UFC releases Yushin Okami

[Loiosh]

Please do fucking explain how Fitch cut was a bigger deal.

He was the number two welterweight for years, beat better guys, and had an undeniably better record. One fight before his cut he ran a clinic on a highly touted, incredibly skilled fighter, and looked fantastic doing it.

In retrospect, the cut was probably correct, just as the Okami cut is almost certainly correct.

I'm old enough and have been watching MMA long enough so I don't lose my mind when fighters get cut any more. If it isn't just and they were good enough to stay, they should wreck their opponents and be back in a year or two.

That's just how it is in the UFC, if you're not good enough to win in an exciting fashion, you had better win always, or bring something else to the table.

 

[Perrichet]

Konster going crazy ITT

 

[shonuf]

Expected better from you. Fuck the younger guys, Okami is still a top ten.

I like Okami but do you know where he was on his contract? We have no clue what it called for. It could have called for a certain pay bump if reached a certain number of fights or years with the company. It could be as simple as parting ways due to contract stipulations. Who knows?

 

[RaskeDanzig]

wat

 

[aker2703]

The u fight cheap strikes again...

if it was just money, how then is Lombard still employed?

 

[MarcCA]

Err, this isnt that wierd a cut, but if this is how the UFC are going to run things, Bisping and Munoz should be getting worried right now

lol
It's normal.

 

[GoblinGuy**]

Doesn't make sense and it's also a potential nightmare for UFC's product. Okami is top 5, if he goes to another org and loses that gives a fighter in that org ranking and legitimacy. Look at Fitch and Burkman.

 

[Andrei Orlovski]

Watch him get finished like Fitch now when he fights next

 

[Total Immortal]

As we can see it's pretty much agreed by Sherdog that this is bullshit, but it happened so we have to deal with it. The question is, where does Thunder go from here?

One FC? Bellator? WSOF?

One FC would be a good fit, based in Asia so he wouldn't have to travel halfway around the globe for each fight.

Bellator might want him in their next MW tournament since they've been signing plenty of ex UFC fighters, many much worse than Okami.

WSOF has almost no name recognition in their MW ranks so Okami could help that.

 

[JayElectra]

It's not the W/L record that really determines everything. He has looked bad even winning, such as in his split decision win against Lombard. He wins primarily by way of wrestle-fuck or "position" with low damage output. His loss to Boetch is primarily the reason the "Barbarian" was given so much credibility, which was terrible in my mind: Boetch is a guy that rose above his station, for sure. Why did it happen? Because Okami thought he could do something besides decision his opponent by humping him for fifteen and then crumbled in the face of a determined offense by Boetch. It wasn't like Boetch one-punched him; he caught and flustered him and he folded like a piece of paper. His performance against Anderson Silva was reminiscent of a dear caught in the headlights. It seemed that his game plan was to go in and tire Anderson out by absorbing every punch the man threw. Anyone who couldn't tell Okami's career is on a downward trajectory is just blind. The man is not a serious contender in the best organization in the world.

So? There are about 3 or 4 serious contenders at the weight. Do we cut the other 50 some fighters?

 

[Troublesome10]

I started writing out how I think it's disrespectful and a shitty cut etc., but now that I think about it, he's not very fun to watch, and he's been on the wrong end of a couple of nasty KOs in the last couple years. I say he goes and becomes Bellator champ and everybody wins.

 

[GyaradosMMA]

Why?

 

[controlyotroll]

if it was money how the hell is REEM still signed when he's been ruined...

 

[Reaperman]

Okami will never be champ, and is boring as hell. Why people are surprised at this is.........surprising. Who f#^king cares besides Okami? Good luck Okami, but I'd rather watch paint dry then sit through one of your fights......

 

[tappedtostrikes**]

That's not really the point. The criticism is that they're not maintaining the best fighters possible on the roster. That's one of the key drawing points of the UFC and the only reason why anyone should ever tolerate a single dominant promotion.

He's not one of their best fighters, because in order to be a fighter you actually have to fight. Not hug and cuddle your opponent for 15 minutes at a time.

His entire game was just based around making a "fight" slow down and grinding guys with his cage hugging and dry humping. I'm glad I never have to watch that bullshit anymore or pretend that what he's doing is fighting.

Okami, Volkman, and Fitch were the best cuts the company has ever made.

 

[Wayweary]

As this point you can't really say it's legit sport.

That's ridiculous. The UFC is a business. If they don't think he is a money maker for them, they are obligated to cut him. He can go win some and come back if he looks good. If he can't do that, he was irrelevant anyway.

 

[jodka]

As this point you can't really say it's legit sport.

Say what is a legit sport?

The UFC has never been a sport. It's a business that promotes MMA. The fights that take place in the UFC cage are certainly still a sport.

 

[MarcCA]

I wonder how the Japanese will react... He's their best fighter.

 

[Loiosh]

Akiyama is 0-4 in his last 4 fights and yet he stays whilst Yushin has to go fight for Bellator or WSOF now. It's almost like the UFC couldn't care less about being seen as a legitimate sports league or something.

It is not a legitimate sport.

People pay to see certain fighters fight, they don't care about rankings as much as hard core fans.

 

[Hard Charger]

Truth be told I never once looked forward to an Okami fight.