Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight bruisers Li Jingliang and Zak Ottow will collide this Saturday (Nov. 25, 2017) at UFC Fight Night 122 inside Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, China.
Jingliang is pretty much the only fighter really holding it down for Chinese MMA. There have been a few other Chinese athletes to make it to the UFC, but none have managed to stick around for a while. “The Leech” has done that and more, winning his last three and closing in on a top 15 spot.other Chines
He’s also fun as hell to watch.
Ottow, meanwhile, is three fights deep into his UFC career and has the unique distinction of going to three straight split-decisions. His hand was raised twice, but Ottow certainly needs more definitive wins moving forward.
Let’s take a look at the keys to victory for both men:
Ji Lingliang
Record: 13-4
Key Wins: Dhiego Lima (UFC Fight Night 66), Bobby Nash (UFC on FOX 23), Frank Camacho (UFC Fight Night 111)
Key Losses: Keita Nakamura (UFC Fight Night 75), Nordine Taleb (UFC Fight Night 54)
Keys to Victory: Jingliang is a physical and aggressive fighter. Early on, that resulted in a lot of takedowns during his attempts to overpower fighters, but lately he’s been more comfortable on his feet, resulting in some big knockouts.
In this bout, Jingliang’s aggression will be key. From a technical stand point, the two are probably fairly even, but Jingliang’s strength and forward movement have a fair chance of being the difference makers.
Power ties into that, and the Chinese athlete is definitely the heavier puncher. Ottow has just two knockout wins on his record, whereas Jingliang has either knocked out or hurt his last five opponents. Exchanges favor him, so there’s no reason to avoid his usual approach of pushing forward and throwing heat.
If Ottow is on the defensive, he’ll have a hard time landing takedowns or picking up the decision.
VS.
Zak Ottow
Record: 15-4
Key Wins: Josh Burkman (UFC Fight Night 96), Kiichi Kunimoto (UFC Fight Night 110)
Key Losses: Sergio Moraes (UFC Fight Night 100)
Keys to Victory: Prior to his UFC career, Ottow was making great use of his Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt, allowing him to lock up 10 submission finishes. Taps are a little more difficult to come by inside the Octagon, leading Ottow to rely more on his outside kickboxing and the occasional takedown.
In this bout, Ottow’s biggest key to victory is to pick his moments. In a straight up exchange of punches or takedowns, Jingliang is favored. Ottow has to avoid all that and make this a slow, technical match.
On the outside, Ottow has a fair shot at out-landing Jingliang with kicks and straight shots if he stays sharp. Attempting to frustrate Jingliang would be wise, as over-aggression from “The Leech” represents Ottow’s best chance at scoring a takedown.
If Ottow can get on top — a big if, certainly, but made easier by Jingliang’s new love of power punching — that is his best chance to finish. Jingliang was strangled by Nakamura after dominating the stand up, and it’s possible that Ottow secures the win in similar fashion.
Bottom Line: It’s not a mismatch, but it’s a fight designed to give the local audience a great fight that favors “The Leech.”
A win here makes it four straight victories against the mid-tier of the Welterweight division. Well, mid-tier might actually be a bit generous, as only two would still be active UFC Welterweights. Either way, Jingliang would deserve a step up in compeititon on a more high-profile event.
Ottow is looking to move forward as well. A victory here makes it three of four, which probably isn’t enough to fully separate him from the pack. It is a great start though, and shows that Ottow has the potential to become a longtime UFC mainstay.
For either fighter, a loss eliminates any forward momentum. Neither fighter is at risk of being released, but losses at this level begin to trap them in place.
At UFC Fight Night 122, Li Jingliang and Zak Ottow will square off in the co-main event. Which man will have his hand raised?