In the halcyon days of Pride, Japan was the center of the MMA world. That era is over, but the Land of the Rising Sun still produces fighters who are worthy of attention...
In Brief
Shinya Aoki
Dream lightweight champion. Submission specialist and wearer of multicolored tights
Yushin Okami
Leading middleweight contender in the UFC
Tatsuya Kawajiri
Former Shooto welterweight champion. Currently starring in the Dream lightweight division
Michihiro Omigawa
Eight wins in the last two years have propelled Omigawa up the featherweight rankings
Takanori Gomi
In the Pride era, he was touted as the top lightweight in the world by many. Currently plying his trade in the UFC
Katsunori Kikuno
A fighter who’s proving that the traditional arts have a place in MMA. Deep lightweight champion
Hiroyuki Takaya
Shooto, K-1 Hero’s and WEC veteran, currently fighting in the Dream featherweight division
KNOWN FOR
Shinya Aoki
His love of flying submissions and incredible flexibility enable him to produce truly memorable moments
Yushin Okami
Grinding down opponents. A decision specialist
Tatsuya Kawajiri
Goes by the name of ‘The Crusher’ because of his strength in the clinch and his aggressive ground ‘n’ pound
Michihiro Omigawa
The judoka has added classy boxing and submissions off his back to his game to become a dangerous all-arounder
Takanori Gomi
Although he is an accomplished grappler, it’s the heavy hands of the ‘The Fireball Kid’ that made him a fan favorite
Katsunori Kikuno
Kikuno fights out of a karate stance and throws kicks that Mr Miyagi would approve of
Hiroyuki Takaya
Claims that his all-action style.developed from his street-fighting past
HIGH
Shinya Aoki
The shin-to-neck submission he pulled on Katsuhiko Nagata at Dream 4 was dubbed the ‘Aokiplata’ by fans
Yushin Okami
Although far from a classic, he kept to his plan against Nate Marquardt at UFC 122 to get the nod from the judges and earn the all-important win
Tatsuya Kawajiri
His finest hour came in a defeat. Kawajiri’s slugfest with Eddie Alvarez at Dream 5 was a peach of a fight
Michihiro Omigawa
Stole the show at Dream 16 with his first-round straight armbar win over Cole Escovedo
Takanori Gomi
The first-round KO of Tyson Griffin showed doubting UFC followers that there was plenty of life left in Gomi
Katsunori Kikuno
Knocking out Koichiro Matsumoto to win the Deep Lightweight Tournament in April 2009
Hiroyuki Takaya
Ironed out the highly rated ‘Hellboy’ Hansen in the opening round of their Dream 14 bout
LOW
Shinya Aoki
After declaring himself the great hope.of Japanese MMA before his Strikeforce debut, Aoki was dominated by Gilbert Melendez
Yushin Okami
His three-round mauling at the hands of Chael Sonnen was so one-sided it was painful to watch
Tatsuya Kawajiri
Losing to arch rival Aoki inside two minutes at Dream 15 was a major blow
Michihiro Omigawa
After a slow start, he dropped a decision against Thiago Tavares on the undercard of UFC 76 and was cut by the promotion
Takanori Gomi
His loss to the unheralded Sergey Golyaev at Sengoku 6 seemed to confirm that The Fireball Kid was on the skids
Katsunori Kikuno
His momentum slowed when he lost his.Dream 15 bout against Gesias ‘JZ’ Calvancante
Hiroyuki Takaya
90 seconds into his WEC debut, one of Leonard Garcia’s trademark winging right-hand shots connected with Takaya’s chin and it was all over
FUTURE
Shinya Aoki
Must defeat a name American before he can be regarded as a top lightweight again
Yushin Okami
Front of the line for a shot at the UFC middleweight title
Tatsuya Kawajiri
His defeat against Aoki was a setback, but Kawajiri is still a fixture in most lightweight top ten lists
Michihiro Omigawa
His recent winning streak means he’s.back on the UFC’s books, this time ten pounds under lightweight at 145lb
Takanori Gomi
His following in the Orient and among hardcore fans means the UFC will be keen to put him in big fights
Katsunori Kikuno
By repping the traditional Japanese arts, he is guaranteed a following at home
Hiroyuki Takaya
There will always be an audience for a scrapper as exciting as ‘Streetfight Bancho’
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