WSOF VP: Jon Fitch and Yushin Okami’s Legacies on the Line at WSOF 24

WSOF vice president Ali Abdelaziz spoke with MMAjunkie about the main event fight between John Fitch and Yushin Okami at WSOF 24. Check out the highlights:

On the stakes of the fight: “Somebody is going to go home without the opportunity to fight for a belt or win a belt; it’s legacy on the line. Many guys have fought, but when you don’t win a belt people don’t remember you as much. When you win a belt, your name is always going to come into the conversation. Your name in history will be placed. These guys always have a place in history. They have a place, but at what level? Will it be at a world championship level, or just another fighter?”

On the opportunity for both fighters: “If I’m Yushin Okami or Jon Fitch, this is a very important fight for their legacy. Both of these guys fought for the UFC belt and they both come up short. They never win a belt in another major promotion. Jake Shields did. Shields was a Strikeforce champion, and EliteXC champion. This is the biggest opportunity of their life to make sure that when they retire, they can say, ‘I was a world champion.’ I think it’s very important fight for both of them to solidify their legacy, solidify their career and go ahead and retire and say, ‘I was a world champion.’ It’s very critical.”