Issue 038

June 2008

Introduction

Japan is an odd place to start with – the more outlandish something is, the more attention it draws from the casual viewer. This principle, aided by a complete lack of proper regulation, has led to the growth of the ‘freak show’ fight. These contests pit enormous human beings, often with little talent, against legitimate fighting stars. Believe it or not, these fights have long been a staple of Japanese MMA, particularly on the traditional New Year’s Eve mega-shows.

1 Butterbean vs. Genki Sudo (K-1 Premium Dynamite, December 31^st 2003)

A well-known cult figure from his long boxing career in the US, Eric ‘Butterbean’ Esch first dabbled in MMA in Japan. Weighing some 350lbs, this New Year’s Eve fight pitted him against enigmatic Japanese dancing machine, Genki Sudo. An uneventful first round saw much of Sudo’s trademark posturing, while Butterbean blundered after him. Sudo started the second session with a flying kick and ended it 41 seconds into the round with a heelhook after the American bizarrely went for a leg submission of his own.

2 Heath Herring vs. Giant Silva (Pride Shockwave, December 31^st 2003)

Taking place on the same night as Sudo-Esch (and pulling one of the bigger TV ratings in Japanese MMA history) this was either a disgrace to the sport or one of the funniest fights ever, depending on your viewpoint. Angrily fee-fi-fo-fumming his way around the ring for around 16 minutes, Silva was utterly clueless and Herring eventually picked his 7’2”, 400lb+ opponent apart with low kicks and punches and took him down for a rear naked choke submission win. 

3 Royce Gracie vs. Akebono (K-1 Premium Dynamite, December 31^st 2004)

Another New Year’s Eve, another farcical freak show fight. A silly fight that pulled an enormous TV rating due to Chad ‘Akebono’ Rowan’s status as a true Sumo legend, this one went just over two minutes. Rowan is by all accounts an exceptionally nice man, but his attempts at MMA and kickboxing have been utterly woeful. This was no exception. Outweighing Gracie by over 300lbs, Rowan had little skill or even mobility. Gracie mercifully ended it with a wristlock submission and the embarrassed-looking referee John McCarthy called a halt to proceedings. 

4 Ikuhisa Minowa vs. Zuluzinho (K-1 Premium Dynamite, December 31^st 2007)

In general, the ‘real’ fighter beats the freak in these fights, but sometimes the oversized monster’s sheer size helps them beat an infinitely more talented competitor. Irrepressible fighter-cum-entertainer Minowa seems to love taking on giants, having beaten both Silva and Butterbean in the past, but he came unstuck this time, falling victim to his huge opponent’s sheer bulk, mauling style, surprising stamina, heavy hands and actual talent. An exhausted Minowa (who barely tips the scales at 185lbs) was finally rescued from the 6’7”, 400lb Brazilian’s fists when his corner threw in the towel early in the third round. 

5 Fedor Emelianenko vs. Hong-Man Choi (Yarennoka, December 31^st 2007)

Even the sport’s very best fighters aren’t above battling the odd freak. Emelianenko was giving up 130lbs in weight and over a foot in height against the Korean giant. Twice Choi foiled Fedor’s takedown attempts and landed on top. The first time he escaped an armbar, but the second time Emelianenko slickly trapped an enormous limb as Choi threw lumbering punches from the top, recording the win in under two minutes.