Okami a Contender in Limbo

TOKYO -- After the uproar concerning the middleweight division in wake of UFC 90, one question remains. What happened to Yushin Okami?

Part and parcel of being the most successful Japanese import in the UFC, “Thunder” was seen as next in line to challenge Anderson Silva for the middleweight strap. However, a fractured hand put the Wajutsu Keishukai fighter on the shelf for eight months, clearing the way for Canadian Patrick Cote to take his shot.

“My hand was injured, so it couldn’t be helped,” Okami said. “I wasn’t disappointed that Cote got to fight Silva first. My hand is completely healed and ready to go.”

In the meantime, Okami (22-4) has watched, trained and waited for his eventual return to the Octagon. Though slated to face Dean Lister at UFC 92 “The Ultimate 2008” on Dec. 27 in Las Vegas, he still keeps a keen eye on Silva. In his mind, the champion’s latest performance left a lot to be desired.

“It didn’t look like Silva’s best performance,” Okami said. “I thought that his behavior came from his confidence in his own strength.”

Silva’s actions during the two-and-a-half-round title bout garnered criticism from a large segment of the mixed martial arts community. Okami’s opinion places him in the opposite camp, however, as he points to Silva’s technical superiority over the Canadian striker as the probable reason for his behavior.

“I am aware [of the criticism Silva has received],” he said. “I think that because Silva has fought so many times, it may have been difficult to maintain his motivation.”

Whether by his own merit or not, Cote became the only person to take Silva to a third round in the Octagon. It has become part of the rallying cry for Cote and his supporters in calling for an immediate rematch with the champion. Their first encounter ended abruptly when Cote collapsed to the canvas, stricken by a fight-ending knee injury.

Okami has a different view.

“As the fight went on,” he said, “I think Cote was unable to do much. A rematch would be too soon.”

Immediately after Cote’s technical knockout loss to Silva, the implication was that, barring an immediate rematch, Okami would take his previous spot in line as the top middleweight title contender. While Cote’s recovery time likely prohibits him from entering the cage for the rematch anytime soon, recent rumors pointing to Chael Sonnen and Chuck Liddell as potential opponents for Silva mean a title shot may not be in the Japanese fighter’s future after all.

“I did not know [about the rumors], but I am going to fight with whomever I am matched up with,” Okami said. “I don't think [Zuffa] promised me Silva.”

Okami has also heard Silva’s talk of retirement.

“I don’t know whether it’s true or not,” he said. “I just hope he retires after we fight.”

Though Okami’s immediate future does not seem to hold a championship bout he was all but promised before injuring his hand earlier this year, his next test in the Octagon at UFC 92 will be stern enough. One of the world’s premier submission grapplers, Lister (11-5) has never been finished in 16 professional bouts and has rattled off four wins in five fights, losing only to Nate Marquardt.

Aware that his absence from the cage has likely distanced him from the MMA community’s collective memory, Okami acknowledges the fact that he must make an impact against yet another strong middleweight in Lister.

“Lister’s got a lot of power and good submissions,” he said. “I want to make it a good fight, so I’m going to go in and do my best to finish him.”

Okami’s success in the Octagon -- his only loss in seven fights came by decision to former 185-pound king Rich Franklin -- has earned him his place as a top middleweight. Zuffa’s recent announcement that the Lister-Okami bout would be placed on the untelevised undercard at UFC 92 prompted fans to voice displeasure at the decision; it again elbows the man many view as the number one contender out of the spotlight.

The 27-year-old, who has not competed since he knocked out the late Evan Tanner at UFC 82 in March, was unaware he had supporters abroad.

“I am already very happy to get support from Japanese fans, but I am also very happy to hear that I get support from fans overseas,” Okami said. “I think that when I do fight Silva, I’ll have to do my best to meet their expectations and win against him.”