Former UFC title challenger Yushin Okami has become a champion following his recent win at Shooto 2024 Vol. 8 on November 30. The 33-year old Japanese legend earned his second consecutive victory over Kim Jae-young in Tokyo to win the vacant Shooto middleweight title.
Having made his MMA debut in 2002, the 54-fight veteran has fought in several of the top promotions in the sport. With outings in the likes of Pancrase, PRIDE and Rumble on the Rock, Okami debuted with the UFC in 2006 where he defeated Alan Belcher at UFC 62.
He would go on to have a very successful first run with the promotion, winning multiple title eliminators and even challenging Anderson Silva for the middleweight belt at UFC 134. Following a loss to Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza in 2013, Okami was surprisingly cut from the promotion despite winning three in a row before that defeat.
Dana White told Yahoo Sports at the time that though he “liked” Okami, he had become a gatekeeper and with the roster being full, they needed to give opportunities to other fighters. Following several appearances in the World Series of Fighting, which later became the PFL, Okami returned to the UFC in 2017 where he fought three more times, ending his time in the promotion with an overall record of 14-7.
From there, he signed to ONE Championship where he fought four times before his back-to-back fights with Jae-young in Shooto. Okami posted on social media to celebrate his recent title win, reflecting on how he has come up short as the runner-up several times throughout his career but now, he has reached the top.
“I was able to win the Shooto World Middleweight Championship. I made my professional debut at the age of 20, and experienced a bitter defeat in my final fight for the UFC middleweight championship. After that, I lost the WSOF championship, fought overseas one after another, and now I’m in my 23rd year. I’ve shed so many tears, but winning this belt at the age of 43 is special to me. Thank you for your support.”
