Issue 088
May 2012
96.6%
At UFC 143, Renan Barao scored a decision over Scott Jorgensen to push his winning percentage to a robust 96.6%. After dropping his MMA debut in April of 2005, the bantamweight Barao has won 28 fights in a row with one no contest.
5
Including UFCs 142, 143 and 144 – as well as UFC on FX 2 from Sydney, Australia and UFC on Fuel TV 2 from Stockholm, Sweden – the Octagon has landed in five continents during the first quarter of 2012: North America, South America, Asia, Australia and Europe.
88.9%
Finish rate of main-card fights during the UFC’s first two events of 2012, UFC 142 and UFC on FX: Guillard vs Miller, in which eight of nine ended before the final bell and the lone decision was an exciting win for Mike Easton over Jared Papazian.
5
Wins in a row for current UFC interim welterweight title holder Carlos Condit after he scored a controversial decision victory over Nick Diaz (who was riding an 11-fight win streak) at UFC 143. The former WEC champ Condit dropped his UFC debut to Martin Kampmann. Since, he has reeled off wins over Jake Ellenberger, Rory MacDonald, Dan Hardy, Dong Hyun Kim, and now the Stockton bad-boy Diaz.
2:22
Mark Hunt’s fights during a six-fight losing skid, that included his UFC debut, average two minutes and 22 seconds. Hunt got into the UFC due to his Pride contract and promptly lost his UFC opener to Sean McCorkle in just 63 seconds. After Hunt’s impressive TKO victory over Cheick Kongo at UFC 144 he is riding a three-fight win streak and has shown that he belongs in the UFC.
16
After UFC 144 in Tokyo, heavyweight Cheick Kongo has now stepped into the Octagon 16 times and compiled a solid 10-5-1 record. His loss to Hunt snapped his very own three-fight win streak. Not even the legendary Randy Couture entered the Octagon at heavyweight as many times as Kongo, and Frank Mir may be the only other heavyweight with more UFC fights, at 19.
12.5%
The finish rate of main-card fights during the UFC’s third and fourth events of 2012, UFC on Fox 3 and UFC 143, where one of eight ended before the bell. The lone stoppage was a submission win for Ed Herman over Clifford Starks.
5.4
Length in seconds Bruce Buffer was able to stretch out the name ‘Sexy…YAMA’ when introducing Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 144. It was Akiyama’s first time at welterweight in the Octagon. Unfortunately for him he met up with the formidable Jake Shields and dropped a unanimous decision.
11,732
Distance in miles between the UFC’s first three numbered events in 2012. The Octagon covered a lot of ground during the five-week stretch between UFC 142 in Rio de Janeiro, UFC 143 in Las Vegas and UFC 144 in Saitama, Japan.
The Highs and Lows of Yushin Okami
One of the most promising fighters to come from Japan, Yushin ‘Thunder’ Okami has put on some impressive performances since joining the ranks of the UFC’s 185lb division. Okami has made a real impact fighting on the western MMA scene, going 10-4 thus far in his UFC career. Thunder holds notable victories over Mike Swick, Mark Munoz and Nate Marquardt, and is also the first Japanese fighter to earn a shot at UFC gold. We take a look at story so far of this
world-class middleweight.…
2002
Okami wins his professional debut in December with a unanimous decision victory over Kyosuke Sasaki. Goes 3-0 overall for the year, including a submission win in his first pro fight for Japanese MMA promotional superpower Pride.
JULY 2003
Extends his MMA record to a perfect 6-0 with his first-ever TKO victory over Kazuhiro Hanada in the closing seconds of the first round.
OCTOBER 2003
Okami suffers the first loss of his career via TKO at the hands of former UFC fighter Amar Suloev at M-1 Global: Russia vs The World.
2004
’04 is a mixed year for the Japanese grappling specialist, as he goes 3-1. His one loss comes in the form of split decision to current Bellator fighter Falaniko Vitale.
2006
Okami has his most successful year since his debut in 2002, going 4-0 and finishing all of his opponents. With two TKOs and two submissions, Thunder shows his skill and development as a mixed martial artist.
JANUARY 2006
Takes on sensational striker and current UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva in the first round of the Rumble on the Rock welterweight tournament. Wins by DQ after Silva lands an illegal upkick, leaving Okami unable to continue.
APRIL 2006
Okami is handed the third loss of his career by Jake Shields in the second leg of the ROTR tournament. Shields goes on to win the competition, beating Carlos Condit in the final.
FALL 2006
Joins the UFC and competes three times in five months, winning all three contests, including an impressive unanimous decision victory over Alan Belcher in his promotional debut at UFC 62.
2007
After winning his fourth straight in the UFC against Mike Swick, Okami loses to Rich Franklin in a middleweight title eliminator match at UFC 72 in Belfast, Ireland. Despite the setback, Yushin ends the year on a high with a victory over Jason MacDonald in October.
2009
Competes only once in the year, losing to Chael Sonnen who dominates the fight in both the stand-up and the grappling. The two go on to become friends and teammates.
2010
A strong year for Okami sees him win three straight bouts, including a title eliminator against solid all-rounder Nate Marquardt. The Asian fighter pushes the pace on his opponent to win the decision on all three judges’ scorecards.
2011
Challenges Anderson Silva for his middleweight crown in the champ’s native Brazil at UFC 134 in Rio de Janeiro. The striking skills of ‘The Spider’ prove too much for Okami, who is TKO’d in just over two minutes of the second round.
...
