No love for Yushin?
March 28, 2009
Our pal Ben Fowlkes is reporting that Demian Maia has been tabbed as the UFC’s #1 middleweight contender. According to his report on CagePotato.com, the Jiu-Jitsu wiz is slated to face the winner of next month’s Thales Leites-Anderson Silva fight in late August.
Obviously a ton can happen in the span of five months, but the first thing that came to mind when I heard this news was: what does Yushin Okami have to do to get a title shot?
Truth be told, I’ve been on the Okami bandwagon for a while. Since losing to Rich Franklin at UFC 72 (a fight he agreed to on short notice) the Japanese fighter is 3-0, picking up wins over Jason MacDonald, the late Evan Tanner and Dean Lister.
Prior to the Franklin loss, Okami (23-4) defeated the likes of Mike Swick, Alan Belcher, Nick Thompson…oh, and some guy named Anderson Silva. You’ve heard of Anderson Silva, right? He’s the dude currently holding the UFC middleweight title. Sure, Okami won via DQ at Rumble on the Rock 8 in January 2006 (evidence above), but that just makes things all the more interesting should Silva defeat Leites next month. Silva’s last loss was against Okami, he’s looking for revenge, he was wronged, etc. It makes perfect sense.
Now while Maia gets to hang out for five months, Okami has been booked against Dan Miller at UFC 98. Not exactly a walk in the park.
Don’t get me wrong: Maia (10-0) certainly deserves his shot, perhaps even more so than Silva’s next opponent, Leites, but not before Okami. Simple as that.
6 Responses to “No love for Yushin?”
What does he have to do? Don’t say that like you don’t know. What did Machida have to do? Start finishing some people and entertaining the fans. His knockout couldn’t have come at a better time. A boring decision win helps your record, not your UFC career.
By Atom on Mar 28, 2009
Let’s say he KO/TKOs Miller in May. Do you think he will then get the title shot? Probably not since it now looks like Maia is getting the next shot. Then comes the winner of Bisping-Hendo. Who knows after that.
So, what does he have to do? I guess nothing since it doesn’t look his title shot is coming anytime soon.
By AH on Mar 28, 2009
You’re absolutely right, Ariel: one stoppage probably wouldn’t be enough at this point. Machida needed two to get his shot, but he was also undefeated. Okami has dug quite the dull-ditch for himself, but stoppages over Miller AND maybe a F.o.t.N. with Marquardt for contedership would put him over the top with even the most jaded, including Dana. Maia finished all of his opponents, and looked amazing doing so, so I completely agree with the UFC’s (rumored) choice there.
I sway back and forth on the sport vs. entertainment debate, but if keeping Okami from getting one of Anderson Silva’s precious remaining fights is what it takes, I’ll stick to the entertainment side on this one, thanks.
By Atom on Mar 28, 2009
Ariel, Yushin stinks. He’s probably the most boring middleweight in the division. Do we really want the possibility of an Okami champion?
By Paul Stanley on Mar 28, 2009
Call me crazy, but I really don’t think he is THAT boring. Everyone said Machida was boring before he knocked out Silva. Is that all it takes? Just one KO?
By Ariel Helwani on Mar 28, 2009
No, I think Machida still has plenty of boring left in him, but he’s getting results lately. He finished Sok too, so at least he’s trying to end the fight. Actually… it just hit me- MAKE OKAMI FIGHT MACHIDA!! Seriously though, you’d rather see Silva avenge a DQ from a fight he was winning anyway instead of fight a GSP? He’s only got 2 contracted fights left that haven’t been assigned.
By Atom on Mar 28, 2009