With all of the understandable hype surrounding Jon “Bones” Jones (no one can say that guy isn’t amongst the best in the ‘holy sh-t’ factor) as he heads into tonight’s bout with veteran Vladimir Matyushenko, it’s probably safe to say that the middleweight tilt between Yushin Okami and Mark Munoz has been overshadowed a little bit. When you consider that you’ve got a dude in Okami with a UFC record of 8-2, taking on a rising star in Munoz, a lot is riding on the tilt.
Despite the fact that several of Okami’s wins haven’t exactly been those of the jump out of your seat variety, anyone who understands the game has to concede that fighting the massive judo beast can’t be fun. The guy’s been stopped just once and that was in 2003, and in the Octagon, he’s only lost to Rich Franklin and Chael Sonnen. Point being? Well, considering Okami’s record and his recent stoppage victories, a win over Munoz has to get the dude close to a title shot no? Speaking in the preview program for tonight’s card, Mr. Okami apparently agrees:
“I feel that this is a great test for my title shot. I need to clear this fight and I need to prove that I am very close to a title fight.”
Of course getting the win over Munoz isn’t going to be easy. Like Sonnen, who earned a controlling UD win over Okami, Munoz is also a wrestling machine. We’ll be watching. To bet on the tilt head here.