Issue 092
September 2012
Despite winning an Olympic gold medal, some champions are still not satisfied and have seek out further glory in mixed martial arts, with varying success
Hidehiko Yoshida
Sport Judo
Olympic performance Gold in the 78kg class in Barcelona, Spain in 1992.
MMA debut He went in at the deep end, taking on – and defeating – veteran tough guy Don Frye by armbar at Pride 23.
Career He fought through the golden age of Pride, with his losses inflicted by names like Wanderei Silva, Josh Barnett and Mirko ‘Cro Cop.’
Highlight The old man dug in to grind out a points win against another gold medalist, Satoshi Ishii, in front of 45,000 fans at Dynamite!! 2009.
Kevin Jackson
Sport Freestyle wrestling
Olympic performance Gold medal in the middleweight division at Barcelona 1992.
MMA debut Submitted John Lober with an arm triangle in March 1997 on the final Extreme Fighting show.
Career Lost a title bout in 16 seconds courtesy of a Frank Shamrock armbar at UFC Japan. He returned to the mat and became coach of the US wrestling team.
Highlight Forced Tony Frykland to tap to a rear naked choke in the final of the UFC 14 middleweight tournament.
Rulon Gardner
Sport Greco-Roman wrestling
Olympic performance Beat three-time champion Alexsandr Karelin in the final to claim super heavyweight gold in Sydney in 2000.
MMA debut In the battle of the gold medalists, he defeated Hidehiko Yoshida on points at Pride Shockwave 2004.
Career One fight and out. Recently, he unsuccessfully tried to get in shape to wrestle at the London 2012 Games.
Highlight He has survived a plane crash, being impaled by an arrow and an 18-hour spell in the frozen wilderness after a snowmobile accident.
Makoto Takimoto
Sport Judo
Olympic performance Gold in the 87kg class in Sydney, Australia, in 2000.
MMA debut Decisioned sumo wrestler Henry Miller at Pride Shockwave 2004.
Career Became a fixture on Pride and Sengoku cards.
Highlight Defeated former UFC champ Murilo Bustamante at Yarennoka! New Year’s Eve 2007.
Mark Schultz
Sport Freestyle wrestling
Olympic performance Took the 82kg gold in Los Angeles in 1984..
MMA debut Stopped ‘Big Daddy’ Gary Goodridge due to a cut at UFC 9.
Career The university he coached at did not approve of his new chosen sport and so he retired to save his job.
Highlight He had another fight in Brazil seven years later, but hit nothing like the form he showed on his debut.
Kenny Monday
Sport Freestyle wrestling
Olympic performance Gold in Seoul, Korea in the 74kg division in 1988.
MMA debut Defeated John Lewis to take the Extreme Fighting welterweight belt.
Career Extreme Fighting folded and Monday did not fight again.
Highlight Although he only had one fight, he’s still the only Olympic gold medalist to win a recognized MMA
title.
Pawel Nastula
Sport Judo
Olympic performance 95kg champion in Atlanta in 1996.
MMA debut TKO loss to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at Pride Critical Countdown 2005.
Career After a tough time in Japan, he has been matched against less prestigious opposition on Polish shows.
Highlight Handed hot prospect Brazilian Edson Claas Vieira his first defeat – scoring with an armbar at Pride Critical Countdown Absolute.
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