Preview: UFC Vegas 109 Prelims

Men’s Bantamweights

Elijah Smith (8-1, 1-0 UFC) vs. Toshiomi Kazama (11-4, 1-2 UFC)

Odds: Smith (-600); Kazama (+450)

Smith’s generational journey continues Saturday. The son of two-time “The Ultimate Fighter” contestant Gilbert Smith made his UFC debut in February with a split decision win over Vince Morales, achieving what his dad never quite did, but he still feels very raw as a prospect. Just 22 but with good size and athleticism for the division, “Swift” is a fast-handed striker with power who has solid wrestling skills and good instincts in transition on the ground. However, he tends to settle for a slow-paced fight when forcing the issue would be to his benefit.

It did not cost him the win against Morales, but considering he failed to push the pace against a chronic slow starter, then was forced to hang on in a tight choke as time expired in Round 3, it easily could have. Smith enters the cage at UFC Vegas 109 as a prohibitive favorite, so it would be nice to see him show some development along those lines on his way to picking up the expected W.

Kazama has struggled since joining the UFC and after three appearances, it is becoming easier to pinpoint why. The 28-year-old “Road to UFC” product is decently sized, well rounded and unlike some of the young prospects on his card, appears to know what he is good at and tries to fight to his best advantage. It simply hasn’t worked, and it comes down to the fact that everyone hits him—and hurts him.

“The Silent Finisher” gets a pass for being blasted by super-prospect Rinya Nakamura in his debut, but getting dropped repeatedly by Garrett Armfield was not a good look, and even in his lone UFC win, Charalampos Grigoriou dropped him and appeared to be on his way to pounding him out before gassing and falling into the fight-ending triangle choke.

The matchup here adds up to bad news for Kazama, whose defensive lapses figure to cost him badly against a hitter like Smith. It might go late into the first round or even into Round 2 if Smith is lackadaisical, but his fists should find that chin sooner or later. Smith by first-round KO.



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