UFC 100 will see the promotional debut of one of Zuffa's biggest ever MMA signings. The funny part is almost no one watching will care. Yoshihiro Akiyama is the definition of "big in Japan" and unlike Spinal Tap, he doesn't have a decade's worth of hits here statewide.
He's easily the most popular Japanese fighter to fight in the U.S. for an American promotion in the history of modern MMA. Dave Meltzer explains:
... Akiyama is, with the exception of only Kid Yamamoto, the biggest television ratings draw of Japanese MMA fighters, he is also hated in the country.
Akiyama has a strange dichotomy, because as much as he’s hated in Japan, he’s loved in South Korea, as the country’s current martial arts hero. At this point there are no plans to run live events in South Korea, but UFC does have television in that country and Akiyama on its roster greatly bolsters its standing.
As our own Luke Thomas said at the time of Akiyama's signing, this isn't about the U.S. audience. Akiyama is a Trojan Horse to help the UFC sneak into the Japanese market. He's also a huge draw in South Korea (we'll get to why in a minute), where the UFC has been making serious headway. If Akiyama can string together a series of wins and earn a title shot, don't be shocked if the UFC suddenly gets serious about putting on a show in South Korea or Japan.
Meltzer also worries that Akiyama has never recovered from a KO via illegal kick to the face:
After Akiyama was knocked out cold on December 31, 2007, by Kazuo Misaki, he has not been the same fighter. He is slower to react, which is the kiss of death against top competition. Fighting Entertainment Group, the promotion behind K-1 in Japan, was well aware of this, putting him against two non-fighters in his only matches this past year. Unless his reflexes suddenly snap back to pre-knockout levels, UFC is paying big money for a fighter who may very well be shot.
The UFC is putting that proposition to the test immediately. Rather than sheltering their big signing, they're throwing him in against Alan Belcher. Belcher is the kind of opponent managers hate. He's dangerous enough to have beaten Denis Kang and Jorge Santiago but erratic enough to have losses to Jason Day and Kendall Grove. Beating Belcher doesn't really get you anywhere and he's a very real threat to beat anyone by KO or submission. If Akiyama beats Belcher, particularly if its in convincing fashion, we'll know he's got real potential to make an impact in the UFC.
Style-wise, Akiyama is very different than Karo Parisyan, the judoka with whom UFC fans are most familiar. He's won plenty of fights by submission, but doesn't have much of a track record of using high-flying throws in the MMA ring. Instead he's often fought more like another judoka who's beginning to break out in the U.S.: Hector Lombard. Like the Cuban Olympian, Akiyama often uses his top-flight Judo skills to keep things standing or get top position where he can bring the power of his fists to bear.
If Akiyama is at 100% and not shot as Meltzer fears, we shouldn't be surprised to see him stay on his feet with Belcher and even get the KO.
If Akiyama can deliver the goods in the Octagon, American fans are still likely to miss why he's such a big deal in Japan. There are two reasons. First, he's of Korean descent but is a fourth generation Japanese. His Korean name is Choo Sung-Hoon. That might not sound like a big deal here in the U.S., but in Japan that means he's very much an ethnic underdog. More on this in the full entry. Secondly, he's been involved in two of the most controversial No Contests in Japanese MMA history.
Sergio Non talked to Akiyama about his perception in Japan:
That said, how much does it bother you to be viewed as a villain in Japan?
It's something that is created in Japan, and I accepts it as a fact. There's nothing I can do at this point.
More on these controversies in the full entry, plus enough fight videos to waste your whole evening.
