Yoshihiro Akiyama facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yoshihiro Akiyama
Akiyama in 2017
Born	(1975-07-29) July 29, 1975 (age 49) Osaka, Japan
Native name	秋山成勲 (Akiyama Yoshihiro) 추성훈 (Choo Sung-hoon)
Residence	Osaka, Japan
Nationality	Japanese
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight	170 lb (77 kg)
Division	Middleweight Welterweight Lightweight
Reach	75 in (191 cm)
Style	Judo
Stance	Orthodox
Fighting out of	Osaka, Japan
Team	Team Cloud Jackson's Submission Fighting
Rank	3rd Dan Black Belt in Judo
Years active	2004–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total	25
Wins	16
By knockout	7
By submission	7
By decision	2
Losses	7
By knockout	2
By submission	1
By decision	4
No contests	2
Yoshihiro Akiyama Personal information Born {{#property:P569}} Died Not recognized as a date. Years must have 4 digits (use leading zeros for years < 1000). (aged Error: Need valid year, month, day) Occupation Judoka Sport Sport Judo Weight class ‍–‍81 kg Rank      3rd dan black belt Achievements and titles World finals 5th (2003) Regional finals (2001, 2002) Medal record Men's judo Representing  Japan Asian Games Gold 2002 Busan ‍–‍81 kg Representing  South Korea Asian Championships Gold 2001 Ulaanbaatar ‍–‍81 kg
last updated on: October 17, 2010

Yoshihiro Akiyama (Japanese: 秋山 成勲, born July 29, 1975), also known as Choo Sung-hoon (추성훈), is a Japanese mixed martial artist and judoka. He won a gold medal at the 2001 Asian Championships for South Korea. He also won gold for Japan at the 2002 Asian Games. He was once the champion of the K-1 HERO's Light Heavyweight Grand Prix Tournament.

Akiyama's Judo Journey

Before becoming a professional mixed martial artist, Akiyama was a very successful judo athlete. He started learning Judo when he was just three years old. He has also trained in other fighting styles like karate, boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, and submission wrestling. He even trained with famous coach Greg Jackson.

Winning Gold in Asia

In 2001, Akiyama represented South Korea. He won the gold medal at the 2001 Asian Judo Championships. This was a big achievement for him.

Asian Games Success

The next year, in 2002, Akiyama represented Japan. He won another gold medal at the 2002 Asian Games. He beat Ahn Dong-Jin from South Korea in the final match.

Akiyama's Mixed Martial Arts Career

Starting in HERO'S

Akiyama began his mixed martial arts (MMA) career on December 31, 2004. His first fight was at the K-1 Premium 2004 Dynamite event. He won against boxer Francois Botha by using an armbar submission in the first round.

His first loss was to Jerome LeBanner in his second fight. LeBanner was much heavier than Akiyama. Akiyama has won against well-known fighters like Tokimitsu Ishizawa and Melvin Manhoef. He became the champion of the Hero's light-heavyweight Grand Prix in 2006.

In a fight against Kazushi Sakuraba in 2006, there was a controversy. Sakuraba said Akiyama felt "slippery" during the match. Akiyama won the fight, but later it was found he had applied lotion to his skin. This was against the rules.

Akiyama said he used Olay lotion for dry skin. Footage showed him applying several bottles of lotion. Because of this, his win was changed to a "No Contest." He was also suspended from HERO'S competitions.

After his suspension, Akiyama returned to fighting in 2007. He fought Denis Kang in Seoul and won by knockout in the first round.

The Yarennoka! Fight

On December 31, 2007, Akiyama fought Kazuo Misaki. Misaki knocked Akiyama down and then kicked him in the face. Akiyama argued that his hands were on the mat, which would make the kick illegal. After reviewing the video, the fight result was changed to a no contest.

Joining the Ultimate Fighting Championship

In 2009, Akiyama signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). His first UFC fight was at UFC 100 against Alan Belcher. Akiyama won by a split decision. This fight was named "Fight of the Night," and both fighters received a bonus.

Akiyama opened his own gym, the 'Akiyama Dojo,' in Tokyo in 2009. He trained at Xtreme Couture to improve his striking. He was scheduled to fight Wanderlei Silva multiple times, but the fights were canceled.

Akiyama fought Chris Leben at UFC 116 in 2010. Akiyama controlled much of the fight but lost by submission in the third round. This was his first official loss in five years.

He then lost to Michael Bisping at UFC 120. Akiyama earned his third "Fight of the Night" award for this match. He later lost to Vitor Belfort at UFC 133. After this loss, he decided to move to a lower weight class.

At UFC 144 in 2012, Akiyama fought Jake Shields. He lost by unanimous decision. However, his judo moves were praised during the fight. He then took a break from fighting for over two years.

Akiyama returned to the UFC in 2014 at UFC Fight Night 52. He fought Amir Sadollah and won by unanimous decision. His next fight was in 2015 against Alberto Mina, which he lost by split decision.

Moving to ONE Championship

After another three-year break, Akiyama signed with ONE Championship. He fought Agilan Thani in 2019 and lost by unanimous decision.

In 2020, Akiyama faced Sherif Mohamed. He won the fight by knockout in the first round. This was his first knockout win in almost 13 years.

In 2022, a 46-year-old Akiyama fought Shinya Aoki at ONE: X. After a tough first round, Akiyama won by technical knockout in the second round. He has stated he plans to keep fighting until he is 50 years old.

In 2024, Akiyama had a special-rules match against Nieky Holzken. The rules changed each round, starting with boxing. He lost the fight in the first round by technical knockout.

Akiyama's Fighting Style

Akiyama is known for his unique judo style in MMA. He uses his judo skills mainly for defense, like stopping opponents from taking him down. He also uses it to get into a good position on the ground to hit his opponent. He is skilled in various judo throws like harai goshi and uchi mata.

Because he is good at grip fighting, he can often catch low kicks from his opponents. This allows him to follow up with quick counterpunches.

Akiyama's Life Outside Fighting

Akiyama's family has roots in Korea. His great-grandfather was born in Korea before moving to Japan.

In 2009, Akiyama married Shiho Yano, a famous Japanese fashion model. They have a daughter born in 2011. Akiyama and his daughter, Sarang, were on a reality TV show called The Return of Superman. The show featured their father-daughter relationship.

Akiyama looks up to heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson. He also has a university degree in commerce. He is good friends with South Korean actor Jang Keun-suk. In 2015, he appeared as a guest on the TV show 2 Days & 1 Night.

He also appeared as a contestant on the show Physical: 100 under the name Choo Sung-hoon.

Akiyama's Achievements

• HERO'S
  • K-1 HERO Light Heavyweight Grand Prix World Champion
• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Fight of the Night (Three times) vs. Michael Bisping, Chris Leben and Alan Belcher
• ONE Championship
  • Performance of the Night (One time) vs. Shinya Aoki

Mixed Martial Arts Record

Special Rules Record

Judo Competition Record

Film and TV Appearances

Movies

Television Shows

Web Shows

See also

• List of current ONE fighters
• List of male mixed martial artists