Having been almost 10 years since the UFC traveled to the land of the rising son, the recent UFC Japan event was a monumentally historical event in the history of the sport of Mixed Marital Arts.
The fight card did not disappoint.
UFC 144 featured three Tiger Muay Thai and MMA training camp, Phuket, Thailand alumnus competing.
Jake Shields faced a very tough Yoshihiro ”Sexyama” Akyama. Showcasing an aggressive striking style, Shields was able to use his unorthodox striking to establish the tempo of the fight, allowing him to win a clear cut 30-27 victory on all three judges score cards.
Former K-1 Champion Mark Hunt faced Cheick Kongo in a matchup of dynamic strikers. Kongo known for his size and power was an early betters favorite, before Hunt lowered the boom with his KO power. Having now won 3 in a row for the UFC, look for Hunt to continue climbing the HW contenders ladder.
Riki Fukuda returned to the Octagon for the first time since his highly controversial decision loss to Nick Ring. Facing BJJ Brown Belt Steve Cantwell of Las Vegas Nevada, Fukuda used his aggressive fighting style to improve his pro record to 18-5, giving his native crowd of Japan a reason to rejoice when the scorecards announced Riki Fukuda as the winner via judges score cards.
Congratulations for all of the hard work guys!
