Naoyuki Kotani facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Naoyuki Kotani小谷直之 |
|
|---|---|
| Born | December 8, 1981 Yokosuka, Japan |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
| Weight | 156 lb (71 kg; 11.1 st) |
| Division | Lightweight |
| Reach | 66.5 |
| Style | Judo, Shootboxing |
| Team | Rodeo Style |
| Years active | 2000-present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 62 |
| Wins | 37 |
| By knockout | 6 |
| By submission | 27 |
| By decision | 4 |
| Losses | 18 |
| By knockout | 9 |
| By submission | 2 |
| By decision | 7 |
| Draws | 7 |
Naoyuki Kotani (Japanese: 小谷直之) is a Japanese mixed martial artist born on December 8, 1981. He competes in the Lightweight division, which means he fights in a specific weight class. Naoyuki Kotani has been a professional fighter since 2000. He has competed in many well-known fighting organizations, including PRIDE, Pancrase, and the UFC. He is known for his skills in Judo and Shootboxing.
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Naoyuki Kotani's Fighting Journey
Naoyuki Kotani's career in mixed martial arts (MMA) has been a long and exciting one, with many ups and downs.
Starting Out in MMA
Kotani began his professional MMA journey in September 2000. His first fights were with a promotion called RINGS. For the first three years of his career, he was incredibly successful. He won 13 fights, had no losses, and two draws. This was a fantastic start for a new fighter!
However, from 2004 to 2005, things became a bit tougher for Kotani. He faced some very strong opponents, including fighters who would later join the UFC. During this time, his record was 3 wins, 5 losses, and 1 draw.
Fighting in the UFC
In 2007, Naoyuki Kotani got the chance to fight in the UFC, which is one of the biggest MMA organizations in the world.
His first fight in the UFC was on April 5, 2007, against Thiago Tavares. Kotani lost this fight by a decision from the judges. For his second UFC fight, he faced Dennis Siver on September 8, 2007. He lost this fight in the second round. After these two losses, Kotani left the UFC.
After the First UFC Run
After leaving the UFC, Kotani went through another challenging period from November 2007 to April 2010. His record during this time was 3 wins, 3 losses, and 2 draws.
But then, something amazing happened! Starting in September 2010, Kotani began an incredible winning streak in Japan. For the next three and a half years, he was undefeated, winning 13 fights in a row!
Returning to the UFC
Because of his impressive winning streak, Kotani was invited back to the UFC in May 2014.
His first fight back was on July 19, 2014, against Norman Parke. Kotani lost this fight in the second round. He then fought Yan Cabral on October 25, 2014, and lost by submission in the second round.
Kotani's last fight in his second UFC run was on September 27, 2015, against Kajan Johnson. He lost this fight by a decision from the judges. After this, he was released from the UFC again.
See also
- List of male mixed martial artists
