Yushin Okami
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| Yushin Okami | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Statistics | |
| Nickname | Thunder, Phoenix |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) |
| Weight | 181 lb (82 kg) |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Born | July 21, 1981 |
| Fighting out of | Kanagawa, Japan |
| Town of birth | Kanagawa, Japan |
| Team/Association | Wajyutsu Keisyukai |
| Fighting style | Wrestling, Kickboxing |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Wins | 22 |
| By knockout | 7 |
| By submission | 4 |
| Losses | 4 |
| Draws | 0 |
| No contests | 0 |
Yushin Okami (岡見 勇信 Okami Yūshin?, born July 21, 1981) is a Japanese mixed martial artist (MMA). He currently fights at middleweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Sherdog and MMAWeekly rank Okami as one of the top ten middleweights in the world. [1][2]
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[edit] Mixed martial arts career
A relative newcomer to the sport, Okami has only been competing on the professional level since 2002. Okami started his career fighting in several different organizations, such as Pancrase and PRIDE Fighting Championships, amassing a record of 6-0 before being defeated by Amar Suloev. He continued fighting in multiple promotions before arriving at Rumble on the Rock, one of Hawaii's most well-known organizations, where he competed in their 175 lb tournament. This particular tournament was held in high regard by the mixed martial arts community, as well-known fighters such as Anderson Silva, Frank Trigg, Renato Verissimo, and Jake Shields were to be involved.
In the opening round of the tournament, Okami fought Anderson Silva; the bout resulted in a disqualification victory for Okami, as Silva executed an illegal up-kick to the head while both of Okami's knees were grounded. The referee intervened immediately, calling a stop to the fight. In the next round of the tournament, Okami faced Jake Shields, a tournament favorite. Okami used his takedown defense and striking range to hold Shields to a majority decision; however, the decision did not lean in Okami's favor. Shields went on to win the tournament and became Rumble on the Rock's first 175 lb Grand Prix champion. Afterwards, Okami amassed two victories in Japan, including one over Pancrase veteran Izuru Takeuchi, before signing a contract with the UFC.
Okami made his UFC debut at UFC 62, defeating Alan Belcher by unanimous decision. He then defeated Kalib Starnes via TKO (strikes) at UFC 64, and made his third UFC appearance at UFC 66, defeating Rory Singer by submission from strikes. Singer was a replacement for Okami's original opponent, David Terrell, who had withdrawn from the card due to an elbow injury.[3]
After winning three consecutive fights in the UFC, Okami was matched up against The Ultimate Fighter 1's Mike Swick at UFC 69 in Houston, Texas. Okami won the bout by unanimous decision.
Okami recently competed in the ADCC 2007 under 87 kg (191 lb) tournament on May 5, 2007 and lost to Demian Maia in the elimination round. Maia went on to defeat Rafael Lovato, Tarsis Humphres, and Flavio Almeida that day, winning the tournament.
Okami lost a close unanimous decision to former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin at UFC 72. His next fight was on October 20, 2007 against Jason MacDonald at UFC 77, where he won by Unanimous Decision. He won his last fight against Evan Tanner at UFC 82 on March 1, 2008 by knockout. Okami is currently 6-1 in the UFC, with a decision loss to Rich Franklin at UFC 72.
[edit] Mixed martial arts record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 26 matches | 22 wins | 4 losses |
| By knockout | 8 | 0 |
| By submission | 4 | 1 |
| By decision | 9 | 3 |
| Result | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | Evan Tanner | KO (Knee) | UFC 82: Pride of a Champion | 3/1/2008 | 2 | 3:00 |
| Win | Jason MacDonald | Decision (Unanimous) | UFC 77: Hostile Territory | 10/20/2007 | 3 | 5:00 |
| Loss | Rich Franklin | Decision (Unanimous) | UFC 72: Victory | 6/16/2007 | 3 | 5:00 |
| Win | Mike Swick | Decision (Unanimous) | UFC 69: Shootout | 4/07/2007 | 3 | 5:00 |
| Win | Rory Singer | Submission (Punches) | UFC 66: Liddell VS Ortiz | 12/30/2006 | 3 | 4:03 |
| Win | Kalib Starnes | TKO (Strikes) | UFC 64: Unstoppable | 10/14/2006 | 3 | 1:40 |
| Win | Alan Belcher | Decision (Unanimous) | UFC 62: Liddell VS Sobral | 8/26/2006 | 3 | 5:00 |
| Win | Izuru Takeuchi | TKO (Strikes) | GCM: D.O.G. 6 | 6/11/2006 | 1 | 3:39 |
| Win | Pang Ji Won | TKO (Strikes) | MARS: World Grand Prix | 5/13/2006 | 1 | 4:38 |
| Loss | Jake Shields | Decision (Majority) | Rumble On The Rock 9 | 4/21/2006 | 3 | 5:00 |
| Win | Anderson Silva | DQ (Illegal Kick) | Rumble On The Rock 8 | 1/20/2006 | 1 | 2:33 |
| Win | Myun Joo Lee | TKO (Corner Stoppage) | K-1: Seoul HERO's | 11/05/2005 | 1 | 4:14 |
| Win | Damien Riccio | TKO (Strikes) | GCM: D.O.G. 3 | 9/17/2005 | 2 | 2:44 |
| Win | Nick Thompson | Submission (Elbow Injury) | GCM: D.O.G. 2 | 6/11/2005 | 1 | 0:29 |
| Win | Brian Foster | Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) | GCM: D.O.G. 1 | 3/12/2005 | 3 | 2:53 |
| Win | Eiji Ishikawa | Decision (Unanimous) | Pancrase: Brave 9 | 10/12/2004 | 3 | 5:00 |
| Loss | Falaniko Vitale | Decision (Split) | SuperBrawl 36 | 6/18/2004 | 3 | 5:00 |
| Win | Ryuta Sakurai | Decision (Unanimous) | PRIDE Bushido 2 | 2/15/2004 | 2 | 5:00 |
| Win | Kousei Kubota | TKO (Punches) | GCM: Demolition 13 | 1/18/2004 | 1 | 1:47 |
| Loss | Amar Suloev | Submission (Strikes) | M-1 MFC: Russia vs. the World | 10/10/2003 | 1 | 4:44 |
| Win | Kazuhiro Hanada | TKO (Strikes) | GCM: Demolition 9 | 7/21/2003 | 1 | 4:47 |
| Win | Hidehiko Hasegawa | Decision (Unanimous) | GCM: Demolition 7 | 5/01/2003 | 2 | 5:00 |
| Win | Hikaru Sato | Decision (Unanimous) | Pancrase: Hybrid 1 | 1/26/2003 | 2 | 5:00 |
| Win | Sen Nakadai | Decision (Unanimous) | Pancrase: Spirit 8 | 11/30/2002 | 2 | 5:00 |
| Win | Steve White | Submission (Strikes) | PRIDE The Best Vol.3 | 10/20/2002 | 2 | 3:25 |
| Win | Kyosuke Sasaki | Decision (Unanimous) | GCM: Demolition 1 | 9/08/2002 | 2 | 5:00 |
