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.

Article by: Joe Romero    Photos by: Dave Mandel

The following article was previously featured in Vol. 6 of the Budovideos magazine (now called Martial Generation Magazine). Former PRIDE champion, and current UFC Middleweight contender, Dan Henderson talked with us prior to his UFC 93 main event fight with Rich “Ace” Franklin. In the article, Dan talks about how he got his start in MMA, his life outside of the octagon, and his plans for the future.

Article by: “The Fight Professor” Stephen Quadros

Article by: “The Fight Professor” Stephen Quadros

Even with seemingly unstoppable and successful entities like the Ultimate Fighting Championship, who are hitting home runs every time at bat, the business of professional mixed martial arts is a volatile, high stakes affair that is not for the feint of heart. UFC president Dana White best summed it up when he once said (something to the effect of) ‘whoever can take the most pain’ wins. Whether or not one rolls the dice or plays blackjack in actuality, figuratively the MMA fight promotion game is one for gamblers, specifically high rollers. And the highs can be statuesque while the lows can be damning.