Yushin Okami training with Team Quest for Marquardt, talks Anderson Silva & declares Chael Sonnen innocent

Japanese UFC middleweight Yushin ‘Thunder’ Okami has been sharpening his skills with none other than Team Quest, ahead of his UFC 122 main event showdown with Nate ‘The Great’ Marquardt, in a bout that will determine the number one contender spot for the winner of the Anderson Silva – Vitor Belfort title fight. 

Okami has stated that: ‘Team Quest have given me a road map on how to beat Nate Marquardt‘

When asked about his thoughts heading into UFC 122 , Yushin had this to say:

‘I’ve gotten my techniques from Team Quest, so now I believe I have more power than Nate. I’m not thinking about the title fight, I’m thinking about the challenge that’s facing me right now, and my game plan to win this fight’

Okami then weighed in on the controversy surrounding his new found team mate Chael Sonnen and had this to say on the matter:

‘He’s innocent, I trained with Chael and I think he’s innocent (because) of his personality’

Okami who is currently on a two fight winning streak, with wins over Lucio Linhares and Mark Munoz is aiming to continue his streak as he heads into his UFC 122 bout with Nate Marquardt. The Japanese fighter from Kanagawa Japan, last loss came at the hands of now team mate Chael Sonnen, and an interesting fact is that Marquardt’s last loss also came at the hands of Sonnen, and I see this as a clear advantage for Okami, as Chael will know the ins and outs of both fighters games and will look to work to Yushin’s strengths and Nate’s weaknesses. 

Another interesting fact is that Okami holds a win over UFC middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, Okami was victorious when they met over 4 years ago at a Rumble on the Rock event in Hawaii, where Anderson was disqualified for an illegal up-kick that struck Okami.

Speaking via a media conference call earlier this week Okami then talked about Anderson Silva and his preparations for UFC 122, and had this to say: 

‘I would like to fight against Anderson Silva. I have lost some very important fights, so I never thought I was bypassed. It’s going to be a big challenge because Nate Marquardt is a very well rounded fighter, and he has no weaknesses. He has very good finishing power so I should be very careful about that’

‘I would like to finish by KO or submission. I’ve been training for finishing Nate Marquardt in three rounds, so I have no pressure about a decision or anything like that. I do not have that kind of pressure. I’m prepared for the fight and I know that when I do what I have to do, it’s going to be a very exciting fight. Anderson Silva is one of my goals so this is a very important step for me’ 

Okami is certainly setting high goals for himself, but he will firstly have to get passed a very tough fighter in Nate Marquardt, Okami and Nate square off on the 13th of November in the Main event of UFC 122, which takes place in Oberhausen Germany as the UFC continues to expand into the European market. 

SOURCE: MMAJUNKIE