After losing to Erik Koch in his UFC debut, Raphael Assuncao has lost three of his last four fights. Now, Assuncao will look to bounce back with a drop to the bantamweight division and a fight against UFC newcomer Johnny Eduardo. Heading in a much diff…
After losing to Erik Koch in his UFC debut, Raphael Assuncao has lost three of his last four fights. Now, Assuncao will look to bounce back with a drop to the bantamweight division and a fight against UFC newcomer Johnny Eduardo.
Heading in a much different direction than fellow Brazilian Assuncao, the 33-year-old Eduardo has won his last 11 bouts. Although he will be making his UFC debut, Eduardo brings a lot of experience into UFC 134, as he has competed against the likes of Takanori Gomi.
For Assuncao, a loss would mean a fourth defeat in five appearances, which could lead to his release from the UFC. The former WEC featherweight has beaten fighters such as Jorge Masvidal, Joe Lauzon and Yves Jabouin over the course of his seven-year career.
In what will be the final Brazilian-on-Brazilian fight of the evening, Assuncao and Eduardo are both well-versed in jiu-jitsu. However, Eduardo has been submitted more than a handful of times throughout his career, which could end up being the determining factor in this bout.
Between them, Assuncao and Eduardo have combined for 22 submission victories, so there is a very good chance that this fight ends with someone tapping or going to sleep. Despite falling on hard times as of late, the numbers are on Assuncao’s side heading into this fight.
This fight between Assuncao and Eduardo will serve as the fourth bout on the UFC 134 Facebook stream, which will start at approximately 6 p.m. ET on the UFC’s official Facebook page. The live Facebook stream will air five preliminary card bouts before leading into the final two preliminary card fights on Spike TV.
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.
Originally booked for a fight with UFC veteran Mike Swick, highly-touted Brailian prospect and former Jungle Fight champion Erick Silva will now meet fellow Brazilian Luis Ramos. Ramos stepped in as a replacement after a knee injury forced Swick out of…
Originally booked for a fight with UFC veteran Mike Swick, highly-touted Brailian prospect and former Jungle Fight champion Erick Silva will now meet fellow Brazilian Luis Ramos. Ramos stepped in as a replacement after a knee injury forced Swick out of the original bout.
Mike Swick has already been out of action for well over one year, so this additional setback could easily stretch the veteran’s hiatus to more than two years. At 32 years old, injury problems could lead to the demise of a once-promising welterweight.
Silva has only lost once in his 13 official fights, which have all taken place in Silva’s home country. The 27-year-old Silva trains under Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and will be looking for his ninth straight win at UFC 134.
Nova Uniao-trained Ramos has won six of his last seven fights, with his only loss during that time coming against former UFC fighter Roan Carneiro. At 30 years old, this fight will be an excellent opportunity for Ramos to make a name for himself in Brazil.
These two Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners have never been submitted, so it wouldn’t be surprising for this welterweight bout to turn into a stand-up battle. Whether the fight takes place standing or on the ground, the Brazilian crowd will demand an exciting scrap between their two compatriots.
This fight between Silva and Ramos will serve as the third bout on the UFC 134 Facebook stream, which will start at approximately 6 p.m. ET on the UFC’s official Facebook page. The live Facebook stream will air five preliminary card bouts before leading into the final two preliminary card fights on Spike TV.
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.
“…and the new UFC middleweight champion of the world, Yushin Okami!”These are the words that UFC middleweight contender Yushin Okami is hoping to hear in less than 24 hours, but in order to hear them he will have to defeat the greatest mixed martial …
“…and the new UFC middleweight champion of the world, Yushin Okami!”
These are the words that UFC middleweight contender Yushin Okami is hoping to hear in less than 24 hours, but in order to hear them he will have to defeat the greatest mixed martial artist of all-time, Anderson Silva.
Silva and Okami are set to square off in the main event of UFC 134 in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, which takes place later today.
With 13 straight victories in the UFC, and eight consecutive title defenses, Silva has looked almost unbeatable during his time in MMA‘s most prominent promotion. But he definitely does have some holes in his armor.
So, what does Okami need to do if he wants to beat Silva and become the UFC’s new middleweight champ?
Basically, he needs to do exactly what Chael Sonnen did to Silva at UFC 117, and that is keep the pressure on him.
Too often guys are bewildered by Silva, they just stand in front of him, hesitant, because they’re afraid to engage with him.
This hesitancy allows Silva time to figure out his opponents timing, and is a big part why he has such success on his feet.
Okami needs to be aggressive right out of the gate, and not give Silva any time to figure out his timing.
While using his aggression to keep Silva off balance, Okami needs to drag this fight to the ground, where his greatest advantage will be.
He has to get inside Silva’s range, likely eating a couple punches, and get the fight to the mat before Silva can do any damage in the clinch with his brutal Muay Thai.
The hardest part will likely be getting inside Silva’s range. Okami is an excellent grappler, so once he has a hold of Silva he should be able to take it the ground quickly.
Once on the ground the game plan is simple: Stay busy and don’t get submitted.
This simple strategy almost worked for Sonnen a little over a year ago, and there is no reason it can’t work for Okami at UFC 134.
Sonnen is known for having sub-par submission defense, and it took Silva almost five rounds to submit him.
Okami has never been submitted by anyone, so I think there is a realistic chance that he could roll with Silva for all five rounds without getting caught in anything.
Sonnen has already laid the groundwork for how to beat Silva, and Okami has all the tools to be effective using that same strategy.
Keep the pressure on, get inside, get the takedown and stay on top.
That’s what Okami’s game plan should be for this one and, if he can execute it perfectly, we may very well have a new middleweight champion.
Seconds after Anderson Silva beat Rich Franklin for the second time, “The Spider” was already in celebratory mode when UFC commentator Joe Rogan raised a question that sounded a bit hyperbolic.
“Who,” he asked, “can stop that man?”
Four years later, though, we are still without an answer. Silva has smashed, sliced and squeezed his way through one contender after another to the tune of a UFC-record 13 straight wins. In the process, he has made a legitimate case for himself as the sport’s all-time best.
On Saturday, in his home country of Brazil, he faces Yushin Okami, a soft-spoken Japanese fighter with a grinding style somewhat reminiscent of Chael Sonnen, leading many to wonder if Okami might be the man to finally unseat him from the throne.
Okami (26-5) has quietly amassed a strong resume during his nine-year career, going 10-2 in the UFC with wins over Nate Marquardt, Mark Munoz and Mike Swick, among others. But does he have enough firepower to either stop Silva or beat him up on the ground for five rounds?
Either is a tall order for anyone, but let’s start with the first. Since joining the UFC five years ago, Okami has stopped only three of his 12 opponents, most recently finishing Lucio Linhares due to doctor stoppage in March 2010.
Okami has always been a positional fighter, both in his standup and on the ground. He is conservative and rarely extends himself or puts himself in bad positions. He is technically sound and exploits opponents’ mistakes. In recent fights, he’s shown some improvements in his standup game, flashing more complex combinations and punching with more power.
Throughout his UFC career though, he has never been a particularly accurate striker. According to FightMetric, which has tracked 15 of his 31 fights, Okami only lands 39 percent of his strikes, far less than Silva (67 percent). In a game where volume matters, that is a very real concern.
It is an even bigger concern though given the specific opponent he is facing. Silva (30-4) is without question one of the top five strikers in UFC history, a fact born out by the statistics.
According to FightMetric, Silva is the UFC’s all-time leader in Significant Strike Accuracy, landing 68.3 percent of those attempts. Because he’s so good in that department, he is second all-time in the UFC in knockdowns, with 13. He trails only Chuck Liddell, who had 14. Amazingly, though, Silva has his 13 knockdowns in 13 fights, while Liddell needed 23 fights to notch his 14.
When he’s on the defensive side of a strike, Silva is nearly as good. His 1.32 strikes absorbed per minute is just outside the all-time top 10. Silva was at one time No. 1 in this category until his UFC 117 fight against Chael Sonnen, a bout which saw him suffer 89 significant strikes, most coming on the ground.
That is why Okami will have to try to get the fight there. On the ground, Silva loses some of the biggest pieces of his offense, like his Muay Thai plum, his one-punch power, knees, etc.
Though Okami has a reputation as an excellent wrestler, FightMetric marks his takedown accuracy at just 50 percent, a number he will have to improve upon to give Silva problems. Okami is not a traditional takedown artist with double-leg shots from the outside. He often prefers to initiate a clinch and work for a takedown off the cage. Of course, against Silva, there is danger in the clinch, making that a position worth watching.
If he does take the fight down, SIlva never rests from his back. He attacks with triangles and arm bars, he looks for wrist control, and he throws cutting elbows from the bottom. There are plenty of pitfalls for Okami to avoid, and that means at some points, he will have to think defensively despite having top position. He’ll have to be judicious in picking his spots and changing up his timing. If you watch the fight-ending sequence Silva used against Sonnen, he appears to bait Sonnen, who throws a series of body shots at the same tempo. Silva times a right hand, then uses his already established wrist control to set up the finishing triangle choke. So he’s not just powerful but crafty.
Okami may have his moments if he can get it there, but his chances of finishing Silva are tiny, giving Silva 25 minutes to finish him. Every time they’re standing up, Okami will be in danger. He’s only been KO’d once, and that was nearly eight years ago, but he’s only faced a handful of big punchers since then, let alone one with the speed and accuracy of the current champion. If Okami mixes up his game, firing off the left hand from time to time and keeping Silva guessing, he can make a fight of it. If Silva shuts down his takedowns, it’s only a matter of time.
I expect Okami to have some decent moments, as he has against everyone he’s faced. He’s not a fighter to be embarrassed in short order. But he’s not a fighter with the offensive weapons held by the champion, either. At some point, he won’t be able to hold Silva down. At some point, Silva will land a fight-changing blow. And when his prey is hurt, there is no one in MMA right now with finer finishing instincts. In front of his home country, in the biggest fight of his career, Silva will want to close the show in style. Silva via late second-round submission.
Seconds after Anderson Silva beat Rich Franklin for the second time, “The Spider” was already in celebratory mode when UFC commentator Joe Rogan raised a question that sounded a bit hyperbolic.
“Who,” he asked, “can stop that man?”
Four years later, though, we are still without an answer. Silva has smashed, sliced and squeezed his way through one contender after another to the tune of a UFC-record 13 straight wins. In the process, he has made a legitimate case for himself as the sport’s all-time best.
On Saturday, in his home country of Brazil, he faces Yushin Okami, a soft-spoken Japanese fighter with a grinding style somewhat reminiscent of Chael Sonnen, leading many to wonder if Okami might be the man to finally unseat him from the throne.
Okami (26-5) has quietly amassed a strong resume during his nine-year career, going 10-2 in the UFC with wins over Nate Marquardt, Mark Munoz and Mike Swick, among others. But does he have enough firepower to either stop Silva or beat him up on the ground for five rounds?
Either is a tall order for anyone, but let’s start with the first. Since joining the UFC five years ago, Okami has stopped only three of his 12 opponents, most recently finishing Lucio Linhares due to doctor stoppage in March 2010.
Okami has always been a positional fighter, both in his standup and on the ground. He is conservative and rarely extends himself or puts himself in bad positions. He is technically sound and exploits opponents’ mistakes. In recent fights, he’s shown some improvements in his standup game, flashing more complex combinations and punching with more power.
Throughout his UFC career though, he has never been a particularly accurate striker. According to FightMetric, which has tracked 15 of his 31 fights, Okami only lands 39 percent of his strikes, far less than Silva (67 percent). In a game where volume matters, that is a very real concern.
It is an even bigger concern though given the specific opponent he is facing. Silva (30-4) is without question one of the top five strikers in UFC history, a fact born out by the statistics.
According to FightMetric, Silva is the UFC’s all-time leader in Significant Strike Accuracy, landing 68.3 percent of those attempts. Because he’s so good in that department, he is second all-time in the UFC in knockdowns, with 13. He trails only Chuck Liddell, who had 14. Amazingly, though, Silva has his 13 knockdowns in 13 fights, while Liddell needed 23 fights to notch his 14.
When he’s on the defensive side of a strike, Silva is nearly as good. His 1.32 strikes absorbed per minute is just outside the all-time top 10. Silva was at one time No. 1 in this category until his UFC 117 fight against Chael Sonnen, a bout which saw him suffer 89 significant strikes, most coming on the ground.
That is why Okami will have to try to get the fight there. On the ground, Silva loses some of the biggest pieces of his offense, like his Muay Thai plum, his one-punch power, knees, etc.
Though Okami has a reputation as an excellent wrestler, FightMetric marks his takedown accuracy at just 50 percent, a number he will have to improve upon to give Silva problems. Okami is not a traditional takedown artist with double-leg shots from the outside. He often prefers to initiate a clinch and work for a takedown off the cage. Of course, against Silva, there is danger in the clinch, making that a position worth watching.
If he does take the fight down, SIlva never rests from his back. He attacks with triangles and arm bars, he looks for wrist control, and he throws cutting elbows from the bottom. There are plenty of pitfalls for Okami to avoid, and that means at some points, he will have to think defensively despite having top position. He’ll have to be judicious in picking his spots and changing up his timing. If you watch the fight-ending sequence Silva used against Sonnen, he appears to bait Sonnen, who throws a series of body shots at the same tempo. Silva times a right hand, then uses his already established wrist control to set up the finishing triangle choke. So he’s not just powerful but crafty.
Okami may have his moments if he can get it there, but his chances of finishing Silva are tiny, giving Silva 25 minutes to finish him. Every time they’re standing up, Okami will be in danger. He’s only been KO’d once, and that was nearly eight years ago, but he’s only faced a handful of big punchers since then, let alone one with the speed and accuracy of the current champion. If Okami mixes up his game, firing off the left hand from time to time and keeping Silva guessing, he can make a fight of it. If Silva shuts down his takedowns, it’s only a matter of time.
I expect Okami to have some decent moments, as he has against everyone he’s faced. He’s not a fighter to be embarrassed in short order. But he’s not a fighter with the offensive weapons held by the champion, either. At some point, he won’t be able to hold Silva down. At some point, Silva will land a fight-changing blow. And when his prey is hurt, there is no one in MMA right now with finer finishing instincts. In front of his home country, in the biggest fight of his career, Silva will want to close the show in style. Silva via late second-round submission.
The UFC returns to Brazil for the first time in 13 years Saturday night, and they are bringing a stacked card featuring some of the best fighters to ever fight out of the country.
Most of the fighters on the card do their talking in the cage, but each …
The UFC returns to Brazil for the first time in 13 years Saturday night, and they are bringing a stacked card featuring some of the best fighters to ever fight out of the country.
Most of the fighters on the card do their talking in the cage, but each let the public know where their motivation comes from for their upcoming bouts.
In the main event, UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva defends his title against Yushin Okami in a rematch of a 2006 bout that Silva lost by disqualification.
The co-main event features former UFC light heavyweight champions Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Forrest Griffin, who will also be competing in a rematch of a fight from UFC 76 that Griffin won.
Other main card bouts include Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Brendan Schaub, Edson Barboza vs. Ross Pearson and Stanislav Nedkov vs. Luiz Cane.
On the heels of making his ninth-consecutive title defense, Anderson Silva should have every reason to enter his bout against Yushin Okami with confidence.There is just something different about heading into a rematch as opposed to preparing for a new …
On the heels of making his ninth-consecutive title defense, Anderson Silva should have every reason to enter his bout against Yushin Okami with confidence.
There is just something different about heading into a rematch as opposed to preparing for a new opponent; awareness, knowledge are both pre-existing factors that return in the second encounter, but now with a much stronger presence due to the fact there is previous experience with that opponent. It’s all relatively the same with Silva, and in what he hopes will just be “another fight” will turn out to be a different fight that will likely end in his favour.
While Silva will be motivated to decisively finish Okami this time around, he won’t necessarily go for the finish immediately.
Silva must create the distance against his opponent, who is bigger than the Brazilian, and utilize it as much as he can. Okami’s big frame covers up a lot of distance which allows him to establish clinches and setup takedowns much easier.
As Silva creates distance for himself, he should be measuring distance to find openings on Okami and begin picking his shots. Using an effective jab, along with quick movement from the outside should help Silva establish his distance and time his shots. The sharper and quicker Silva throws his strikes, the less likely Okami will have the chance to look for a takedown.
Of course, the more precise and accurate Silva’s striking becomes, the more comfortable he will be and it will lead to opening up Okami’s stance more often, making the Japanese middleweight more vulnerable. Once he continuously finds openings, Silva becomes much harder to defend against as he picks his opponents apart at will.
Silva’s speed and striking ability will gradually pick up as the fight goes on, and it will make Okami’s wrestling that much more ineffective if he is unable to time Silva’s speed with aggression and imposing his will.
Okami’s strategy, most likely employed by Chael Sonnen, will be a bit too predictable and it won’t be anything “The Spider” hasn’t dealt with before. Silva’s fluid, creative striking and methodical approach will ultimately overwhelm Okami and be too much for him to withstand.
“…and the new UFC middleweight champion of the world, Yushin Okami!”
Seconds after