Tag: Yushin Okami

After years of being considered one of the best middleweights in the world, Yushin Okami will finally get his shot at UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. In the main event of UFC 134 in Silva’s home country of Brazil, Okami will have a chance to become the first Japanese champion in UFC history.

Aside from Okami, many Japanese fighters have had trouble transitioning into the UFC. Okami has been so successful with the organization that UFC president Dana White ventured to call Okami the greatest Japanese fighter of all time.

Okami did not shy away from that bold statement. In an interview with MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani earlier this week, Okami said that he intends to back up White’s words in his fight against Silva.

“Yes (in response to whether or not he agrees with White’s comments), and I’m going to prove it on Saturday,” Okami said.

Despite Okami’s confidence, he has an extremely tough test facing him in Anderson Silva, who is considered by many to be the greatest fighter in the history of MMA. For nearly five years, nobody has been able to solve Silva’s puzzle and dethrone him.

“I don’t think he has any big holes,” Okami said. “He’s a great fighter.”

Okami recognizes Silva’s ability and admits that the Brazilian does not have any glaring weaknesses to exploit. After training with Chael Sonnen for this fight, though, it should seem fairly clear to everyone how Okami intends to beat Silva.

Okami will likely use Sonnen’s blueprint of pushing the pace and putting Silva on his back. By doing just that, Sonnen came within two minutes of beating the Brazilian champion, but a desperation triangle choke forced the self-proclaimed people’s champion to tap.

Silva and Okami will meet in UFC 134’s main event. The event’s main card will be aired on pay-per-view at approximately 9:00 p.m. ET.

Sean Smith is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. Sean has also had his work featured on UFC.com. For the latest insight and updates on everything MMA, you can follow Sean on Twitter @SeanSmithMMA.

For nearly five years, Anderson Silva has reigned over the middleweight division. Now, Silva will look to defend his UFC belt for the ninth time in a row. When Silva steps into the Octagon against Yushin Okami at UFC 134, it will be the Brazilian’s first fight in his home country since December 2003.

After an open workout event on Copacabana beach, Silva talked to MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani about what the opportunity to fight in front of his compatriots means to him.

“I’m very happy,” Silva said. “This is the big dream for all the [fighters] in Brazil.”

This meeting between Silva and Okami at UFC 134 will not be the first between the two fighters. The middleweights also met in a welterweight tournament in January 2006. After getting off to a strong start in that fight, Silva was taken down.

Shortly after the takedown, Silva landed an illegal upkick that rendered Okami unable to continue, which results in a disqualification loss for the Brazilian. If Silva can avenge that loss at UFC 134, it will further cement him as the greatest fighter in MMA history.

Despite the history between the two fighters, Silva is not concerning himself with anything that happened in his prior meeting with Okami.

“This fight is not about avenging a loss,” Silva said. “Some fights you win, and some you lose, so it’s just another fight.”

Silva and Okami will meet in UFC 134’s main event. The event’s main card will be aired on pay-per-view at approximately 9:00 p.m. ET.

Sean Smith is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. Sean has also had his work featured on UFC.com. For the latest insight and updates on everything MMA, you can follow Sean on Twitter @SeanSmithMMA.

In a rematch of a bout that took place in September 2007, former UFC light heavyweight champions Mauricio Rua and Forrest Griffin will meet once again to determine which fighter is more deserving of taking a big step toward reclaiming their belt.

In their first meeting, Griffin spoiled Rua’s UFC debut with a third-round submission. The win earned Griffin a shot at Quinton Jackson and a UFC title, which he proceeded to win in a decision victory.

Rua only recently lost his title to current UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, but the Brazilian is still considered one of the best fighters in the 205-pound division. By avenging his loss to Griffin, Rua would put himself right back in the mix for another shot at the strap.

Griffin, on the other hand, has been out of the title picture for awhile now. However, back-to-back wins over Tito Ortiz and Rich Franklin have Griffin in that conversation once again. Another win over Rua could once again propel Griffin into striking distance of the champion.

Both Rua and Griffin are known for putting on exciting fights. This is a tough fight to predict, but one thing that can be assured is an electrifying bout.

This fight between Rua and Griffin will serve as the third bout of the UFC 134 main card, which will begin on pay-per-view at approximately 9:00 p.m. ET.

The pay-per-view event will also feature a UFC middleweight championship bout between Anderson Silva and Yushin Okami, a heavyweight clash that will see Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira return to the Octagon to face Brendan Schaub and a lightweight battle between rising prospects Edson Barboza and Ross Pearson.

Sean Smith is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. Sean has also had his work featured on UFC.com. For the latest insight and updates on everything MMA, you can follow Sean on Twitter @SeanSmithMMA.

Edson Barboza, one of the brightest Brazilian prospects in the UFC, will meet Ross Pearson in a clash of rising lightweights at UFC 134. Both competitors are coming off of big wins and looking to earn a fight with one of the UFC’s many lightweight contenders.

At UFC 128, Barboza was involved in a back-and-forth striking matchup with Anthony Njokuani. While he came away with the victory on the scorecards, it was the first time in Barboza’s career that he was unable to finish his opponent.  

Against Pearson, Barboza will still have a worthy opponent on his feet, but he will also have to deal with an adversary who brings a dangerous ground game into UFC 134.

At 26-years-old, Ross Pearson is one of the most exciting young fighters to ever come out of Great Britain. Born in England, Pearson obviously has a strong striking background, but his ground game is surprisingly advanced in comparison with his other countrymen.

Pearson already holds a win over Dennis Siver on his record, but a submission loss to Cole Miller in his following fight knocked the Englishman back down the lightweight ladder. A win over Barboza would put Pearson right back in a position to break into the top 10, though.

This fight between Barboza and Pearson will serve as the opening bout of the UFC 134 main card, which will begin on pay-per-view at approximately 9:00 p.m. ET.

The pay-per-view event will also feature a UFC middleweight championship bout between Anderson Silva and Yushin Okami, a battle involving light heavyweight contenders Mauricio Rua and Forrest Griffin and a heavyweight clash that will see Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira return to the Octagon to face Brendan Schaub.

Sean Smith is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. Sean has also had his work featured on UFC.com. For the latest insight and updates on everything MMA, you can follow Sean on Twitter @SeanSmithMMA.

After stringing two wins together, Forrest Griffin finds himself in familiar territory once again.

Griffin will meet Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 134; with the winner likely edging themselves closer into title contention. Griffin previously defeated Rua at UFC 76 and went on to challenge for the UFC light heavyweight title, which he ultimately won later that year.

This time around, however, things are different.

Griffin’s lack of desire to compete remains questioned following an embarrassing loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 109. Since then, he has beaten mid-tier level competitors Tito Ortiz and Rich Franklin. Rua’s recurring knee problems continue to haunt him, as he was recently defeated by Jon Jones at UFC 128, losing the light heavyweight title in the process.

It’s safe to assume that both competitors need this win to stay relevant in the 205 lb division. Anything less would eliminate them from a title shot and likely hinder their chances from ever receiving one again, and at 32-years-old, it might be Griffin’s last chance.

He is undoubtedly one of the most popular fighters in UFC history but unfortunately mixed martial arts does not base its rankings by popularity. Griffin has always been the one to embellish the underdog role, but his recent performances have not done him any favours to persuade fans to consider him a favourite to beat Rua a second time. Call a case of déjà-vu, but Griffin’s luck could very well run out.

Even if he is to lose, Griffin will still remain in competitive bouts and a respectable draw within the company.  It’s possible that Griffin finds himself in a third matchup with Tito Ortiz, which Ortiz has been requesting. Also, a bout against Phil Davis would serve as a good test to determine where Griffin is at in the division.

Bleacher Report’s Mike Hodges

At UFC 134, we see an old-school vs new-school match up in Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs Brendan Schaub.

If Nogueira was to lose, the former UFC Heavyweight Champion will now have lost two straight fights and would be 3-3 in the UFC. However, his losses will have come at the hands of former champions and top contenders in Cain Velasquez, Frank Mir and possibly, Brendan Schaub.

Furthermore, his fight with Schaub marks the first time Nogueira has competed since UFC 110 in February of last year, and therefore it is very likely that ring-rust and inactivity will play a factor in the fight.

People must bear these factors in mind before they call for Nogueira to retire. At the age of 35, Nogueira has accomplished a lot in this sport and it is possible that he could get back into title contention. Anderson Silva and Dan Henderson are living proof that it can be done.

If Nogueira loses, he may take up the role of gatekeeper that Randy Couture vacated when he had retired. Wins over young up and coming fighters in the division is the best way to get back into the title picture.

With a loss, Nogueira would be in exactly the same position as another legend, Mirko Cro-Cop, who has also lost to Brendan Schaub. Cro-Cop is now playing the role of gate-keeper to Roy Nelson who hopes to rebound from two straight losses with a win over Cro-Cop.

For now, the future for Nogueira after the Schaub fight is yet to be determined, but between now and then, Nogueira can focus on coaching the students at his school. In particular, he can focus his attention on, Junior dos Santos, who is set to face Cain Velasquez for the Heavyweight Championship later this year.

Bleacher Report’s Midhun Nair