News Yushin Okami signs with One Championship

[Sturm]

Damn right he's a legend. Only jmma guy to ever figure out cutting weight

 

[leto1776]

Damn right he's a legend. Only jmma guy to ever figure out cutting weight

True. That’s one thing the Koreans can claim superiority over the Japanese for, oddly enough.

 

[pankrat]

Damn right he's a legend. Only jmma guy to ever figure out cutting weight

True. That’s one thing the Koreans can claim superiority over the Japanese for, oddly enough.

Actually Okami spent plenty of time at MW barely cutting weight. He cut just at much as many other Japanese, or less
People grossly overstate his size, i guess because is build as a palm tree with a huge head lol.
He has just signed with One and it seems is gonna fight at WW, under One's strict weightcut regime so...

 

[Sturm]

Actually Okami spent plenty of time at MW barely cutting weight. He cut just at much as many other Japanese, or less
People grossly overstate his size, i gueds because is build as a palm tree and with huge head lol.
He has just signed with One and it seems is gonna fight at WW, under One's strict weightcut regime so...

I don't remember him every looking small at mw. I works rush argue him being at welter now kind of proves my point

 

[loyalyolayal]

Going to Japan where the competition is a little easier

Worse. Going to Singapore where competition doesn't exist.

 

[pankrat]

I don't remember him every looking small at mw. I works rush argue him being at welter now kind of proves my point

"Looking small" i dont know. Okami is very wide in head and shoulders but very thin in waist and legs. Looks are deceptive.
Anyways I remember him being significantly smaller than Franklin, Sonnen, Munoz or Branch.
Regardless of looks, he wasnt actually a big weightcutter at MW as it has been reported from training partners

 

[qw3rty]

He won over 10 UFC fights. Top 5 MW of all time. Might be best Japanese fighter who's ever lived. Sakurai lost his UFC title fight too. Okami wasn't released cause he was bad either think he got released off a win because he was too high profile and demanded too high a cost for someone who wasn't in a position to do main events after losing to AS.

I disagree with the top 5 MA of all time.
I'd say not even top 10.

Guys who have ~10 UFC/SF/Pride wins and have had belts in any of those orgs should be above him.

 

[InfinityLens]

Worse. Going to Singapore where competition doesn't exist.

I would assume they would try to have him fight in Japan.

 

[dissectingaorticaneurysm]

He won over 10 UFC fights. Top 5 MW of all time. Might be best Japanese fighter who's ever lived. Sakurai lost his UFC title fight too. Okami wasn't released cause he was bad either think he got released off a win because he was too high profile and demanded too high a cost for someone who wasn't in a position to do main events after losing to AS.

Best Japanese fighter who's ever lived? He's not even top 20 all time. He's not even comparable to guys like Misaki and Aoki, let alone actual legends like Kid, Sakuraba and Gomi.

 

[pankrat]

I disagree with the top 5 MA of all time.
I'd say not even top 10.

Guys who have ~10 UFC/SF/Pride wins and have had belts in any of those orgs should be above him.

I certainly can think of more than 5-10 MWs better than Okami. But I cant think of many who could also compete at WW
Its fair to call him a legend of Japanese mma imo. 18 fuking years of pro career at the highest level. The most succesful at heavier weightclasses except for Sakuraba who is just goat badass
Very few fighters have had the consistency Okami had among 170-185lbers, ever

 

[Falconkick]

Okami - Sapo Santos please.

 

[pankrat]

Best Japanese fighter who's ever lived? He's not even top 20 all time. He's not even comparable to guys like Misaki and Aoki, let alone actual legends like Kid, Sakuraba and Gomi.

He is easily top20 of all time.
Who has come out from Japan in the last 10 years better than him, apart from Horiguchi?
If you pretend that a decade before, when the sport wasnt as evolved, Japan produced more than 20 figthers better than this perennial top contender you are fooling yourself.
How isnt Misaki not comparable to Okami? They have Marquardt and Shields as common opponents that I can remember and they look certainly comparable looking at it. Odds would favour Okami to ourgrapple Misaki if they fought each other most likely

 

[dissectingaorticaneurysm]

He is easily top20 of all time.
Who has come out from Japan in the last 10 years better than him, apart from Horiguchi?
If you pretend that a decade before, when the sport wasnt as evolved, Japan produced more than 20 figters better than him you are fooling yourself.
How isnt Misaki not comparable to Okami. They have Marquardt and Shields as common opponent that I can remember and they look certainly comparable looking at it. Odds would favour Okami to ourgrapple Misaki if they fought each other most likely

I admit I'm unfairly downplaying his accomplishments but his record on paper makes him look better than he actually was. His best wins were very close decisions and he usually only wins when he can slow the fight down to a glacially boring pace. He was exciting for a brief while when he was seeking knockouts, but it obviously didnt work for him.

 

[pankrat]

I admit I'm unfairly downplaying his accomplishments but his record on paper makes him look better than he actually was. His best wins were very close decisions and he usually only wins when he can slow the fight down to a glacially boring pace. He was exciting for a brief while when he was seeking knockouts, but it obviously didnt work for him.

Well he is easily out of any all time ranking in terms of excitement. But thats another story.
To being able to slow the pace and force your opponent to fight where he is weaker requires ability, regardless of how boring it results. In almost every sport there are ones who play a boring strategy, but are real good at doing so.
He used to infflict some serious damage on his opponents anyways even if he was far from a KO artist.
Some of his best wins are close decisions but also has losses to top ranked fighters such as Franklin, Shields or Vitale that could have gone his way.
Regardless of the record the fact is Okami showed he could compete with some of the best for years and years. Very few Japanese proved to be so reliable at the elite

 

[gono btw]

He is easily top20 of all time.
Who has come out from Japan in the last 10 years better than him, apart from Horiguchi?
If you pretend that a decade before, when the sport wasnt as evolved, Japan produced more than 20 figthers better than this perennial top contender you are fooling yourself.
How isnt Misaki not comparable to Okami? They have Marquardt and Shields as common opponents that I can remember and they look certainly comparable looking at it. Odds would favour Okami to ourgrapple Misaki if they fought each other most likely

There´s some legit size difference between Okami and Misaki...

 

[pankrat]

There´s some legit size difference between Okami and Misaki...

Thats a fact or an opinion?
We have been listening that Okami was a huge MW for years and years when he was acually cutting less weight than most of his foes.
Now, at 37, he is competing at ONE's WW division, under their strict weightcutting regime.
There is not that much difference in walk around weight between Okami and Misaki

 

[leto1776]

Thats a fact or an opinion?
We have been listening that Okami was a huge MW for years and years when he was acually cutting less weight than most of his foes.
Now, at 37, he is competing at ONE's WW division, under their strict weightcutting regime.
There is not that much difference in walk around weight between Okami and Misaki

Strict weight cutting regime lol

 

[pankrat]

Strict weight cutting regime lol

Well, if im not mistaken, one doesnt allow to be much dehydrated at the weight in

 

[leto1776]

Well, if im not mistaken, one doesnt allow to be much dehydrated at the weight in

So they claim. I’ve seen evidence that would say otherwise.

 

[pankrat]

So they claim. I’ve seen evidence that would say otherwise.

Maybe, One is pretty shady.
Anyways I dont know what weight do you think Okami walks around. Its probably lighter than you would assume