is a Japanese female

freestyle wrestler Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling originated from Great Britain and the United States. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games. American high school and men's college wrestling i ...

and

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

. Yamamoto is a three-time freestyle wrestling world champion and a Rizin Women's Super Atomweight title contender in MMA. She is represented with Krazy Bee.

Personal life

Miyuu Yamamoto is married to her husband, Kyle, who has two coffee shops in Guam. Yamamoto enjoys brewing her own coffee and hopes to open her own coffee shop in Japan. After she's done fighting, she hopes to travel the world trying all types of coffee.

Biography

Her father,

1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and commonly known as Munich 1972 (german: München 1972), was an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. ...

wrestling representative, and

Nippon Sport Science University , abbreviated as , is a private university in Setagaya, Tokyo and Aoba-ku, Yokohama. The precursor of the school was founded in 1893, and it was chartered as a university in 1949. The school is known for the many famous athletes among its alumni. ...

Professor Ikuei Yamamoto made a wrestling gifted education with his son Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto and his sister Seiko Yamamoto from her elementary school age. At the age of thirteen she won the 1st Japan Women's Championship. After that, she achieved four consecutive victories in all Japan, but she was not allowed to participate in the

World Wrestling Championships The World Wrestling Championships are the Amateur Wrestling World Championships organized by United World Wrestling. The Men's Greco-Roman Wrestling tournament began in 1904, and the Men's Freestyle Wrestling tournament began in 1951. The Women's ...

due to the age limit. In 1991, she won the world's first championship which she participated for the first time at the age of seventeen as the youngest ever in history. After that she won the world championships in 1994 and 1995. In 1994 she participated in the

All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling , nicknamed Zenjo (全女: 全 meaning "All", 女 meaning "Woman") was a ''joshi puroresu'' (women's professional wrestling) professional wrestling promotion, promotion established in 1968 by Takashi Matsunaga and his brothers. The group held th ...

Tokyo Dome is an indoor stadium in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. It was designed as a baseball stadium following its predecessor, Korakuen Stadium. Construction on the stadium began on May 16, 1985, and it opened on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of th ...

competition with

Kyoko Hamaguchi is a Japanese freestyle wrestling, freestyle wrestler. She has won five FILA Wrestling World Championships and two Olympic games, Olympic Bronze medals in the 72 kg weight class. She is sponsored by Japan Beverage Inc. ...

. In 1995 she married Nobuyasu Ikeda at the J.League

Urawa Red Diamonds , colloquially Urawa Reds (浦和レッズ), also known as Mitsubishi Urawa Football Club from April 1992 to January 1996, is a professional football club in the city of Saitama, part of the Greater Tokyo Area in Japan. The club plays in the J ...

(former) and retired from active service. After that, she gave birth to her first child (Arsen Yamamoto). But in April 1999, they divorced. In 1999 she temporarily returned to active service, temporarily entered the Queen's Cup Final, won the Asian Championships and won the All Japan Women's Wrestling Championship, but in July 2000 she remarried to

Enson Inoue Enson Shoji Inoue (; born April 15, 1967) is a Japanese-American jiu-jitsu practitioner and retired professional mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 1995 until 2010, he fought for the PRIDE Fighting Championships, the UFC, Shooto ...

, a fighter and retired from active service. She later returned to active service on the occasion that women's wrestling becoming the official event for the first time at the

2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...

. Although it aimed for her Athens Olympic appearance, she finished third in the "Japan Queen's Cup" (Athens Olympic national team selection game) in February 2004, and she could not play her Olympic appearances. She later retired from active services in April of the same year. In the same year, she divorced Enson Inoue. In April 2006, she later married

Akira Sasaki is a Japanese alpine skier. At the 2002 Winter Olympics, Sasaki ranked 34th in the giant slalom. He did not finish in the slalom event. His best result in the Alpine Skiing World Cup is from 2003 slalom in Wengen, where he finished in a surpris ...

, representative of the

2006 Winter Olympics The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially the XX Olympic Winter Games ( it, XX Giochi olimpici invernali) and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February 2006 in Turin, Italy. This marked the second t ...

men's

alpine skiing Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel bindings, unlike other types of skiing ( cross-country, Telemark, or ski jumping), which use skis with free-heel bindings. Whether for ...

(her third marriage). They celebrated the birth of their baby ceremony in the same year, a boy who became her second child in December of the same year. In November 2008, she gave birth to a girl Mia who is her third child. She belonged to Sports Biz and acts as a sports caster, as well as a leader of Kids' Wrestling at the NPO Japan Sports Network (JSN). She returned to active duties in June 2011. She aimed to participate in the

2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

, winning the All Japan Women's Open Championship on 16 October. She divorced Akira Sasaki (her third divorce). Although she participated in the All Japan Selection Championship in December, she lost the judgment in the second round and missed her Olympic appearance. In 2013 she moved her life base to

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, Canada and worked. In December of the same year, she participated in the Nordhagen Classic Games in the 51 kg class and won the championship. She won the third prize in the Canadian Cup on 5 July 2014. She acquired Canadian citizenship in December 2015, and aimed to participate in the

2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ( pt, Jogos da XXXI Olimpíada) and also known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 20 ...

as a Canada representative. On 1 August 2016, as a result of the closing of the Rio Olympic appearance road, she announced participation in mixed martial arts. Also the Rizin Fighting World Grand-Prix 2016 held on 25 September the same year was announced as she participated in the opening round of the indiscriminate class tournament, the opponent of the debut match is the "Queen of Shoot Boxing"

Rena Kubota , better known by her ring name Rena or Reina, is a professional Japanese shoot wrestler, kickboxer and mixed martial artist, currently competing in the strawweight division of Rizin. A professional competitor since 2007, Kubota previously co ...

, with one loss. On 31 December, also in the same year, she went to the Rizin Fighting World Grand-Prix 2016 against the

KOTC King of the Cage (KOTC) is a mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion based in Southern California, United States. History KOTC was founded in 1998 by Terry Trebilcock. KOTC features mostly amateur as well as up and coming MMA stars and former mainstr ...

female straw class champion Andy Winn at the Indiscriminate Tournament Final Round, and suffered a second consecutive defeat. In March 2017, she showed her bold figure entitled "The Strongest Nudity" at the photographic weekly magazine Flash (Kobunsha), and the first nude photo album ''Queen'' was released in May.

Mixed martial arts career

While Yamamoto was aiming for the Olympics, she didn't see her dreams realized. Then,

Nobuyuki Sakakibara is a Japanese businessman and mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter. He is known for his executive role in Dream Stage Entertainment, including its promotions Pride Fighting Championships and Fighting Opera Hustle, and works as the current presiden ...

approached her about fighting for

Rizin Fighting Federation Rizin Fighting Federation (Rizin FF or Rizin) is a Japanese mixed martial arts organization created in 2015 by the former Pride Fighting Championships and Dream Stage Entertainment president Nobuyuki Sakakibara. Rizin was founded to be the spir ...

. Yamamoto decided then to transition from wrestling to

MMA Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on strike (attack), striking, grappling and ground f ...

. On 2 June 2019, Miyuu faced

Kanna Asakura Kanna Asakura ( ja, 浅倉栞南); born October 12, 1997 in Chiba, Japan is a female Japanese mixed martial artist. She competes in the Atomweight (106 lb) division and is currently signed with the Rizin Fighting Federation. She is the #6 ran ...

at Rizin 16. She won the bout via unanimous decision. Next, Miyuu faced

Seo Hee Ham Seo Hee Ham ( ko, 함서희 ; born ), written Ham Seo-Hee in Korean order, is a South Korean professional mixed martial artist and kickboxer. She is currently signed to ONE Championship, where she is ranked #2 in the ONE Championship Women's Ato ...

at Rizin 19 on 12 October 2019. She lost the fight via technical knockout in the second round. Yamamoto was scheduled to fight former Rizin Super Atomweight Champion

Ayaka Hamasaki is a Japanese female mixed martial artist, judoka and submission grappler. She is the former Rizin Super Atomweight Champion. She has fought in MMA promotions ''Shooto'', Jewels and Rizin in Japan, and Invicta FC in the United States. Hamasaki ...

for the vacant RIZIN atomweight title. In the lead up to the fight, Yamamoto took time off in the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

to improve herself as a mixed martial artist. She faced Hamasaki on 31 December 2020 for the vacant RIZIN Super Atomweight belt. Miyuu lost the bout via first-round submission. Yamamoto faced

at Rizin 32 on 20 November 2021. She lost the bout after getting caught with a knee on a takedown attempt. Yamamoto faced the DEEP Microweight and Jewels Atomweight champion

Saori Oshima Saori Oshima (大島沙緒里, born 14 November 1994), née Saori Adachi, is a Japanese mixed martial artist. She currently competes in the atomweight division of Jewels. She is the current Jewels atomweight champion and the current DEEP Microw ...

at Rizin 36 on 2 July 2022. She lost the fight by split decision. Yamamoto was expected to face Rizin Super Atomweight champion

Seika Izawa is a Japanese mixed martial artist, currently competing in the atomweight division of Rizin Fighting Federation. She is the current Jewels Strawweight and Rizin Super Atomweight champion. As of January 3, 2022, Izawa is ranked as the best ato ...

in a non-title bout at Rizin 42 on May 6, 2023. The bout was postponed for New Year's Eve, as Yamamoto suffered a torn ACL in training.

Other

*The name "Miyuu" was named after Mr. Munich, whose father participated as the

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

representative. *Arsen Yamamoto, her eldest son, also learned wrestling from his grandfather, Ikuei Yamamoto, and has been active in decorating the victory at Greco Roman 69 kg class at the National Boys Competition 66 kg class in 2008 and the FILA Cadet World Championships at 2013. She aimed to win gold medals at the Summer Olympics in 2016. *In addition to having similar family circumstances, she has work patterns with sports caster Animal Hamaguchi (Heigo Hamaguchi) and his close-parent daughter

Kyoko is a very common feminine Japanese given name. Not to be confused with Kiyoko. Possible writings The final syllable "ko" is typically written with the kanji character for child, 子. It is a common suffix to female names in Japan. The first s ...

Mixed martial arts record

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Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...

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Saitama, Japan is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture, Japan. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance. Being in the Greater Tokyo Area and lying 1 ...

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Kobe, Japan Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in Kansai region, which ...

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Mika Nagano is a Japanese female mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. She fought as a lightweight in the Deep and Jewels promotions before her retirement in 2014. Nagano has also wrestled in Ice Ribbon and World Wonder Ring Stardom. Her nickname ...

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Saori Ishioka is a Japanese people, Japanese female mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist, kickboxer and karateka. She has participated in MMA promotions Smackgirl and Jewels (mixed martial arts), Jewels. Her nickname is Shooting Star. Background Ishioka w ...

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Wrestling accomplishments

*1987 All-Japan Women's Championship 44 kg class win *1988 All-Japan Women's Championship 44 kg class win *1989 All Japan Women's Open 44 kg class win *1989 All-Japan Women's Championship 47 kg class win *1990 All Japan Women's Open 47 kg class win *1990 All Japan Women's championship 47 kg class win *1990 All Japan Women's Open 47 kg class win *1991 All Japan Women's Championship 47 kg class win *1991 World Women's Championship 47 kg class win *1993 All-Japan Women's Open 50 kg class Second Prize *1994 All-Japan Women's Championship 50 kg class win *1994 World Women's Championship 50 kg class win *1995 All-Japan Women's Championship 47 kg class win *1995 World Women's Championship 47 kg class win *1998 Japan Women's Championship 46 kg class third place *1998 World Women's Championship 46 kg Class Second Prize *1999 Japan Queen's Cup 46 kg class Second Prize *1999 All-Japan Championship 46 kg class win *2002 All-Japan Championship 48 kg class Final T1 race lost *2003 Dave Schulz Memorial International Convention 48 kg class Second Prize *2003 Japan Queen's Cup 48 kg class Second Prize *2003 All Japan women's championship 48 kg class third place *2004 Japan Queen's Cup in 48 kg class third place *2011 All Japan Women's Open Championship 48 kg class win *2011 NYAC Holiday Open International Convention 48 kg class third place *2011 All-Japan Championship 48 kg class eliminated second round *2011 All-Japan Selection Championship 51 kg class lost second round *2012 Canadian Cup 48 kg class third place *2013 Nordhagen Classic contest 51 kg class win *2014 Canadian Cup 48 kg class third place *2015 Canadian Cup 53 kg class 4th place

Bibliography

Magazines

*''Flash'' (No. 1 November 2016, No. 28 March/4 April 2017, No. 25 April 2017, No. 23 May 2017,

Kobunsha Kobunsha ( ja, 光文社 ''Kōbunsha'') is a Japanese publishing company. It publishes literature, manga novels, and women's magazines. Company history Kobunsha was established on October 1, 1945, and belongs to the Kodansha group. The company h ...

)

Photo albums

*''Queen'' (26 May 2017,

, Photographer: Hidekazu Maiyama)

References

External links

* – Ameba Blog * * *
Miyuu Yamamoto
– International Wrestling Database * {{DEFAULTSORT:Yamamoto, Miyuu Japanese female sport wrestlers Japanese female mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing freestyle wrestling Japanese gravure models Sportspeople from Kanagawa Prefecture 1974 births Living people World Wrestling Championships medalists Asian Wrestling Championships medalists Sportspeople from Kawasaki, Kanagawa