Fil-Am Muñoz battles Japanese foe in UFC Live

Posted at 07/31/2010 8:24 PM | Updated as of 08/01/2010 3:41 PM

SAN DIEGO, California – Four months after Filipino-American Mark Muñoz stopped Kendall Grove in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 112, the Vallejo native is back in the Octagon to face Yushin Okami of Japan on Sunday (Monday in Manila).

Munoz admitted that the Japanese has the advantage on stand-up action and reach but he is ready to counter Okami's moves.

"If I stand in front of him, he is gonna utilize his reach, he is gonna utilize his boxing experience and his kickboxing experience, and that's not where I want to be so I’m looking to mix it up," he said.

Muñoz gave ABS-CBN an exclusive sneak peak of his workout a day before the weigh-in. He said that cutting weight is his priority since he needs to make the185-186 lbs. weight limit on Saturday's weigh-in (Sunday in Manila).

"It's not fun to cut weight. It’s not fun to get down but it’s also not fun to be in the position that he is in," said the Fil-Am.

The Muñoz-Okami bout is expected to be a showdown of both wrestling and boxing.

Muñoz, a former national champion and a 2-time NCAA All-American with 20 years of wrestling experience, will showcase his wrestling moves while the 29-year-old Okami will use his kick-boxing skills.

"We are both from Asian countries. It's an honor to fight and compete in UFC in another country. But this is a fight [where] I’d like to show we Japanese are strong," said Okami.

UFC fans in the Philippines can watch the UFC Live on balls on Monday, August 2 at 9:00 a.m. with a replay on August 7 on Studio 23.

For more UFC action, watch SkyCable TV’s Balls Channel and visit www.abs-cbnNEWS.com/ufc
 


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