YOSHIHIRO “Sexy Yama” Akiyama looked at his very best at ONE: KING OF THE JUNGLE on Feb 28.
The Japanese-South Korean mixed martial arts icon delivered a stunning first-round knockout at the Singapore Indoor Stadium against Sherif “The Shark” Mohamed to place himself as a serious contender in the welterweight division.
Despite the spectacular finish, Akiyama faced early pressure from his foe, who had an aggressive game plan.
The only thing he needed to do was to stay away from heavy leather and reply whenever an opportunity arose – and that eventually proved to be the decider in this highly-anticipated clash.
“Honestly, I didn’t predict him coming out with as much forward pressure as he did,” the Team Cloud athlete said.
“I wasn’t particularly looking for the counter, but I thought I should try it. He came out strong, and I managed to catch him as I was going back.
“Distance is a very important thing, so I made sure not to get too close because that leads to trouble.”
The victory may have given the 44-year-old athlete a 15th career victory, but he felt there was a thing or two he could have done better in the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
“For me, I felt that I found something lacking in my movement this time,” he said.
“I thought that I wasn’t fast enough, so next time I want to show an even faster ‘Sexy Yama!’”
The K-1 HERO’s Light Heavyweight Grand Prix Tournament Champion believes the best way he can exhibit a greater performance is by taking on a better opponent, and he has his heart set on a former World Champion in the lightweight division.
“Now, I’m at welterweight, but I’m thinking of giving lightweight a go, so maybe a lightweight fighter. I feel that I’d like to face Eddie Alvarez,” he said.
“I can’t really cut weight, so even a catchweight bout next – at some weight between lightweight and welterweight – would be good.”
