UFC 134: 5 Reasons Why Anderson Silva Is Sure to Win

At UFC 134, UFC middleweight champion Anderson “the Spider” Silva will be making his return to Brazil as he takes on Japan’s Yushin Okami.

Okami was the last person to defeat Silva, albeit by a controversial disqualification.

Silva was disqualified because he threw an illegal up kick while Okami was on the ground.

Anything can happen in MMA, and on any given night, any fighter can be defeated.  But I believe Silva will win this bout and remain champion.

Here are some reasons why.

Anderson Silva Is a Far Superior Striker Than Okami

Although Okami has 9 wins by (t)ko, he is known more for his strength and ground work.

Silva on the other hand has 17 wins by (t)ko and is one of the most dominant strikers in MMA today.

Silva’s speed, reach advantage, and unorthodox striking could force Okami to try to take the fight to the ground quickly.

It may be the only chance he has. 

Silva’s Toughest Test Has Come by Someone Who Has Defeated Okami

At UFC 104, Yushin Okami faced Chael Sonnen and lost by unanimous decision.

Sonnen went on to nearly defeating Silva at UFC 117, before getting submitted.

Anderson Silva’s one weakness has been his wrestling defense. Sonnen took advantage of this and still ended up losing the fight.

Okami is a hard guy to put out, but Silva is even harder to finish. 

Sonnen and Okami have trained together since their fight. But I don't believe it will work in favor of Okami.

Anderson Silva Is Not the Same Fighter He Was in Their First Fight

Since their fight 5 years ago, Silva has won 14 straight fights.

Okami’s record hasn’t been bad since that fight (12-3), but he has not faced high-profile fighters or been in high-profile fights like Silva has.

Okami has been good, and perhaps should have gotten a title shot sooner.

But Silva has become one of the greatest, if not the greatest, fighters in MMA history over the course of the past 5 years. The scary part about it is Silva has made it look easy in most of his fights.

Even with Okami’s Advantage, He’s Still in Danger

Yushin Okami may look to take this fight to the ground early and often.

Even with his wrestling advantage, Okami still has to worry about Silva’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Silva’s most recent submission victory came after getting dominated for the better part of 5 rounds on the ground by Sonnen.

Okami may be able to take Silva down, but it will not be the end all to be all for the fight. 

Silva Will Have the Crowd Behind Him

In MMA, the term “hometown advantage” can be a good or a bad thing. Sometimes fighters perform well at home.

Other times fighters fail to live up to the home crowd’s expectations.

I believe Silva will take advantage of the crowd and live up to everything they want from him.

Silva is 7-1 when fighting in his home country. I believe the fight will have the same atmosphere as when Georges St-Pierre fights in Canada. Silva won’t disappoint. 

Conclusion

UFC 134 will be Anderson Silva’s homecoming. Okami is a tough competitor, and won’t go down easily.

But Silva is just too good and has too many tools for the Japanese great. The fact that event takes place in Rio is also an advantage.

Silva has a highlight reel full of memorable ko's and submissions, and this fight could add yet another one to the list.

Silva will be looking to avenge the lost to Okami that happened six years ago, and he will do so in Rio.