UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva will rematch the last man to beat him at UFC 134. Sure Yushin Okami's not bragging about his January 2006 disqualification victory over Silva, but he ought to be. Silva's since gone on a 14 fight win streak with 13 of those wins coming in the UFC.
Okami also joined the MMA big leagues in 2006 and has since racked up a 10-2 record with his only losses coming to former champ Rich Franklin and top contender Chael Sonnen. He's also established himself as the most successful Japanese fighter in the promotion's history.
But that won't be enough to beat Anderson Silva unless Silva's lightening quick reflexes have slowed dramatically since his crushing win over Vitor Belfort at UFC 126. Silva did look older and slower against Chael Sonnen at UFC 117 but broken ribs appear to have been the explanation.
Okami brings a southpaw's quick jab and strong wrestling skills as well as remarkable size and strength for a middleweight. Silva also fights out of a southpaw stance although he hops back into orthodox at a whim.
Silva's range fighting is pretty much unparalleled in modern MMA and on the ground his jiu-jitsu is quite dangerous. Okami will be looking to get top position and do damage from the guard. He's a huge underdog and it's not hard to figure out why.
Aspect | Silva | Points | Okami | Advantage |
---|---|---|---|---|
Range Fighting | ||||
Boxing | Smooth and Slick | 1 | Surprising | Silva |
Kickboxing | Matrix-y | 1 | Journeyman | Silva |
Wrestling | Surprising | 1 | Excellent | Okami |
Clinch Fighting | ||||
Dirty Boxing | Not Preferred | 1 | Not Great | Tie |
Thai Clinch | Lethal | 1 | So-so | Silva |
Throws/Trips | Very Good | 1 | Very Good | Okami |
Ground Fighting | ||||
Positional Control | Decent | 1 | Domineering | Okami |
Scrambling | Elusive | 1 | Dogged | Okami |
Escapes | Elusive | 1 | Good | Silva |
Submissions | Very Good | 1 | Not So Great | Silva |
Intangibles | Aging? | 1 | Overmatched | Silva |
Overall | Still the Best | 6/4 | As Good As He'll Get | Silva |
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