, also known as and by his nickname Sexyama, is a Japanese mixed martial artist and

judoka is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponica, "Judo"). ...

who won the gold medal at the 2001 Asian Championships for South Korea and for Japan at the 2002

Asian Games The Asian Games, also known as Asiad, is a continental multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation (AGF) from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until t ...

. A fourth-generation Japanese of Korean descent, he acquired Japanese nationality in 2001. He is the former K-1 HERO's Light Heavyweight Grand Prix Tournament Champion.

Judo career

Before his professional mixed martial arts career, Akiyama was a decorated Judoka. He began training in Judo at the age of three. He has also trained

Karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...

, Boxing, Kick Boxing, Wrestling and also

Submission Wrestling Submission wrestling, also known as Submission grappling, Submission fighting a form of competition and a general term for martial arts and combat sports that focus on clinch and ground fighting with the aim of obtaining a submission through the ...

with Greg Jackson.

2001 Asian championships

Representing South Korea, Choo won the gold medal at the 2001 Asian Judo Championships.

2002 Asian Games

Representing Japan, Akiyama won the gold medal at the

2002 Asian Games The 2002 Asian Games ( ko, 2002년 아시아 경기대회/2002년 아시안 게임, Icheoni-nyeon Asia gyeonggi daehoe/Icheoni-nyeon Asian Geim), officially known as the XIV Asian Games ( ko, 제14회 아시아 경기대회/제14회 아시안 � ...

defeating Ahn Dong-Jin of South Korea in the finals.

2003 World Judo Championships controversy

Akiyama defeated three opponents from France, Mongolia and Turkey to reach the semi-finals of the 81 kg Light Middleweight division. However, all three opponents claimed that Akiyama had a slippery judogi. Wearing a reserve gi, Akiyama lost two games in a row (semifinal and 3rd-place match) and missed the medal. International Judo Federation referee director Juan Carlos Barcos said an examination of the gi found that the slippery texture was due to high humidity which prevailed in Osaka and a detergent used to wash the uniform. "At any moment, we did not have any doubt about fair play in the case. We are absolutely sure that Mr. Akiyama is correct," since he changed the jacket at the request of the jury, Barcos said. Akiyama was also accused of wearing slippery gear by former world and Olympic champion Kenzo Nakamura when they fought at the world championship trials in 2002.

Mixed martial arts career

HERO'S

Akiyama's mixed martial arts debut was in the ''K-1 Premium 2004 Dynamite'' event on December 31, 2004, where he defeated

boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: * Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing *Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...

Francois Botha by armbar submission in the first round. His first defeat was to

Jerome LeBanner Jerome (; la, Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was a Christian priest, confessor, theologian, and historian; he is comm ...

, who knocked him out with knees in his second fight at the HERO'S 1 event on March 26, 2005, although LeBanner is a heavyweight that came into the fight at 262 pounds (119 kg), while Akiyama came into the fight at 189.5 pounds (86 kg). He has notable wins against Tokimitsu Ishizawa, Taiei Kin, Kestutis Smirnovas and Melvin Manhoef. Akiyama defeated Melvin Manhoef at the Hero's light-heavyweight Grand Prix 2006 final round, and gained the champion belt. In K-1 Premium 2006 Dynamite, Akiyama fought the legendary Kazushi Sakuraba in the main event. During the match, Sakuraba called to the referee saying " kiyama isSlippery!" Akiyama went on to win the match with a referee stoppage. This created a controversy amongst MMA fans in Japan, assuming Akiyama was using some sort of body oil or lubricant, banned in K-1 rules. But at this moment, Akiyama answered to questions about the oil in the interview as follows: "I have no idea why Sakuraba felt slippery. It may be my sweat, as I sweat a lot always and it often drips off my body." On January 11, Akiyama and FEG (the parent company of K-1) held a press conference during which Akiyama said he used

Olay Olay, previously Oil of Olay, Oil of Olaz, Oil of Ulan or Oil of Ulay, is an American skin care brand owned by Procter & Gamble. For the 2009 fiscal year, which ended on June 30, Olay accounted for an estimated $2.8 billion of P&G's revenue. Ear ...

lotion prior to the fight claiming that the lotion was used to treat a worn gi. Pre-fight footage also showed Akiyama casually applying six bottles of lotion to his body in his locker room. As a result, Akiyama was disqualified and his prize money was suspended. Akiyama himself was suspended indefinitely from HERO'S competition six days later. Public outcry against Akiyama did not cease however, and Nike was swamped with complaints when Akiyama was featured on a television commercial in Japan. Though Akiyama has admitted to applying cream to his skin, he has said that the purpose was not to gain an unfair advantage but to treat his dry skin. The fight was ruled a "No Contest". Akiyama was cleared from his FEG-induced suspension and FEG announced that Akiyama would return to K-1 Hero's in Seoul, on October 28, 2007. His opponent was Denis Kang, who was the finalist of PRIDE Bushido Grand Prix 2006 and making his debut in Hero's. Though he was an underdog, Akiyama beat Kang by KO in the first round.

Yarennoka! fight

On December 31, 2007, Akiyama faced Kazuo Misaki at Yarennoka!. The rules of the match stated that kicks to the head of a downed opponent would not be allowed. Late in the first round Misaki knocked down Akiyama with left hook, and as Akiyama struggled to his feet, Misaki delivered a lunging kick to the face which knocked Akiyama out. The match was ruled a knockout victory for Misaki, but Akiyama contended that one or both of his hands were on the mat at the time of the kick, which would make the kick a foul under the Yarennoka! rules. After reviewing video of the knockout, the Yarennoka! executive committee agreed; the official result was changed to a no contest.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

On February 24, 2009 it was announced on the official UFC website that Akiyama had signed a deal with the company. Akiyama made his debut against

Alan Belcher Alan Belcher (born April 24, 1984) is an American bare-knuckle boxer and former mixed martial artist. A professional from 2004 until 2015, he is perhaps best known for his 15-fight tenure with the UFC. Background Belcher was born in Jonesboro ...

at UFC 100 on July 11. Despite suffering a broken orbital, he won by split decision (30–27, 28–29, 29–28). It was the 1st fight in Akiyama's career that went to the judges' score cards. The bout was also awarded "Fight of the Night" honors, granting both fighters a record-setting $100,000 bonus each. On May 30, 2009 Akiyama opened a new gym in Tokyo, Japan. The 'Akiyama Dojo' has Judo and MMA halls, 30 tatami mats and three octagonal cages. Akiyama joined Xtreme Couture for the month of October 2009 to work on his striking skills. Akiyama was expected to face MMA legend and former PRIDE Middleweight Champion Wanderlei Silva on February 21, 2010 at UFC 110, but Silva instead faced British striker Michael Bisping on the card, winning via unanimous decision. At the Post-fight conference, UFC President Dana White stated that Akiyama had requested to fight Silva for a while and has refused to fight other opponents, after which both fighters verbally agreed to fight. Akiyama was expected to face Silva on July 3, 2010 at UFC 116. Wanderlei had to pull out on June 22, 2010 due to fractured ribs suffered in training. Chris Leben was chosen as a replacement. Despite controlling the majority of the fight with effective strikes and solid Judo takedowns, Akiyama became fatigued after the first round and lost via triangle choke with just twenty seconds left in the third round. His loss to Leben was his first official loss in five years. Akiyama lost to Michael Bisping on October 16, 2010 at UFC 120 by unanimous decision. In preparation for his fight with Bisping, Akiyama switched to Jackson’s Submission Fighting in

Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

. It is unclear whether the switch is permanent. Even though Akiyama lost to Bisping, he rocked him in the first round. He earned his third "Fight of the Night" honors. He has now earned "Fight of the Night" honors for all three of his UFC appearances. Akiyama was briefly scheduled to face Chael Sonnen on March 19, 2011 at

UFC 128 ''UFC 128: Shogun vs. Jones'' was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 19, 2011, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Background This event was expected to take place in Abu Dha ...

, but, due to Sonnen's suspension, the fight was scrapped. Akiyama was later scheduled to face Nate Marquardt at the same event, but pulled out due to the

2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami The occurred at 14:46 JST (05:46 UTC) on 11 March. The magnitude 9.0–9.1 (M) undersea megathrust earthquake had an epicenter in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region, and lasted approximately six minutes ...

and was replaced by Dan Miller. Akiyama was defeated by Vitor Belfort at

UFC 133 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

via KO (Punches) in the first round. This defeat marked the third straight loss for Akiyama in the UFC. Following the fight, Dana White stated that Akiyama most likely would not be cut from the organization if he agrees to move down to welterweight. As of September 3, 2011, Akiyama has stated he will move down a weight class, allowing him to stay in the UFC. On November 3, 2011, a picture of Akiyama had circled the web of his body frame as a welterweight. Akiyama faced Jake Shields on February 26, 2012 at UFC 144. He lost the fight via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27). During the bout, Akiyama was able to utilize multiple judo techniques which was praised as the main highlights of the fight; despite losing the decision. Akiyama was expected to face Thiago Alves on July 21, 2012 at UFC 149. However, Akiyama was forced out of the bout with an injury. Akiyama had made an appearance alongside UFC featherweight Hatsu Hioki during the Q&A session for UFC on Fuel TV 8. During the Q&A, Akiyama stated he was thinking about returning for another bout as long as he has a free schedule as well as being matched against a well-known opponent that would interest fans. Akiyama also stated he still has interest in fighting Wanderlei Silva, a bout scheduled for UFC 116 but was changed when Silva had to pull out of the fight due to injury. After over two and a half years away from the sport, Akiyama returned from his self-imposed hiatus on September 20, 2014 at

UFC Fight Night 52 ''UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Nelson'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 52'') was a mixed martial arts event held on September 20, 2014, at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Background The event was the third time that the organization hosted ...

. He was originally scheduled to face

Kyle Noke Kyle Noke (born 18 March 1980) is an Australian retired mixed martial artist who competed as a Welterweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2002, Noke has also fought for EliteXC. Background Noke, origina ...

on the card. However, Noke was forced out of the bout with a knee injury and replaced by Amir Sadollah. Akiyama won the fight via unanimous decision. After another year away from the sport, Akiyama returned to face

Alberto Mina Alberto Mina (born May 2, 1982) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competed in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Biography A native of Campina Grande in northeast Brazil, Mina began his career at the age of 5, ...

on November 28, 2015 at UFC Fight Night 79. He lost the back-and-forth fight via split decision.

ONE Championship

After three years from his previous bout, Akiyama announced his contract with ONE Championship. Akiyama faced Agilan Thani in a co-headliner bout at ONE Championship: Legendary Quest on June 20, 2019. He lost the bout via unanimous decision. Akiyama faced Sherif Mohamed at ONE Championship 109: King of the Jungle on February 28, 2020. Akiyama won the fight via knockout in the first round, his first stoppage via strikes in nearly 13 years. Akiyama was initially scheduled to face Mohammad Karaki at ONE on TNT 3 on April 21, 2021. However, the bout was cancelled and Akiyama was supposed to face

Eduard Folayang Eduard Folayang (born November 22, 1983) is a Filipino mixed martial artist and wushu practitioner who fights in ONE Championship, where he is a two-time ONE Lightweight World Champion. He also competed for Universal Reality Comba ...

at ONE on TNT 4 on April 28, 2021. But due to suffering an injury during training camp, Akiyama pulled out of the fight and the bout was subsequently scrapped. Akiyama faced Shinya Aoki at ONE: X on March 26, 2022. After getting dominated for most of the first round, nearly getting submitted, Akiyama went on to win by technical knockout in the second round.

Fighting style

As a former gold medalist in the sport, Akiyama stands out in MMA for his style of judo. His usage of it is mainly defensive, as he rarely indulges in the art's signature throws. Instead, Akiyama focuses mostly on defending takedowns in order to brawl with his opponent or getting top position on the mat to perform ground and pound. However, he has shown skill with harai goshi, kosoto gake and

ouchi gari Ouchi or Ōuchi may refer to: Geography * Ouchi, Hubei (), a town in Gong'an County, Jingzhou, Hubei, China Japan * Ōuchi, Akita, a town now merged into Yurihonjō, Akita * Ouchi, Saga, a town now merged into Karatsu-city, Saga * Ōuchi-juku, a ...

/ osoto gari combinations, as well as the more complex uchi mata. Also, thanks to his knowledge of grip fighting, he is often successful in catching low kicks and following with sharp counterpunching.

Personal life

Choo Sung-hoon's great-grandfather, Choo Jeong-won, was born in Jeju County, Jeollanam-do,

Korean Empire The Korean Empire () was a Korean monarchical state proclaimed in October 1897 by Emperor Gojong of the Joseon dynasty. The empire stood until Japan's annexation of Korea in August 1910. During the Korean Empire, Emperor Gojong oversaw the Gwa ...

(now Jeju City). During the Imperial Japanese occupation of Korea, Choo Jeong-won and his family sailed to Japan and adopted Japanese names to help settle in. In March 2009, Akiyama married famous Japanese fashion model

Shiho Yano , also known as and by his nickname Sexyama, is a Japanese mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and judoka who won the gold medal at the 2001 Asian Judo Championships, 2001 Asian Championships for South Korea and for Japan at the ...

(also known as SHIHO in Japan) whom he had been dating since January 2007. The couple have a daughter, Choo Sarang, who was born on October 24, 2011. Akiyama and Sarang starred in the reality show, '' The Return of Superman'', covering their father-daughter relationship. He names Heavyweight Champion boxer

Mike Tyson Michael Gerard Tyson (born June 30, 1966) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 2005. Nicknamed "Iron Mike" and "Kid Dynamite" in his early career, and later known as "The Baddest Man on the Planet", Tyson is cons ...

as his hero and holds a University degree in Commerce. He is close friends with South Korean actor

Jang Keun-suk Jang Keun-suk () is a South Korean actor and singer. He is best known for starring in the Korean television dramas ''Beethoven Virus'' (2008), ''You're Beautiful'' (2009), '' Mary Stayed Out All Night'' (2010), ''Love Rain'' (2012), ''Pretty Ma ...

. In September 2015, Akiyama also appeared as a guest on ''

2 Days & 1 Night ''2 Days & 1 Night'' (; also known as ''1 Night 2 Days''; abbreviated as ''1N2D'') is a South Korean reality-variety show that airs every Sunday at 6:25pm KST on KBS2 beginning August 5, 2007. ''1 Night 2 Days'' used to be one of the two segm ...

''.

Championships and accomplishments

* HERO'S ** K-1 HERO Light Heavyweight Grand Prix World Champion * Ultimate Fighting Championship ** Fight of the Night (Three times) * ONE Championship **

Performance of the Night UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...

(One time)

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 16–7 (2) , Shinya Aoki , TKO (punches) , ONE: X , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:50 , Kallang, Singapore , , - , Win , align=center , 15–7 (2) , Sherif Mohamed , KO (punch) , ONE: King of the Jungle , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 3:04 , Kallang, Singapore , , - , Loss , align=center , 14–7 (2) , Agilan Thani , Decision (unanimous) , ONE: Legendary Quest , , align=center , 3 , align=center , 5:00 , Shanghai,

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, , - , Loss , align=center , 14–6 (2) ,

, Decision (split) , UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Masvidal , , align=center , 3 , align=center , 5:00 , Seoul, South Korea , , - , Win , align=center , 14–5 (2) , Amir Sadollah , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Nelson , , align=center , 3 , align=center , 5:00 , Saitama,

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, , - , Loss , align=center , 13–5 (2) , Jake Shields , Decision (unanimous) , UFC 144 , , align=center , 3 , align=center , 5:00 , Saitama,

, , - , Loss , align=center , 13–4 (2) , Vitor Belfort , KO (punches) ,

, , align=center , 1 , align=center , 1:52 , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States , , - , Loss , align=center , 13–3 (2) , Michael Bisping , Decision (unanimous) , UFC 120 , , align=center , 3 , align=center , 5:00 , London, England , , - , Loss , align=center , 13–2 (2) , Chris Leben , Submission (triangle choke) , UFC 116 , , align=center , 3 , align=center , 4:40 , Las Vegas, United States , , - , Win , align=center , 13–1 (2) ,

, Decision (split) , UFC 100 , , align=center , 3 , align=center , 5:00 , Las Vegas, United States , , - , Win , align=center , 12–1 (2) , Masanori Tonooka , Submission (armbar) , Dream 6: Middleweight Grand Prix 2008 Final Round , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 6:26 , Saitama,

, , - , Win , align=center , 11–1 (2) , Katsuyori Shibata , Technical Submission (Ezekiel choke) , Dream 5: Lightweight Grand Prix 2008 Final Round , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 6:34 , Osaka,

, , - , NC , align=center , 10–1 (2) , Kazuo Misaki , NC (overturned) , Yarennoka! , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 7:48 , Saitama,

, , - , Win , align=center , 10–1 (1) , Denis Kang , KO (punch) , Hero's 2007 in Korea , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 4:45 , Seoul, South Korea , , - , NC , align=center , 9–1 (1) , Kazushi Sakuraba , NC (overturned) , K-1 Premium 2006 Dynamite!! , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 5:37 , Osaka,

, , - , Win , align=center , 9–1 , Melvin Manhoef , Submission (armbar) , Hero's 7 , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 1:58 , Yokohama,

, , - , Win , align=center , 8–1 , Kestutis Smirnovas , TKO (punches) , Hero's 7 , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 3:01 , Yokohama,

, , - , Win , align=center , 7–1 , Taiei Kin , Technical Submission (armbar) , Hero's 6 , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 2:01 , Tokyo,

, , - , Win , align=center , 6–1 ,

Katsuhiko Nagata is a Japanese olympic wrestler and mixed martial artist, who won the silver medal in 63–69 kg Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2000 Summer Olympics. He is also the brother of professional wrestler Yuji Nagata, who works for New Japan P ...

, KO (spinning back kick) , Hero's 5 , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 2:25 , Tokyo,

, , - , Win , align=center , 5–1 , Tokimitsu Ishizawa , Submission (Ezekiel choke) , Hero's 4 , , align=center , 2 , align=center , 1:41 , Tokyo,

, , - , Win , align=center , 4–1 , Masakatsu Okuda , KO (slam and punches) , Hero's 2005 in Seoul , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 3:31 , Seoul, South Korea , , - , Win , align=center , 3–1 , Michael Lerma , TKO (punches) , K-1: World MAX 2005 , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 2:47 , Tokyo,

, , - , Win , align=center , 2–1 , Carl Toomey , Submission (armbar) , Hero's 2 , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 0:59 , Tokyo,

, , - , Loss , align=center , 1–1 ,

Jérôme Le Banner Jérôme Philippe Le Banner (; born December 26, 1972) is a French kickboxer, mixed martial artist, and professional wrestler. Le Banner fought for most of his career in K-1 and became known for his aggressive fighting style and knockout power. ...

, KO (knees) , Hero's 1 , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 2:24 , Saitama,

, , - , Win , align=center , 1–0 , Francois Botha , Submission (armbar) , K-1 Premium 2004 Dynamite!! , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 1:54 , Osaka,

Judo competition record

Filmography

Television show

Web shows

References

External links

*
DREAM Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Akiyama, Yoshihiro 1975 births Living people Asian Games medalists in judo Japanese male mixed martial artists Middleweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing judo Mixed martial artists utilizing Gaidojutsu Japanese male judoka Sportspeople from Osaka Japanese people of Korean descent Zainichi Korean people Naturalized citizens of Japan Judoka at the 2002 Asian Games Asian Games gold medalists for Japan Medalists at the 2002 Asian Games Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters