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Masato (kickboxer)
Encyclopedia
Masato Kobayashi is a Japanese
former welterweight
kickboxer
. He was the world champion of ISKA
at Welterweight under Oriental rules, and he is the winner of K-1 WORLD MAX World tournament in 2003 and 2008
. In addition, he is also the runner-up
of K-1 World MAX World tournament
in 2004
and 2007.
, Chiba Prefecture
Japan
on March 10, 1979. When he was young, he moved to Niiza, Saitama
because of his parents' job. He started going to Asagiri Municipal Asagiri 4th Junior High School(ja). After graduating junior high school, he started Saitama Sakae High School(ja), but he dropped out soon after with his friends. He described the reason for dropping out simply as "enthusiasm" when he appeared on popular Japanese television show "Junk Sports"(ja). After dropping out, he worked many jobs but did not holding a steady position. Although he got a job as an assistant at a Yakitori
bar, he quit the job on the first day, saying he was "going to leave for lunch".
In 1994, when he was 15 years old, he joined Yonekura Boxing Gym. After failing his test for a professional boxers' license, he left the gym. When he was 17 years old, he joined Fuji Gym and started learning kickboxing
because he thought kickboxing was useful for street fighting
. After passing the exam for professional kickboxing, he became a professional kickboxer under All Japan Kickboxing Federation
(AJKF). Before his first fight, Shigeo Kato, the owner of Fuji gym, tried to name him "Fuji Sankaizan"(藤 山海山) as a ring name
, but it was denied. Thereupon, Kato suggested another ring name Masato(魔裟斗), "the homonym term of Masato (雅人)". He accepted that name but he did not like it because it gave a bad impression as its script was like Japanese Hells Angels
.
on May 30, losing by KO due to knee strikes in the third. Originally, this bout was promoted as an ordinary freshman bout of three rounds, but was later upgraded to the main final bout due to the cancellation of a previously scheduled main bout.
On March 17, 1999, he fought against Tomoharu Chiba for the vacant national title of AJKF at welterweight
when he was 20 years old. He knocked out Chiba at 3R and became the new champion. After this victory, he began receiving offers for international matches. On November 22, he fought against Eval Denton from USA, and won by decision at 5R. When Paul Ingram
, the president of WKA, watched this bout, he evaluated Masato highly and considered rating him for world rating, but this was to be Masato's last bout in the AJKF. After this bout, he was rated as #13 at welterweight by World Kickboxing Association
(WKA), but he announced that he was going to be independent from AJKF in December. Masato was offered to fight against Mohamed Ouali from Morocco
on January 21 by AJKF for the rating of WKA, but he denied this bout because he did not give his consent about the conditions for the bout. He sent his agent to AJKF for negotiation on January 14, but it was broken off. For this reason, this bout was canceled. He handed in a notice of withdrawal to AJKF and Fuji gym as on March 14 and returned his title at that day. According to the announcement from AJKF, the contract between AJKF, Fuji gym, and Masato was until for 2002. For this withdrawal, he lost his training area, so he asked some martial arts gyms to rent some space for training.
, and he fought against Kongnapa Looktubpha. He knocked out Kongnapa cold with a swift left uppercut. On November 1, he was offered by K-1 for challenging Morad Sari from France
. He knocked out Sari at 2R with left hook, and he took Sari's world championship of International Sport Karate Association
(ISKA) under oriental rules. Takashi Ito
, the Japanese veteran kickboxer, decided to be retired when he saw this bout. For this reason, he had a retirement bout(Exhibition) with Masato on March 30, 2001.
On December 5, Masato participated the event of King's Birthday to fight against Suriya Sor. Ploenchit
, a highly ranked southpaw, who would later go on to compete in the 2004 Summer Olympics
and win a bronze medal in Welterweight
boxing
, for the vacant world title of International World Muaythai(IWM) at Super welterweight. Masato was unprepared for Suriya
's southpaw style and was dominated for the entire 5 rounds. Originally Masato was scheduled to fight Orono Por.Muang U-Bon but due to speculation that Orono had Hepatitis B, Masato's team opted not to fight, only days before the event.
(TBS), and the directors introduced Masato as "the Rebellious Charisma"(反逆のカリスマ) for advertising slogan
, and they continued to use it whenever Masato is on television. Although it got commonly known, Masato hated his new nickname and he said "Stop using it." during the interview because he did not understand what Rebellious is for. He beat Takayuki Kohiruimaki
, the only person who had beaten Masato before among Japanese, by unanimous decision at the final of tournament. After the tournament, Kohiruimaki said "I'll fight against him again and kill him without fail." on the ring to the audience).
On May 11, 2002, he participated K-1 World MAX 2002 World Tournament Final. He beat Duane Ludwig
by unanimous decision at 3R, but he was knocked down by Albert Kraus
at 2R and lost by unanimous decision in the semi-final.
Masato had a returning bout in his own event "Wolf Revolution". He fought against Melvin Murray from Canada
, and he knocked out with low kicks in the 2nd round.
kick-boxer Mike Zambidis
in the quarter finals by a split decision, after a close fight. He then moved on to the semi finals to fight Thai kick-boxer Sakeddaw Kiatputon in whom he defeated via a Right uppercut KO. Masato then moved on to fight in his first K-1 World MAX final for the title against Albert Kraus
whom he had loss to at the K-1 World MAX 2002 World Tournament Final via decision (Kraus went on to win the title) and also again fought Kraus later that year at K-1 World MAX 2002 Champions' Challenge in which resulted in a decision draw. Masato finally managed to defeat Kraus via a left hook knockout in the 2nd round at 2:26 making him the new K-1 World MAX Champion.
On December 15, 2003, Masato fought two more semi-contact exhibition matches for the Wolf Revolution, including a single round of MMA
rules against Caol Uno
who had fought on UFC before.
. He disclosed that he is called "Mākun" by his wife as his nickname. By the way, His parents and Musashi
also calls Masato Mākun.
In the semis, Masato was paired up against Artur Kyshenko
. The first round unfolded with Kyshenko imposing his range and size on Masato, keeping him at bay throwing hard right hands and left hooks. The second round saw Masato pushing the pace with more leg kicks and combinations. At the two minute mark, Masato threw an overhand right which stunned Kyshenko, and then followed up with a left hook which sent the Ukrainian
to the canvas. Kyshenko did not make the count, sending Masato to the finals against Dutch
Shoot boxer Andy Souwer
.
Masato dominated the first round by throwing body-head combinations and backing Souwer onto the ropes. However, at the end of the round Souwer's methodical leg kicks started to take its toll. In the second the leg kicks were visibly affecting Masato and at the very end, Souwer delivered two knee strikes to the left leg while clinching with Masato which made it obvious that Masato could not walk straight afterwards and he did not answer the bell for the third round, giving Souwer the victory by tko and making him the 2007 K-1 World MAX champion.
title, defeating Yoshihiro Sato
and Artur Kyshenko
.
and kickboxing
matches. Masato headlined on each event and won all of his fights by KO.
, Buyuden, Dead or Alive 2: Birds
, Shukyoku Ninja and Shamo
.
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
former welterweight
Welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
kickboxer
Kickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
. He was the world champion of ISKA
Iska
Iska is a village in Koonga Parish, Pärnu County in southwestern Estonia....
at Welterweight under Oriental rules, and he is the winner of K-1 WORLD MAX World tournament in 2003 and 2008
K-1 World MAX 2008 World Championship Tournament Final
-Results :*Opening Fight: K-1 Rules / 3Min. 3R Ext.1R*K-1 Koushien Final 8 : K-1 Rules / 3Min. 3R-External links:**...
. In addition, he is also the runner-up
Runner-up
Runner-up is a term used to denote a participant which finishes in second place in any of a variety of competitive endeavors, most notably sporting events and beauty pageants; in the latter instance, the term is applied to more than one of the highest-ranked non-winning contestants, the...
of K-1 World MAX World tournament
K-1
K-1 is a defunct world-wide kickboxing promotion based in Tokyo, Japan founded by Kazuyoshi Ishii, a formerKyokushin karate practitioner. K-1 combines stand up techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Savate, San Shou, kickboxing, western-style boxing, and other martial arts...
in 2004
K-1 World MAX 2004 World Tournament Final
K-1 World MAX 2004 World Tournament Final was a kickboxing and martial arts event promoted by the K-1 organization. It was the third K-1 MAX final for middleweight kickboxers involving eight finalists and two reserve fighters, with all bouts fought under K-1 rules...
and 2007.
Early life
Masato Kobayashi (小林 雅人) was born in Kashiwa CityKashiwa, Chiba
is a city located in northern Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2011, the city had an estimated population of 404,820 and a population density of 3520 persons per km²...
, Chiba Prefecture
Chiba Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...
Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on March 10, 1979. When he was young, he moved to Niiza, Saitama
Niiza, Saitama
is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, and is essentially a suburb of the Tokyo conurbation. Niiza is located at the southernmost part of Saitama. As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 159,741 and a population density of 7,010 persons per km²...
because of his parents' job. He started going to Asagiri Municipal Asagiri 4th Junior High School(ja). After graduating junior high school, he started Saitama Sakae High School(ja), but he dropped out soon after with his friends. He described the reason for dropping out simply as "enthusiasm" when he appeared on popular Japanese television show "Junk Sports"(ja). After dropping out, he worked many jobs but did not holding a steady position. Although he got a job as an assistant at a Yakitori
Yakitori
, grilled chicken, is commonly a Japanese type of skewered chicken. The term Yakitori can also refer to skewered food in general. Kushiyaki , is a formal term that encompasses both poultry and non-poultry items, skewered and grilled...
bar, he quit the job on the first day, saying he was "going to leave for lunch".
In 1994, when he was 15 years old, he joined Yonekura Boxing Gym. After failing his test for a professional boxers' license, he left the gym. When he was 17 years old, he joined Fuji Gym and started learning kickboxing
Kickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
because he thought kickboxing was useful for street fighting
Street fighting
Street fighting is a colloquial term used to denote unsanctioned, illegal in some countries, hand-to-hand fighting in public places, between individuals or groups of people....
. After passing the exam for professional kickboxing, he became a professional kickboxer under All Japan Kickboxing Federation
All Japan Kickboxing Federation
All Japan Kickboxing Federation was the Japan-based sanctioning and promoting body of professional kickboxing. It was established in 1987 and it was dissolved in 2009. The informal name was "Zen Nihon Kikku...
(AJKF). Before his first fight, Shigeo Kato, the owner of Fuji gym, tried to name him "Fuji Sankaizan"(藤 山海山) as a ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
, but it was denied. Thereupon, Kato suggested another ring name Masato(魔裟斗), "the homonym term of Masato (雅人)". He accepted that name but he did not like it because it gave a bad impression as its script was like Japanese Hells Angels
Bosozoku
is a Japanese subculture associated with motorcycle clubs and gangs.-Traits and history:The word bōsōzoku is also applied to motorcycle gangs, who share an interest in modifications for motorcycles, such as removing the mufflers so that more noise is produced...
.
All Japan Kickboxing Federation
Masato made his professional debut on March 23, 1997 against Hutoshi Takehara, winning by KO in the first round. In his second bout, he fought against Takayuki KohiruimakiTakayuki Kohiruimaki
is a Japanese welterweight kickboxer and karateka competing in K-1 MAX. His real name is Takayuki Kohiruimaki. He started calling himself Taishin Kohiruimaki in 2008.-Young age:...
on May 30, losing by KO due to knee strikes in the third. Originally, this bout was promoted as an ordinary freshman bout of three rounds, but was later upgraded to the main final bout due to the cancellation of a previously scheduled main bout.
On March 17, 1999, he fought against Tomoharu Chiba for the vacant national title of AJKF at welterweight
Welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
when he was 20 years old. He knocked out Chiba at 3R and became the new champion. After this victory, he began receiving offers for international matches. On November 22, he fought against Eval Denton from USA, and won by decision at 5R. When Paul Ingram
Paul Ingram
The Thurston county ritual abuse case was a case in which Paul Ingram, county Republican Party Chairman of Thurston County, Washington and the Chief Civil Deputy of the Sheriff's department, was accused by his daughters of sexual abuse, by at least one daughter of satanic ritual abuse and later...
, the president of WKA, watched this bout, he evaluated Masato highly and considered rating him for world rating, but this was to be Masato's last bout in the AJKF. After this bout, he was rated as #13 at welterweight by World Kickboxing Association
World Kickboxing Association
The World Kickboxing Association is one of the oldest and the largest amateur and professional sanctioning organizations of kickboxing in the world for the sport. Its official name is "World Kickboxing and Karate Association"....
(WKA), but he announced that he was going to be independent from AJKF in December. Masato was offered to fight against Mohamed Ouali from Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
on January 21 by AJKF for the rating of WKA, but he denied this bout because he did not give his consent about the conditions for the bout. He sent his agent to AJKF for negotiation on January 14, but it was broken off. For this reason, this bout was canceled. He handed in a notice of withdrawal to AJKF and Fuji gym as on March 14 and returned his title at that day. According to the announcement from AJKF, the contract between AJKF, Fuji gym, and Masato was until for 2002. For this withdrawal, he lost his training area, so he asked some martial arts gyms to rent some space for training.
Silver Wolf
As Masato left AJKF, he started managing himself with his team "Silver Wolf". On April 16, 2000, Masato went to ThailandThailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, and he fought against Kongnapa Looktubpha. He knocked out Kongnapa cold with a swift left uppercut. On November 1, he was offered by K-1 for challenging Morad Sari from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He knocked out Sari at 2R with left hook, and he took Sari's world championship of International Sport Karate Association
International Sport Karate Association
The International Sport Karate Association is one of the major international bodies regulating karate and kickboxing matches, and is based in the United States...
(ISKA) under oriental rules. Takashi Ito
Takashi Ito
Takashi Itō is a Japanese former welterweight kickboxer fighting out of Yamaki Gym in Setagaya, Tokyo. He is the owner of kickboxing gym "TARGET", and a manager of promotion company "R.I.S.E." of kickboxing events. He won the world title of WMAF at Junior middleweight. He is Christian.-Early...
, the Japanese veteran kickboxer, decided to be retired when he saw this bout. For this reason, he had a retirement bout(Exhibition) with Masato on March 30, 2001.
On December 5, Masato participated the event of King's Birthday to fight against Suriya Sor. Ploenchit
Suriya Prasathinphimai
Suriya Prasathinphimai is a Thai boxer who competed in the Middleweight at the 2004 Summer Olympics and won the bronze medal. He qualified for the 2004 Athens Games by ending up in second place in the 2nd AIBA Asian 2004 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Karachi, Pakistan...
, a highly ranked southpaw, who would later go on to compete in the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
and win a bronze medal in Welterweight
Welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
boxing
Amateur boxing
Amateur boxing is practised at the collegiate level, at the Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games, and in many other venues sponsored by amateur boxing associations. Amateur boxing bouts are short in duration and fighters wear head protection, so this type of competition prizes point-scoring rather...
, for the vacant world title of International World Muaythai(IWM) at Super welterweight. Masato was unprepared for Suriya
Suriya Prasathinphimai
Suriya Prasathinphimai is a Thai boxer who competed in the Middleweight at the 2004 Summer Olympics and won the bronze medal. He qualified for the 2004 Athens Games by ending up in second place in the 2nd AIBA Asian 2004 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Karachi, Pakistan...
's southpaw style and was dominated for the entire 5 rounds. Originally Masato was scheduled to fight Orono Por.Muang U-Bon but due to speculation that Orono had Hepatitis B, Masato's team opted not to fight, only days before the event.
K-1 WORLD MAX 2002
Masato participated the Japanese tournament of K-1 MAX on February 11, 2002. This tournament was televised to all around Japan by the Tokyo Broadcasting SystemTokyo Broadcasting System
, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
(TBS), and the directors introduced Masato as "the Rebellious Charisma"(反逆のカリスマ) for advertising slogan
Advertising slogan
Advertising slogans are short, often memorable phrases used in advertising campaigns. They are claimed to be the most effective means of drawing attention to one or more aspects of a product. A strapline is a British term used as a secondary sentence attached to a brand name...
, and they continued to use it whenever Masato is on television. Although it got commonly known, Masato hated his new nickname and he said "Stop using it." during the interview because he did not understand what Rebellious is for. He beat Takayuki Kohiruimaki
Takayuki Kohiruimaki
is a Japanese welterweight kickboxer and karateka competing in K-1 MAX. His real name is Takayuki Kohiruimaki. He started calling himself Taishin Kohiruimaki in 2008.-Young age:...
, the only person who had beaten Masato before among Japanese, by unanimous decision at the final of tournament. After the tournament, Kohiruimaki said "I'll fight against him again and kill him without fail." on the ring to the audience).
On May 11, 2002, he participated K-1 World MAX 2002 World Tournament Final. He beat Duane Ludwig
Duane Ludwig
Duane Paul Ludwig is an American Muay Thai kickboxer and mixed martial artist. He is the former Middleweight Muay Thai world champion, and currently fights for the Ultimate Fighting Championships in their welterweight and lightweight divisions...
by unanimous decision at 3R, but he was knocked down by Albert Kraus
Albert Kraus
Albert “The Hurricane” Kraus is a Dutch welterweight kickboxer. He was the first K-1 World MAX 2002 champion and has also held four separate world titles in kickboxing and Muay Thai...
at 2R and lost by unanimous decision in the semi-final.
Masato had a returning bout in his own event "Wolf Revolution". He fought against Melvin Murray from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and he knocked out with low kicks in the 2nd round.
K-1 WORLD MAX 2003
On the 5th of July 2003, Masato was invited again to join the K-1 World MAX 2003 World Tournament Final. He defeated GreekGreeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
kick-boxer Mike Zambidis
Mike Zambidis
"Iron" Mike Zambidis is a professional Greek kickboxer and martial artist. He is a 15 time World Champion, and is the current W.I.P.U...
in the quarter finals by a split decision, after a close fight. He then moved on to the semi finals to fight Thai kick-boxer Sakeddaw Kiatputon in whom he defeated via a Right uppercut KO. Masato then moved on to fight in his first K-1 World MAX final for the title against Albert Kraus
Albert Kraus
Albert “The Hurricane” Kraus is a Dutch welterweight kickboxer. He was the first K-1 World MAX 2002 champion and has also held four separate world titles in kickboxing and Muay Thai...
whom he had loss to at the K-1 World MAX 2002 World Tournament Final via decision (Kraus went on to win the title) and also again fought Kraus later that year at K-1 World MAX 2002 Champions' Challenge in which resulted in a decision draw. Masato finally managed to defeat Kraus via a left hook knockout in the 2nd round at 2:26 making him the new K-1 World MAX Champion.
On December 15, 2003, Masato fought two more semi-contact exhibition matches for the Wolf Revolution, including a single round of MMA
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
rules against Caol Uno
Caol Uno
is a Japanese mixed martial artist, and former Shooto Welterweight Champion. Specifically, Uno is known for his low single leg takedown and rear naked choke. He was born in Kanagawa, Japan...
who had fought on UFC before.
Marriage
On February 13, he had a press conference to announce his marriage with his wife Shin Yazawa, a Japanese actress. They said they registered their marriage at the public office on February 11, 2007. He disclosed that he is called "Mākun" by his wife as his nickname. By the way, His parents and Musashi
Musashi (kickboxer)
is a retired professional Japanese Heavyweight karateka and kickboxer. He is 4 time K-1 Japan tournament champion, a former WAKO Heavyweight Muay Thai champion and two time K-1 World Grand Prix finalist...
also calls Masato Mākun.
K-1 WORLD MAX 2007
On October 3, 2007 he participated on his 6th consecutive K-1 World MAX Final held in Tokyo, Japan. In quarter finals he was matched up against reigning champion Buakaw Por. Pramuk. Near the end of the first round, Masato connected with a left uppercut and right cross combo and Buakaw was knocked down. Masato maintained the pace of offense throughout the fight and won the fight by unanimous decision.In the semis, Masato was paired up against Artur Kyshenko
Artur Kyshenko
Artur Kyshenko is a Ukrainian middleweight Muay Thai kickboxer, fighting out of Mike's Gym in Amsterdam, Netherlands...
. The first round unfolded with Kyshenko imposing his range and size on Masato, keeping him at bay throwing hard right hands and left hooks. The second round saw Masato pushing the pace with more leg kicks and combinations. At the two minute mark, Masato threw an overhand right which stunned Kyshenko, and then followed up with a left hook which sent the Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
to the canvas. Kyshenko did not make the count, sending Masato to the finals against Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Shoot boxer Andy Souwer
Andy Souwer
Andreas "Andy" Souwer is a Dutch welterweight shoot boxer. He is two time K-1 World MAX champion as well as a three time Shootboxing World tournament champion, fighting out of Mejiro Gym, Amsterdam, Netherlands....
.
Masato dominated the first round by throwing body-head combinations and backing Souwer onto the ropes. However, at the end of the round Souwer's methodical leg kicks started to take its toll. In the second the leg kicks were visibly affecting Masato and at the very end, Souwer delivered two knee strikes to the left leg while clinching with Masato which made it obvious that Masato could not walk straight afterwards and he did not answer the bell for the third round, giving Souwer the victory by tko and making him the 2007 K-1 World MAX champion.
K-1 WORLD MAX 2008
On October 1, 2008 Masato won his second K-1 MAXK-1 World MAX 2008 World Championship Tournament Final
-Results :*Opening Fight: K-1 Rules / 3Min. 3R Ext.1R*K-1 Koushien Final 8 : K-1 Rules / 3Min. 3R-External links:**...
title, defeating Yoshihiro Sato
Yoshihiro Sato
is a Japanese kickboxer competing in K-1 at middleweight . He is the former world champion of Muay Thai in WKA and WPKC, and he won the Japanese national tournament of K-1 twice in 2006 and 2007. His official nickname is "Mugen Sniper" which means Infinite Sniper.- Amateur era :He was born in...
and Artur Kyshenko
Artur Kyshenko
Artur Kyshenko is a Ukrainian middleweight Muay Thai kickboxer, fighting out of Mike's Gym in Amsterdam, Netherlands...
.
Retirement
Masato fought his retirement fight against Andy Souwer. Masato won the fight after five excellent rounds where he dropped Souwer with a right hand in the fourth round.Kickboxing record
| Professional kickboxing record | |
|---|---|
Legend: |
|
Titles
- 2008 K-1 World MAX ChampionK-1 World MAX 2008 World Championship Tournament Final-Results :*Opening Fight: K-1 Rules / 3Min. 3R Ext.1R*K-1 Koushien Final 8 : K-1 Rules / 3Min. 3R-External links:**...
- 2007 K-1 World MAX Finalist
- 2004 K-1 World MAX FinalistK-1 World MAX 2004 World Tournament FinalK-1 World MAX 2004 World Tournament Final was a kickboxing and martial arts event promoted by the K-1 organization. It was the third K-1 MAX final for middleweight kickboxers involving eight finalists and two reserve fighters, with all bouts fought under K-1 rules...
- 2003 K-1 World MAX Champion
- 2003 K-1 World MAX Japan Champion
- 2002 K-1 World MAX Japan Champion
- 2000 ISKA Oriental World Welterweight Champion(Defence: 0)
- 1999 AJKFAll Japan Kickboxing FederationAll Japan Kickboxing Federation was the Japan-based sanctioning and promoting body of professional kickboxing. It was established in 1987 and it was dissolved in 2009. The informal name was "Zen Nihon Kikku...
Welterweight Champion(Defence: 0)
Wolf Revolution
Wolf Revolution is an event promoted by Masato himself. It mixes live bands with MMAMixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
and kickboxing
Kickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
matches. Masato headlined on each event and won all of his fights by KO.
Movies
Masato has appeared in films such as IzoIzo
IZO is a 2004 Japanese film, directed by Takashi Miike. The main character of the film is Izo Okada , the historical samurai and assassin in 19th century Japan who was tortured and executed by beheading in Tosa....
, Buyuden, Dead or Alive 2: Birds
Dead or Alive 2: Birds
Dead or Alive 2: Birds is a Japanese film directed by Takashi Miike. Dead or Alive 2: Birds is unrelated to Dead or Alive or Dead or Alive: Final except that all three films have Show Aikawa and Riki Takeuchi in them, and they are all directed by Takashi Miike.-Plot:Two contract killers cross...
, Shukyoku Ninja and Shamo
Shamo
Shamo or Ko-Shamo is a breed of chicken of Japan which was originated in Thailand. The name "Shamo" was a corruption of "Siam" during the early Edo period but has been selectively bred for several hundred years and is very different from the original stock. Shamo in reality is a strain of the Asil...
.
See also
- List of K-1 events
- List of K-1 champions
- List of male kickboxers
- List of kickboxing organizations