Michihiro Omigawa inks deal with the UFC, expected to face Mendes early 2011
Posted on December 9, 2010, 06:04 PM by Joey SantosusRenowned Japanese Featherweight star Michihiro Omigawa has officially inked a deal with the UFC and is expected to debut against top contender Chad Mendes within the first quarter of 2011.
Omigawa (12-8-1), who currently resides at #7 among Featherweights in LowKick's user rankings, is currently enjoying a five fight win streak, including an impressive submission victory over Cole Escovedo in his last outing at Dream 16.
Team Alpha Male's Chad Mendes (9-0), will come into their match-up with momentum of his own. Unbeaten in his professional career, Mendes has won all four of his bouts with the WEC and will make his own official UFC debut when he meets the 34-year-old Japanese fighter.
While it is yet to be confirmed, the match-up is expected to take place as early as UFC 126 in Febuary or UFC 128 in March.
Source: Versus.com
Comments
Very exciting and well rounded fighter...he also looks like a bad-ass!
Ya, i like Omigawa, at one point of his career he was 4-7 and he turned it around and now hes 12-8-1 and top 5 FW's in the world, I hope he wins but honestly, I can see Mendez just take him down and keep him down for 3 rounds, whoever wins deserves the next shot at Aldo n i hope its Omigawa
ninja we were just talking bout this the other night :) he's a great signing, hopefully they can get sandro, and bibi too...
YESSSSSSSSS, but at the same time NOOOOOOOO, please don't put him up against Mendes in his first fight that is a trap right there. I mean i still think he can win but I really don't want to see Mendes lay on him for 3 rounds and get a W and kill Omigawa's well deserved hype.
Dray12 same reaction came out of me while I was reading this. I hope he beats Mendes nothing against Chad but Omigawa is great and I'd hate to seem him lose just by being out wrestled.
Hey guys it's part of MMA. A true mma guy should be able to stop someone from doing that.
Yet I agree, I don't like Mendes' stile because he does do a lot of unnecessary stalling
Tired of hearing the excuse comments like "out-wrestled", and "lay and pray'. You amateurs need to get over the fact that wrestling is a huge part of MMA, and if Omigawa can't stop a take down from Mendes and loses the fight because of it, then he deserves to lose. Time and time again all you see are comments putting down wrestling in MMA, yet you never hear about someone who out-strikes the other fighter as being a bad thing. If it bores you, then go watch something else, because true MMA fans and athletes see the whole sport for what it is, and not just start bitching every time a wrestling-based fighter wins by takedowns and wrestling.
This guy KO'd Nam Phan
Ya man, Phan got destroyed in that fight but it was mainly cause of all those knees Omigawa threw when they were on the ground but im not taking anything away from Omigawa hes a beast
I hope Omigawa destroys Mendes! WAR JMMA!
What? Didn't this dude get cut by the UFC? It's a bad idea puting him against Mendes, he will mos likely lose that fight.
If you look at his record he was at LW and lost two fights then got cut and/or just dropped to FW , at one point he had a record of 4-7 and is now 12-8. He's really turned his career around and that fact alone that he's gone from being a below average fighter to one of the best in the world makes me a fan of him already.
Also, at FW hes 8-2-1 with wins over Sandro, Phan, Takaya and Hioki, those guys alone are more skilled than anyone Mendez has faced in his 9 fights espically seeing that Hioki is fighting Sandro for the title and Takaya is fighting Fernandez for the title
I have a bad feeling Mendes may be champ one day.....
Good fighter and a good fight