Themba Gorimbo vs. Takashi Sato
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Sato (-110), Gorimbo (-110)

Round 1
The last UFC card before a much-needed weekend off is upon us, and it will be in the form of a dozen-fight showcase at the UFC Apex. There are two ranked fighters on the entire billing, both coming in the main attraction, but with any luck, those numbers will not matter when the cage doors close and the competitors all get after it. The first match of the evening comes in the welterweight division between two men who would very much like a win. With three losses in his last three appearances, Sato (15-6, 2-4 UFC) may need to get his hand raised to stay on the roster. Meanwhile, South Africa’s Gorimbo (10-4, 0-1 UFC) is hoping to have a second chance to make a first impression. This classic Japan vs. South Africa (or Zimbabwe, if you prefer birth nation) battle will be overseen by referee Chris Tognoni and his sweet mustache, and the combatants do not touch gloves before getting started. Gorimbo leads the dance with a head kick early, and follows it with a few punches while Sato bears down on him. Sato blocks another high kick before it can reach his head, and Gorimbo mashes forward to attempt a takedown. Sato stonewalls him and nearly shoves Gorimbo to his back, but he decides instead to stand back up and Gorimbo follows him to the clinch. Gorimbo looks to muscle his man down, and Sato turns the corner and dumps him to his back for a moment. Gorimbo explodes right back up, and he manages to suck Sato’s legs out beneath him and drag him to his seat. Sato moves to his knees while Gorimbo hooks his foe’s legs between one of his own, and he wall-walks to stand back up as Gorimbo continues to jam him up. Gorimbo looks for a trip that does not succeed, and he lifts up a knee to the chest to get a strike off in this position. This allows Sato to turn him around for a second, but Gorimbo powers him back around. “The Answer” answers a potential ref request for more action with another solid knee, and Sato replies with a half-hearted throw that he abandons when he realizes he will need to use much more energy than he is willing to succeed. Gorimbo drills another knee to the solar plexus, and Sato uses a sweep and a body lock to toss his foe to the floor. Gorimbo scrambles wildly, doing enough to get Sato down and circling around to take the back. The South African fighter hooks up a body triangle and starts fishing for a rear-naked choke, and Sato is wise to the attempt and tries to turn to a side to escape. Gorimbo softens him up with short strikes to the side of the head, and he hands on with back control until the horn blares.
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Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gorimbo
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Gorimbo
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Gorimbo

Round 2
Sato initiates the second round aggressively, pressuring forward and hoping to turn the tables on Gorimbo after giving up the last round. Gorimbo cocks back a right hand and releases it, blasting the charging Sato in the face and knocking him down to the floor. Sato hits his back and tries to clear out the cobwebs, and Gorimbo leaps down on top of him and tries to jack him up with hammerfists. Sato gathers his thoughts enough to consider a takedown, perhaps in a desperation effort, and the two end up standing up in the clinch. Sato starts driving several knees to the body, and Gorimbo works for another takedown as he turns the Japanese fighter around. Gorimbo looks to hook up a single-leg takedown, and Sato reverses him brilliantly with a head-and-arm throw that deposits Gorimbo to the floor. “Ten” starts fishing for a scarf hold in the advantageous position, and when there is no submission to be found, he sits up. Gorimbo threatens off his back with a leglock, but it does not come anywhere near close before Sato starts smacking him in the face with ground strikes. Gorimbo tugs his toes on the fence to get enough leverage to work his way to his knees and then upright, where he stays bent over to go for a takedown. Sato defends with a series of elbows to the side of the head, and even when he is pulled down to his knees, he continues doing some work with elbows. Gorimbo keeps grinding on him and defends a throw from Sato to stay in this grueling position. Sato breaks away from the clinch and gains some space, but Gorimbo gives chase and wings punches at him until changing levels. The round ends with Gorimbo trying to take the fight down again.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gorimbo
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Gorimbo
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Gorimbo

Round 3
With Sato advancing as per usual to start off the round, Gorimbo is prepared and goes after another huge right hand. This time, Sato does not walk face-first into it, and he ducks it to tie the African fighter up. Gorimbo is glad to get back into the close range, where he turns Sato around and drags him down to a knee for a moment. When Sato springs back up, Gorimbo redoubles his effort and hits the takedown he is seeking. Sato falls to his back, with a cut around his right eye starting to bleed. Sato does not remain on his back for long before shifting enough to get to a knee, and Gorimbo again works his way around to take the back. “The Answer” locks his legs around the waist, and Sato grimaces in pain as the position must be causing him no small amount of discomfort. Sato attempts to turn and spin around, but Gorimbo has him locked down. Gorimbo lands occasional punches to both sides of the head to keep Sato guessing, with the strikes more frustrating than damaging. Gorimbo uses one moment to snake his right forearm around the chin, but he cannot sink it under it to lock down the rear-naked choke before Sato defends it. Sato cannot get out of this miserable position, and Gorimbo turns to the side and looks for a side choke. Sato takes advantage of this momentary lapse of judgment and flips Gorimbo to his back, and he starts shelling the African fighter with punches and elbows. Sato unloads a final barrage of blows, with few actually getting through the guard, and time expires before a stoppage is even close. It may have been too little, too late for the Japanese fighter, as the fight is over.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gorimbo (30-27 Gorimbo)
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Gorimbo (30-27 Gorimbo)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Gorimbo (30-27 Gorimbo)

The Official Result
Themba Gorimbo def. Takashi Sato via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Belal Muhammad vs. Takashi Sato

Round 1
Headlining the early prelims by staying at welterweight, Muhammad (15-3, 6-3 UFC) looks to spoil Sato's (15-2, 1-0 UFC) sophomore Octagon appearance. Drawing the assignment for this one is referee Viacheslav Kiselev. As the fight begins, the two try to find their distance and jab at one another. Muhammad fires a right to the body and a left to the head, and then tries for a looping right hand that is barely blocked. He does this two-punch combination two more times, working the body and head indiscriminately and effectively. A big left hand cracks Sato, who backs away against the fence, and Muhammad charges in to try for a takedown and takes the back of his Japanese opponent. Muhammad lifts up Sato and drops him down, but Sato bounces back up and keeps the jab flowing. "Remember the Name" goes after a right high kick that does not quite find its mark, but a right hand following up does. Sato scores over the top with a right, and Muhammad uses this brief lull in the action to again wrap his hands around his adversary's waist. Sato circles away, and Muhammad shoots for a double leg takedown and emphatically puts Sato down. In the ensuing scramble, Muhammad takes Sato's back and secures the body lock. Cracking Sato with elbows, the horn sounds and this exciting round is over.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Muhammad
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Muhammad
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Muhammad

Round 2
As the second round begins, Sato scores with a left hand up top and then one more to the body. He ducks away from the combinations of the American, and avoids a high kick as well. Muhammad briefly considers a takedown and Sato defends it well. Muhammad goes back to the combination that served him well in the opening stanza, with a right to the body and left to the head. Muhammad then leans on a few more left hands, scoring on each of them until he shoots at a distance for a takedown and somehow lands it -- albeit briefly. Sato escapes by trying to throw Muhammad, who returns to that right-left combo that scores almost every time he tries it. Sato sticks out a strong left jab, as Muhammad shoots in for another takedown attempt, but Sato is prepared for it. The two separate again, and Muhammad jumps in the air with a knee that is nowhere near his opponent. Sato tags Muhammad with a straight left hand, and Muhammad returns fire with a powerful right hook that backs off Sato. The two clinch, and Sato scores a trip and lands in side control with about 30 seconds left. Sato may not land a great deal while in control, but he does end the round on top.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Muhammad
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Muhammad
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Muhammad

Round 3
As the third and final round commences, the two men stand in the center of the cage and trade. They appear to clash heads, causing a cut to appear on the side of Sato's right eye, but this could have also come from one of Muhammad's left hands. Sato fires off a head kick and Muhammad blocks it, with the American closing the distance to try to drag the fight down. Muhammad fails on one attempt, but does not relent and eventually gets his man to the canvas.
"Remember the Name" takes Sato's back, and quickly tries for a rear-naked choke. Unable to secure it with one arm, he switches to the other and locks it up, forcing Sato to tap.
With the victory, Muhammad picks up the first submission win of his career.

The Official Result
Belal Muhammad def. Takashi Sato R3 1:55 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)