SIGH...Akira Kikuchi Retires

by Luke Thomas on Jan 25, 2008 11:11 AM EST in MMA News

Who knows why he's doing this, but he is:

Shooto fans will bid farewell Saturday to one of Japan's best talents in recent years.

The organization will hold a retirement ceremony at its Jan. 26 Korakuen Hall card for former Shooto world champion Akira Kikuchi.

An All Japan amateur Shooto champion in 2001, Kikuchi quickly emerged as one of the best up-and-coming talents in the pro Shooto ranks. The biggest victory of his pro career came in his rematch with the highly regarded Jake Shields in December 2004. In that bout Kikuchi took a commanding and impressive decision to avenge the first loss of his pro career and to become the seventh world middleweight champion of pro Shooto.

Kikuchi would go on to lose the title to Shinya Aoki and later took a beating from recent UFC welterweight signee Yoshiyuki Yoshida. But Kikuchi is a fantastic talent and his rematch with Shields is a brilliant display of mixed martial arts skill. He will be missed.

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Re: SIGH...Akira Kikuchi Retires

His loss to Yoshida and losing out on the UFC contract must've been a real death blow to him. It's too bad, he was dominating Yoshida for most of that fight until he slipped out of position. I think he might have done better in the UFC than Yoshida as well who probably isn't enough of a wrestler to hang in the welterweight division.
It's going to be tough for Dong Hyun Kim to hang in the UFC as well.

by Kid Nate on Jan 25, 2008 1:22 PM EST reply actions

Re: SIGH...Akira Kikuchi Retires

Slipped out of position? Yoshida tossed him off of his back and onto the ground. Dominated? The fight lasted like four minutes, I don't think you can quantify either fighter as 'dominating' when said pressure only lasted for ninety seconds. I think you're underestimating Yoshida here. While his wrestling isn't that great, he has shown great ability to get off his back when put there, and has shown a great knack for using the cage to punish his opponents. Not to mention that he seems very well suited to the unified rules, moreso than other Japanese fighters like K-Taro or Hironaka, who seem to place more emphasis on submissions than GnP.

Also, it's debatable as to whether Kikuchi would have come over or not had he won, given his notorious fear of flying. I suppose Zuffa could have chartered a boat for him though.

by ilostmydog on Jan 25, 2008 2:12 PM EST up reply actions

Re: SIGH...Akira Kikuchi Retires

It's true that Yoshida has great killer instinct and finished that fight quickly when he got his first chance.
I just worry that his sloppy positioning will keep him out of contention in the UFC 170lb class.
Speaking of K-Taro what do you think of his chances against Rob Emerson at 155?

by Kid Nate on Jan 25, 2008 2:22 PM EST up reply actions

Re: SIGH...Akira Kikuchi Retires

Is it at 155 lbs for sure? I've been trying to find this out for a while. Either way I think it'll be K-Taro by RNC. Emerson's a gamer, and I think he's somewhat better than his record implies, but I think K-Taro will just outclass him.

by ilostmydog on Jan 25, 2008 3:16 PM EST up reply actions

Re: SIGH...Akira Kikuchi Retires

I haven't even seen the fight officially confirmed so it might be wishful thinking on my part that they'll have it at 155.
K-Taro would definitely benefit from cutting the weight. He's just far too small for the UFC 170lb division.
Did you see his fight with Drew Fickett? at one point K-Taro had him in sidemount and was landing elbows but threw some kind of illegal elbow and got stood up, he could've won that fight.

by Kid Nate on Jan 25, 2008 4:10 PM EST up reply actions

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