Interview & Photos by: Manabu Takashima

The following interview was previously featured in Vol. 6 of the Budovideos magazine (now called Martial Generation Magazine). Current UFC Middleweight contender, Yushin “Thunder” Okami sat down with us prior to his fight with Dean “The Boogeyman” Lister at UFC 92, to discuss a number of topics. Among them were, how Yushin got his start in MMA, what he feels his status is within the UFC, and what he’s got in store for the future.

UFC Middleweight fighter Yushin “Thunder” Okami has been with the organization since 2006 when he scored a unanimous decision victory over Alan Belcher, yet he still remains a relative unknown among many American fans. One look at Okami’s resume (including a victory over current UFC Middleweight champion Anderson Silva) , however would make any MMA fan realize that Okami is one of the best in the world at 185lbs. He’s 6-1 within the UFC (22-4 overall) and has fought against some of the biggest names in MMA but does the former Judo tournament champion truly have what it takes to make a name for himself with US fans and even win UFC gold?

You’re fighting Dean Lister at UFC 92 on December 27th at the MGM in Las Vegas. How do you feel heading into this fight?

I feel good, and I am looking forward to fighting at the MGM in Vegas again. This is a very important fight for me because if I win I am back in contention for the title. I am looking to KO Lister because I want the US fans and Zuffa (owners of the UFC) who I am.

You’re 6-1 in the UFC, but many US fans don’t really know who you are. Can you give us some insight into how you got started in MMA, and who Yushin Okami is in and out of the cage?

Sure. There are a few reasons I got into MMA. I finished my Judo career when I graduated high school and I was looking for something else to do. My Judo career only lasted three years, and I think part of that has to do with the fact that I am not the kind of guy who can compete in an individual sport. I wasn’t feeling challenged enough in Judo, even when I was winning tournaments. At the same time I was doing Judo I was running track and field. After I quit Judo I really missed the training aspect. Someone who knew Keishukai (network of MMA gyms in Japan) took me to one of the schools and got me started. I was introduced to a lot of the famous fighters such as Uno-san (Caol Uno), Mitsuoka-san (Eiji Mitsuoka), and Takase-san (Daiju Takase) and they helped me make the transition into MMA.

Out of the three names you mentioned, was there anyone who you were intimidated by?

Absolutely.  It was Uno-san. I was scared of him.

Really? He seems like a very nice guy. He always seems calm, and he’s always got a smile on his face.

It’s true, he’s a very nice person and he’s always calm. He’s the guy at my gym that is always training the hardest. He refers to me and some of the other guys as the “Young Guns” at Keishukai. Uno-san is always very calm, but when he trains us it scares not only me, but other people in the gym. Outside of the gym he is always cool, which is why I am intimidated by him – inside of the gym he’s another person.

Keishukai is one of the top teams in Japan, and has produced some world level talent. What was it like in the beginning for you?

When I came to Keishukai I was lucky enough to meet Isono-san (Gen Isono, former MMA fighter and Okami’s trainer). When I fought in the pre-PRIDE tournaments he was always in my corner. Once instance he was scheduled to have a very serious operation the same day as one of my fights, but he re-scheduled it just so he could be in my corner. I remember him saying “being in your corner is more important to me than this operation.” After that he has been my cornerman for all of my fights except for one. His tutelage and guidance is the reason I am where I am today.

Early in your career you fought at PRIDE: THE BEST, Demolition, and Pancrase without losing once. What do you feel was your most important fight during those days?

I would say my fight with Hidehiko Hasegawa (who would later become the DEEP champion). It was my first main event fight, and I was very nervous but I scored a unanimous decision.

Currently your record is 22-4. Can you talk about what you feel the turning point of your career was?

I don’t think I have one particular turning point, actually I think I have quite a few. When I fought Amar Suloev I thought I knew everything, and I ended up losing by TKO. I got a little full of myself going into that fight because I was on a seven fight win streak. The loss to Suloev broke my heart, but it made me work harder than I ever had before.

The second turning point was my fight against Anderson Silva at Rumble on the Rock. That fight also broke my heart because after the fight with Suloev I had 8 fights (lost once via split decision), and heading into my fight with Silva I was very confident, but my confidence wasn’t enough and Silva dominated most of the fight until he was DQ’ed (Silva delivered an upward head kick while Okami was on his knees). I know my record is listed as 22-4, but in my mind it’s really 21-5 because I do not feel I won that fight with Silva.

I learned a lot from my fight with Silva, the biggest thing I learned was what I needed to improve upon to become a better fighter. I lost the fight with Silva, but I still needed to focus on the things I did well during that fight. I’ve learned that keeping a positive attitude during a fight is key. Now I just tell myself “I can do it. I am strong. I will win!” (laughs)

One of the reasons I want to continue to fight in the UFC is so that I can have a rematch with him. He has improved since our last fight, but so have I.

Do you feel you have any impressive wins in the UFC?

Yes I do. I think during my first three fights I fought out of desperation just so I could win, but going into my fight with Mike Swick I knew it was going to be an important fight for me. The Japanese media really doesn’t care about the UFC even though they have some of the toughest fighters, and it’s the biggest stage for people to compete on. Even though fighters from “The Ultimate Fighter” aren’t well known in Japan, I knew who Mike Swick was, and I knew how popular he was in the US. When I beat him my confidence soared, however I lost a lot of that following my next fight.

You’re talking about the fight with Rich Franklin right?

Yes. That loss made me realize what a world class fighter really was.

After your loss to Franklin you went on to have two victories over tough opponents (Jason Macdonald and Evan Tanner), and you were next in line for a title shot until you injured your hand. Can you tell us about that?

It was the first serious injury I’ve ever had in my life. I’ve never broken a bone, or been seriously injured before, but I guess it was good because it tested my mental toughness as well as my physical toughness.

Previously, I never really took any time off following any of my fights. I was always happy to return home and get back to training even if it was the day right after the fight. After my injury I’ve realized that I need to rest for at least one week following my fights. I need to give not only my body, but my mind a break.

Fighting in the UFC reminds me of the tournament style fights that Japanese fans like to watch, but this tournament has no brackets. I’m always concerned with whether or not I will win or lose, and how exciting my fight will be because I might not have a second chance. That is why I looked at this injury as a blessing; While I couldn’t spar or work on my striking, I could train other aspects of my body. I was dedicated to re-building my body to be much stronger, quicker, and to have more power.

My normal weight is about 218lbs right now. When I first started in the UFC my typical weight was 194lbs. Now I feel like I have a lot more power, and speed to use against my opponents. Right now my weight is 205lbs. I eat three times a day, but as long as I refuse fat and deep fried foods I will make my weight with no problem.

During your recovery time the UFC gave your title shot to Patrick Cote, and other fighters have risen in the ranks ahead of you. When you do you think you’ll be ready for your title shot?

The UFC had to really think about offering me a title shot against Anderson Silva, but they knew it was my dream so they presented it to me. I knew I wanted to fight him again, but I knew that I only wanted to fight him when I was 100% and could perform to my full potential. It was hard for me to give up the title shot, and I know that I will have to work hard to get the opportunity again, but I also like the opportunity to fight other talented guys in my division.

A lot of people say that the UFC’s Middleweight division has the least amount of depth to it, but when you look at the fighters we have I don’t feel that to be true. We have Demian Maia, Rodimar Toquninho, Dan Henderson, Wilson Gouveia, Thales Leites, Michael Bisping, Patrick Cote, Ricardo Almeida, etc.

We have so many talented fighters from all over the world I don’t understand how people can say that. Going back to your question, how can I regain my title shot? I need to continue to beat the best fighters in the world. The UFC champions are the greatest fighters in the world, and if I want to challenge them I need to continue to fight and beat guys like I mentioned before. It’s my job.

Thank you very much for your time Yushin. We appreciate you talking with us, and good luck in your next fight.

It was my pleasure. I am very happy to be able to give an interview to Budovideos.com, and I want to say thank you to all of my supporters and training partners.

Tags: Interviews

Tags: MMA, UFC, Yushin Okami

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