Yoshihiro Akiyama to Train With Shawn Tompkins at Xtreme Couture
by Kid Nate on Sep 29, 2009 9:18 AM EDT
in News
42 comments
Loretta Hunt reports:
Tompkins said the Japanese-Korean middleweight is expected to stay the entire month with the team and will focus on "refining his striking" with the coach and Vitor Belfort, who is slated to face UFC 185-pound champion Anderson Silva in January.
...
"He is a great person and fighter and has a very slick aggressive style," said Tompkins. "I would like to help him with his defense."
This is an exciting development. Akiyama has already electrified U.S. audiences with his "Fight of the Night" winning performance against Alan Belcher at UFC 100. Adding polish to his balls-out striking style and improving his defense will only make him a more formidable and appealing fighter.
I remain skeptical that Akiyama has the size and reach to truly contend for the title at middleweight in the UFC, but I have no doubt that he is an extremely talented competitor and will make an impact in the division.
I still hold out hope that he'll cut down to welterweight where he would truly be an immediate factor. Georges St. Pierre vs Yoshihiro Akiyama has a nice ring to it, no?
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Good move by Akiyama, better move by Xtreme Couture for bringin the sexy
GSP v. Sexyama = fluttering hearts around the world.
Also, probably the stiffest challenge GSP could face within the next year.
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Robert Downey Sr. on Sep 28, 2009 11:04 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
[Sexyama would be] probably the stiffest challenge GSP could face
Heh heh…“stiffest”…
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett
by themachiavellian on Sep 28, 2009 11:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It would give a whole new meaning to “hit him with your groin”.
by Steve4192 on Sep 28, 2009 11:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Similar vein to the “balls-out” striking style of Sexiyama.
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
by iiowyn on Sep 28, 2009 11:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
There’s room for so many jokes here… I love it.
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Robert Downey Sr. on Sep 28, 2009 11:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
yeah, vitor’s striking looked terrible and unchanged
by cagefightonacid on Sep 29, 2009 12:11 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
your eyes suck then
his stance and the form where completely different
"he's the best punchy face man in the buisness"
by blubber_guard on Sep 29, 2009 8:42 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'm assuming he was being sarcastic
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Sep 29, 2009 11:17 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Care to explain that statement? Tyson Griffin’s striking has been looking more crisp every fight, and the improvement is obvious.
by chrisbboy82 on Sep 29, 2009 1:24 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
When did ONE fighter all of a sudden represent ALL the fighters that Tompkins has trained? That is a huge fallacy right there. Even with Forrest Griffin, he has achieved the Lightheavyweight Title in the UFC and is ranked in the top ten of one of the strongest divisions in MMA. Even using Forrest as an example, one can still see the improvements in his striking from when he was in the Ultimate Fighter to now as shown with his fight against Rampage, and going toe-to-toe with Rashad Evans until he got caught. You can’t even count the Anderson Silva fight because Anderson is just so above everyone in striking. In all reality, Forrest Griffin is a terrible example of why Tompkins is overrated and Forrest’s progression actually shows why Tompkins is a good trainer.
by chrisbboy82 on Sep 29, 2009 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
If Akiyama wants to some striking he should head to HOlland.
by Meshuggeth on Sep 29, 2009 2:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Maybe he wants to train striking...
in a place where he can also work the ground game.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Sep 29, 2009 2:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
So I guess this scuttles the Akiyama vs. W. Silva rumours if they’re both at Xtreme Couture? I guess XC doesn’t run as tight of camps as say Jackson or AKA, so that might not be a big issue.
I am the bastard love child of Junie Browning and Diamond Dave Kaplan.
by The_Gaijin on Sep 28, 2009 11:25 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
That didn’t prevent Bonnar/Coleman.
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett
by themachiavellian on Sep 28, 2009 11:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don't think Wand is training at XC
by Scott Haber on Sep 28, 2009 11:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think you’re right. I think he’s using the facilities or something like that but he’s got his own team or something along those lines.
I know he and Shawn Tompkins had a falling out, so there’s definitely no conflict there.
I am the bastard love child of Junie Browning and Diamond Dave Kaplan.
by The_Gaijin on Sep 29, 2009 12:10 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
and wand would fight his mother. he’s game for anything
"I want to tell me what you see, let's go ahead and see by the fight what you saw, in the ring"
by crinow on Sep 29, 2009 7:36 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Someone who knows about weight cutting should help me out: if Akiyama hasn’t competed in any sport below about 178 lbs. since 2002, what are the odds that he could make the cut to 170 at age 34?
by JRN on Sep 28, 2009 11:27 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
He could make it. A lot of fighters in Japan do not cut weight. Wandy was an example. This is why you see fighters coming to the UFC from Japan looking so much smaller than their opposistion.
by SouthAlaBamaRampage on Sep 28, 2009 11:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I need...
a box of tissues if gsp and the sexy are on the tv screen at the same time.
by BruceLeeroy on Sep 28, 2009 11:36 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
On a side note…I was just on the phone with Dana White and he is the nicest chillest dude…
by DamnSevern on Sep 28, 2009 11:54 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
O’RLY?
I am the bastard love child of Junie Browning and Diamond Dave Kaplan.
by The_Gaijin on Sep 29, 2009 12:10 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
he was at pink berry in nyc earlier giving out tix to ufc104…2 of my friends went out there, im stuck with the flu…they put him on the phone and we shot the shit for like 30 seconds…really nice and down to earth…
by DamnSevern on Sep 29, 2009 12:17 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
That’s wicked!
I am the bastard love child of Junie Browning and Diamond Dave Kaplan.
by The_Gaijin on Sep 29, 2009 11:07 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs
GSP vs. Akiyama is just too much sexyness for me to handle right now.
for all intents and purposes, just consider all my posts as works of satire.
by Bandaka on Sep 29, 2009 12:23 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Happy happy, joy joy!
I love me some Sexyama!
by pud333 on Sep 29, 2009 1:23 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Forecast: partly cloudy with a chance of sexy.
Keep firing Assholes!
The Leafs are back!
by Ubernoober on Sep 29, 2009 2:24 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Behold!
I specializes in grammar fail.
by a tommy point on Sep 29, 2009 2:28 AM EDT reply actions 9 recs
lol god damn.
This shirt is "dry clean only", which means it's dirty.
by SamCupitt on Sep 29, 2009 2:49 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
So…Beautiful…
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett
by themachiavellian on Sep 29, 2009 3:03 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Adding polish to his balls
Seriously? Nobody is going to comment on that?
Bolts from the Blue // "Game over." - Jamal Williams
Bloody Elbow // "Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." - H.L. Mencken
by Richard Wade on Sep 29, 2009 3:09 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
GSP v Akiyama
Is the best idea I have heard in a long time!
XC should be able to get him to cut weight pretty easily. Who would be a good test fight at 170 to see how the wight cut goes before a shot at GSP? Winner of Swick/Hardy? Daley?
'He built his whole reputation as a waffle house chef. They’ve been serving him up ham and eggs with a side of canned tomatoes' - Don Frye on Fedor Emelianenko
by Well Read Idiot on Sep 29, 2009 5:22 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Didn’t Akiyama recently say he was going to Montreal to train with GSP and Zahabi?
by Hardcharger on Sep 29, 2009 9:46 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I believe Akiyama will be pimping all over the world.
by tichbou on Sep 29, 2009 5:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
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