Issue 086

March 2012

‘Sexyama’s good looks and fighting prowess have earned him A-list celebrity status in his home country of Japan. Now, FO examines the journey of this modern-day samurai warrior

More used to competing in a ring than a cage, many Asian fighters find they are well out of their comfort zone when they make the transition to the Western fight world. Yoshihiro Akiyama is not one of them. His fearless approach to fighting means that he is perfectly suited to any combat environment and is a tough opponent. 

Korean-Japanese Akiyama began training in judo at just three years old. With a natural talent for grappling, he fell in love with the art.

After failing to make the judo team for the 2004 Olympic Games, Akiyama began competing in mixed martial arts, building an impressive record of 9-1 in his first 10 fights and winning the K-1 Hero’s light heavyweight grand prix. In his 11th professional bout, the breakout star took on Kazuo Misaki. Misaki was originally awarded the TKO victory after landing a kick to the head of a downed Akiyama. However, the decision was later changed to a no contest after video footage showed that Akiyama still had his hands on the mat, rendering the kick illegal.

Two victories later, Yoshihiro Akiyama was signed by the UFC. ‘Sexyama’ fought Alan Belcher at the landmark UFC 100 event in Las Vegas, his first time competing outside Asia. The fight was the first matchup on the main card and both men made sure the show started with a bang. Though there was some controversy over Akiyama’s split-decision victory, the win earned him a $100,000 bonus and the respect of the American fans.

Though he has lost his last three fights, Akiyama has consistently faced top-level competition and has put on ‘Fight of the Night’ performances in three of his four UFC outings. His exciting style has put him in good stead with his bosses, Dana White saying: “He’s so awesome, not only his personality, but I love to watch this guy fight.” 

Akiyama is fourth-generation Japanese of South Korean decent and wears the flags of both nations proudly on his gi. He will look to get back on track with his welterweight debut when he takes on former Strikeforce champion Jake Shields at UFC 144 in Japan.

WARRIOR

Much like the Japanese samurai warriors of old, Yoshihiro Akiyama has a strong fighting spirit that has seen him through many a bloody battle. The Asian MMA star is the kind of fighter who would rather get in to a brawl than a physical chess match and, although his reckless tendencies may sometimes cost him the victory, his full-on fighting style has made ‘Sexyama’ one of the UFC’s most entertaining fighters.

JUDOKA

Because of his preference for stand-up wars, we rarely get to see Akiyama show off his world- class judo talent. The Japanese judoka is a two-time gold medalist, winning the Asian championships in 2001 and the Asian games in 2002. Despite often competing against fighters much larger than himself, Akiyama’s abilities as a powerful grappler mean that he is unlikely to be overpowered in the Octagon.

SUPERSTAR

As well as being a successful judoka and MMA competitor, ‘Sexyama’ is also a model, singer and one half of one of Japan’s most popular celebrity couples, being married to model and television star Shiho Yano. Akiyama’s status as a national superstar in his home country makes him a valuable asset to the UFC, who will look to make an impact on the Japanese market with UFC 144. 

Career Snapshot

2004

Makes his pro MMA debut on New Year’s Eve at K-1 in Japan, defeating Francois Botha via armbar in less than two minutes.

2006

Fights six times that year, winning the first five making him the winner of the 2006 Hero’s light heavyweight grand prix. His sixth fight of the year, against Kazushi Sakuraba is ruled a no contest after Akiyama is accused of ‘greasing’.

2009

‘Sexyama’ makes his UFC debut against well-rounded promotional veteran Alan Belcher. After three close rounds of back-and-forth action, Akiyama is awarded the split decision victory and a $100,000 ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus.

2010

Goes 0-2 for the year, suffering consecutive losses against top middleweights Chris Leben and Michael Bisping. Despite the blows to his record, Akiyama makes $135,000 in bonuses with two Fight of the Night awards.

2011

Loses his third straight fight at UFC 133, getting KO’d by Brazilian MMA legend Vitor Belfort. After the defeat, Akiyama decides to make the drop to welterweight, where he will look to rejuvenate his career when he faces Jake Shields in his homeland of Japan at UFC 144.

NEED TO KNOW

NAME Yoshihiro Akiyama

AGE 36

STARTED 2004  

DIVISION Middleweight, Welterweight 

STYLE Judo

BASED Osaka, Japan

RECORD 13-4, 2NC

5 (T)KOs (38.5%)

7 Subs (53.8%)

1 Decisions (7.7%)