Prelim Breakout Stars: Ben Saunders & Yuta Sasaki

The Prelim Breakout Star is a once per event article that helps fans get to know those who will be entertaining them from the undercard. The intention of the article is not to bring attention to the most talented guy on the preliminary card, but rather one that the common fan may have overlooked or underestimated.

Another weekend, another double card. On the surface, our two breakouts couldn’t seem much more different. Born in lands far away from each other, they finish fights different ways, have a different level of experience and are different sizes. Both however did recently receive fresh new contracts from the UFC and will fight for the first time on them this weekend.

Ben Saunders

Nickname – Killa B
Affiliation – American Top Team
From – Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Height – 6’3”
Weight – 170 lbs (Welterweight)
Record – 16-6-2 (4-3 UFC)

Yuta Sasaki

Nickname – Ulka
Affiliation – Wajutsu Keishukai Suruga
From – Numazu, Shizuoka, Japan
Height – 5’10”
Weight – 145 lbs (Featherweight)
Record – 17-1-2 (0-0 UFC)

What makes them impressive

Although these men are much different in size, they both have a very similar stature. At 6’3” and 5’10” respectively, Saunders and Sasaki are both long for their weight classes. But the way that they employ their length is much different. Saunders has built himself a reputation of getting in a clinch and landing powerful knees; four of his fights have ended that way. Sasaki on the other hand is not too much of a striker. He prefers to use his length to work sweeps and get advantageous positions. Additionally, once he’s in a good place to finish the fight, his long legs are perfect to lock his opponent down, which is probably why he’s finished seven of his eight submission wins via rear naked choke. Who could get those hooks out?

Why have they been overlooked

At age 24 and after as stint on The Ultimate Fighter 6, Ben Saunders received his first UFC contract. Due to the show’s booming popularity and his undefeated record, he received a lot of hype. Still, not many people had seen him fight. That changed with seven UFC contests and a mixed bag of results, prompting the company let him go. He returns this weekend with much more fanfare, but understandably lowered expectations. Sasaki stands in the position that Saunders did nearly sevengo years ago. Only 24 year old, he has a very impressive record and high expectations. However, this being the first time he steps into the octagon he, like the younger version of Saunders, has not had many heavily televised fights.

What makes this a good matchup

Both of these breakout stars have opponents who are likely to play right into their hands. Chris Heatherly started his martial arts career out as a pure wrestler. While he’s shifted his gameplans a bit, he still tends to go for the takedown. Now off the mat and into the cage, he tends to use the barrier as an aid to get the double leg. This means he’ll have to go toe-to-toe with Saunders in the clinch for at least a brief moment, which is nothing he really wants.

Likewise, Roland Delorme is going to bring the fight right to where Yuta Sasaki wants it. Delorme has finished two-thirds of his fights by submission and has never gone a fight without attempting at least one. Should he get it there, he’s going to have to work on his base or else he might find himself in some compromising positions.

Record: 40 Wins, 20 Losses, 2 Did Not Fight (DNF)

1. Francisco Trinaldo – UFC on FX: Belfort vs Bisping (W)

2. Simeon Thoresen – UFC on Fox: Johnson vs Dodson (L)

3. Tyron Woodley – UFC 156 (W)

4. Vaughan Lee – UFC on Fuel: Barao vs McDonald (W)

5. Dennis Bermudez – UFC 157 (W)

6. Cristiano Marcello – UFC on Fuel: Stann vs Silva (L)

7. Daron Cruickshank – UFC 158 (L)

8. Ryan LaFlare – UFC on Fuel: Mousasi vs Latifi (W)

9. Bart Palaszewski – TUF Finale (L)

10. Yoel Romero – UFC on Fox: Henderson vs Melendez (W)

11. Rustam Khabilov – UFC 159 (W)

12. Fabio Maldonado – UFC on FX: Belfort vs Rockhold (W)

13. Khabib Nurmagomedov – UFC 160 (W)

14. Antonio Braga Neto – UFC on Fuel: Nogueira vs Werdum (W)

15. Roland Delorme – UFC 161 (W)

16. Seth Baczynski – UFC 162 (L)

17. Jorge Masvidal – UFC on Fox: Johnson vs Moraga (W)

18. Ednaldo Oliveira – UFC 163 (L)

19. Mike Brown – UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs Sonnen (L)

20. Dylan Andrews – UFC Fight Night: Condit vs Kampmann (W)

21. Soa Palelei – UFC 164 (W)

22. Elias Silverio – UFC Fight Night: Teixeira vs Bader (W)

23. John Makdessi – UFC 165 (W)

24. Alan Patrick – UFC Fight Night: Maia vs Shields (W)

25. Andre Fili – UFC 166 (W)

26. Jimy Hettes – UFC Fight Night: Machida vs Munoz (W)

27. Germaine de Randamie – UFC Fight for the Troops 3 (L)

28. Omari Akhmedov – UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs Henderson (W)

29. Sergio Pettis – UFC 167 (W)

30. Roxanne Modafferi – TUF Finale (L)

31. Takeya Mizugaki – UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs Bigfoot (W)

32. Alptekin Ozkilic – UFC on Fox: Johnson vs Benavidez (W)

33. Siyar Bahadurzada – UFC 168 (L)

34. Mairbek Taisumov – UFC Fight Night: Saffiedine vs Lim (W)

35. Charlie Brenneman – UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs Philippou (L)

36. Walt Harris – UFC on Fox: Henderson vs Thompson (L)

37. Clint Hester – UFC 169 (W)

38. Joe Proctor – UFC Fight Night: Machida vs Mousasi (W)

39. Aljamain Sterling – UFC 170 (W)

40. Zak Cummings – TUF China Finale (DNF)

41. Cyrille Diabate – UFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs Manuwa (L)

42. Mats Nilsson – UFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs Manuwa (L)

43. Alex Garcia – UFC 171 (W)

44. Hans Stringer – UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs Henderson (W)

45. Jim Alers – UFC Fight Night: Nogueira vs Nelson (W)

46. Ryan Jimmo – TUF Finale (W)

47. Caio Magalhaes – UFC on Fox: Werdum vs Browne (W)

48. Joe Ellenberger – UFC 172 (DNF)

49. Kyoji Horiguchi – UFC Fight Night: Brown vs Silva (W)

50. Francisco Trinaldo – UFC 173 (L)

51. Iuri Alcantara – UFC FIght Night: Mousasi vs Munoz (W)

52. Paulo Thiago – TUF Brazil Finale (L)

53. Jon Tuck – UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs Khabilov (W)

54. Mike Easton – UFC 174 (L)

55. Ian Entwistle – UFC Fight Night: Marquardt vs Te Huna (L)

56. Ray Borg – UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs Stevens (W)

57. Rob Font – UFC 175 (W)

58. Derrick Lewis – TUF Finale (W)

59. Jessamyn Duke – UFC Fight Night: Cerrone vs Miller (L)

   60.  Nikita Krylov – UFC Fight Night: McGregor vs Brandao (W)

   61.   Patrick Cummins – UFC on Fox: Lawler vs Brown (W)

   62.   Sam Alvey – UFC Fight Night: Bader vs Saint Preux (L)