Quotes from the road to WSOF 9: Rousimar Palhares and Yushin Okami

ROUSIMAR PALHARES QUOTES 

Toquinho developed a special connection with nature and animals while growing up on a farm in Brazil

Junior Dos Santos, Minotauro Nogueira and Toquinho while training with Team Nogueira

Fishing on the river in Brazil

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“Steve Carl is a tremendous athlete, and I have a great deal of respect for him. He is the champion in an extremely tough welterweight division.  I’m blessed to be in a position to challenge him for his title, so now I need to go out there and do my best and show the world that I deserve that belt more than he does.”

“I am working hard every day in camp with Team Nogueira.  My team has been very good for me, both in supporting me through a transitional period and helping me prepare for one of my biggest fights to date.  I get to work out in the gym with several legends in the sport, and they are pushing me every day to become the best fighter I can be.”

“I am confident in my skills and abilities here at any weight, but I feel great at 170 pounds.  I don’t want to underestimate my opponent, but I think that I’m capable of becoming welterweight world champion at the World Series of Fighting, or any other organization for that matter.”

“I don’t have much to say about the past at this point.  I am focusing all of my energy on this fresh start with World Series of Fighting and I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue fighting elite fighters on an internationally televised and well respected organization.”

“I was approached by several organizations and had many offers on the table, but I felt that World Series of Fighting was the best option for me at the moment.  Their welterweight division is very deep with top talent like Steve Carl, Jon Fitch, Josh Burkman, Tyler Stinson, Gerald Harris, and I am anxious to test myself against all of them.”

YUSHIN OKAMI QUOTES

Favorite meal: “Yakiniku”

Jushin “Thunder” Liger

The Okami family dogs

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“My manager told me I had been released from the UFC on the wire.  I don’t remember my reaction much.  I guess I was surprised at first, but I always prepare the worst when I lose, so I recovered my composure with time.  Thankfully I received offers from many promotions as soon as my release was announced.  I received offers from Japan, Asian promotion, and also promotions from Europe.”

“When World Series of Fighting presented an offer for me, I was very happy.  WSOF is a new promotion, so history is going to be made here and now, and I plan on being a part of it.  I think that the great opportunity to make history and the exposure with NBC made the difference for me.  I think that the center of the MMA is North America.”

“My nickname actually comes from a Japanese pro wrestler named Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger.  He is a great fighter, and our names rhymed so it stuck.”

“World Series of Fighting has several powerful middleweight fighters, and I know that this would be a better challenge for me.  Svetlozar Savov has high physical ability and I feel his movement of one-on-one is very powerful.  He is a young, energetic fighter with an aggressive fighting style.   But my skills are more evolved, and I will put pressure on him at all times an attack him with a wider range of skill.  I’m sure this will bring me a victory.”

“My main focus and only goal is to become the World Series of Fighting champion, and I’m going to start on that March 29 with Savov.  Don’t miss it!”

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“World Series of Fighting 9: Carl vs. Palhares,” which features a welterweight title fight between champ Steve Carl and challenger Rousimar Palhares, as well as Marlon Moraes vs. Josh Rettinghouse for the inaugural World Series of Fighting bantamweight title, takes place March 29 at Las Vegas’ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

Tickets for World Series of Fighting 9, which start at just $39, are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com. Tickets can also be purchased at The Joint box office or by phone at (800) 745-3000. The night’s featured fights air live on NBCSN at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT local time) following preliminary bouts that stream on World Series of Fighting’s official website, WSOF.com.

NBCSN-TELEVISED MAIN CARD

Champion Steve Carl vs. Rousimar Palhares – for welterweight title

Marlon Moraes vs. Josh Rettinghouse – for inaugural bantamweight title

Yushin Okami vs. Svetlozar Savov

Josh Burkman vs. Tyler Stinson

Ozzy Dugulubgov vs. Johnny Nunez

WSOF.COM-STREAMED PRELIMINARY CARD

Shane Kruchten vs. Mike Corey

Chris Gruetzemacher vs. John Gunderson

Sean Cantor vs. Bryson Hansen

Phil Dace vs. Danny Davis

Brenson Hansen vs. Boostayre Nefarios

Jimmy Jones vs. Rudy Morales

Gil Guardado vs. Jimmy Spicuzza