Yoshihiro Akiyama headed to new division for next fight
Posted by Richard Parker
After a successful stint as a middleweight featuring wins over Melvin Manhoef, Alan Belcher, Denis Kang, and others, Japanese MMA icon Yoshihiro Akiyama has decided to test new waters and will fight at 170 pounds in his next bout – a fight he hopes will come with the opportunity to compete in front of his countrymen.
“Sexyama” explained his intentions in an interview with Sponichi where he alluded to the possibility of his involvement on a February UFC card rumored to be taking place in Saitama, Japan.
The move down in divisions is one fans have been calling for in large part due to his recent struggles in the ring including a trio of consecutive losses in his last three outings, a point Dana White even made after Akiyama’s knockout loss to Vitor Belfort at UFC 133.
Another interesting tidbit gleaned from the conversation is Akiyama’s desire to train alongside Georges St. Pierre, the top welterweight in the world and arguably one of the two best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport today (maybe all-time).
TweetRelated Articles
Interested in having your MMA training facility profiled on MMATraining.com? Visit our gym addition contact form to get in touch with us to get the ball rolling.
List your gym with us now!- UFC veteran Eliot Marshall retires at age 31
- Technique of the Day: Strength/Conditioning with Stefan Struve
- Gilbert Melendez says feud with Josh Thomson “settled once and for all”
- UFC champion Jon Jones arrested for suspicion of DUI after one-car crash
- Technique of the Day: Flip-Over Sweep with Frank Mir
September 6th, 2011 at 11:33 am
[...] an interest in competing in Japan under the UFC banner including Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Yoshihiro Akiyama. It’s also probable other Japanese stars, like Akiyama, will be attached to the lineup including [...]