Longtime fan favorite Yoshihiro Akiyama was stopped in his fighting return Sunday.
The Japanese star quickly was dispatched by former Glory Kickboxing champion Nieky Holzken in the first round of their 187.25-pound catchweight bout at ONE 165 in Tokyo.
Akiyama and Holzken competed in a three-round mixed-rules bout, alternating between boxing, muay Thai and MMA. The official stoppage came at the 1:40 mark of Round 1.
Below, you can watch the video of Akiyama TKO defeat:
VEIO SEM ENTENDER NADA! 😯
Yoshihiro Akiyama ficou perdido com as regras especiais do combate e sucumbiu aos pés do Nieky Holzken. 🤜🥴#ONEnoCombate pic.twitter.com/3HnlkwyiWO
— Combate (@combate) January 28, 2024
Akiyama, now 48, has been competing sporadically in combat sports in this late stage of his fighting career. Prior to this defeat at ONE 165, Akiyama fought and defeated fellow Japanese legend Shinya Aoki in an MMA bout in March 2022.
Although already a known name in Asia, “Sexyama” made his fame in America in the early 2010s fighting under the UFC banner. He gave many exciting and memorable performances competing against notable names like Michael Bisping and Vitor Belfort.
