Norifumi Yamamoto facts for kids

Norifumi Yamamoto (山本 徳郁, Yamamoto Norifumi, March 15, 1977 – September 18, 2018) was a Japanese mixed martial artist and kickboxer. He was often called "Kid." He competed in the bantamweight division of the UFC.

Kid Yamamoto became popular in the Shooto organization. This was because of his exciting and strong fighting style. He later moved to K-1 Hero's. In December 2005, he won the K-1 Hero's 2005 Middleweight Grand Prix Tournament. He won by defeating Genki Sudo.

Even though he was naturally a bantamweight, many of his important fights were in the lightweight division. This was the lightest division in Hero's at the time. Later, he fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship in the bantamweight division.

Early Life and Wrestling Background

Yamamoto came from a family of wrestling champions. His father, Ikuei Yamamoto, represented Japan in the 1972 Olympic Games. His sisters, Miyuu Yamamoto and Seiko, both won world championships in freestyle wrestling.

Kid Yamamoto went to school in the United States. He wrestled at Marcos de Niza High School in Tempe, Arizona. He won three state championships there. He also trained with famous wrestlers Townsend and Tricia Saunders.

When he was 21, Yamamoto decided to switch from wrestling to mixed martial arts. His father did not think MMA was a "real sport." His first coach in MMA was Enson Inoue.

Mixed Martial Arts Career

Starting in Shooto

Yamamoto had his first professional mixed martial arts fight on March 2, 2001. He fought Masato Shiozawa at Shooto - To The Top 2. He won this fight by a unanimous decision, meaning all judges agreed he won. He then won his next two fights by TKO (Technical Knockout) in the first round. A TKO happens when a fighter can't continue safely.

During this time, Yamamoto fought Josh Thomson in Honolulu, Hawaii. Yamamoto was doing well with takedowns and strikes. But in the second round, Thomson accidentally kicked him in the groin. The fight was stopped and called a "no contest." This means it was like the fight never happened.

On May 5, 2002, Yamamoto lost his first fight to Stephen Palling. Palling hit him with a knee, causing a big cut on Yamamoto's face. The referee stopped the fight because of the cut. Yamamoto then won his next three fights.

Fighting in Hero's

Yamamoto joined K-1 Hero's on April 7, 2004. He won his first fight there by choking out Tony Valente in less than a minute. Over the next year, he became very popular. He won against Kazuya Yasuhiro, Jadamba Narantungalag, and Ian James Schaffa.

Yamamoto became a legend in K-1 Hero's by winning the 2005 Middleweight Grand Prix. He defeated three top fighters: Royler Gracie, Caol Uno, and Genki Sudo.

Four-Second Knockout

On May 3, 2006, Yamamoto made history. He knocked out Kazuyuki Miyata in just four seconds! He used a flying knee right after the fight started. This was the fastest knockout ever in a major MMA event.

Trying for the Olympics

In 2007, Yamamoto took a break from MMA. He wanted to go back to his wrestling roots. His dream was to train for and compete in freestyle wrestling at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. His father had competed in the Olympics, and Kid wanted to win a gold medal.

During a qualifying match, he dislocated his right elbow. This injury meant he could not compete in the Olympic Games. So, he returned to mixed martial arts.

Return to Hero's and DREAM

Yamamoto returned to MMA on September 17, 2007. He fought Bibiano Fernandes at K-1 Hero's 10 and won. On December 31, he fought Rani Yahya and won by TKO.

In 2008, a new MMA group called Dream started. Yamamoto was one of the big names to join. He was supposed to fight Joseph Benavidez, but he got a knee injury.

He later joined the Dream Featherweight Grand Prix. At Dream.9, he fought Joe Warren. Even though Yamamoto had much more experience, he lost by a split decision. This was a big surprise because Warren was new to the sport. This loss ended Yamamoto's 14-fight winning streak.

Yamamoto then lost to Masanori Kanehara in 2009. After two losses, he wanted to "reinvent" himself. He moved to Okinawa to train. He then fought Federico Lopez at Dream 14 and won by KO (Knockout). A KO means a fighter is unconscious or unable to continue after a strike.

Fighting in the UFC

Yamamoto made his UFC debut on February 5, 2011. He fought Demetrious Johnson at UFC 126. Johnson kept taking him down, and Yamamoto lost by unanimous decision.

He was supposed to fight Chris Cariaso and Damacio Page, but he had to pull out due to injuries.

Yamamoto then fought Darren Uyenoyama at UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos. Yamamoto hurt Uyenoyama several times. But Uyenoyama controlled him on the ground for most of the fight. Yamamoto lost by unanimous decision.

His next fight was against Vaughan Lee at UFC 144. Yamamoto hit Lee hard early in the fight. But Lee then caught Yamamoto in a triangle choke. Lee then switched to an armbar, which made Yamamoto give up. This was Yamamoto's first loss by submission. A submission means a fighter gives up because of a hold.

Yamamoto returned in 2015 after a three-year break. He fought Roman Salazar at UFC 184. The fight was called a "no contest" after Yamamoto accidentally poked Salazar in the eye. Salazar could not continue.

Yamamoto was scheduled for more fights, but injuries kept him from competing.

Kickboxing Career

Yamamoto also had a kickboxing career. He faced Masato in a big fight on December 31, 2004. He lost this fight by decision. Many people watched this fight in Japan.

He also lost to Percy Ramos and Mike Zambidis by TKO or KO. His kickboxing record was 1 win and 3 losses.

Personal Life

Yamamoto was married to Japanese fashion model MALIA. They had two sons and a daughter. They later divorced in 2009.

Death

On August 26, 2018, Yamamoto shared on his Instagram that he had been diagnosed with cancer. On September 18, 2018, Norifumi Yamamoto passed away from stomach cancer. The founder of Rizin Fighting Federation, Nobuyuki Sakakibara, shared the type of cancer. He said Yamamoto had known about the cancer since 2016 but kept it private. In early 2018, his condition worsened. His father flew him to Guam for treatment.

Championships and Accomplishments

Mixed Martial Arts

• K-1 Hero's
  • Hero's 2005 Middleweight Grand Prix Tournament Winner
  • Fastest Recorded Knockout (0:04)
• Shooto
  • All Japan Amateur Shooto Tournament Winner
• MMAFighting.com
  • 2005 Featherweight Fighter of the Year

Amateur Wrestling

• Japan Wrestling Federation
  • All-Japan Emperor's Cup Senior Freestyle National Championship 4th Place (2007)
  • All-Japan Emperor's Cup Senior Freestyle National Championship Runner-up (1999)
• Arizona Interscholastic Association
  • AIA High School State Championship (1995, 1996, 1997)
  • AIA High School State Championship 3rd Place (1994)
  • Scholastic Career Record: 112-4 (1993-1997)

See also

• List of male mixed martial artists