Yushin Okami
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese
mixed martial artist
. He currently fights at middleweight
for the Ultimate Fighting Championship
(UFC). Okami is currently ranked the #3 best middleweight in the world by Sherdog
and the #2 best middleweight by MMAWeekly.
Okami holds noteworthy wins over Nate Marquardt, Mark Munoz
, Mike Swick
, Alan Belcher
, Evan Tanner
and a disqualification win over Anderson Silva
.
tournament, defeating two opponents before submitting Yuuki Tsutsui in the finals via triangle choke to win the tournament. He began his professional career in 2002, fighting in the GCM promotion and Pancrase
as well as making an appearance at Pride The Best Vol.3
, amassing a professional record of 6–0. In 2003 he competed in the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship
, but was defeated by Matt Lindland
. Also in 2003, he suffered his first professional MMA loss to Amar Suloev
.
Okami continued fighting in multiple promotions before arriving at Rumble on the Rock, where he entered a 175 lb tournament. Anderson Silva
, Frank Trigg
, Renato Verissimo
, and Jake Shields
also competed in the tournament. In the opening round, Okami fought the future UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva
. Silva controlled the fight on the feet before Okami secured a takedown. Okami landed a few blows from top position before Silva landed an illegal upkick to Okami's chin while both fighters were grounded, and Silva was in the guard position. Okami's knees were on the ground at the time, making the attack an illegal strike to the head of a downed opponent. Silva later said that the rule had not been properly explained to him before the bout. "When I fought Okami the rules really weren't explained to me properly in the event I was fighting in," said Silva. "You could kick a downed opponent to the groin or to the head when your back's on the ground. So the rules weren't explained to me properly." Referee Troy Mandaloniz
separated the fighters immediately and gave Okami a chance to recover, but Okami opted for the disqualification victory. Silva responded by saying he "felt it was a cheap, cowardly way of winning," and that "people that were there saw that he was in the condition to come back and keep fighting, and he didn't." Moving on to the next round, he faced the future EliteXC welterweight and Strikeforce Middleweight champion Jake Shields
, a tournament favorite. Okami lost a hard-fought majority decision to Shields, who went on to win the tournament.
, defeating Alan Belcher
by unanimous decision
. He followed up less than two months later with a bout against Kalib Starnes
at UFC 64
. He defeated Starnes by TKO due to strikes in the third round. Okami then signed on to make his third appearance in four months at UFC 66
. He original opponent was to be David Terrell
, but Terrell withdrew due to an elbow injury and was replaced by Rory Singer
. Okami defeated Singer due to submission from strikes.
After three victories in the UFC, Okami made his main card and broadcast debut at UFC 69
against Mike Swick
, who was riding a five-fight win streak in the UFC at the time. Okami won the bout by unanimous decision. Okami then participated in the 2007 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship in the 87 kg (191 lb) division, but lost to eventual division winner Demian Maia
. In the UFC, however, Okami was riding a four-fight win streak. In his next bout, he faced former UFC Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin
at UFC 72
for the position of #1 title contender. Franklin controlled the first two rounds, but Okami nearly sunk in a kimura in the third. Ultimately all three judges scored the bout 29–28 in Franklin's favor.
Okami next faced Jason MacDonald
at UFC 77
. MacDonald had also defeated Singer and lost to Franklin in his two previous bouts. Though Dana White
said that the winner might earn a title shot, the fight was placed on the undercard, possibly due to the fighters' lack of fan support. Okami dominated the fight with superior stand-up, takedown defense, and ground control, en route to unanimous decision victory.
Okami was scheduled for a rematch with Anderson Silva
for the middleweight title at UFC 90
, but he was forced to drop out of the bout due to a broken hand. Patrick Côté
was chosen to replace him. After his recovery, Okami faced 2003 ADCC Absolute Division gold medalist Dean Lister
at UFC 92
. Despite previously being scheduled for a main event, Okami fought on the undercard and earned a Unanimous Decision. Lister made frequent attempts to pull guard and take Okami down to the ground, but was not able to secure any submissions. The bout was considered tedious by spectators, but Okami was victorious.
Okami was next scheduled to return at UFC 98
against Dan Miller
, but suffered a torn ligament and was not able to compete.
He was scheduled to return at UFC 104
against Chael Sonnen
. Okami lost to Sonnen via Unanimous Decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27). After the fight, Okami trained at Team Quest with Sonnen for one month before returning to Japan. Sonnen stated in an interview that he was honored to fight and train with Okami, and he sees Okami as a brother and after watching the learning potential in Okami, he says he'd be careful to fight him again.
Sonnen's admirable words were
“I want to say hello to my brother, Yushin through this interview. I am saddened that he returned to Japan – it feels like I parted with a close friend. Though Yushin lost against me, he came forward and asked to train with me: Is this a Japanese thing? It is admirable that he tried to learn from an opponent who defeated him. While at Team Quest in Portland, he thoroughly handled me during training. I was lucky that I managed to defeat him in our fight. I probably won’t agree to a rematch with him (laughs). The one fighter whom I never want to fight again – that is Yushin Okami.”
Okami defeated Lucio Linhares
via TKO doctor stoppage at UFC Fight Night 21. In Okami's fight with Linhares, many spectators praised Okami for his improved striking.
On August 1, Okami defeated Mark Munoz
via split decision in the co-main event at UFC Live on Versus: 2. Okami was able to stuff most of Munoz's takedowns and kept the fight standing where he showed superior striking, stunning Munoz in the third round with a straight right counter.
Okami was expected to face Vitor Belfort
on November 13, 2010 at UFC 122
, with the winner facing Anderson Silva
for the UFC Middleweight Championship. Belfort was then pulled from the fight, and Nate Marquardt was tapped to make a quick return to the Octagon to face Okami at UFC 122. Okami was able to control the center of the octagon and dictate the pace of the fight en route to a Unanimous Decision victory in what was a closely contested bout.
Okami faced Anderson Silva
at UFC 134
on August 27, 2011. In this match, Okami was defeated by TKO due to punches at 2:04 of round 2.
Okami is expected to face Tim Boetsch
on February 26, 2012 at UFC 144
.
| Loss
| style="text-align:center;"| 26-6
| Anderson Silva
| TKO (punches)
| UFC 134
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
| style="text-align:center;"| 2:04
| Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 26–5
| Nate Marquardt
| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 122
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| Oberhausen, Germany
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 25–5
| Mark Muñoz
| Decision (split)
| UFC Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| San Diego, California
, United States
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 24–5
| Lucio Linhares
| TKO (doctor stoppage)
| UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Gomi
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
| style="text-align:center;"| 2:47
| Charlotte, North Carolina
, United States
|
|-
| Loss
| style="text-align:center;"| 23–5
| Chael Sonnen
| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 104
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| Los Angeles, California
, United States
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 23–4
| Dean Lister
| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 92
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| Las Vegas, Nevada
, United States
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 22–4
| Evan Tanner
| KO (knee)
| UFC 82
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
| style="text-align:center;"| 3:00
| Columbus, Ohio
, United States
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 21–4
| Jason MacDonald
| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 77
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| Cincinatti, Ohio, United States
|
|-
| Loss
| style="text-align:center;"| 20–4
| Rich Franklin
| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 72
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| Belfast, Northern Ireland
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 20–3
| Mike Swick
| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 69
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| Houston, Texas
, United States
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 19–3
| Rory Singer
| Submission (punches)
| UFC 66
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 4:03
| Las Vegas, Nevada
, United States
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 18–3
| Kalib Starnes
| TKO (punches)
| UFC 64
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 1:40
| Las Vegas, Nevada
, United States
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 17–3
| Alan Belcher
| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 62
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| Las Vegas, Nevada
, United States
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 16–3
| Izuru Takeuchi
| TKO (punches)
| GCM: D.O.G. 6
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 3:39
| Tokyo
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 15–3
| Ji Won Bang
| TKO (punches)
| MARS: World Grand Prix
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 4:38
| Chiba
, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
| style="text-align:center;"| 14–3
| Jake Shields
| Decision (majority)
| Rumble On The Rock 9
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| Honolulu, Hawaii
, United States
| ROTR WW Tournament Second Round
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 14–2
| Anderson Silva
| DQ (illegal upkick)
| Rumble On The Rock 8
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 2:33
| Honolulu, Hawaii
, United States
| ROTR WW Tournament Opening Round
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 13–2
| Myun Joo Lee
| TKO (corner stoppage)
| Hero's 2005 in Seoul
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 4:14
| Seoul
, South Korea
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 12–2
| Damien Riccio
| TKO (punches)
| GCM: D.O.G. 3
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
| style="text-align:center;"| 2:44
| Tokyo
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 11–2
| Nick Thompson
| Submission (elbow injury)
| GCM: D.O.G. 2
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 0:29
| Tokyo
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 10–2
| Brian Foster
| Submission (arm-triangle choke)
| GCM: D.O.G. 1
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 2:53
| Tokyo
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 9–2
| Eiji Ishikawa
| Decision (unanimous)
| Pancrase: Brave 9
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| Tokyo
, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
| style="text-align:center;"| 8–2
| Falaniko Vitale
| Decision (split)
| SuperBrawl 36
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| Honolulu, Hawaii
, United States
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 8–1
| Ryuta Sakurai
| Decision (unanimous)
| Pride Bushido 2
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| Yokohama
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 7–1
| Kousei Kubota
| TKO (punches)
| GCM: Demolition 13
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 1:47
| Japan
|
|-
| Loss
| style="text-align:center;"| 6–1
| Amar Suloev
| TKO (punches)
| M-1 Global: Russia vs. the World
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 4:44
| Moscow
, Russia
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 6–0
| Kazuhiro Hanada
| TKO (punches)
| GCM: Demolition 9
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 4:47
| Yokohama
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 5–0
| Hidehiko Hasegawa
| Decision (unanimous)
| GCM: Demolition 7
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| Tokyo
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 4–0
| Hikaru Sato
| Decision (unanimous)
| Pancrase: Hybrid 1
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| Tokyo
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 3–0
| Sen Nakadai
| Decision (unanimous)
| Pancrase: Spirit 8
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| Yokohama
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 2–0
| Steve White
| Submission (punches)
| Pride The Best Vol.3
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
| style="text-align:center;"| 3:25
| Tokyo
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 1–0
| Kyosuke Sasaki
| Decision (unanimous)
| GCM: Demolition 1
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| Japan
|
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
mixed martial artist
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
. He currently fights at middleweight
Middleweight (MMA)
The middleweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:*UFC's & Strikeforce's middleweight division, which groups competitors within 171 to 185 lb...
for the Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
(UFC). Okami is currently ranked the #3 best middleweight in the world by Sherdog
Sherdog
Sherdog is an American website devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts . The site is a member of the Crave Online network and provides MMA related content for ESPN.com.- History :...
and the #2 best middleweight by MMAWeekly.
Okami holds noteworthy wins over Nate Marquardt, Mark Munoz
Mark Munoz
Mark Muñoz is an American mixed martial artist of Filipino descent currently fighting in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.Muñoz is known for his wrestling ability and his relentless ground-and-pound...
, Mike Swick
Mike Swick
Mike Swick is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship as a welterweight....
, Alan Belcher
Alan Belcher
John Alan Belcher , is an American mixed martial artist who fights in the middleweight division of the UFC. He fights out of Remix MMA in Biloxi, Mississippi, where he is also the owner. Belcher holds notable wins over Jorge Santiago, Jason MacDonald, Ed Herman, Dennis Kang, and Patrick Côté...
, Evan Tanner
Evan Tanner
Evan Loyd Tanner was an American professional mixed martial arts fighter. He was a former UFC Middleweight and USWF Heavyweight champion with a professional record of 32 wins and 8 losses...
and a disqualification win over Anderson Silva
Anderson Silva
Anderson da Silva is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He is the current UFC Middleweight Champion and the promotion's longest reigning champion. With 14 consecutive wins, Silva holds the longest winning streak and title defense streak in UFC history...
.
Early career
As an amateur, Okami fought in the pre-Pride 4PRIDE 4
Pride 4 was a mixed martial arts event held by KRS-Pride . It took place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan, on October 11, 1998...
tournament, defeating two opponents before submitting Yuuki Tsutsui in the finals via triangle choke to win the tournament. He began his professional career in 2002, fighting in the GCM promotion and Pancrase
Pancrase
Pancrase is a mixed martial arts promotion company founded in Japan in 1993 by professional wrestlers Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki. Pancrase is taken from Pankration, a sport in the ancient Olympic games. Suzuki and Funaki are particularly skilled in the art of catch wrestling and based the...
as well as making an appearance at Pride The Best Vol.3
PRIDE The Best Vol.3
Pride The Best Vol. 3 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Differ Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan on October 20, 2002.- Kim Jong Wang vs. "Giant Ochiai" Takayuki Okada:...
, amassing a professional record of 6–0. In 2003 he competed in the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship
ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship
The ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship is a competition involving professional athletes who have been successful at the highest levels of jiu-jitsu, wrestling, judo, sambo, shooto and mixed martial arts...
, but was defeated by Matt Lindland
Matt Lindland
Matthew James Lindland is an American mixed martial artist, Olympic wrestler and politician. He won the Oregon Republican Party's nomination for the Oregon House of Representatives, District 52 seat on May 20, 2008....
. Also in 2003, he suffered his first professional MMA loss to Amar Suloev
Amar Suloev
Amar Suloev is a Russian-Yazidi-Armenian mixed martial artist with a record of 24–7–0. He is a kickboxer/wrestler who has last fought Jacek Buczko at M-1 Challenge, where he won by a TKO...
.
Okami continued fighting in multiple promotions before arriving at Rumble on the Rock, where he entered a 175 lb tournament. Anderson Silva
Anderson Silva
Anderson da Silva is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He is the current UFC Middleweight Champion and the promotion's longest reigning champion. With 14 consecutive wins, Silva holds the longest winning streak and title defense streak in UFC history...
, Frank Trigg
Frank Trigg
Dewey Franklin Trigg III is an American mixed martial artist, color commentator, pro wrestler and co-host of MMAWeekly radio show and TAGG radio show...
, Renato Verissimo
Renato Verissimo
Renato Verissimo is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, who has fought in the UFC and Rumble on the Rock promotions. He is known throughout the MMA community by the nickname of "Charuto", meaning "cigar" in Portuguese....
, and Jake Shields
Jake Shields
Jake Shields is an American mixed martial artist who is currently fighting in the welterweight division of the UFC. He is the last Rumble on the Rock 175 lb champion. He is the first and last Elite XC Welterweight Champion. He is also the former Shooto Middleweight Champion and is the former...
also competed in the tournament. In the opening round, Okami fought the future UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva
Anderson Silva
Anderson da Silva is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He is the current UFC Middleweight Champion and the promotion's longest reigning champion. With 14 consecutive wins, Silva holds the longest winning streak and title defense streak in UFC history...
. Silva controlled the fight on the feet before Okami secured a takedown. Okami landed a few blows from top position before Silva landed an illegal upkick to Okami's chin while both fighters were grounded, and Silva was in the guard position. Okami's knees were on the ground at the time, making the attack an illegal strike to the head of a downed opponent. Silva later said that the rule had not been properly explained to him before the bout. "When I fought Okami the rules really weren't explained to me properly in the event I was fighting in," said Silva. "You could kick a downed opponent to the groin or to the head when your back's on the ground. So the rules weren't explained to me properly." Referee Troy Mandaloniz
Troy Mandaloniz
Troy Mandaloniz is an Filipino-American mixed martial artist and referee. He was a fighter on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra, who fought on Team Serra, as well as a referee on the Hawaiian Rumble on the Rock promotion. Madaloniz is a childhood friend of B.J. Penn and trains with...
separated the fighters immediately and gave Okami a chance to recover, but Okami opted for the disqualification victory. Silva responded by saying he "felt it was a cheap, cowardly way of winning," and that "people that were there saw that he was in the condition to come back and keep fighting, and he didn't." Moving on to the next round, he faced the future EliteXC welterweight and Strikeforce Middleweight champion Jake Shields
Jake Shields
Jake Shields is an American mixed martial artist who is currently fighting in the welterweight division of the UFC. He is the last Rumble on the Rock 175 lb champion. He is the first and last Elite XC Welterweight Champion. He is also the former Shooto Middleweight Champion and is the former...
, a tournament favorite. Okami lost a hard-fought majority decision to Shields, who went on to win the tournament.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
By 2006, Okami had amassed a record of 16–3 and was the third-ranked Pancrase middleweight fighter. He signed with the UFC and made his debut in the organization on the undercard of UFC 62UFC 62
UFC 62: Liddell vs. Sobral was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 26, 2006. The event took place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada and was broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States and Canada.The main event was a Light...
, defeating Alan Belcher
Alan Belcher
John Alan Belcher , is an American mixed martial artist who fights in the middleweight division of the UFC. He fights out of Remix MMA in Biloxi, Mississippi, where he is also the owner. Belcher holds notable wins over Jorge Santiago, Jason MacDonald, Ed Herman, Dennis Kang, and Patrick Côté...
by unanimous decision
Unanimous decision
A unanimous decision is a winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts and others sports involving striking in which all three judges agree on which fighter won the match....
. He followed up less than two months later with a bout against Kalib Starnes
Kalib Starnes
Kalib Axel Starnes is a retired Canadian mixed martial artist of Metis descent. He was featured in the third season of the reality TV series, The Ultimate Fighter...
at UFC 64
UFC 64
UFC 64: Unstoppable was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday, October 14, 2006. The event took place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada and was broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States and...
. He defeated Starnes by TKO due to strikes in the third round. Okami then signed on to make his third appearance in four months at UFC 66
UFC 66
UFC 66: Liddell vs. Ortiz was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 30, 2006 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada .-Background:...
. He original opponent was to be David Terrell
David Terrell (fighter)
David Michael Terrell is a retired American mixed martial artist from Santa Rosa, California. A black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Cesar Gracie, no one has scored a point against Terrell in a grappling match...
, but Terrell withdrew due to an elbow injury and was replaced by Rory Singer
Rory Singer
Rory Michael Singer is an American mixed martial artist. He currently fights as a middleweight.Although Rory had begun making a name for himself as a 185 pound prospect; his big break came after meeting the producers of TUF. They were filming Forrest Griffin at The HardCore Gym for his fight...
. Okami defeated Singer due to submission from strikes.
After three victories in the UFC, Okami made his main card and broadcast debut at UFC 69
UFC 69
UFC 69: Shootout was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday, April 7, 2007 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas...
against Mike Swick
Mike Swick
Mike Swick is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship as a welterweight....
, who was riding a five-fight win streak in the UFC at the time. Okami won the bout by unanimous decision. Okami then participated in the 2007 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship in the 87 kg (191 lb) division, but lost to eventual division winner Demian Maia
Demian Maia
Demian Maia Baptista is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. He currently fights for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Maia is currently ranked the #6 middleweight in the world by Sherdog and Yahoo! Sports., and the #8 middleweight fighter in the world by...
. In the UFC, however, Okami was riding a four-fight win streak. In his next bout, he faced former UFC Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin
Rich Franklin
Rich Jay Franklin II is an American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champion.-Background:...
at UFC 72
UFC 72
UFC 72: Victory was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The event took place Saturday, 16 June 2007 at The Odyssey in Belfast, Northern Ireland.-Background:...
for the position of #1 title contender. Franklin controlled the first two rounds, but Okami nearly sunk in a kimura in the third. Ultimately all three judges scored the bout 29–28 in Franklin's favor.
Okami next faced Jason MacDonald
Jason MacDonald
Jason Anthony MacDonald is a Canadian mixed martial artist who is currently fighting with the Ultimate Fighting Championship as a middleweight. He is also a veteran of the Maximum Fighting Championship and TKO Major League MMA in his native country of Canada...
at UFC 77
UFC 77
UFC 77: Hostile Territory was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship . The event took place on Saturday, October 20, 2007 at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio...
. MacDonald had also defeated Singer and lost to Franklin in his two previous bouts. Though Dana White
Dana White
Dana White is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.- Biography :...
said that the winner might earn a title shot, the fight was placed on the undercard, possibly due to the fighters' lack of fan support. Okami dominated the fight with superior stand-up, takedown defense, and ground control, en route to unanimous decision victory.
Okami was scheduled for a rematch with Anderson Silva
Anderson Silva
Anderson da Silva is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He is the current UFC Middleweight Champion and the promotion's longest reigning champion. With 14 consecutive wins, Silva holds the longest winning streak and title defense streak in UFC history...
for the middleweight title at UFC 90
UFC 90
UFC 90: Silva vs. Côté was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 25, 2008 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. The main event featured UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva vs Patrick Côté....
, but he was forced to drop out of the bout due to a broken hand. Patrick Côté
Patrick Côté (fighter)
Patrick Côté is a French-Canadian mixed martial artist. He currently fights as a middleweight, most recently in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and was the TKO Major League MMA middleweight champion...
was chosen to replace him. After his recovery, Okami faced 2003 ADCC Absolute Division gold medalist Dean Lister
Dean Lister
Dean Richard Lister is an American mixed martial artist and a former King of the Cage champion. He currently fights at the Middleweight division after moving down from the Light Heavyweight class...
at UFC 92
UFC 92
UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008 was a mixed martial arts event by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on December 27, 2008 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...
. Despite previously being scheduled for a main event, Okami fought on the undercard and earned a Unanimous Decision. Lister made frequent attempts to pull guard and take Okami down to the ground, but was not able to secure any submissions. The bout was considered tedious by spectators, but Okami was victorious.
Okami was next scheduled to return at UFC 98
UFC 98
UFC 98: Evans vs. Machida was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 23, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...
against Dan Miller
Dan Miller (fighter)
Daniel James Miller is an American Middleweight mixed martial artist signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the older brother of fellow MMA fighter Jim Miller.-Martial arts background:...
, but suffered a torn ligament and was not able to compete.
He was scheduled to return at UFC 104
UFC 104
UFC 104: Machida vs. Shogun was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 24, 2009 in Los Angeles, California.-Background:...
against Chael Sonnen
Chael Sonnen
Chael Patrick Sonnen is an American mixed martial artist who competes as a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He was an NCAA Division I All-American wrestler at the University of Oregon, a two-time University Greco national champion as well as the 85.0 kg silver medalist at...
. Okami lost to Sonnen via Unanimous Decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27). After the fight, Okami trained at Team Quest with Sonnen for one month before returning to Japan. Sonnen stated in an interview that he was honored to fight and train with Okami, and he sees Okami as a brother and after watching the learning potential in Okami, he says he'd be careful to fight him again.
Sonnen's admirable words were
“I want to say hello to my brother, Yushin through this interview. I am saddened that he returned to Japan – it feels like I parted with a close friend. Though Yushin lost against me, he came forward and asked to train with me: Is this a Japanese thing? It is admirable that he tried to learn from an opponent who defeated him. While at Team Quest in Portland, he thoroughly handled me during training. I was lucky that I managed to defeat him in our fight. I probably won’t agree to a rematch with him (laughs). The one fighter whom I never want to fight again – that is Yushin Okami.”
Okami defeated Lucio Linhares
Lucio Linhares
Lucio Linhares is a Brazilian-Finnish professional mixed martial artist and M-1 Global veteran who has fought for Shooto. Linhares most notable win is over former Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Sean Salmon. Linhares is a former member of the M-1 Mixfight Team Finland...
via TKO doctor stoppage at UFC Fight Night 21. In Okami's fight with Linhares, many spectators praised Okami for his improved striking.
On August 1, Okami defeated Mark Munoz
Mark Munoz
Mark Muñoz is an American mixed martial artist of Filipino descent currently fighting in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.Muñoz is known for his wrestling ability and his relentless ground-and-pound...
via split decision in the co-main event at UFC Live on Versus: 2. Okami was able to stuff most of Munoz's takedowns and kept the fight standing where he showed superior striking, stunning Munoz in the third round with a straight right counter.
Okami was expected to face Vitor Belfort
Vitor Belfort
Vítor Vieira Belfort is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Belfort was born in Rio de Janeiro and studied jiu-jitsu with the Gracie family, namely Carlson Gracie. He received a black belt under Carlson and currently trains with Xtreme Couture, fighting in...
on November 13, 2010 at UFC 122
UFC 122
UFC 122: Marquardt vs. Okami was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 13, 2010 at König Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany. This event aired on the same day, via tape delay, on Spike TV in the U.S....
, with the winner facing Anderson Silva
Anderson Silva
Anderson da Silva is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He is the current UFC Middleweight Champion and the promotion's longest reigning champion. With 14 consecutive wins, Silva holds the longest winning streak and title defense streak in UFC history...
for the UFC Middleweight Championship. Belfort was then pulled from the fight, and Nate Marquardt was tapped to make a quick return to the Octagon to face Okami at UFC 122. Okami was able to control the center of the octagon and dictate the pace of the fight en route to a Unanimous Decision victory in what was a closely contested bout.
Okami faced Anderson Silva
Anderson Silva
Anderson da Silva is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He is the current UFC Middleweight Champion and the promotion's longest reigning champion. With 14 consecutive wins, Silva holds the longest winning streak and title defense streak in UFC history...
at UFC 134
UFC 134
UFC 134: Silva vs. Okami was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 27, 2011 at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil...
on August 27, 2011. In this match, Okami was defeated by TKO due to punches at 2:04 of round 2.
Okami is expected to face Tim Boetsch
Tim Boetsch
Tim Boetsch is an American mixed martial artist currently fighting in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship . He was released by the UFC in late June 2009, with a record of 2 wins and 2 losses...
on February 26, 2012 at UFC 144
UFC 144
UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson is an upcoming mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The event is expected to take place on February 26, 2012 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan....
.
Mixed martial arts record
|-| Loss
| style="text-align:center;"| 26-6
| Anderson Silva
Anderson Silva
Anderson da Silva is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He is the current UFC Middleweight Champion and the promotion's longest reigning champion. With 14 consecutive wins, Silva holds the longest winning streak and title defense streak in UFC history...
| TKO (punches)
| UFC 134
UFC 134
UFC 134: Silva vs. Okami was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 27, 2011 at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil...
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
| style="text-align:center;"| 2:04
| Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 26–5
| Nate Marquardt
| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 122
UFC 122
UFC 122: Marquardt vs. Okami was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 13, 2010 at König Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany. This event aired on the same day, via tape delay, on Spike TV in the U.S....
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| Oberhausen, Germany
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 25–5
| Mark Muñoz
Mark Munoz
Mark Muñoz is an American mixed martial artist of Filipino descent currently fighting in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.Muñoz is known for his wrestling ability and his relentless ground-and-pound...
| Decision (split)
| UFC Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko
UFC Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko
UFC Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Sunday, August 1, 2010. Originally scheduled to take place at the EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah, the UFC was forced to move the event to a different venue due to low ticket...
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 24–5
| Lucio Linhares
Lucio Linhares
Lucio Linhares is a Brazilian-Finnish professional mixed martial artist and M-1 Global veteran who has fought for Shooto. Linhares most notable win is over former Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Sean Salmon. Linhares is a former member of the M-1 Mixfight Team Finland...
| TKO (doctor stoppage)
| UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Gomi
UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Gomi
UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Gomi, also referred to as UFC Fight Night 21 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 31, 2010 at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina, This was the third time the UFC held an event in Charlotte, but the first since...
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
| style="text-align:center;"| 2:47
| Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Loss
| style="text-align:center;"| 23–5
| Chael Sonnen
Chael Sonnen
Chael Patrick Sonnen is an American mixed martial artist who competes as a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He was an NCAA Division I All-American wrestler at the University of Oregon, a two-time University Greco national champion as well as the 85.0 kg silver medalist at...
| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 104
UFC 104
UFC 104: Machida vs. Shogun was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 24, 2009 in Los Angeles, California.-Background:...
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 23–4
| Dean Lister
Dean Lister
Dean Richard Lister is an American mixed martial artist and a former King of the Cage champion. He currently fights at the Middleweight division after moving down from the Light Heavyweight class...
| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 92
UFC 92
UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008 was a mixed martial arts event by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on December 27, 2008 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 22–4
| Evan Tanner
Evan Tanner
Evan Loyd Tanner was an American professional mixed martial arts fighter. He was a former UFC Middleweight and USWF Heavyweight champion with a professional record of 32 wins and 8 losses...
| KO (knee)
| UFC 82
UFC 82
UFC 82: Pride of a Champion was a mixed martial arts event that took place on 1st March, 2008 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio....
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
| style="text-align:center;"| 3:00
| Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 21–4
| Jason MacDonald
Jason MacDonald
Jason Anthony MacDonald is a Canadian mixed martial artist who is currently fighting with the Ultimate Fighting Championship as a middleweight. He is also a veteran of the Maximum Fighting Championship and TKO Major League MMA in his native country of Canada...
| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 77
UFC 77
UFC 77: Hostile Territory was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship . The event took place on Saturday, October 20, 2007 at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio...
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| Cincinatti, Ohio, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Loss
| style="text-align:center;"| 20–4
| Rich Franklin
Rich Franklin
Rich Jay Franklin II is an American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champion.-Background:...
| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 72
UFC 72
UFC 72: Victory was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The event took place Saturday, 16 June 2007 at The Odyssey in Belfast, Northern Ireland.-Background:...
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| Belfast, Northern Ireland
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 20–3
| Mike Swick
Mike Swick
Mike Swick is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship as a welterweight....
| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 69
UFC 69
UFC 69: Shootout was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday, April 7, 2007 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas...
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 19–3
| Rory Singer
Rory Singer
Rory Michael Singer is an American mixed martial artist. He currently fights as a middleweight.Although Rory had begun making a name for himself as a 185 pound prospect; his big break came after meeting the producers of TUF. They were filming Forrest Griffin at The HardCore Gym for his fight...
| Submission (punches)
| UFC 66
UFC 66
UFC 66: Liddell vs. Ortiz was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 30, 2006 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada .-Background:...
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 4:03
| Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 18–3
| Kalib Starnes
Kalib Starnes
Kalib Axel Starnes is a retired Canadian mixed martial artist of Metis descent. He was featured in the third season of the reality TV series, The Ultimate Fighter...
| TKO (punches)
| UFC 64
UFC 64
UFC 64: Unstoppable was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday, October 14, 2006. The event took place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada and was broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States and...
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 1:40
| Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 17–3
| Alan Belcher
Alan Belcher
John Alan Belcher , is an American mixed martial artist who fights in the middleweight division of the UFC. He fights out of Remix MMA in Biloxi, Mississippi, where he is also the owner. Belcher holds notable wins over Jorge Santiago, Jason MacDonald, Ed Herman, Dennis Kang, and Patrick Côté...
| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 62
UFC 62
UFC 62: Liddell vs. Sobral was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 26, 2006. The event took place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada and was broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States and Canada.The main event was a Light...
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 16–3
| Izuru Takeuchi
Izuru Takeuchi
Izuru Takeuchi is a Japanese mixed martial artist, currently competing in the middleweight division. He is a veteran of the Pancrase organization, and the current middleweight King of Pancrase...
| TKO (punches)
| GCM: D.O.G. 6
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 3:39
| Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 15–3
| Ji Won Bang
| TKO (punches)
| MARS: World Grand Prix
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 4:38
| Chiba
Chiba, Chiba
is the capital city of Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is located approximately 40 km east of the center of Tokyo on Tokyo Bay. Chiba City became a government designated city in 1992. Its population as of 2008 is approximately 960,000....
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
|
|-
| Loss
| style="text-align:center;"| 14–3
| Jake Shields
Jake Shields
Jake Shields is an American mixed martial artist who is currently fighting in the welterweight division of the UFC. He is the last Rumble on the Rock 175 lb champion. He is the first and last Elite XC Welterweight Champion. He is also the former Shooto Middleweight Champion and is the former...
| Decision (majority)
| Rumble On The Rock 9
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
| ROTR WW Tournament Second Round
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 14–2
| Anderson Silva
Anderson Silva
Anderson da Silva is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He is the current UFC Middleweight Champion and the promotion's longest reigning champion. With 14 consecutive wins, Silva holds the longest winning streak and title defense streak in UFC history...
| DQ (illegal upkick)
| Rumble On The Rock 8
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 2:33
| Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
| ROTR WW Tournament Opening Round
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 13–2
| Myun Joo Lee
| TKO (corner stoppage)
| Hero's 2005 in Seoul
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 4:14
| Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 12–2
| Damien Riccio
| TKO (punches)
| GCM: D.O.G. 3
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
| style="text-align:center;"| 2:44
| Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 11–2
| Nick Thompson
Nick Thompson
Nicholas Delton Thompson is a retired American mixed martial artist. He retired with a professional mixed martial arts record of 38-14-1. He has fought professionally on both the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Bodog Fight shows...
| Submission (elbow injury)
| GCM: D.O.G. 2
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 0:29
| Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 10–2
| Brian Foster
Brian Foster (fighter)
|-| Win|align=center| 18–5| Laverne Clark| Submission | Capital City Cage Wars 7| |align=center| 1|align=center| 2:31|Springfield, Illinois||-| Win|align=center| 17–5| Jack Mason| Submission | Cage Warriors 44|...
| Submission (arm-triangle choke)
| GCM: D.O.G. 1
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 2:53
| Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 9–2
| Eiji Ishikawa
| Decision (unanimous)
| Pancrase: Brave 9
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
|
|-
| Loss
| style="text-align:center;"| 8–2
| Falaniko Vitale
Falaniko Vitale
Falaniko "Niko" Vitale is an American mixed martial artist. He competes in the Middleweight division.He holds notable victories over Matt Lindland, Dave Menne, Kalib Starnes and Yushin Okami....
| Decision (split)
| SuperBrawl 36
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 8–1
| Ryuta Sakurai
| Decision (unanimous)
| Pride Bushido 2
PRIDE Bushido 2
Pride Bushido 2 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan on February 15, 2004.- Mu Bae Choi vs. Yusuke Imamura:...
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 7–1
| Kousei Kubota
| TKO (punches)
| GCM: Demolition 13
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 1:47
| Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
|
|-
| Loss
| style="text-align:center;"| 6–1
| Amar Suloev
Amar Suloev
Amar Suloev is a Russian-Yazidi-Armenian mixed martial artist with a record of 24–7–0. He is a kickboxer/wrestler who has last fought Jacek Buczko at M-1 Challenge, where he won by a TKO...
| TKO (punches)
| M-1 Global: Russia vs. the World
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 4:44
| Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 6–0
| Kazuhiro Hanada
| TKO (punches)
| GCM: Demolition 9
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 4:47
| Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
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|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 5–0
| Hidehiko Hasegawa
| Decision (unanimous)
| GCM: Demolition 7
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
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|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 4–0
| Hikaru Sato
| Decision (unanimous)
| Pancrase: Hybrid 1
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 3–0
| Sen Nakadai
| Decision (unanimous)
| Pancrase: Spirit 8
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 2–0
| Steve White
| Submission (punches)
| Pride The Best Vol.3
PRIDE The Best Vol.3
Pride The Best Vol. 3 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Differ Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan on October 20, 2002.- Kim Jong Wang vs. "Giant Ochiai" Takayuki Okada:...
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| style="text-align:center;"| 2
| style="text-align:center;"| 3:25
| Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 1–0
| Kyosuke Sasaki
| Decision (unanimous)
| GCM: Demolition 1
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
|