UFC on Fox Primer: Norifumi 'Kid' Yamamoto vs. Darren Uyenoyama

Photos by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

A couple of guys that know a thing or two about Japanese MMA will meet in the octagon. One is a former pound-for-pound great that is looking for a career resurgence, and the other has left his JMMA political problems behind and will look to make his UFC debut a memorable one. Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto (18-4, 1 NC, 0-1 UFC) meets Darren Uyenoyama (6-3, 0-0 UFC) in a bantamweight bout at UFC on Fox 1.

Neither fighter is currently ranked on the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings, though either of them could easily crack the list with a couple of solid wins. This bantamweight UFC on Fox fight will be on the preliminary card, which will be streamed live on Facebook. The Facebook stream begins at approximately 4:45 p.m. ET/1:45 p.m. PT.

How do these two stack up?

Yamamoto: 34 years old | 5'4" | 66" reach
Uyenoyama: 32 years old | 5'6" | Unknown reach

What have these two done recently?

Yamamoto: L - Demetrious Johnson (UD) | W - Federico Lopez (KO) | L - Masanori Kanehara (UD)
Uyenoyama: W - Shuichiro Katsumura (TKO) | L - Tomoya Miyashita (SUB) | W - Brad Royster (UD)

How did these two get here?

Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto is a superstar in Japan and despite being very undersized, he was a top lightweight in K-1 Hero's a few years ago. A serious knee injury and marijuana scandal put him on the sidelines for all of 2008, and he's never been quite the same since. He's gone just 1-3 in the last 3 and a half years, and lost his only UFC fight by decision to Demetrious Johnson back at UFC 126 in February. He's a very skilled fighter, but does he have another run left in him? A win over Uyenoyama would be a great start.

Darren "BC" Uyenoyama is a veteran of Strikeforce, DEEP and Dream and probably first got a lot of attention for an excellent bout with Hideo Tokoro at Dream 4. His biggest win was in his last bout, as he defeated then-Shooto featherweight (132 lb) champion Shuichiro Katsumura by TKO in a non-title bout. Shooto never followed through with their promise of a title shot or a bout with Masakatsu Ueda, and left Uyenoyama in limbo for a long time over the situation. Finally he gave up and made his way into the UFC, and this bout with Kid.

Why should you care?

It's a pretty good style matchup. Uyenoyama is an excellent grappler who can hang on the feet, and Yamamoto is a very good striker with good takedown defense. Who will blink first?

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