'Thunder' ready to whip up a storm in Manila at ONE: Dawn Of Heroes

YUSHIN “Thunder” Okami may have fallen short in his ONE Championship debut, but he believes he can turn around his misfortune at ONE: DAWN OF HEROES on Friday, 2 August against James Nakashima.

The Japanese mixed martial arts legend sent out a warning to his foe that he will command him in all areas of their three-round welterweight clash.

“I am going to show what the real Yushin Okami is like. I will dominate the fight, and I am going to finish him,” he stated.

“I want to dominate every aspect of the fight with my natural strength. Striking, wrestling, and on the ground – I will control him.”

“I think I have more power than Nakashima,” he added.

His bout against the undefeated American wrestler this Friday will be his 49th professional bout.

Okami’s mixed martial arts career stretches back to 2002, and besides Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki, he is one of the most experienced athletes at The Home of Martial Arts.

He may be 38, but he stressed that he still has a lot more to accomplish as a martial artist.

“I am pursuing to perfect my martial arts skills. Therefore, I train every day and fight to try and reach my goal. What I am trying to accomplish can only be done through fighting, and that is why I am still active,” the EX Fight representative revealed.

“Also, I truly believe I am the strongest, and that is why I am continuing my career.”

“Thunder” truly believes he will come out on top in all aspects of the match, as he seeks to avenge his debut defeat to Kiamrian Abbasov.

“Ever since the last fight, I analyzed myself, identified my strong points, and what I can do and what I cannot do. Therefore, in this fight camp, I started from scratch to create a new strategy based on what I can do best.”

Despite the confidence, Okami understands that no man standing across Nakashima, who is 11-0, has yet managed to leave with a win.

And with that in mind, the judo black belt is looking to shut his opposite number’s tactics inside the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.

“His strength is [that] he is very good at executing his game plan,” the Kanagawa native said.

“I am not going to give him any space for him to execute his game plan, and I am looking to control this fight using my physical strength.”