Japan has a decorated history when it comes to professional combat. As professional wrestling in Japan slowly transformed into full-on fighting in the late 80s and early 90s, an abundance of Japanese fighters made their way into the fold, from all different backgrounds and Martial Arts. Some of them had short careers spanning 15 or 20 fights, mostly in Japan. Others had long and prestigious careers, enjoying success all over the world. The three fighters I’m discussing here combine for a total of 236 fights, throughout 76 years of experience altogether.
Photo Courtesy of Giant Bomb
Yuki “Sora” Kondo
Record: 65-40-9
Organizations: Pancrase, PRIDE, UFC
Division(s): Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight, Middleweight, Openweight
Yuki Kondo is one of the most underrated fighters to come out of the hybrid wrestling era in 1990s Japan. He has a background in Shorinji Kempo, which is a form of Kung Fu. Despite never having competed before, he decided to train under the legendary Masakatsu Funaki, and made his MMA debut at Pancrase 25 in January of 1996. He has amassed a shocking 114 fights – and I have yet to confirm an official retirement. As of this writing, Yuki’s last fight was on Christmas Eve of 2023, just seven short months ago. Kondo has fought a who’s who across multiple weight classes – names like Paulo Filho, Igor Vovchanchynn, Funaki, Minoru Suzuki, Guy Mezger, Tito Ortiz, Semmy Schilt, Dan Henderson, and Josh Barnett. Yuki did all of this despite walking around at less than 200 pounds. The obvious question is, what is the Kondo’s motivation for competing over 100 times? Simply put, he lived and breathed fighting in a way virtually nobody could ever conceive. He loved to grow and challenge himself as a Martial Artist, and inspire people all over the world to pursue their dream. In doing so, Yuki Kondo has left an everlasting legacy of desire and perseverance.
Photo courtesy of Giant Bomb
Hayato ” Mach” Sakurai
Record: 38-13-2
Organizations: Shooto, PRIDE, UFC, DEEP, DREAM
Division(s): Middleweight, Lightweight, Welterweight
For the first 5 years of his professional MMA career, Sakurai went undefeated. Winning the Shooto Middleweight Championship in the process, he boasted wins over Frank Trigg, Caol Uno, and Luiz Azeredo. After going 18-0, Anderson Silva dethroned him as the champion, handing Sakurai his first loss. Throughout the late 90s Hayato was one of the absolute best fighters on earth, getting a variety of stoppages such as armbars, toe holds, chokes, and knockouts, including his legendary comeback knockout over Frank Trigg. Post-Anderson Sakurai was still one of the best and most dangerous fights for anyone, taking names like Shinya Aoki, Mac Danzig, and former UFC champions Dave Menne and Jens Pulver. Hayato started as a Judoka but developed a well rounded skill set, favoring flying and jumping knees in the striking. He was an accurate puncher and measured counter striker with explosive speed, and had a dangerous lead hook. Sakurai retired in 2016 after 20 years of competition.
Photo Courtesy of MMA Junkie
Akihiro “The Magic Man” Gono
Record: 37-24-8
Organizations: Shooto, DEEP, Pancrase, UFC, Sengoku (SRC)
Division(s): Middleweight, Lightweight, Welterweight
The Magic Man. The Japanese Sensation. DJ GOZMA. Very few fighters are as ostentatious as Akihiro Gono. Known for his elaborate and often hilarious ring entrances, Gono made a name for himself in Shooto in the late 90s. He debuted in April of 1994 at Lumax Cup, which was the Japanese equivalent to UFC at the time – style versus style matchups. He made his way through the gauntlet of MMA organizations throughout the years – on top of everything listed above, he competed in Bellator, WSOF, RINGS, and even crossed over to kickboxing promotions such as Hero Legends in China, and Krush in Japan. Like Sakurai and Kondo, Gono fought well above his natural weight class – taking on guys like Shogun Rua, Dan Henderson, Chael Sonnen (who he took to a draw), and Denis Kang. Although he came up short against them, he holds wins over Hector Lombard, Crosley Gracie, Hayato Sakurai and Yuki Kondo. His biggest win was undoubtedly his come back against Gegard Mousasi, who had Gono hurt at multiple points during the fight. Akihiro was a spectacle to watch and played many characters when entering the ring, like a Japanese showgirl, or an alter-ego based on Japanese musical artist named DJ Ozma. If you don’t remember Gono for his entrances, you’ll remember him for his fighting style. Akihiro’s background was in Sambo and Karate, which was an uncommon combination in Japan. Like most other fighters during that era, he learned on the job while he was competing as a professional fighter, and developed into a complete fighter. He was a tricky striker, often using deception to distract his opponents before throwing his strikes. He spent a lot of time in the air throwing flying stomps and kicks. And when I say flying, I mean flying. Akihiro Gono never won a world title but if he were to be described as a journeyman; he would be called the enduring, extraordinary, high-flying, ultimate journeyman.
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