. Ishihara is on his knees working on his breathing. Ishihara back up, Dy gets a stern warning and we’re back to fighting. Dy avoids a left from Ishihara. Dy lands a left hook then a body kick and Ishihara lands a bit of a left. Ishihara lands a high kick, Dy just eats it. They clinch and Dy lands a series of elbows before Ishihara backs out of the clinch. Dy lands a head kick, Ishihara is stunned for a second but regains his composure quickly. They trade lefts, Dy tries a kick that clearly hits the groin and we’ve got time again as Ishihara drops to the mat. That’s the third low blow from Dy overall and second of the round, the ref should take a point after that one. Ishihara back to his feet but he’s still in pain. Ishihara is able to continue, much credit to him, and the ref takes the point from Dy. We’re back to fighting. Ishihara tries a double leg, it takes a second but he does finish it against the fence, landing in half guard. Dy kicks Ishihara off and regains his feet, Ishihara after a single leg but Dy is defending. They settle for the clinch, Dy lands a knee to the body. They separate, Ishihara tries another clinch that doesn’t last long. Dy misses a high kick. Ishihara lands an inside leg kick. Dy stalking forward now, lands a straight right. Dy lands a body kick. Dy lands a right to counter an attempted kick. Dy lands a glancing high kick. Ishihara lands a left as the fight ends.

SCORECARD: 9-9 DRAW after the point deduction, 28-27 Ishihara overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Teruto Ishihara via unanimous decision (29-27, 28-27 x2)

Ishihara on the mic after that, he jokes that this will be fight of the night. Asked about fighting in this arena he says this feels awesome and it’s great to be fighting in Japan. He says something that goes untranslated, asked who he’d like next he says he lost two in a row but got the win here in Japan and plans on coming back stronger next time.

Gokhan Saki is one of the better kick boxers in the world, he won the Glory light heavyweight world championship tournament in 2014 by breaking the leg of Tyrone Spong, but he hasn’t fought since 2015 and his lone MMA bout was a loss way back in 2004. Saki really needs a win here, he’s taken a few years off to develop his game and it has to pay off here because a loss could see him released. Luis Henrique da Silva was undefeated for a while even going 2-0 in his first two UFC fights, but he’s hit a three fight skid since then and desperately needs a win here because an 0-4 losing streak usually means the end of a UFC run. Despite the layoff and lack of MMA experience Saki a -200 favorite to a +160 comeback on da Silva.

Light Heavyweight Bout: Gokhan Saki (0-1, 206 lbs.) vs. Henrique da Silva (12-3, 205 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Da Silva is thre inches taller and has three and a half inches of reach on Saki. Saki comes out southpaw, and switches to orthodox. Saki lands a counter right then a high kick from southpaw. Saki lands a left hook, da Silva eating punches and trying to close but Saki is countering and moving around. Saki switching his stance a lot. Saki has a head kick blocked, lands a straight left that drops da Silva and he makes da Silva stand. Da Silva instantly dives for a double leg, they stall out on the fence. Da Silva can’t get the takedown and Saki spins free. Saki misses a couple of uppercuts then lands a leg kick. Saki lands a couple of lefts to the head then body. Saki lands another leg kick, da Silva limps a bit after that. Da Silva covering up and coming forward, Saki landing punches. Da Silva complains of an eye poke, the ref disagrees and Saki starts to swarm him along the fence. Saki lands a leg kick, he doesn’t want to get too sloppy. Saki lands a right, they clinch but Saki pushes free. Da Silva’s face is swollen, he tries a double leg but Saki hits a sweep, da Silva back up and lands a couple of knees before they separate. Saki misses a head kick. Saki lands a straight left. Another straight left, da Silva is getting clobbered but he wont go away and Saki might be getting tired. Saki avoids a head kick. They clinch again, da Silva with elbows and knees, Saki is wobbled but da Silva backs out of the clinch and starts swinging hooks, Saki fires back with hooks of his own and a left from Saki ENDS da Silva’s night.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Gokhan Saki via KO, punch, at 4:45 of Round 1

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Saki for his work this evening. Saki on the mic now. Asked about his time off and coming into MMA, he says he loves Tokyo and is happy to be back here fighting. He says he didn’t fight two and a half years and he stopped kick boxing because he didn’t feel a challenge there anymore but this was a big challenge for him after the time off, he says this is his house and he’s back in the Octagon. He talks about the clinching being heavy and him having to adjust to it because much of K1 doesn’t allow clinch fighting but he’s happy to have fought for four minutes and happy to have had a good fight. He says he has to train more for his next bout, specifically mentions having to alter the pacing and rhythm for MMA but he doesn’t plan on being surprised by that in the future and if he can get his conditioning right he’ll be back and look better next time. He closes by saying he plans on being back, he jaws a little off mic with Alistair Overeem who’s cage side. Those two have fought in kick boxing a few times and there’s a bit of a rivalry.

Here’s the finish, Saki was tiring and da Silva did good work with elbows and knees in the clinch but he backed out to punching range and got into a theoretical 50/50 brawl, I say theoretical because Saki is such a better striker that engaging on those terms for da Silva was always going to be at a deficit.

Takanori Gomi is on a four fight losing streak and his last win was over three years ago, he’s clearly near the end of his career and if he can get a win here in his home country it might be a great spot to retire. Dong Hyun Kim is coming off of his first UFC win, he lost a short notice fight up at welterweight in his UFC debut then dropped an insane slug fest with Polo Reyes, and is trying to get his first UFC winning streak going at the expense of the biggest name opponent he’s faced thus far. Kim is the favorite here at -375 against a tempting payout of +285 in Gomi.

Lightweight Bout: Takanori Gomi (35-13 1 NC, 156 lbs.) vs. Dong Hyun Kim (14-8-3, 156 lbs.)

SCORECARD: Kim is four inches taller but has just half an inch of reach on Gomi, Kim is also a full ten years younger than Gomi. Gomi fighting southpaw, and they touch gloves to get things going. Circling from both men, Gomi goes orthodox, and back to southpaw. Kim lands an outside leg kick. Kim lands a front kick to the body. Kim lands a couple of jabs. Kim lands a straight right, Gomi drops. Kim on top, lands a series of hammer fists and this one is over.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Dong Hyun Kim via TKO, punches, at 1:30 of Round 1

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Kim for his work this evening. Kim on the mic now. We’re doing the dual translators again, Korean and Japanese. He puts over Gomi as his her, someone he’s watched since high school, and thanks his team and his friends for their support. He puts over Gomi again, saying he wanted to avoid prolonged exchanges in boxing range and he wanted to get in and out quickly.

Here’s the finish, Kim just finds the right angle while Gomi was resetting in motion, one good straight right later it was all over. That isn’t just Gomi’s fifth loss in a row, he’s been finished in the first round of all of those, time to call it quits Gomi.

Claudia Gadelha has only ever lost to one woman, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, and won her last two fights including finishing Karolina Kowalkiewicz in the first round. Gadelha is trying to knock off another top contender and stake her claim to another title shot. Jessica Andrade is coming off of a failed bid to capture the strawweight title but her overall strawweight record is 3-1 and if she can take out the current number one contender she’ll likely be fighting for the title again very soon. The odds are with Gadelha at -280 while Andrade would pay out at +220.

Strawweight Bout: #1 Claudia Gadelha (15-2, 115 lbs.) vs. #4 Jessica Andrade (16-6, 116 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Gadelha is two and a half inches taller and has an inch and a half of reach on Andrade. Gadelha comes out southpaw and they touch gloves. Gadelha goes orthodox. Gadelha lands a bit of a right. Andrade stalking forward and they trade hooks. Gadelha lands a straight right, she’s got fast hands at the start of this bout. Gadelha lands a combination, she’s looking pretty sharp. Andrade eats a left and misses the counter, she’s struggling with the range thus far. They get close and trade rights, Gadelha also lands an elbow. Andrade lands a right to the body, Gadelha lands some right uppercuts. Andrade is bleeding from the forehead, they clinch then break. Gadelha lands a bit of a right. Andrade gets close, they trade again but again Gadelha gets the better of the exchange and then clinch. Andrade hits a bit slam but Gadelha holds a guillotine attempt, she tries to finish but Andrade gets her head free and is ontop now. Andrade stands, lands a few hooks but the distance is still an issue for her. Andrade passes to half guard and lands an elbow. Andrade lands some lefts as she bleeds on Gadelha. Andrade with body to head combinations. Andrade lands a couple of elbows as the round ends. Gadelha might be cut now too, can’t tell the source of some of the blood.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Gadelha

ROUND TWO: That cut on Andrade is near the hairline nearly centered, and Gadelha is cut around the corner of her left eyeborw. They trade punches, Gadelha hits a double leg but Andrade wall walks immediately and hits a double leg of her own, Gadelha scrambles back up quickly and they’re still in the clinch. They break without incident. Andrade stalking forward, Gadelha breathing heavy and she tries a double leg that Andrade stuffs and then pushes her over to get on top in half guard again. Andrade with some body shots and an elbow to the head. Gadelha back up, eats a knee to the body and a couple of hooks before getting completely free. Andrade lands a left hook. They trade again, Gadelha landed a couple of punches after taking a hook and a leg kick. They clinch, Andrade lands a knee to the body. Andrade gets close and lands some hooks. Gadelha is fading, Andrade is coming on strong. Andrade lands another left hook. More hooks from Andrade, Gadelha tries a weak single leg and Andrade defends easily and lands knees to the body as Gadelha is on her knees against the fence. Gadelha back up but Andrade is digging to the body again. Gadelha lands a right but Andrade is just walking through them. Andrade lands another leg kick. More hooks back and forth, Andrade lands body to head hooks as Gadelha is on the fence. Andrade gets an elevated double leg, but Gadelha grabs a guillotine but nothing comes of it before the round ends.

>b?SCORECARD: 10-9 Andrade, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: Andrade looks much fresher as they start the final round. They hug to start the last frame. Andrade pushing forward again, lands a combination. Andrade lands a left hook. Gadelha tries a double leg, not much on it and Andrade pushes her into the fence. Andrade with knees to the body and thigh. Andrade hits an elevated single leg slam into side control. Andrade digs elbows to the body, Gadelha gets half guard but is still getting hit. More body shots from Andrade and a few lefts to the head. Gadelha trying to get guard back but Andrade is heavy and keeps half guard. More body shots from Andrade and Gadelha gets guard back. Andrade lands some rights to the head. Body to head combinations from Andrade, Gadelha throws back from the bottom but there isn’t much on those. Elbows from Andrade. Andrade passes to side control and lands some short elbows. Gadelha gets to the turtle position, Andarde batters her body as she gets to a knee. Andrade moves to the ride position, she lands punches as Gadelha gets all the way to her feet. Gadelha tries a standing guillotine, Andrade gets free and lands another couple of hooks. Andrade drops for one more takedown, hits an elevated slam into side control again as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-8 Andrade, 29-27 Andrade overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Jessic Andrade via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-27, 30-26)

Great stuff from Andrade, she found the openings where she had the edge and exploited them. I disagree with giving Andrade the first, she got tuned up pretty good during the first half and while she closed strong I don’t feel she overcame that deficit, not giving her a 10-8 third is also wrong. Andrade on the mic, she says she trained incredibly hard for this fight and thanks her team for getting her ready. Asked about a rematch with Jedrzejczyk she thinks she keeps getting better and dedicates the win to her family and her people.

A few highlights from that fight.

Ovince Saint Preux just broke a three fight losing streak, he’s trying to defend his top ranking and possibly move up towards title contention as the division is still shambles and relatively wide open. Yushin Okami took this fight on short notice when Mauricio “Shogun” Rua dropped out, he fought for the UFC middleweight title back in 2011 but was released from the UFC in 2013. Okami is trying to make the most of this possible second run in the UFC, and if he can take out a top contender a full division above his natural weight class he’ll prove he’s still a UFC caliber fighter. Saint Preux is the biggest favorite on this entire card, -500 while the +350 payout on Okami has to tempt a few bettors who just love the longshot.

Light Heavyweight Bout: #6 Ovince Saint Preux (20-10, 206 lbs.) vs. Yushin Okami (34-10, 203.5 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Saint Preux is just an inch and a half taller but has a whopping five inches of reach on Okami. Okami comes out southpaw, and immediately dives for a single leg then pulls half guard on Saint Preux. Okami trying a sweep, Saint Preux working for a mounted guillotine though. Saint Preux doesn’t have both hands engaged and Okami gets his head free. Saint Preux setting up for a von flue choke, Okami struggling and goes out in the choke. I mean really, why in the world would you wrap that mans head when you don’t have control over the legs or hips.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Ovince Saint Preux via Tehcnical Submission, von flue choke, at 1:50 of Round 1

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Saint Preux for his work this evening. Saint Preux also has three von flue chokes in the UFC. Saint Preux on the mic now. He reiterates the name should be the Von Preux choke and was shocked that Okami grabbed his head like that because he almost always gets that choke when people do that. He says he knew the choke was there and walks us through the choke. He says nothing changed in his preparation and he does still want to fight Shogun again. He says he’ll keep on doing what he’s doing and get back to the title eventually.

Here’s the finish. I maintain if you’re getting hit with that choke you’re probably not a UFC caliber fighter, you literally have to set yourself up for it and now you’re doing that against a guy known for it.

That will wrap up UFC Fight Night 117, thanks everyone for being here. I think I’ve got next weekend off but UFC 216 is coming up after that and it’s got a couple of really interesting fights. I hope you’ll all come back for that event. We’ll be breaking down the action from tonight’s card Sunday on the 411 Ground and Pound Radio Show at 8pm eastern time over on the Radulich in Broadcasting Network. Until next time everyone, thank you again for being here and reading be that live or after the fact, stay safe out there and keep checking 411mania for all of your pop culture needs.

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