Yoshihiro Akiyama - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

, born Choo Sung-hoon (Hangul

Hangul

Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...

: 추성훈, Hanja

Hanja

Hanja is the Korean name for the Chinese characters hanzi. More specifically, it refers to those Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation...

: 秋成勳), is a 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...

ese mixed martial artist and judoka. He is a fourth-generation Japanese of Korean descent and acquired Japanese nationality in 2001.
He won gold at the 2001 Asian Championships and 2002 Asian Games

Asian Games

The Asian Games, officially known as Asiad, is a multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until the 1978 Games. Since the 1982 Games they have been organised by the...

for South Korea

South Korea

The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

and Japan respectively.

As a mixed martial artist he became the 2006 K-1 HERO'S Light Heavyweight tournament champion. He is currently with the US promotion Ultimate Fighting Championship

Ultimate Fighting Championship

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...

and was victorious in his first UFC bout against Alan Belcher

Alan Belcher

John Alan Belcher , is an American mixed martial artist who fights in the middleweight division of the UFC. He fights out of Remix MMA in Biloxi, Mississippi, where he is also the owner. Belcher holds notable wins over Jorge Santiago, Jason MacDonald, Ed Herman, Dennis Kang, and Patrick Côté...

at UFC 100

UFC 100

UFC 100 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 11, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...

. He suffered defeat in his second bout against Chris Leben

Chris Leben

Christian Cyrus Leben is an American mixed martial artist currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he fights as a middleweight....

in UFC 116

UFC 116

UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 3, 2010 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States...

, and his third bout against Michael Bisping

Michael Bisping

Michael Gavin Joseph Bisping is an English mixed martial artist born in Cyprus but living in Clitheroe, Lancashire. He currently fights as a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and is the former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion, former Cage Rage light...

in UFC 120

UFC 120

UFC 120: Bisping vs. Akiyama was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 16, 2010 at the O2 Arena in London, England. The first ever UK UFC Fan Expo coincided with this event. This event aired on the same day, via tape delay, on Spike TV in the U.S. and Canada...

. All three of these fights received "Fight of the Night" honors. He is known for his high level Judo

Judo

is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...

, technical and brawler-like striking, and is considered to have one of the toughest chin

Chin (boxing)

In combat sports such as boxing, kickboxing and mixed martial arts, a fighter's chin is a figurative term that refers to a his/her ability to tolerate physical trauma to the head without being knocked unconscious...

s in MMA. He holds notable victories over Alan Belcher

Alan Belcher

, Dennis Kang, Melvin Manhoef

Melvin Manhoef

Melvin Manhoef is a Dutch-Surinamese Muay Thai kickboxer and mixed martial artist, trained by Mike Passenier and fighting out of Mike's Gym in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In kickboxing, he is the current It's Showtime 85MAX World Champion, and in MMA he was the Cage Rage Light Heavyweight World champion...

and South African boxer Francois Botha

Francois Botha

Francois Botha , also known as Frans Botha, is a South African boxer, nicknamed the "White Buffalo". Botha won the vacant IBF heavyweight title in 1995 when he outpointed Axel Schulz in Germany...

2001 Asian Championships

Representing Korea

Korea

Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...

, Akiyama won the Gold Medal at the 2001 Asian Championships

2002 Asian Games

Representing Japan

Japan

, Akiyama won the Gold Medal at the 2002 Asian Games

2002 Asian Games

The 2002 Asian Games, also known as XIV Asiad is a multi-sport event held in Busan, South Korea from September 29 to October 14, 2002. Busan is the second city, after Seoul in 1986 to host the Games. A total of 419 events in 38 sports were contested by 7,711 athletes from 44 countries...

defeating Ahn Dong-Jin of South Korea in the finals.

2003 World Judo Championships controversy

Akiyama defeated three opponents 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...

, Mongolia

Mongolia

Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...

, and Turkey

Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

to reach the semi-finals of the 81 kg Light Middleweight division. However, all three opponents claimed that Akiyama had a slippery judogi

Judogi

Judogi is the formal Japanese name for the traditional uniform used for Judo practice and competition. It is actually derived from traditional articles of Japanese clothing. Jigoro Kano derived the original judogi from the kimono and other Japanese garments around the turn of the 20th century, and...

. Wearing a reserve gi, Akiyama lost two games in a row (semifinal and 3rd-place match) and missed the medal.

International Judo Federation

International Judo Federation

The International Judo Federation was founded in July 1951. The IJF was originally composed of judo federations from Europe plus Argentina. Countries from four continents were affiliated over the next ten years. Today the IJF has 200 National Federations on all continents...

referee director Juan Carlos Barcos said an examination of the gi

Keikogi

or dōgi is a uniform for training, used in martial arts derived from Japan, or budō. . The prototype for the modern keikogi emerged in the late 19th century. The keikogi was developed by judo founder Kano Jigoro...

found that the slippery texture was due to high humidity which prevailed in Osaka

Osaka

is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...

and a detergent used to wash the uniform. "At any moment, we did not have any doubt about fair play in the case. We are absolutely sure that Mr. Akiyama is correct," since he changed the jacket at the request of the jury, Barcos said.

Akiyama was also accused of wearing slippery gear by former world and Olympic champion Kenzo Nakamura

Kenzo Nakamura

is a retired judoka who won a gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics. He is the younger brother of 1993 World Judo Championships gold medalist Yoshio Nakamura and 1996 Olympic silver medalist Yukimasa Nakamura.-Biography:...

when they fought at the world championship trials in 2002.

HERO'S

Akiyama's mixed martial arts

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...

debut was in the K-1 Premium 2004 Dynamite event on December 31, 2004, where he defeated boxer

Boxing

Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...

Francois Botha

Francois Botha , also known as Frans Botha, is a South African boxer, nicknamed the "White Buffalo". Botha won the vacant IBF heavyweight title in 1995 when he outpointed Axel Schulz in Germany...

by armbar submission in the first round. His first defeat was to Jerome LeBanner, who knocked him out with knees in his second fight at the HERO'S 1 event on March 26, 2005, while it should be noted that LeBanner is a heavyweight that came into the fight at 262 pounds (119 kg), while Akiyama came into the fight at 189.5 pounds (86 kg). He has notable wins against Tokimitsu Ishizawa, Taiei Kin

Taiei Kin

Kin Taiei is a Korean-Japanese light heavyweight karateka, kickboxer and mixed martial artist competing in K-1 and DREAM. He's also a karate instructor and a trainer for professional fighters...

, Kestutis Smirnovas and Melvin Manhoef

Melvin Manhoef

. Akiyama defeated Melvin Manhoef

Melvin Manhoef

at the Hero's

HERO'S

Hero's was a Japanese mixed martial arts promotion operated by Fighting and Entertainment Group, the parent entity behind kickboxing organization K-1. Grown from and branched off of K-1's earlier experiments in MMA, including the K-1 Romanex event and various MMA fights on its regular K-1...

light-heavyweight Grand Prix 2006 final round, and gained the champion belt.

In K-1 Premium 2006 Dynamite, Akiyama fought Kazushi Sakuraba

Kazushi Sakuraba

is a Japanese professional mixed martial artist and former professional wrestler. He has competed in pro-wrestling for New Japan Pro Wrestling, UWFi and Kingdom Pro Wrestling. He has fought in MMA competition in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, PRIDE Fighting Championships, K-1 Hero's and Dream...

in the main event. During the match, Sakuraba called to the referee saying "[Akiyama is] Slippery!" Akiayama went on to win the match with a referee stoppage. This created a controversy amongst MMA fans in Japan, assuming Akiyama was using some sort of body oil or lubricant, banned in K-1 rules.

But at this moment, Akiyama answered to questions about the oil in the interview as follows: "I have no idea why Sakuraba felt slippery. It may be my sweat, as I sweat a lot always and it often drips off my body."

On January 11, Akiyama and FEG

Fighting and Entertainment Group

Fighting and Entertainment Group is the leading Japanese combat sport promoter. Its current president is Sadaharu Tanikawa and it is the parent company behind the mixed martial arts series Dream and formerly, the largest kickboxing promotion in the world, K-1.On December 31, 2010 after the Dream...

(the parent company of K-1) held a press conference during which Akiyama said he used Olay

Olay

Olay is an American skin care line. It is one of the top skin care retail brands in the world, except for Japan, and is one of Procter & Gamble's multi-billion dollar brands. For the 2009 fiscal year ended June 30, Olay accounted for an estimated $2.8 billion of P&G's $79 billion in revenue.-Early...

lotion prior to the fight claiming that the lotion was used to treat a worn gi. Pre-fight footage also showed Akiyama casually applying six bottles of lotion to his body in his locker room. As a result, Akiyama was disqualified and his prize money was suspended. Akiyama himself was suspended indefinitely from HERO'S competition six days later. Public outcry against Akiyama did not cease however, and Nike

Nike, Inc.

Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...

was swamped with complaints when Akiyama was featured on a television commercial in Japan. Though Akiyama has admitted to applying cream to his skin, he has said that the purpose was not to gain an unfair advantage but to treat his dry skin. The fight was ruled a "No Contest".

Akiyama was cleared from his FEG-induced suspension and FEG announced that Akiyama would return to K-1 Hero's in Seoul, on October 28, 2007. His opponent was Denis Kang

Denis Kang

Denis Kang is a Canadian mixed martial artist of Korean French descent. He was the PRIDE FC welterweight grand prix finalist in which he lost to Kazuo Misaki...

, who was the finalist of PRIDE Bushido Grand Prix 2006 and making his debut in Hero's

HERO'S

. Though he was an underdog, Akiyama beat Kang by KO in the first round.

Yarennoka! fight

On December 31, 2007, Akiyama faced Kazuo Misaki at Yarennoka!

Yarennoka!

Yarennoka! was a mixed martial arts event that took place on December 31, 2007 at the Saitama Super Arena in Tokyo, Japan. The event was promoted by the Yarrenoka! Executive Committee, composed of former Pride Fighting Championships executives, and held in association with Fighting and...

. The rules of the match stated that kicks to the head of a downed opponent would not be allowed. Late in the first round Misaki knocked down Akiyama with left hook, and as Akiyama struggled to his feet, Misaki delivered a lunging kick to the face which knocked Akiyama out. The match was ruled a knockout victory for Misaki, but Akiyama contended that one or both of his hands were on the mat at the time of the kick, which would make the kick a foul under the Yarennoka! rules. After reviewing video of the knockout, the Yarennoka! executive committee agreed; the official result was changed to a no contest.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

On February 24, 2009 it was announced on the official UFC website that Akiyama had signed a deal with the company. Even though he suffered a broken orbital bone during the start of round two, Akiyama went on to beat UFC veteran Alan Belcher

Alan Belcher

at UFC 100

UFC 100

UFC 100 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 11, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...

on July 11 by split decision. It was the 1st fight in Akiyama's career that went to the judges' score cards. The bout was also awarded "Fight of the Night" honors, granting both fighters a record-setting $100,000 bonus each.

On May 30, 2009 Yoshihiro Akiyama opened a new gym in Tokyo, Japan. The 'Akiyama Dojo' has Judo and MMA halls, 30 tatami

Tatami

A is a type of mat used as a flooring material in traditional Japanese-style rooms. Traditionally made of rice straw to form the core , with a covering of woven soft rush straw, tatami are made in standard sizes, with the length exactly twice the width...

mats and three octagonal cages.

Akiyama joined Xtreme Couture for the month of October 2009 to work on his striking skills. Akiyama was expected to face MMA legend and former PRIDE Middleweight Champion Wanderlei Silva

Wanderlei Silva

Wanderlei César da Silva , nicknamed "The Axe Murderer", is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, who has competed in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships and the American based Ultimate Fighting Championship . Silva is known for his aggressive fighting style with the majority of his fights ending in...

on February 21, 2010 at UFC 110

UFC 110

UFC 110: Nogueira vs. Velasquez was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Sunday, 21 February 2010 in Sydney, Australia, at the Acer Arena. The event marked the UFC's first trip to Australia. The main card was scheduled for 2:00 pm Sunday in Sydney to cater...

, but Silva instead faced British

Great Britain

Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

striker Michael Bisping

Michael Bisping

on the card, losing via unanimous decision. At the Post-fight conference, UFC President Dana White

Dana White

Dana White is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.- Biography :...

stated that Akiyama had requested to fight Silva for a while and has refused to fight other opponents, after which both fighters verbally agreed to fight.

Akiyama was expected to face Silva on July 3, 2010 at UFC 116

UFC 116

UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 3, 2010 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States...

. Wanderlei had to pull out on June 22, 2010 due to fractured ribs suffered in training. Chris Leben

Chris Leben

Christian Cyrus Leben is an American mixed martial artist currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he fights as a middleweight....

was chosen as a replacement. Despite controlling the majority of the fight with effective strikes and solid Judo takedowns, Akiyama became fatigued after the first round and lost via triangle choke with just twenty seconds left in the third round. His loss to Leben was his first official loss in five years.

Akiyama lost to Michael Bisping

Michael Bisping

on October 16, 2010 at UFC 120

UFC 120

by unanimous decision. In preparation for his fight with Bisping, Akiyama switched to Jackson’s Submission Fighting in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...

. It is unclear whether the switch is permanent. Even though Akiyama lost to Bisping, he rocked him in the first round. He earned his third "Fight of the Night" honors. He has now earned "Fight of the Night" honors for all three of his UFC appearances.

Akiyama was briefly scheduled to face Chael Sonnen

Chael Sonnen

Chael Patrick Sonnen is an American mixed martial artist who competes as a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He was an NCAA Division I All-American wrestler at the University of Oregon, a two-time University Greco national champion as well as the 85.0 kg silver medalist at...

on March 19, 2011 at UFC 128

UFC 128

UFC 128: Shogun vs. Jones was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 19, 2011, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.-Background:...

, but, due to Sonnen's suspension, the fight was scrapped. Akiyama was later scheduled to face Nate Marquardt at the same event, but pulled out due to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami

2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami

The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...

and was replaced by Dan Miller

Dan Miller (fighter)

Daniel James Miller is an American Middleweight mixed martial artist signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the older brother of fellow MMA fighter Jim Miller.-Martial arts background:...

.

Akiyama was defeated by Vitor Belfort

Vitor Belfort

Vítor Vieira Belfort is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Belfort was born in Rio de Janeiro and studied jiu-jitsu with the Gracie family, namely Carlson Gracie. He received a black belt under Carlson and currently trains with Xtreme Couture, fighting in...

at UFC 133

UFC 133

UFC 133: Evans vs. Ortiz was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.-Background:...

via KO (Punches) in the first round. This defeat marks the third straight loss for Akiyama in the UFC. Following the fight, Dana White stated that Akiyama most likely would not be cut from the organization if he agrees to move down to 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...

. As of September 3, 2011, Akiyama has stated he will move down a weight class, allowing him to stay in the UFC. On November 3, 2011, a picture of Akiyama had circled the web of his body frame as a welterweight.

Akiyama is expected to face Jake Shields

Jake Shields

Jake Shields is an American mixed martial artist who is currently fighting in the welterweight division of the UFC. He is the last Rumble on the Rock 175 lb champion. He is the first and last Elite XC Welterweight Champion. He is also the former Shooto Middleweight Champion and is the former...

on February 26, 2012 at UFC 144

UFC 144

UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson is an upcoming mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The event is expected to take place on February 26, 2012 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan....

Personal life

In March 2009, Akiyama married Shiho Yano, a famous Japanese model, whom he had been dating since January 2007.

He names heavyweight champion boxer Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson

Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...

as his hero and holds a University degree in Commerce.

Championships and accomplishments

HERO'S
HERO'S
Hero's was a Japanese mixed martial arts promotion operated by Fighting and Entertainment Group, the parent entity behind kickboxing organization K-1. Grown from and branched off of K-1's earlier experiments in MMA, including the K-1 Romanex event and various MMA fights on its regular K-1...
- 2006 HERO'S Light Heavyweight Grand Prix Winner
  Hero's 7
  Hero's 7 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Hero's promotion on October 9, 2006 at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan.The semi-finals and final of both the 2006 Lightweight Grand Prix and the Light Heavyweight Grand Prix were held at the event....

Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
- Fight of the Night
  Bonus Awards
  -Background:UFC Bonus Awards are three different kinds of awards usually given to four fighters after a UFC event.Fight of the Night - Award given to the two fighters that fought each other and delivered the "most impressive" fight on the card....
  
  (3 Times
  Bonus Awards
  -Background:UFC Bonus Awards are three different kinds of awards usually given to four fighters after a UFC event.Fight of the Night - Award given to the two fighters that fought each other and delivered the "most impressive" fight on the card....
  
  )

Mixed martial arts record

|-
| Loss
| style="text-align:center;"| 13-4 (2)
|

Vitor Belfort

| KO (punches)
| UFC 133

UFC 133

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...

, U.S.

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

|
|-
| Loss
| style="text-align:center;"| 13–3 (2)
|

Michael Bisping

| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 120

UFC 120

|
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
|London, England
|
|-
| Loss
| style="text-align:center;"| 13–2 (2)
|

Chris Leben

Christian Cyrus Leben is an American mixed martial artist currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he fights as a middleweight....

| Submission (triangle choke)
| UFC 116

UFC 116

UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 3, 2010 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States...

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...

, U.S.

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 13–1 (2)
|

Alan Belcher

| Decision (split)
| UFC 100

UFC 100

UFC 100 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 11, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...

Las Vegas, Nevada

, U.S.

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 12–1 (2)
|

Saitama, Saitama

' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance...

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 11–1 (2)
|

Katsuyori Shibata

is a Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. In professional wrestling, he is known for his hard hitting offense and his realistic bouts.-New Japan Pro Wrestling :...

Osaka

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| NC
| style="text-align:center;"| 10–1 (2)
|

Kazuo Misaki

Kazuo Misaki is a Japanese professional mixed martial artist and former judoka. He was the 2006 Pride Welterweight Grand Prix winner, and is currently competing in Sengoku. He is a long time veteran of Pancrase and has also competed in Strikeforce...

| No Contest (result overturned)
| Yarennoka!

Yarennoka!

Saitama, Saitama

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 10–1 (1)
|

Denis Kang

Denis Kang is a Canadian mixed martial artist of Korean French descent. He was the PRIDE FC welterweight grand prix finalist in which he lost to Kazuo Misaki...

Seoul

Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...

, South Korea

South Korea

|
|-
| NC
| style="text-align:center;"| 9–1 (1)
|

Kazushi Sakuraba

Osaka

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 9–1
|

Melvin Manhoef

| Submission (armbar)
| Hero's 7

Hero's 7

Hero's 7 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Hero's promotion on October 9, 2006 at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan.The semi-finals and final of both the 2006 Lightweight Grand Prix and the Light Heavyweight Grand Prix were held at the event....

Yokohama

is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 8–1
|

Kęstutis Smirnovas
| TKO (strikes)
| Hero's 7

Hero's 7

Yokohama

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 7–1
|

Taiei Kin

Kin Taiei is a Korean-Japanese light heavyweight karateka, kickboxer and mixed martial artist competing in K-1 and DREAM. He's also a karate instructor and a trainer for professional fighters...

| Submission (armbar)
| Hero's 6

Hero's 6

Hero's 6 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Hero's promotion on August 5, 2006 at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo, Japan.The quarter-finals of the 2006 Lightweight Grand Prix was held at the event. The opening round had took place at the previous event...

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 6–1
|

Katsuhiko Nagata

is a Japanese olympic wrestler and mixed martial artist, who won the silver medal in 63-69 kg Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2000 Summer Olympics...

| KO (spinning back kick)
| Hero's 5

Hero's 5

Hero's 5: 2006 Lightweight Grand Prix Opening Round was a mixed martial arts event held by the Hero's promotion on May 3, 2006 at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan.The opening round of the 2006 Lightweight Grand Prix was held at the event...

Tokyo

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 5–1
|

Tokimitsu Ishizawa
| Submission (gi choke)
| Hero's 4

Hero's 4

Hero's 4 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Hero's promotion on March 15, 2006 at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan.Muay Thai kickboxer Ole Laursen made his debut in MMA at the event against Genki Sudo.-Results:...

Tokyo

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 4–1
|

Seoul

, South Korea

South Korea

|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 3–1
|

Tokyo

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 2–1
|

Tokyo

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Loss
| style="text-align:center;"| 1–1
|

Jérôme Le Banner

Jérôme "Geronimo" Le Banner , is a French kickboxer and K-1 superstar, famous for his aggressive fighting style and knockout power....

Saitama, Saitama

, Japan

Japan

|
|- Akiyama's opponent had out weighted him by 60 lbs in the bout.
| Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 1–0
|

Francois Botha

Francois Botha , also known as Frans Botha, is a South African boxer, nicknamed the "White Buffalo". Botha won the vacant IBF heavyweight title in 1995 when he outpointed Axel Schulz in Germany...

| Submission (armbar)
| K-1 PREMIUM 2004 Dynamite!!

K-1 PREMIUM 2004 Dynamite!!

K-1 PREMIUM 2004 Dynamite!! was an annual kickboxing and mixed martial arts event held by K-1 on New Year's Eve, Friday, December 31, 2004 at the Osaka Dome in Osaka, Japan...

Osaka

, Japan

Japan

Judo competition record

Notable Accomplishments/Titles (judo)
All-Japan Collegiate Separate Weight Divisions 2nd Place 2005
All-Japan Industry Judo Singles 81 kg Champion 2001
Kodokan Cup Japan Judo Championship 81 kg Champion 2001
Japan International Judo Tournament 81 kg Champion 2002
Paris International Judo Tournament 81 kg Champion 2002
Asian Games Judo 81 kg Judo at the 2002 Asian Games The Judo competition at the 2002 Asian Games was contested in sixteen weight classes, eight each for men and women at Gudeok Gymnasium.-Medal table:-Men:-Women:-−60 kg:October 3-−66 kg:October 2-−73 kg:October 2-−81 kg:... Champion 2002 (in Busan) 2002 Asian Games The 2002 Asian Games, also known as XIV Asiad is a multi-sport event held in Busan, South Korea from September 29 to October 14, 2002. Busan is the second city, after Seoul in 1986 to host the Games. A total of 419 events in 38 sports were contested by 7,711 athletes from 44 countries...
All-Japan Invitational Judo Championship Separate Weight Divisions 81 kg Champion 2003
World Judo Championship 81 kg Japan Representative 2003

External links

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