UFC 122: Okami Outpoints Marquardt to Earn Title Shot

UFC 122: Marquardt vs. Okami took place on November 13, 2010, at König-Pilsener-Arena in Oberhausen, Germany. Yushin Okami defeated Nate Marquardt by unanimous decision in the middleweight main event and earned a championship opportunity. Dennis Siver submitted Andre Winner in the first round, while Amir Sadollah, Krzysztof Soszynski and Duane Ludwig also won on the final main card.

Video: the UFC’s official UFC 122 weigh-in recording. It documents the scheduled matchups before fight night; Alessio Sakara versus Jorge Rivera did not take place and is excluded from the results below.

Okami earns the title opportunity

The main event was promoted as a middleweight title eliminator, with the winner due a shot at the championship held by Anderson Silva. Okami took the official verdict after three closely contested rounds. Two judges scored it 29–28 and the third 30–27, giving him a unanimous decision over Marquardt rather than a submission or knockout.

Both men had grappling exchanges and opportunities to make the fight more decisive, but neither finished. Marquardt threatened with early guillotines, and Okami worked into controlling positions. Their measured pace left the judges to separate the rounds. The unanimous result did not mean every round was beyond debate; it meant all three officials ultimately favored Okami’s overall score.

The win advanced Okami’s long pursuit of a UFC championship bout. It also changed the immediate path for Marquardt, who had previously challenged Silva and was seeking another opportunity. A title eliminator determines the challenger; it does not itself transfer the belt. Silva remained champion after this event, having retained the title against Chael Sonnen at UFC 117.

UFC 122 was the promotion’s second trip to Germany, following UFC 99 in Cologne. The change of city brought a different main-event division and an important contender decision. For the German audience, the night combined that international title picture with appearances by fighters who trained or competed locally.

Siver turns a striking opening into a submission

Dennis Siver supplied the clearest main-card finish. In a lively lightweight exchange, he hurt Andre Winner with a left hand, followed him to the ground and secured a rear-naked choke. Winner tapped at 3:37 of round one. Siver’s victory showed the value of following a striking opening into grappling, instead of insisting on a knockout after the opponent had already fallen.

Winner had lost a decision to Nik Lentz at UFC 118; Oberhausen produced a different setback, this time inside the opening round. Siver received the event’s Submission of the Night award. His result gave the local crowd a decisive highlight alongside the main event’s much closer fifteen-minute contest.

Three more main-card decisions

Amir Sadollah defeated Peter Sobotta by unanimous decision, with all three scores reading 30–27. Sadollah’s output and accuracy built his advantage as the welterweight contest progressed. Krzysztof Soszynski also won every round on the judges’ cards against Goran Reljic, earning another unanimous decision at light heavyweight.

Duane Ludwig’s welterweight bout with Nick Osipczak was closer. Ludwig recovered from difficult moments and won a split decision, with two 29–28 cards in his favor and one against him. The result should remain a split verdict rather than be flattened into an unqualified account of domination. The final main card included Ludwig–Osipczak even though the early advertised lineup placed that bout among the supporting contests.

The five preliminary fights

Vladimir Matyushenko stopped Alexandre Ferreira with punches and elbows in round one. Pascal Krauss defeated Mark Scanlon by unanimous decision in a bout that received Fight of the Night honors. Kyle Noke submitted Rob Kimmons in the second round, while Karlos Vemola stopped Seth Petruzelli in his light heavyweight debut and received Knockout of the Night. Carlos Eduardo Rocha submitted Kris McCray with a first-round kneebar. Together, these results complete the ten fights held in Oberhausen.

Complete UFC 122 results

Main card

• Yushin Okami def. Nate Marquardt — unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 30–27), round 3, 5:00.
• Dennis Siver def. Andre Winner — submission (rear-naked choke), round 1, 3:37.
• Amir Sadollah def. Peter Sobotta — unanimous decision, round 3, 5:00.
• Krzysztof Soszynski def. Goran Reljic — unanimous decision, round 3, 5:00.
• Duane Ludwig def. Nick Osipczak — split decision, round 3, 5:00.

Preliminary card

• Vladimir Matyushenko def. Alexandre Ferreira — TKO (punches and elbows), round 1, 2:20.
• Pascal Krauss def. Mark Scanlon — unanimous decision, round 3, 5:00.
• Kyle Noke def. Rob Kimmons — submission (rear-naked choke), round 2, 1:33.
• Karlos Vemola def. Seth Petruzelli — TKO (punches and elbows), round 1, 3:46.
• Carlos Eduardo Rocha def. Kris McCray — submission (kneebar), round 1, 2:21.

Sources

• UFC: Okami’s main-event victory.
• UFC: the remaining main-card results.
• UFC: all five preliminary bouts.
• UFC: event bonus awards.
• UFC: the event’s title-eliminator stakes.
• Sherdog: complete results and methods.

Article Tags

UFC 122, Yushin Okami, Nate Marquardt, Dennis Siver, UFC Results