Veteran Yushin Okami drops to welterweight to face Dhiego Lima for his next octagon appearance.
After taking a short notice bout against Ovince St. Preux at Light Heavyweight to get back into the UFC, Yushin Okami is heading south. He’s set to drop two weight classes when he meets Dhiego Lima at UFC on FOX 29 later this year. The promotion announced the fight Tuesday, while Lima added his own thoughts on the bout, which he admits is one of the biggest of his career.
After a successful UFC run from 2006 to 2013 that included a middleweight title shot, Yushin Okami (34–11) was released from the UFC in 2013 following a lone loss to Jacare Souza. It was a move that shocked fans and MMA purists, and appeared to be motivated more by financials and Okami’s style than anything else. Okami went 13-5 in his original UFC run; following his release, he signed on with the World Series of Fighting. There he would go 2-2, adding another win when it transformed into the PFL. During this stretch, he also picked up wins in Pancrase and DEEP.
The Japanese veteran then jumped at a chance to replace Shogun Rua at UFC Fight Night 117 last September. He was submitted by St. Preux within a round.
Dhiego Lima (12–6), brother of former Bellator welterweight champion Douglas Lima, lost to Jesse Taylor at The Ultimate Fighter 25: Redemption Finale last July. The runner up now has another big opportunity against Okami.
UFC on FOX 29, a.k.a. UFC Glendale, takes place at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, AZ on April 14. Justin Gaethje meets Dustin Poirier in the main event.
