UFC 122 – Yushin Okami “Change of Pace”
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Yushin Okami has been in this position before. It was almost three and a half years ago at UFC 72 in Belfast, Northern Ireland when Okami was then up against former champion Rich “Ace” Franklin when he lost out on his first UFC title shot (via unanimous decision). Fast forward six fights (5-1) later, and one of Japan’s most consistent mixed martial artists has earned yet another opportunity to fight in a number one contender’s bout.
Okami will headline UFC 122 from Oberhausen, Germany on November 13th against fellow contender Nate “The Great” Marquardt. Although Okami has been as steady as a rock over his four plus years fighting in the UFC, this time around may just be his last chance at UFC gold. In this age of mixed martial arts when every fighter seems to be evolving, you never know when your next chance may come around.
When considering how his skills match up against Marquardt’s, on paper it seems to be fairly even. He is more than likely going to try and wear Marquardt out with his technical stand-up approach, however in a three round fight; it may not be the best approach to take. Both fighters are intelligent when it comes to game planning; however Okami will have to out-think and out-strategize Marquardt in order to come out on top.
As far as the striking game is concerned, Okami has some KO & TKO finishes to his credit, although he does have only three out of eleven while fighting under the UFC banner. With that stat considered, Okami may need to push the pace a little more than he normally would and attack Marquardt’s body. Marquardt’s striking is very similar to that of former champ Rich Franklin’s, someone who gave him some trouble in their June 2007 match. Do I think that he will run right through the durable Marquardt, if he makes this one change? Absolutely not, however his chances of winning are greatly improved if he plays it smart throughout the bout and cashes in on his opportunities.
Another change that Okami must make if he wants to be successful against his UFC 122 opponent is being able to deviate from his slow starts. Notoriously known for losing the first round of his bouts, Okami must push the pace and attack Marquardt during the opening round so he doesn’t fall behind early and have to play catch-up for the remainder of the fight. Marquardt, on the other hand, is known to get off to a quick start in his fights, so if that plays out, it should work out to be an action-packed main event.
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Both men are more than capable of holding their own when the fight hits the ground. Marquardt, however, is more offensively-minded when utilizing his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt compared to the ever patient Yushin Okami. Okami does have four submission finishes under his belt but don’t count on one against “The Great”. If Okami is taken to the ground, he will be at a disadvantage and will be looking to get back up to his feet as quickly as possible. If he is unable to scramble out of trouble, look for it to be a long evening for the Japanese veteran.
He has gone on record saying that one of his goals is to become the UFC’s first Japanese champion. If he is to accomplish that goal, he must look to mix it up and come up with a different game plan. Push the pace, keep it simple, and play it smart is good advice for any fighter, but it is especially sound advice for one that is on the verge of his first title fight in an already solid career.
By Nick Russell
ProFighting-fans.com Senior MMA Staff Writer