The UFC announced the match-up earlier today through their website.

Okami is coming off a TKO loss to champion Anderson Silva, only the second time “Thunder” had been finished in more than thirty in-ring appearances. The 30-year old holds an overall record of 26-6 with a number of solid showings to his credit including victories over Alan Belcher, Nate Marquardt, and Mark Munoz.

Comparably, “The Barbarian” has won back-to-back bouts over Kendall Grove and Nick Ring after a decent run as a light heavyweight. Six of the 14-4 Boestch’s wins have involved a TKO with five others featuring a submission-based stoppage.

UFC 144 is set to be headlined by lightweight champion Frankie Edgar putting his gold up for grabs against Ben Henderson, while Yoshihiro Akiyama will also make his welterweight debut on the card against talented grappler Jake Shields.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

According to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, a long time friend and training partner of Silva’s, “The Spider” will face Okami on August 27 in Rio de Janeiro in hopes of defending his title for the ninth straight time with his Brazilian countrymen bearing witness to the feat.

Nogueira’s statements came via a conversation with Tatame.

If Silva does indeed face Okami at the event it will pit him against the last man to defeat him in the ring, albeit by way of disqualification after the UFC’s middleweight champ rendered his kneeling opponent defenseless with an illegal kick while in his guard. Silva has gone on to win fourteen consecutive fights since the January 2006 loss.

Okami has found success in his last three outings including decision wins over Mark Munoz and Nate Marquardt. He holds an overall record of 26-5 including ten wins and two losses inside the Octagon.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Okami has had a mildly strange run of fights since joining the UFC. After racking up four straight wins in the Octagon Okami had his first chance at a title shot, but he came up short against former champ Rich Franklin. He bounced back with two more victories and when the middleweight division needed a new challenger, Okami got the nod and was penciled in for a shot at Silva in April of 2009. An injury forced Okami out of the fight and Patrick Cote got the opportunity instead. When Okami returned he wasn’t granted a title shot, and instead he was regulated to the preliminary portion of the card for his next two fights. Following his loss to Chael Sonnen Okami has now won three straight and should finally get his opportunity to fight for UFC gold. But does anybody care at this point?

The short answer, it would seem, is no. Okami’s style isn’t exactly designed for winning over fans, and the fact that he doesn’t speak English has given the UFC limited options for promoting him. The win over Marquardt was hardly inspiring, and it did little to convince people that Okami would have much of a chance against Silva if the two should meet again.

Now let me tell you why Okami is the best possible choice for a UFC Middleweight Championship fight. For the purposes of this argument we’re going to assume that Silva will retain his title against Belfort in February.

For starters, let’s not overlook what Okami brings to the table. He’s spent a good chunk of time training with Sonnen and the guys at Team Quest, and as we all know Sonnen is the man that has come closest to beating Silva. His insight and training, combined with Okami’s improved striking and wealth of judo skills, means that Okami could conceivably be more well-prepared to beat Silva than anyone else in the world right now (aside from Sonnen himself, of course). There’s still not much of a reason to believe that Okami can hang with Silva on the feet, but he’s got the ability to take Silva down (and at this point it’s common knowledge that takedown defense is Silva’s lone weakness) along with a solid chin that can absorb plenty of punishment.

Of course the biggest reason to set up Silva vs. Okami is the two men’s prior history with each other. As I’m sure we’ll be reminded plenty of times in the days and weeks leading up to the fight, Okami is the last man to record a win over Silva. Anyone who watches the fight will clearly see that Silva was dominating Okami before the illegal kick that caused the DQ, but the fact remains that a win is a win. This gives the UFC a built-in storyline to promote the rematch, something that will be sorely needed as neither man is known for their ability to sell a fight to the public. I expect that the UFC will likely promote this fight as a real “grudge match,” and that shouldn’t be hard given some of the things Silva has said in the past.

Speaking on his first fight with Okami in 2008, Silva appeared to be visibly upset when thinking back on what happened. He called Okami’s DQ victory, “a cheap, cowardly way of winning,” and said that, “people that were there saw that he was in the condition to come back and keep fighting, and he didn’t.” According to Silva, “it wasn’t really a fight.” At this point in his career Silva has not yet had the chance to avenge any of his four losses, but I’d be willing to bet that if he had to pick one to try and get back, it would be this one.

What about Okami? He beat Anderson Silva, currently considering by many to be the best fighter on the planet, but nobody gives him much credit for the accomplishment. A second fight with “The Spider” is a second chance for Okami to prove that he really is the better fighter, and a legitimate win over Silva would cement Okami’s place in MMA history.

He may not be the most exciting man to challenge for the UFC Middleweight Championship, but Okami is the right man for the job.

(PHOTO CREDIT – UFC)

Whether viewed as one more example in an unfortunate pattern or a curious coincidence given UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva’s newly freed fight-schedule, it appears Vitor Belfort will no longer see action on November 23rd at UFC 122 in Germany as originally expected due to an undisclosed injury. Belfort had been previously attached to a match-up against 25-5 Yushin Okami at the event.

Recently victorious Nate Marquardt will step in to serve as the Brazilian’s replacement against Okami in the show’s headlining bout.

News of the change in plans, as well as the reason given, was originally reported by MMAWeekly.

Belfort’s withdrawal from UFC 122 marks the fourth straight time an injury has interfered with one of his scheduled fights. The first three involved his long-rumored clash with Silva, though in fairness to “The Phenom” two of the postponements were related to the 185-pound champion’s health rather than his own.

The timing of the announcement is also interesting given Chael Sonnen’s recent hit for having used performance enhancing drugs during the build towards his title-fight against “The Spider” at UFC 117. Though Sonnen plans to appeal the California State Athletic Commission’s ruling, it is still likely he will be given a suspension of at least six months and thereby no longer be available for his previously expected rematch against Silva on January 1st, 2011 at UFC 125. With Belfort needing an undetermined amount of time to heal, and the UFC’s past desire to put him in the Octagon against Silva, it seems possible he could step into the vacancy created by Sonnen’s infraction.

Belfort has not fought since beating Rich Franklin via first-round TKO in September 2009 at UFC 103. He also has yet to compete for the organization as a true 185-pounder, as his bout against Franklin took place at a catch-weight of 195 pounds. However, the hard-hitting Brazilian is 5-0 since 2007 with four of the wins being strike-based finishes. He is 19-8 in his career with notable wins in the past over Randy Couture and Wanderlei Silva.

In the high-stakes main event, mixed martial arts legend Vitor ‘The Phenom’ Belfort will face Japanese powerhouse Yushin ‘Thunder’ Okami in a three-round contest to determine who will challenge for the UFC Middleweight Championship in 2011.

UFC 122 is the first UFC event to take place in Germany since the world’s premier combat sports organization made its mainland Europe debut in Cologne last June.

UFC Managing Director of International Development Marshall Zelaznik said: “We are glad to be coming back to Germany with UFC 122 and to reward our loyal UFC fans in Germany. Both Belfort and Okami are one win away from a shot at the UFC Middleweight Title and are coming to Germany with a great deal to win and lose. This is a sporting event with tremendous international significance, and we are delighted to have been able to bring this event to Oberhausen.”

Marek Lieberberg of MLK, the UFC’s promotional partner in Germany, said: “We are excited to bring the world’s most popular combat sport back to Germany, following our great event last summer. Mr. Belfort and Mr. Okami are two of the greatest martial artists in the world and this is an excellent main event attraction. Vitor holds a black belt in judo as well as Jiu-Jitsu and has competed as a professional boxer while Yushin is an outstanding martial artist in his own right.”

Please note tickets are only available to (people) over 18, and that ID will be checked at the arena on the night.

Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Belfort, 19-8 a career which began in 1996, has earned his reputation as one of the greats in his sport. The 33-year-old from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has spent a decade and a half travelling the world and defeating a who’s who of mixed martial arts; ‘The Phenom’ holds wins over the likes of Tank Abbott, Wanderlei Silva, Kazushi Sakuraba, Randy Couture, and Matt Lindland. He most recently stopped Rich Franklin in just three minutes (at UFC 103 last September).

Rightly considered a pioneer of MMA, Belfort believes he is also the future of the 185lbs middleweight division, and knows victory in Germany will put him in striking distance of becoming only the third man to ever win UFC world titles in two different weight divisions.

“It is a joy to go to other parts of the world and fight for fans there,” said Belfort. “I am here to regain my legacy as one of the best fighters in the world. I’ve accomplished so many things in my career, but I am always happy to be in the gym and working on getting better.

“The German fans will see a 100% performance from me against Okami. I am looking for the knockout, I always look for the knockout. I know Okami is the type of guy who can bang a little and also has that judo style, but I am on a mission to be the UFC Champion once again.”

Obe of the most feared fighters in the middleweight division since his UFC debut win over Alan Belcher four years ago, Kanagawa, Japan, native Yushin Okami, 26-5 in MMA, is finally in a position to force his way into title contention. ‘Thunder’ already holds victories over Mike Swick, Evan Tanner, Dean Lister and most recently Mark Munoz. He knows a win over an icon like Belfort will cement his status at the top contender at 185lbs.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity to fight a great like Vitor Belfort in the main event of a big card,” said Okami. “Vitor Belfort is still kind of my idol, so I am very excited. He will bring out the very best in me. Belfort is a great fighter but I feel I have certain advantages I can use in the fight. I will shock MMA fans around the world with my performance.”

It now appears fans have an official answer.

Word of Belfort taking on Okami first began surfacing at the UFC 118 “Fan Expo” with “The Phenom” himself mentioning the bout to fans and has since been confirmed by MMAWeekly. According to the report, the fight will take place on November 13th in Germany at UFC 122. The event is actually one Belfort requested to be passed over for, as he recently stated he specifically asked Zuffa executive Lorenzo Fertitta to not be booked overseas for his next in-ring appearance.

The fight between Okami and Belfort will almost certainly earn the winner a crack at the UFC’s middleweight championship, as both have been mentioned as top contenders in the past and Belfort would have already fought Silva for the belt had injuries/timing not prevented the bout from occurring a number of times over the past year.

Belfort is 19-8 as a professional with thirteen knockouts to his credit. He most recently defeated Rich Franklin via TKO in the first round last September at UFC 103 and holds notable wins over Wanderlei Silva, Matt Lindland, and Gilbert Yvel.

His opponent, Okami, holds a 25-5 record and is known for his well-rounded, technical approach to opponents. He has emerged victorious in five of his last six fights and is 9-2 in the Octagon.

A middleweight match-up between Yushin Okami and Chael Sonnen has been set for UFC 104.

The bout was recently via UFC’s Japanese website.

The event is set to take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on October 24.

Okami boasts an impressive UFC record of 7-1 with his last bout being a unanimous decision victory over Dean Lister in December of 2008. Constantly on the cusp of a middleweight title shot, a win over Sonnen will push the Japanese fighter that much closer to his ultimate goal in the UFC.

Sonnen got a rough start in his recent return to the UFC when he was submitted by Demian Maia in the first round of their UFC 95 bout, but came back strong at UFC 98 where he pulled off the unanimous decision victory over an always game Dan Miller.

A full list of the bouts expected for UFC 104 are listed below:

Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua

Shane Carwin vs. Cain Velasquez

Yushin Okami vs. Chael Sonnen

Ryan Bader vs. Eric Schafer

Anthony Johnson vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida

Patrick Barry vs. Antoni Hardonk

Rob Kimmons vs. Jorge Rivera

Razak Al-Hassan vs. Kyle Kingsbury

Dan Miller

UFC officials announced Tuesday that a middleweight matchup between Yushin Okami and Dan Miller has been officially added to the main televised portion of the promotion’s upcoming UFC 98 event slated for May 23.

In addition to Okami vs. Miller, the company also made official previously reported bouts between Matt Serra vs. Matt Hughes and Sean Sherk vs. Frankie Edgar. Both are also slated to make the pay-per-view portion of the event.

Non-televised matchups now confirmed include James Irvin vs. Drew McFedries, Patrick Barry vs. Tim Hague, Houston Alexander vs. Andre Gusmao, Phillipe Nover vs. Kyle Bradley, Dave Kaplan vs. George Roop, and Yoshiyuki Yoshida vs. Brandon Wolff.

UFC 98 will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be headlined by a title unification match between UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar and interim UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir.

For Okami, his UFC 98 matchup vs. Miller is crucial. Slated to face Anderson Silva for the UFC middleweight title this past October at UFC 90, the Japan native was forced to pull off the card due to injury and was replaced by Patrick Cote. He then returned at UFC 92 where he defeated Dean Lister via a unanimous decision. Following the win, it appeared that UFC President Dana White had guaranteed the 23-4 fighter another title shot.

Despite an impressive 7-1 record while competing in the Octagon, it’s clear that Okami will instead have to win at least one more fight to get a shot at the 185 pound crown. Standing in his way is the former IFL middleweight champion, Miller.

Considered one of the brightest prospects to come out of the Northeast, Miller is 11-1 overall and is a perfect 3-0 since debuting in the UFC. His first UFC win came at UFC Fight Night 15 this past September, where he submitted Rob Kimmons with a rear naked choke at 1:27 of round 1.

He then return just five weeks later and recorded a unanimous decision victory over Matt Horwich at UFC 90. Miller’s most recent victory occurred during last month’s UFC Fight Night 17, where he handed former NCAA champion Jake Rosholt his first career MMA loss following a guillotine choke submission at 1:03 of round 1.

“Yushin Okami will be getting a title shot. Definitely,” White said.

Okami was very close to receiving a title shot earlier in the year after beating Evan Tanner at UFC 82 (Silva defeated Dan Henderson on that same card). Unfortunately, Okami was injured during training and the matchup could not be finalized.

Okami and Silva have an interesting backstory in that Okami is the last man to beat the champion. Okami defeated Silva by disqualification due to an illegal kick. The match took place in January 2006 for the Rumble on the Rock promotion.

Prior to Silva vs. Okami being signed, Silva will first have to defeat Thales Leites. Silva and Leites are set to square off in April.

While the vast majority of the country waits for the live feed to hit their television screens, Okami and Lister will be doing battle inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena in a fight that could very well determine which man remains employed with the largest fight organization in the world.

Despite having an impressive 6-1 record in the UFC, Okami has been cursed with the stigma of being known as a “boring fighter.” Furthermore, the UFC is trying hard to get its roster down to 140 fighters and Dave Meltzer speculated in a recent edition of The Wrestling Observer that the loser of Saturday’s non-televised middleweight encounter could have their contract cut by the UFC.

Okami re-signed with the UFC not too long ago but Zuffa retains the legal option to cut most of its fighters following a loss. If Okami doesn’t win Saturday, there’s not much that the UFC can do with him. The question is, what can be done with him even if he wins?

It would appear that capitalizing on the history that exists between UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and Okami stemming from their semi-controversial encounter at Rumble on the Rock 8 in 2006 isn’t a top priority for the UFC right now. Despite having a DQ win over Silva, a planned October title bout never happened due to an injury sustained by Okami. It looks like Okami’s small window of opportunity may have closed because when Silva returns this April at UFC 97, it will be Thales Leites who will be challenging Silva and not Okami.

Okami finds himself in a position where he is not making entry-level money in the UFC, which is both a blessing and a curse. He just happens to fall into the mid-level salary category that fighters such as Fabricio Werdum, Marcus Aurelio, and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou all fell into. From a pure fighting perspective, the latter three all belong in the UFC. However, they weren’t delivering a strong rate of return so the UFC deemed them expendable.

If Okami can’t get past Lister, then he too will likely be deemed expendable. The promotion isn’t going to continue to pay him tens of thousands of dollars to appear in non-televised bouts with no promise of moving up the card.

With a 4-1 lifetime UFC record, Lister doesn’t belong on the chopping block based on merit. However, three of his five fights have gone to decision and like Okami, Lister has developed a reputation for having fights that are less than entertaining.

One of the greatest American-born jiu-jitsu practitioners alive, Lister is by and large a one-dimensional fighter. His standup has made strides but his striking still looked less than polished during a submission victory over Jeremy Horn at the live finale for the seventh season of The Ultimate Fighter in June.

And as yet another mid-level salary fighter, Lister has to move up the ladder because the UFC isn’t going to pay him tens of thousands of dollars to appear in dark matches when they can give the same slot to a younger fighter earning $3,000 to show and $3,000 to win.

So while you’re kicking back this Saturday drinking a cold one and downing your second slice of pizza, just remember that at the same time in Las Vegas there will be two men likely fighting for their livelihoods.

Instead of saying he’ll fight whoever his employer wants him to fight next, Nelson named names. And he named a big one by calling out none other than Fedor Emelianenko.

“I would love that fight,” Nelson responded when asked about Fedor by Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “But I doubt they would want Fedor to lose before he fought Randy (Couture), so I doubt I’d get that fight.”

I’m all for a Nelson vs. Fedor fight. It would be Fedor’s first legitimate challenge in several years.