Okami Wants Silva Rematch; Marquardt Not Looking Ahead

It has been nearly five years since Yushin Okami (Pictured) fought Anderson Silva, but at a pre-fight press conference for UFC 122 on Thursday, it became clear that the current UFC middleweight champion is still on the Japanese fighter’s mind.

Okami -- who meets Nate Marquardt in the main event on Saturday at the Konig Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany, with a 185-pound title shot on the line -- was surprisingly direct when asked whether he prefers a rematch with Silva for the belt or a matchup with Vitor Belfort, who first challenges “The Spider” at UFC 126 in February.

“I’d like to fight against Mr. Anderson Silva,” Okami said.

In a January 2006 welterweight bout for the now-defunct Hawaiian promotion Rumble on the Rock, Silva was disqualified in the opening round for delivering an illegal upkick to the face of Okami, who was on both knees in Silva’s guard. It is an outcome with which Silva has since voiced his displeasure and one which has clearly left Okami with a bitter taste.

“Technically speaking, I won the fight, but I feel I lost that fight,” Okami said. “I admit that he’s a great fighter. That’s the only reason why I’d like to fight against him.”

Since his meeting with Silva, Okami has gone 11-3, including a 9-2 run in the UFC. Most recently, Okami took a split decision from powerhouse wrestler Mark Munoz in August.

While Okami’s answer was clear, his opponent declined to state a preference, or to look past his current task.

“Honestly, I don’t care,” Marquardt said. “I have a very tough opponent in front of me, and that’s what I’m focused on.”

Marquardt has also met Silva in the past, challenging for the UFC middleweight belt in July 2007, when he dropped a one-sided bout via first-round technical knockout. However, the Greg Jackson product claims it was his February decision loss to Chael Sonnen which changed his perspective on being a top contender.

“[It’s] not necessarily that I value it more, but when I lost to Chael, I kinda realized that I had lost a little bit of my desire, my fire to train,” said Marquardt. “My dream is to be the champion, and I think that reignited my fire. I got that now, and that’s how I can know that I’m gonna go out and fight my best.”

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Okami Decisions Nate, Earns Title Shot

The wait is over. After more than four years building his resume in the UFC, Japan’s Yushin Okami has earned a shot at the world middleweight championship. Watch all the fights again on UFCLive.com. OBERHAUSEN, November 13 – Japan’s Yushin Okami has earned a shot at the world middleweight championship after a close three round unanimous decision victory over perennial contender Nate Marquardt in the UFC 122 main event at Konig Pilsener Arena on Saturday.

“Nate was a great fighter,” said Okami. “I’m ready for the championship.”

Scores were 30-27 and 29-28.

Okami shot first, looking for an early takedown, but Marquardt fought it off with a brief guillotine choke attempt before working his way into his opponent’s guard. Okami’s defense was airtight, and a second, even briefer, guillotine attempt allowed the Kanagawa native to get into the top position. From there, it was a stalemate and the two scrambled to their feet. Marquardt landed with a quick right as Okami shot in, but ‘Thunder’ was unmoved by the shot and he proceeded to pin Marquardt against the fence before taking him down just before the bell.

Marquardt threw Okami’s first takedown attempt of the second round aside easily, but his retaliatory single leg attempt came up empty as well. The two middleweight contenders then locked up against the fence, with Marquardt reversing Okami’s leg trip attempt and winding up on top. After Marquardt was able to land with some strikes, Okami scrambled to his feet and looked for his own takedown. It didn’t come, and the two separated, unable to make anything significant happen before the end of the stanza.

Early in the final round, Okami’s punches opened a cut under Marquardt’s right eye, and buoyed by his success, he began to chase the Wyoming native. For his part, Marquardt, who was beginning to look fatigued, tried to counter Okami’s advances, but as the round progressed, Okami appeared to have even more confidence in his striking as the crowd chanted his name. With under two minutes left, Marquardt began to pick up his pace, landing a few strikes before taking Okami to the mat. Okami got back to his feet quickly and resumed his stalking of Marquardt, who landed a hard counter right before the two locked up against the fence and traded knees until the end of the bout.

With the win, Okami improves to 27-5; Marquardt falls to 33-10-2.

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Okami Upsets Marquardt, Eyes Title Bid

For nearly five years, Yushin Okami has pursued a rematch with reigning UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. He may now get his wish.

Okami jabbed, clinched and grappled his way to a unanimous decision against former middleweight King of Pancrase Nate Marquardt in the UFC 122 “Marquardt vs. Okami” headliner on Saturday at the Konig Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany.

Scores were 29-28, 30-27 and 29-28 for Okami, who won for the 10th time in 12 UFC appearances and solidified himself as a title contender at 185 pounds. Afterward, he turned an eye toward Silva, a man he defeated by disqualification under the Rumble on the Rock banner in January 2006. The Brazilian will defend his middleweight crown against Vitor Belfort at UFC 126 in February. Okami figures to get the winner.

“Nate is a great fighter,” Okami said. “I felt I deserved it, and I’m ready to fight for the championship. I want to fight Anderson for [the] championship, and I want to become the middleweight champion.”

Getting past Marquardt was no easy task. Okami avoided three submission attempts -- two guillotine chokes and a heel hook -- in the first round, reversed into top position from butterfly guard and scored with a takedown as the grueling round came to a close. Marquardt answered with a strong push in round two, as he secured a takedown of his own, countered an Okami flying knee with a counter left hand and held his own inside the clinch.

Okami drew blood on Marquardt’s cheek with repeated jabs in the third round, backed him into the cage with a stout combination and took the steam out of the Grudge Training Center rep’s punches. Marquardt delivered another takedown with 90 seconds left but failed to capitalize, as Okami freed himself and returned to an upright position without absorbing punishment.

“I didn’t take any damage, so I didn’t think much of [the takedown],” said Okami, who trained with 2000 Olympic silver medalist Matt Lindland and world-ranked middleweight Chael Sonnen at Team Quest in advance of UFC 122. “I’m glad I won the fight.”

Russian-born German Dennis Siver submitted “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 9 finalist Andre Winner with a first-round rear-naked choke in their featured lightweight attraction. Winner, who had not been submitted in more than three years, met his demise 3:37 into round one.

The bout replaced the previously scheduled Jorge Rivera-Alessio Sakara match as the co-main event after Sakara withdrew with what was described as a “flu-like” illness.

“It was my duty to win here,” Siver said through his translator. “It was the most important thing in my life.”

Winner got the better of the initial exchanges between the two lightweights, as he landed a crisp left hook to the head and stuffed an attempted takedown. Siver stuck to his guns, however, dodged a three-punch combination from Winner and dropped the Team Rough House rep with a left hand.

Winner never recovered. Hammerfists on the ground further softened the Brit, as Siver transitioned to his back, cinched the choke and secured the tapout.

“I’ve been training a lot of jiu-jitsu lately,” said Siver, a winner in six of his past seven appearances, “and I wanted to try it out in the ring, whether it works or not.”

“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 7 winner Amir Sadollah leaned on volume and variety, as he outstruck Peter Sobotta en route to a unanimous decision in a featured welterweight duel. All three judges scored it 30-27 for Sadollah, who moved to 4-2 inside the Octagon.

Sobotta was outgunned from the start, and his inability to move Sadollah out of his comfort zone proved his undoing. A 30-year-old Brooklyn, N.Y., native, Sadollah set the tone early, as he tore into the Polish-born German from the clinch, utilizing inside knees and a short left elbow over the top. Combinations followed, and Sadollah made his opponent pay for clinging to a high single-leg late in the round.

Sadollah kept piling up the points in rounds two and three, as he used everything in his tool bag: leg kicks, straight rights, teep kicks and strikes to the head and body. By the time the welterweights reached the final period, his steady stream of leg kicks had taken a visible toll on Sobotta, who remains winless in three UFC appearances.

“I kind of expected [him to hang in there],” Sadollah said. “He’s on his way up. I don’t have anything pithy to say. I’m just happy and want to say thank you to a few people.”

A one-sided third round carried Team Quest’s Krzysztof Soszynski to a unanimous decision over struggling Croatian import Goran Reljic in their light heavyweight showdown. All three judges scored it 30-27 for Soszynski, as he handed Reljic his third consecutive defeat.

The first two rounds saw little offense of note from either man, outside of a pair of takedowns from Reljic and an attempted second-round kimura from Soszynski. However, round three was all Soszynski. “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 8 semi-finalist thwarted a takedown from the tiring Croat, cinched a waist lock and pounded on him with punches. Reljic ultimately rolled away from danger and returned to his feet, only to be threatened by a standing kimura from Soszynski. Reljic freed himself, but Soszynski moved to the Thai clinch, forced him to pull guard and punctuated his second victory in three fights with strikes on the ground.

“That boy is tough,” said Soszynski, who improved to 5-2 inside the Octagon. “He’s one tough S.O.B. You never know what the judges are going to score. I thought I had him standing, but he took me down. I think I sealed it what that third round.”

Former Ring of Fire welterweight champion Duane Ludwig earned a contentious split decision from “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 9 semi-finalist Nick Osipczak in a featured matchup at 170 pounds. Two of the three cage-side judges scored it 29-28 for Ludwig; a third cast a dissenting 30-28 ruling for Osipczak.

Though clearly outgunned in terms of pure striking skill, Osipczak wobbled Ludwig with a combination in the first round, pounced on the American and opened a cut on Ludwig’s right brow, blood streaming laterally away from the eye. Ludwig, a Grudge Training Center rep who has engaged in more than one firefight in his decade-long career, survived the salvo and entered round two with new life.

After a nip-and-tuck second round, Ludwig came on strong. He stringed together crisp combinations on his visibly weary foe, battering the Team Rough House standout from the clinch with knees to the body and short punches and elbows to the head. Later in the round, Ludwig turned to head kicks and racked up the points with a relentless, high-volume attack.

“I’ve been watching a lot of ‘The Simpsons.’ Homer always takes a beating to wear the guy out. That’s what I was trying to do,” said Ludwig, who had not competed since he suffered a gruesome leg injury in March. “I was a little upset. I’ve been out a while, and I just wanted to bring some pain to somebody else. If anybody deserves this win, it’s me. I’ve been through a lot.”

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Yushin Okami – His Time Has Come

“He has power and he does not have any weak points,” Okami says of Marquardt. “I recognize that he is a really great fighter.” Known for his calm and cool demeanor, Yushin Okami exudes confidence in the Octagon. It wasn’t always that way though. Just flash back to his pro debut against Kyosuke Sasaki a little over eight years ago, and the man will tell you himself that he barely resembled a man one win away from a world title shot.

“At that time, I felt nervous,” he said. “Therefore, I do not remember anything.”

That’s what the prospect of facing another man in sanctioned hand to hand combat can do to you. It can make you forget everything – your training, your techniques, even your name. The funny thing is, it’s natural, and the ones who are able to control those emotions are the ones who go on to big things in this toughest of sports.

Okami won that night in September of 2002, and in the ensuing years he’s added 25 wins to his pro record and just five losses. On Saturday, he faces Nate Marquardt in the main event of UFC 122 in Oberhausen, Germany, and with a victory, he will be looking at a championship fight in 2011.

It’s been a long road for Okami since his days growing up in Kanagawa, Japan. A self-described “gentle child,” the future middleweight contender says that he “grew up normally. It was happy every day.” Skilled in track and field during his school years, Okami eventually gravitated to combat sports, and by 2001, the 20-year old was entrenched in the fight game and a year away from his pro debut.

From there, it’s been a whirlwind of fighting, traveling, and getting better, with Okami’s ultimate goal to become the first Japanese fighter to win a UFC title. Yuki Kondo, Kenichi Yamamoto, Hayato “Mach” Sakurai, and Caol Uno have all fallen short before, prompting the question for Okami as to why his countrymen have never been able to secure the belt in the Octagon.

“I think that not being accustomed to an overseas environment is one of the causes,” he said. “That experience helps in the UFC because I was fighting a lot in foreign countries.”

He’s not kidding. In addition to his fights at home, Okami’s fighting passport has been stamped in Russia, South Korea, Northern Ireland, the United States, and now Germany. But perhaps his most memorable international bout came in 2006 when he traveled to Honolulu, Hawaii to face future UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva. In a well documented bout, Okami defeated Silva via disqualification when ‘The Spider’ landed an illegal up kick that rendered the Japanese fighter unable to continue. It was Silva’s last loss, and if Okami has his choice, should he beat Marquardt, he wants Silva to emerge victorious in his upcoming bout with Vitor Belfort to set up a score settling rematch.

“I want to fight with Silva, who is the champion,” he says, getting right to the point. It’s this quiet confidence that has taken him through his 11 fight UFC career, one that has seen him build a stellar 9-2 record, with the only losses coming to Rich Franklin and Chael Sonnen. It’s a resume to be proud of, but the loss to Sonnen at UFC 104 in October 2009 still leaves a bitter taste in his mouth.

“I was embarrassed and disappointed with myself,” he said, showing the competitor inside. Yet shortly after the bout, he figured if you can’t beat ‘em, learn from ‘em, and soon he was in Oregon training with Sonnen and Team Quest.

“Team Quest offered the highest training environment to me that exists,” said Okami. “I wish to express my gratitude to them. Communication was the only problem for me because my English language skill is still low.”

But training with a former opponent?

“No problem.”

Since his first stint in Portland (he has since returned to work there for the Marquardt bout), Okami delivered one of his career-best performances in stopping Lucio Linhares in March, and then he scored a split decision win over Mark Munoz in August that brings him now to Germany and a matchup with Nate “The Great.” Okami, as usual, is very respectful of his foe.

“He has power and he does not have any weak points,” he said of Marquardt. “I recognize that he is a really great fighter.”

And it takes a great fighter to beat a great fighter. So if Okami is going to make history for Japan by winning a UFC title, he will have to prove himself the hard way as he removes all obstacles in his way. The first one is Marquardt, then it’s off to Silva or Belfort. It’s a daunting stretch to say the least, but Okami’s ready for it. It’s probably why when you ask him what fight fans should expect from him in the future, he just has a one word answer to the question.

“Champion.”

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Zuffa Fills ‘Marquardt vs. Okami’ Injury Voids

The UFC has made official a revised 11-fight lineup for UFC 122 “Marquardt vs. Okami,” as journeymen Vladimir Matyushenko and Alexandre “Cacareco” Ferreira (pictured left) will meet in a light heavyweight clash and undefeated welterweight Pascal Krauss will square off with fellow Octagon newcomer Mark Scanlon.

Matyushenko and Krauss were originally scheduled to square off against Jason Brilz and Kenny Robertson, respectively, but injuries forced the two fighters from the show. The event takes place at Konig Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany on Nov. 13 and will be broadcast in the United States on Spike TV via same-day tape delay. The main event will feature a pivotal middleweight duel between former title challenger Nate Marquardt and the world-ranked Yushin Okami.

Matyushenko made his professional debut back in 1997, winning his first seven fights. The Belarusian fought Tito Ortiz at UFC 33 in 2001 for the light heavyweight championship, losing via unanimous decision. Much of the latter half of his career was spent in the now-defunct International Fight League, where he became the promotion’s 205-pound champ in 2007. Since rejoining the UFC, “The Janitor” has gone 2-1, losing to prospect Jon Jones at UFC Live 2 in August.

Ferreira is also a seasoned pro. The Chute Boxe Academy representative debuted in the old International Vale Tudo Championship promotion, losing to Tim Catalfo via disqualification (eye gouging). The Brazilian has fought all around the world, but UFC 122 will mark his first fight both within the promotion and on German soil. He is riding a seven-fight winning streak heading into his contest with Matyushenko and holds victories over Branden Lee Hinkle and Fabio Maldonado in that span.

Krauss will hold a home-field advantage in his upcoming matchup, as the undefeated German holds six of his nine career victories in his homeland. “Panzer” has finished every opponent he has faced, ending nearly all of the contests by submission. UFC 122 will be his promotional debut. Scanlon is another UFC newcomer who also sports an unbeaten record. Like Krauss, he has put away each of his opponents. In fact, only one of his foes has made it out of the first round.

Nate Marquardt vs. Yushin Okami
Alessio Sakara vs. Jorge Rivera
Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Goran Reljic
Amir Sadollah vs. Peter Sobotta
Dennis Siver vs. Andre Winner
Vladimir Matyushenko vs. Alexandre Ferreira
Rob Kimmons vs. Kyle Noke
Karlos Vemola vs. Seth Petruzelli
Duane Ludwig vs. Nick Osipczak
Kris McCray vs. Carlos Eduardo Rocha
Pascal Krauss vs. Mark Scanlon

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Yushin Okami - The Thunder Seven

On November 13 in Oberhausen, Germany, Yushin Okami returns to the main event slot for the first time in three years when he takes on Nate Marquardt at UFC 122. For the man dubbed "Thunder", it's an opportunity to earn a long-awaited middleweight title shot and add to his list of defining moments. Anderson Silva WDQ1 – Rumble on The Rock 8 – 1/20/06
13-2 as a pro, with his only losses coming against respected vets Amar Suloev and Falaniko Vitale, Okami made his second US appearance against a pre-prime Anderson Silva in Hawaii. Silva had made some noise on the international scene with five PRIDE appearances, but his 3-2 record in the organization didn’t exactly show off ‘The Spider’ who has been dominating the UFC since June of ’06. On this night in Honolulu, the Brazilian did look to be on top of his game, as he dominated the standup and tossed aside any Okami takedown attempts. Eventually, Okami got Silva to the mat, but just when it looked like the bout was going to get interesting in terms of ‘Thunder’ getting back in the fight, Silva finished the bout with an up kick. Unfortunately for him, it was an illegal move, and he was disqualified by referee (and future UFC fighter) Troy Mandaloniz. On paper, it’s Silva’s last loss, but Okami doesn’t see it as such. “The records say I won but I really lost the match,” he said. “But I believe because of this fight I've grown stronger. The next time I fight him things will be different. I am confident of that.”

Alan Belcher W3 – UFC 62 – 8/26/06
Three months after the win over Silva, Okami returned to Hawaii and lost a majority decision to Jake Shields. It would be his last defeat for over a year, and after two TKO wins in Japan, he made his low-key UFC debut against fellow debutant Alan Belcher, a late replacement for former middleweight title challenger David Terrell. The bout was punctuated by what can be best described as a bizarre front flip by Belcher while Okami rode his back in the third round, but other than that bright moment, it was all Okami, who pounded out a workmanlike three round unanimous decision and announced his arrival to the UFC.

Mike Swick W3 – UFC 69 – 4/7/07
With a 5-0 UFC record, The Ultimate Fighter’s Mike Swick was rapidly closing in on a middleweight title shot, and in front of his Texas fans at UFC 69, most expected him to move to 6-0. But Okami was poised and ready to perform, and he did just that, as he dominated Swick on the mat and grounded and pounded his way to a clear cut three round decision win. It was the fourth consecutive time (following Belcher, Kalib Starnes, and Rory Singer) that the Kanagawa native issued an opponent his first Octagon defeat.

Rich Franklin L3 – UFC 72 – 6/16/07
After Martin Kampmann was forced out of his UFC 72 main event against Rich Franklin, the next logical choice to face the former 185-pound champ for a shot at Anderson Silva’s crown was Okami, who brought a four fight UFC winning streak into the bout. Unfortunately for Okami, his patient style cost him, as Franklin shot out to a 2-0 lead on the judges’ cards. In the third though, Okami showed that he was ready for the best in the weight class, as he closed strong behind a ground attack that included a kimura that almost ended the bout. “It was pretty close; he had me a little nervous but I was able to pull out of it,” said Franklin, who earned the three round unanimous decision win and sent Okami back to the drawing board.  

Evan Tanner KO2 – UFC 82 – 3/1/08
Four months after the loss to Franklin, Okami returned with a three round win over Jason MacDonald, yet despite a stellar 5-1 record in the Octagon, fight fans were looking for more thunder from “Thunder”, whose only UFC stoppage came against Starnes at UFC 64. Okami’s response? An emphatic second round knockout of comebacking former 185-pound champion Evan Tanner at UFC 82. It was Okami’s most impressive UFC performance to date, as he dropped and bloodied Tanner in the first round and then finished him with a knee to the head in the second frame. After the fight, the soft-spoken Okami was classy as usual when asked about a rematch with Silva. "It’s up to the UFC," he said. "If they feel I am ready for a title shot, I’d be honored. If they want me to take on another tough opponent before getting a shot at the belt, then that’s what I’ll do."

Lucio Linhares TKO2 – UFC Fight Night – 3/31/10
Following the Tanner fight, Okami split his next two, beating Dean Lister and losing to Chael Sonnen. After the Sonnen fight, Okami knew that to break into title contention, he not only had to put together a win streak, but he had to do so in impressive style. In March of 2010, he got his first opportunity and he made an example of Brazil’s Lucio Linhares, punishing him with some of his best standup work to date en route to a second round stoppage. The victory sent a statement to the rest of the division that just when you thought all you had to worry about was Okami’s ground game, now he could knock you out standing too.

Mark Munoz W3 – UFC on Versus – 8/1/10
Elevated to the position of Japan’s Great UFC Hope, Okami could have been overwhelmed by such pressure, but on a night when countryman Takanori Gomi resurrected his career with a first round knockout of Tyson Griffin, the 29-year old continued his slow and steady rise to the top of the division with a three round split decision win over Mark Munoz. And while the win itself was important, also key was the fact that Okami showed the ability to handle a world-class wrestler in a way he didn’t in his loss to Sonnen nearly a year earlier. So with all his ducks in a row, Okami is back in a title elimination bout against Marquardt, and this time, he expects to get the job done and become only the fifth Japanese fighter (after Yuki Kondo, Caol Uno, Hayato “Mach” Sakurai, and Kenichi Yamamoto) to challenge for a UFC crown.

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