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Top ten American (USA) MWs ever?
- Thread starter pankrat
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Yeah, I don't get that, that might have been the best Okami ever that fought Franklin.
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Sorry for my English,
Of course a fighter who pick up mma training at 20 years old, as Yushin, doesnt stop his evolution at 25, much less a consumate profesional as Okami has showed to be.
He was already a solid fighter, but the evolution since the Franklin fight, especiallly since moving camp to Team Quest in America at 28, after losing to Sonnen., it was pretty notable.
Okami didnt even have strenght&conditioning especific training until Franklin fight actually. Its obvious to the eye he put much more muscle on his frame since then while remained at 185
So you didnt see evolution in his striking, neither? went from being a laid-back, counter wrestler in the feet constantly taking the step back, to a pressure fighter standing, pretty agressive behind a stiff jab...changed his stance and footwork, got much more polished boxing technique...
The standup fighting he showed against Muñoz, Marquardt, Lombard or even Boetsch until the epic comeback is a much different thing, tecnichally and tactically, than what he had back in 2007
Do you think Okami's wrestling didnt got any better after moving his camp to one of the most well recognized mma wrestling gyms in Team Quest? Becoming main sparring partner of then #1 contender Chael Sonnen; of course he improved, the takedown defense clinic he put on Muñoz is a good example of it
Okami in 2007 at 25 years old was a very good ground/clinch fighter, and gave Franklin big problems with it. Okami around his 30's with more experience and better training regime in every department would be a tougher test of course, not like he would go out there and outstrike Rich, but his way improved all-around standing game and wrestling would allow him to force taking the fight where he is better (clinch/ground) much easier.
Sonnen, Marquardt, Maia, Bisping, Anderson, Branch, Jacare.....and so on and on, notably evolved as a fighters since 25 compared to them in their 30's. Fighters who are better in their early 20's than around 30 are rare exceptions, and in such cases usually rely greatly in athleticism/durability. Today, with athletes picking up modern mma especific training since kids, it may be different
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Okami's striking got a little better in his late 20s/early 30s but he wasn't as strong physically or as good of a grappler. Okami was beast at 25 and didn't really have more success later, just similar levels of success till he started going downhill.
I'm not talking about all those other fighters, i'm talking about Okami. Not all fighters get better at the same rate and some peak earlier than others. When he was around 25 everyone he fought talked about how freakishly strong he was and that wasn't happening a few years later and he wasn't having as much success grappling.
IMO Okami was at his best in his mid 20s.
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Okami didnt get any better as a grappler since he was 25?? Thats far from true, man
I recall Swick and Kalib Starnes talked about his strenght, but how does that prove any point, honestly. I also recall Franklin saying he wasnt that strong...as I recall bigger stronger wrestlers as Munoz or Sonnen years later saying he was indeed freakishly strong...so anyways you dont need anyone saying anything to see that Okami evolved into a much stronger wrestler and had like 10lbs more of muscle on his frame. Its not true that he was a weaker man at 30 than at 25, more like the opposite. He might be less durable, but certainly not physically weaker.
Okami's wrestling didnt got any better going from training with Fukuda, Akiyama and undersized Japanese to wrestle with 200+lbs olympian wrestlers in Team Quest in a daily basis?
Here is an interesting take on it
http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/1/Okami-and-the-Many-Power-of-Wrestling-28109
So you think outwrestle Mike Swick or Kalib Starnes was the pinnacle of Okami's grappling? He got muuch better. The fights with NCAA champ Mark Muñoz or world-class judoka Hector Lombard are more telling examples of it.
Even lately, Yushin kept adding tricks to his skill set, got much better at taking the back from the fence for example. Today he is 37 though, it makes sense that his physical condition has regressed, but not when he was 30 compared to 25.
Even going by the rankings, which are subjective of course, Okami wasnt in top10 ranks back in 2007. Then he did and remained as a top ten ranked until 2014.
Okami around 30's was a better fighter than the one who fought Franklin. His standup game, not just striking, got notably better, his takedown game got better, his conditioning got better and had more experience in the elite while still in athletic prime.
