Picking & Grinning: UFC Fight Night ‘St. Preux vs. Okami’

More than four years have passed since Yushin Okami last set foot inside the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and he undoubtedly has designs on a grand return. The well-traveled 36-year-old will step in for the injured Mauricio Rua to face Ovince St. Preux in the UFC Fight Night 117 main event on Friday at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Okami carries a four-fight winning streak with him, marking his longest run of success since he rattled off six consecutive victories between May 13, 2006 and April 7, 2007. He last competed under the Professional Fighters League banner in July, when he was awarded a three-round unanimous decision over Andre Lobato. Wins over Alan Belcher (twice), Mike Swick, Mark Munoz and Nate Marquardt highlight the Okami resume.

A former linebacker at the University of Tennessee, St. Preux has put his physical tools to good use in mixed martial arts. He owns an 8-5 record in the UFC, having beaten Rua, Rafael Cavalcante, Patrick Cummins and Nikita Krylov. St. Preux, 34, snapped a three-fight losing streak on April 22, when he submitted Marcos Rogerio de Lima with Jason Von Flue’s shoulder choke at UFC Fight Night 108.

Ahead of UFC Fight Night “St. Preux vs. Okami,” Sherdog.com staff members and contributors swallowed their pride and put their reputations on the line with bold predictions:

THE LINEUP

205: Ovince St. Preux vs. Yushin Okami
115: Claudia Gadelha vs. Jessica Andrade
155: Takanori Gomi vs. Dong Hyun Kim
205: Gokhan Saki vs. Henrique da Silva
145: Teruto Ishihara vs. Rolando Dy
125: Jussier da Silva vs. Yuta Sasaki
170: Keita Nakamura vs. Alex Morono
115: Syuri Kondo vs. Chanmi Jeon
170: Shinsho Anzai vs. Luke Jumeau
170: Hyun Gyu Lim vs. Daichi Abe

THE STANDINGS

Jordan Breen: 206-98
Tristen Critchfield: 204-100
Brian Knapp: 198-106
Todd Martin: 192-112
Mike Fridley: 189-115
Eric Stinton: 187-117

THE PICKS

Jordan Breen: St. Preux, Gadelha, Kim, Saki, Ishihara, da Silva, Morono, Kondo, Jumeau, Abe

Tristen Critchfield: St. Preux, Gadelha, Kim, Saki, Ishihara, da Silva, Morono, Kondo, Jumeau, Lim

Brian Knapp: St. Preux, Gadelha, Kim, Saki, Ishihara, da Silva, Nakamura, Kondo, Jumeau, Lim

Todd Martin: St. Preux, Gadelha, Kim, da Silva, Ishihara, da Silva, Nakamura, Kondo, Jumeau, Lim

Mike Fridley: St. Preux, Gadelha, Kim, da Silva, Ishihara, da Silva, Morono, Jeon, Anzai, Lim

Eric Stinton: St. Preux, Gadelha, Kim, Saki, Ishihara, da Silva, Nakamura, Kondo, Jumeau, Lim