UFC 104 Preview: Yushin Okami Continues Quest for Contention Against Chael Sonnen

In a move that doesn't shock even the hardest of hardcore fans these days, Yushin Okami (23-4, 7-1 UFC) has once again been relegated to a major UFC event's undercard despite only losing once in his UFC career. He'll battle former two-time NCAA wrestling champion and Olympic alternate Chael Sonnen (23-10-1, 2-3 UFC) in what could essentially be a wrestling match in the Octagon.

Okami is currently on a three-fight win streak with victories over Dean Lister, the late Evan Tanner, and Jason MacDonald. The streak comes after being defeated by Rich Franklin at UFC 72 for a contendership spot. Sonnen enters this bout after a stifling performance at UFC 98 in which he completely dominated Dan Miller by using superior wrestling and ground and pound tactics. He previously lost in his return to the UFC to Demian Maia via triangle choke at UFC 95.

In terms of appeal, this fight doesn't have much of it. Okami is a powerful Judoka/wrestler who likes to gain top control on opponents and blast away. Sonnen is much of the same type of fighter as Okami, and that makes for two very similar styles being mashed into a recipe for boredom. It doesn't bode well for excitement, but it does give Okami a chance to possibly show some improvement in his finishing ability. Sonnen hasn't been TKO'd since TKO 4 in 2004 by Terry Martin, so a finish by Okami here could go a long way for him with Joe Silva and Dana White.

That outcome is probably wishful thinking though. Sonnen has enough grit and determination to wrestle his way out of bad positions, and Okami is equally knowledgeable in that aspect of the ground game. Improvements from Okami in terms of submission ability would be ideal, and fighters like Caol Uno, Yoshihiro Akiyama, and the rest of the cast at Wajyutsu Keisyukai could certainly help him. One thing is constant however, Okami will show up in tremendous shape, and he'll have equal or possibly more power than Chael Sonnen. Okami is notorious for being a frantic trainer at the gym, and it usually translates to why he's such a load in top control.

Sonnen will look to his Olympic-level wrestling to do the work for him, and I'm pretty confident he'll want to implement the same blanket tactics he worked against Dan Miller so effectively. The major difference is Okami's power, and he can be equally tough in the wrestling department in his takedown defense and top control. I imagine Sonnen will find it a challenge in controlling Okami if he manages to take him down, but I don't see Okami losing this battle in the trenches. I think Okami will ultimately be the more controlling fighter and use his power to damage Sonnen on his way to a decision win.

It isn't the most ideal outcome, but the UFC isn't exactly lining Okami up with fighters that are easy to finish. It's also apparent that the style match-up for this fight doesn't bode well for casual viewing, so I'm not in complete disagreement with the decision to keep it off the SpikeTV or PPV card. Hopefully, we'll get a surprise from Okami in this fight, but I'll take him via decision.