Last May, after three hard-fought, dominant rounds, Sam Sicilia took the first step in building a new win streak. Every streak has to start at one and Sicilia won’t waste any time looking to secure win number two this weekend in Tokyo, Japan at UFC Fight Night 52. Having won his last fight by decision, Sicilia will likely be looking to back up his reputation as a fight finisher by put an exclamation point on his upcoming performance.
At UFC Fight Night 52, Sicilia will be squaring off against a battle tested veteran in Katsunori Kikuno. Kikuno has been fighting professionally for nearly a decade, amassing a record of 22-6-2 and winning multiple championship titles in Japan. A karate stylist with good head movement and footwork, Kikuno has fought a who’s who of Japanese MMA stars and has had tough battles with some of America’s best, like Eddie Alvarez and Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante. Sporting a UFC record of 1-1 the Japanese born Kikuno is still looking to build a name for himself in the UFC and a win over Sicilia is a huge step in the right direction. If Kikuno hopes to be successful in this matchup he will have to show improved defense since his last bout (a knockout loss to Tony Ferguson) and stay light on his feet as he tries to avoid the power and speed of Sicilia.
Odds makers have Sicilia a slight underdog in this fight but that is likely based on experience alone. The matchup with Kikuno is a good one for the power puncher Sicilia. Kikuno’s karate style tends to leave his head exposed regularly and leaving an open shot to the face from a knockout artist like Sicilia is a dangerous proposition for anyone. Seven of Sicilia’s 13 wins have come by knockout and another 4 by submission, so if for some reason the two fighters decide to take the fight to the mat Sicilia will be well prepared. Another factor that will “weigh” in the favor of Sicilia in this matchup is that this will be Kikuno’s debut at Featherweight. We have seen recently that weight cutting is a difficult process that each fighter takes differently. If the cut for Kikuno goes poorly it could leave him short on energy and power. Sicilia on the other hand has made the cut to Featherweight for all but one of his UFC fights. Never having shown any signs of fatigue from the cut to Featherweight, Sicilia might be able to control the pace in this fight.
At one time Sam Sicilia had won 7 fights in a row and was sporting an over all record of 11-1. While his run in the UFC has proven a bit more turbulent, Sicilia has the skill set to build a similar streak inside the Octagon. Getting past the tough veteran Kikuno will be an important test for the Washingtonian as he climbs the ladder up the ranks. This Saturday at UFC Fight Night 52 in Tokyo, pay attention as Sicilia tries to put another line in the win column and keeps his streak alive.
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