Looking ahead: UFC 98 could give clarity in the Lightweight, Middleweight divisions

by Leland Roling on Apr 21, 2009 1:01 PM EDT

With all the focus recently on Anderson Silva, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, and Chuck Liddell's possible retirement, I think it's time for a nice change of pace. UFC 98 is a little over a month away taking place on May 23rd from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Most notably, Rashad Evans will defend his crown against the undefeated "Dragon" in Lyoto Machida in a light heavyweight tilt, but there are also two potential contender matchups on the main card as well.

Yushin Okami will once again try to prove to the UFC brass that he's worthy of taking on Anderson Silva in a Middleweight matchup against Dan Miller. Miller is currently on an impressive 3 fight win streak while Okami continues to ride his own 3 fight win streak following his defeat at UFC 72 against Rich Franklin.

As I stated in my previous article regarding the potential opponents for Anderson Silva, this matchup could become much more important as May 23rd gets closer. Not only has Okami been outcast as a "boring" fighter, but he has been skipped over countless times by the UFC when contender talk comes about. Although Miller is a very tough opponent, an Okami finish could actually give the UFC some reason to finally pit Silva against Okami. Can he do it? I have doubts against a Miller brother.

Sean Sherk vs. Frankie Edgar will also take place on the main card during the evening as a potential look at who may be getting a run at the Lightweight crown later in the year. Sherk is trying to make his way back into title contention after being demolished by B.J. Penn in the standup department at their UFC 84 matchup. Edgar is trying to get his name back in the mix after being abruptly stopped by Gray Maynard at UFN 13. Both guys had solid comeback wins with Sherk defeating Tyson Griffin and Edgar defeating Hermes Franca.

While I don't know if the UFC will actually push either guy into an immediate contention role with Florian vs. Penn taking place at UFC 101 in August, it should be a matchup that could see the winner in the picture significantly. I have a feeling the UFC may begin pushing Gray Maynard's stock up even further if Edgar ends up defeating Sherk since Maynard holds a dominating win over him. Sherk is going to be a very tough test for Edgar however, and I'd be definitely hoping that Maynard vs. Sherk happens down the road because of both fighters' power and wrestling ability.

A Sherk win and a Florian loss could also set up an eventual rematch between the two, which I've been clamoring for ever since Florian's rise to the top.

Both of these matchups at UFC 98 have some significance in both the Lightweight and Middleweight ranks. If Okami can actually look impressive, I think the UFC could potentially get some marketability out of pitting him against Silva. I'm sure we'll hear "The only man to beat Silva..." in the promos, even though we all know it was a DQ. But hey, a win is a win.

Sherk v. Edgar is a solid matchup, and while their styles may make for a boring battle, both guys have some stock with the UFC. Hopefully, we'll see the divisional standings of each fighter pan out a bit more as August rolls around.

The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Bloody Elbow readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Bloody Elbow editors or staff.

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Nice piece, Leland.

I think that Okami’s chances are probably shot, not only because of his style, but more because of Anderson’s: I don’t think they’re going to risk any middleweight title shot until the UFC can get to the bottom of this thing and fix it. I’m not even sure about GSP getting a shot.

"I see him beating Anderson Silva. I see him picking him apart. Him at a 131 years old...(trails off)." - Tito on Belfort at Affliction:DOR

by Rundownloser on Apr 21, 2009 1:10 PM EDT reply actions

This has been something I’ve mulled over for a bit. Is Okami pressing enough to give Silva the chance to KO him if it comes to that and is Okami’s strength in the top control enough to pose a legitimate threat?

One of the big problems is that Okami needs to finish. I think finishing Dan Miller would be a bit impressive for him considering Dan is pretty tough. It could put things on the up and up for Okami, although I’m pessimistic about that.

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by Leland Roling on Apr 21, 2009 1:18 PM EDT up reply actions

Even if Okami give the performance of a lifetime and utterly obliterates Miller, to the point that casual fans are going, “Man, that Japanese fighter is fucking awesome. That’s the sickest thing I’ve every seen. I love the UFC,” I don’t think Okami is going to get a title shot anytime soon. Even if they clamor for him to fight Anderson.

I don’t see why Zuffa would risk another Anderson fight until they can get to the bottom of this thing and kill it. Until they do that, it doesn’t make any sense for them to risk it and have people say that another card was ruined by Anderson Silva.

"I see him beating Anderson Silva. I see him picking him apart. Him at a 131 years old...(trails off)." - Tito on Belfort at Affliction:DOR

by Rundownloser on Apr 21, 2009 1:25 PM EDT up reply actions

Okami would just need to whup someone while Bisping/Hendo takes his title shot. This would jump Yushin to the front of the line with Nate (assuming another impressive win).

The GSP/Ando fight makes too much sense style-wise not to happen (assuming he gets through Thiago), but it really doesn’t make sense where both fighters currently sit. GSP’s already a big draw, so it’s a win/lose proposition to take down a champion. And why risk the golden goose to satisfy a malcontent who is close to retirement anyway?

I firmly believe the best two fights you could get for Anderson are GSP (185) and Fedor (catch), though the Fedor bit would have to be a few fights down the road (even if he comes to terms).

by bigweeze on Apr 29, 2009 9:34 PM EDT up reply actions

I really hope that Dan Miller shows up more prepared than his brother was last fight because i’m beyond tired of the Okami fans crying about a title shot it needs to end at UFC 98.

by Raker on Apr 21, 2009 5:28 PM EDT reply actions