Yushin Okami Says He’s Going to Take Anderson Silva’s Aura, Win UFC Title

Filed under: UFC, FanHouse ExclusiveMore and more, it seems like the proposed superfight between reigning champions Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre will not happen. After St-Pierre’s title defense on Saturday night, UFC president Dana White seemed…

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More and more, it seems like the proposed superfight between reigning champions Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre will not happen. After St-Pierre’s title defense on Saturday night, UFC president Dana White seemed more interested in seeing the welterweight king next defend his belt against Nick Diaz. But even before that, there had already been another obstacle placed in its path: Yushin Okami.

The longtime UFC middleweight star had for months been engaged in a waiting game. After beating Nate Marquardt last November, he had been promised an opportunity to fight for the title, but when White sheepishly asked Okami to simply bide his time while the UFC figured out its next move, the future date seemed more of an open-ended question than an iron-clad lock. Yet just two weeks before St-Pierre was to defend his belt and set up the dream match, the UFC surprised many by announcing that Silva-Okami would take place in Rio at UFC 134.