UFC 134: 4 Reasons Yushin Okami Should Not Be Underestimated

Long time UFC veteran Yushin Okami will finally receive a title shot in a rematch against UFC Middleweight champion Anderson Silva at the highly anticipated UFC 134 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Despite Okami's 10-2 UFC record, 26-5 overall, many analysts are already counting the Japanese superstar out, looking to book Silva's next opponent before he's had a chance to face his current foe.

Although Silva is justifiably the favorite, onlookers should not count out Okami, who's faced and defeated some of the best in the middleweight division.

Here are four reason's why underestimating Okami may be a bad idea.

4. Grappling Prowess

For those unfamiliar with Okami's credentials, he is one of the best grapplers in the division.

A blackbelt Judoka, Okami has beaten some of the best wrestlers at their own game, including Mark Muñoz, Evan Tanner and, most recently, Nate Marquardt last November.

Despite not possessing a significant amount of submission wins, Okami's control from dominant positions is what stands out from his game.  He also has great takedowns, a known weakness of Silva.

Wrestling has always been a chink in "the Spider's" armor, something Okami will most definitely look to exploit in their rematch bout. This matched with Okami's strength and size will put the champ on edge if the fight is taken to the ground.

3. Something to Prove for Himself

When Okami and Silva first faced off in 2006, Silva was clearly the superior fighter, stuffing most of Okami's shots and punishing him on his feet.

In highlight reel worthy fashion, Silva rendered Okami unconscious with an outside-inside downward heel kick from guard.  The move was illegal due to Okami being on his knees, but the disqualification loss for Silva is usually disregarded as being not a true win for his opponent.

No doubt Okami will come out looking to show that this poor performance was a fluke and that he can beat Silva in a non-controversial fashion.

Okami's hunger to redeem himself may be the spark that starts the fire and crown him the first Japanese UFC champion.

2. Experience

It's amazing how this is Okami's first shot at the title despite going 10-2 against some of the best in the middleweight division over the last five years.

While in the UFC, Okami has defeated the likes of Nate Marquardt, Mark Muñoz, Mike Swick and Evan Tanner.  

Even in his losses, Okami has shown the heart of the champion, having only been finished in defeat once in his career.  He's put on admirable performances against Rich Franklin, Chael Sonnen and Jake Shields, not letting any of these former top contenders and champions finish him.

This wealth of experience, in both victory and defeat, will surely benefit Okami in his first title fight.

1. Something to Prove for Japan

Okami is one of the few Japanese fighters to find consistent success in the UFC.

Recently, such highly touted stars as "Kid" Yamamoto, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Takanori Gomi and Takeya Mizugaki have had less than stellar performances since transitioning to US mixed martial arts.

For Okami, this fight is not just for himself, but for his nation.  Another poor performance for a Japanese fighter will only further call into question the land of the rising sun's MMA relevancy.

A win could change Japanese MMA's fortunes and revive its status during its time in Pride.

He may not come out and say it, but the pressure from his home country is definitely there.

Hopefully. Okami can use this pressure to his advantage and finally put an end to the pound-for-pound king's reign.