The latest hope for a Japanese MMA resurgence, Hatsu Hioki has won his first two fights inside the Octagon and will look for a third victory at Friday’s UFC on FX 4. After reportedly turning down a title fight against featherweight champion Jose Aldo, Hioki will look to avoid making a disastrous decision by losing against Ricardo Lamas.
Since losing to the surging Yuri Alcantara, Lamas has won back-to-back fights against Matt Grice and Cub Swanson. With an upset win over Hioki, the 30-year-old Lamas could unexpectedly jump into title shot conversation.
With less than one week until this pivotal featherweight matchup, let’s take a look at whether Hioki or Lamas has a better chance of walking away with the victory.