MMANEWSLEAK Exclusive:
With a big win over Nate Marquardt, Yushin Okami will be rewarded with a title shot against the winner of Vitor Belfort and Anderson Silva. But is he really deserving of one or is the UFC just looking to “feed” Silva?
The dwindling talent in the middleweight division has been obivious for a while now. Silva sent more contenders back to the drawing board than you can shake a stick at. In fact, you can define the middleweight division by saying ”Anderson Silva and a bunch of guys not named Anderson Silva”. I hear that the UFC was going to rename it, but that was too long to fit behind a fighter’s name.
After the Chael Sonnen vs Anderson Silva rematch got shelved, the expected match between Vitor Belfort and Okami got scratched and Belfort was given his shot at the title, but that left the question of who was next?
Enter Nate Marquardt. Marquardt stepped into the fight against Okami in Germany at UFC 122 (aka free fight equals bad card). The main event fighters were offered the same deal that was in place for Belfort/Okami; WIN and you got next!
Marquardt and Okami fought to a three round decision in their typical fashion, BORING. The fights never picked up the pace and neither fighter truly over shadowed the other, but Okami won a close decision.
This has been Okami’s MO for most of his career, fight safe and go to the cards. Okami does enough to win over the judges and win the fight, but he is a little on the boring side. Only one of his last 5 fights has not gone to the score cards, Lucio Linhares at UFN: Florian vs Gomi; where many spectators praised his improved striking. Other than that fight, he has gone to the judges cards.
Does all of this put together mean that Okami is not a great opponent for Silva? Maybe. The problem is that any fight with Okami is almost guaranteed to be a boring fight. Okami has turned into a counter striker rather than an attacker. This will play right into the waiting hands of Silva or Belfort (fighting in February for the middleweight title).
Whomever wins Belfort or Silva will surely make quick work of Yushin Okami, and the UFC will keep feeding the beast they call the middle weightchampion.
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