Yoshihiro Akiyama

It’s no secret that the UFC would love for Akiyama to lead them into the Asian Combat Market but with dreadful cardio can they trust him to do it? I think they need to buy him a treadmill and tell him he needs to drop to 170. He was way undersized in the Leban fight and his gas tank was empty after 4 min of fighting. What do you feel they should do with him?

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Posted by postman

It’s no secret that the UFC would love for Akiyama to lead them into the Asian Combat Market but with dreadful cardio can they trust him to do it? I think they need to buy him a treadmill and tell him he needs to drop to 170. He was way undersized in the Leban fight and his gas tank was empty after 4 min of fighting. What do you feel they should do with him?

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Come on dude, Thomas Rios wants his lines back...

Link

I got it from their to be sure but didn't want to link to the devil lol I thought it was a good conversation peice though.

If he has no gas tank now how do you think he will fight when he cuts more weight at 170. Makes no sense. The boy needs to work on his cardio
Throw him up at big bear for 8 weeks

It can tax your cardio a hell of a lot to have to deal with clinching larger opponents. I know clinching never looks like much but for my money it is the most exhausting part of fighting. Especially when you're clinching up against someone who has a significant size and/or strength advantage over you. So, in that sense, a weight cut could do him well. Not to mention he'd be forced to clean his diet up which in and of itself works wonders for your cardio.

I'd be all for Akiyama fighting at 170 although I personally believe he's got the skill to do well at 185 if he can just improve his cardio.

He gassed early against Leben yet still won the first two rounds. He's a top-tier talent with an issue that prohibits him from looking as sharp as he can be later in fights.

I do not think being undersized is his primary problem anymore at 185; he outstruck Leben and Belcher, two UFC fixtures that dwarfed him, for the majority of both those fights. He just needs to work on his cardio.

Honestly i dont see why the UFC thinks it will be succesful in Asia. UFC will not be able to compete with Dream there. UFC doesnt have the flash or production that Asian fans seem to love.

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Posted by Jackelope

It can tax your cardio a hell of a lot to have to deal with clinching larger opponents. I know clinching never looks like much but for my money it is the most exhausting part of fighting. Especially when you're clinching up against someone who has a significant size and/or strength advantage over you. So, in that sense, a weight cut could do him well. Not to mention he'd be forced to clean his diet up which in and of itself works wonders for your cardio.

I'd be all for Akiyama fighting at 170 although I personally believe he's got the skill to do well at 185 if he can just improve his cardio.

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You summed it up for me.

I never thought Akiyama was undersized for MW. I suppose he could make WW but I think it would be a hard cut unless he changed his body and lost some of that muscle. He might not be the tallest MW but he's a thick well muscled guy. I think he just needs to do some altitude training and work on his cardio.

On the other hand, it could be the amount of muscle he has that makes him gas. That's a lot of oxygenated blood for all that muscle. I also remember a quote from Bas Rutten in a recent Pride FC tribute article where he said a six pack or large abdominal muscles are bad for fighters because it restricts the diaphragm and prevents the lungs from fully inflating. I never thought of that, but it makes sense.

So I guess I don't know whether he should or shouldn't, but I do know that it isn't up to us anyway

he barley walks around over 185 he has said before he doesnt even cut weight.

For sure if Pukyama(not bashing just hate it when other GROWN MEN say the alternative!!!) wants to florish in the UFC he needs to rededicate to the sport, and go to WW. He completly gassed, trying to keep Leben off him. He also had a very tough time winning aginst Belcher. I think a lot of "asian" Competitors think fighting in the US will be easy! The Sport is much more prevalent in "eastern" cultures. Other than DHK, most have fallen short of even winning, against elite competition! Hell Uno made it back ...just to lose twice and draw in the middle. There is a lack of heart involved. We saw it in Akiyama, tapping at the last second. And Aoki getting demolished by Gilbert. I harbor no ill will or am I racist. Just my 2 cents!

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Posted by lohmann

He gassed early against Leben yet still won the first two rounds.

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Make that almost the whole fight.

I agree with Jackalope, clinch work is brutal.

Akiyama disappointed me this fight. From the Belcher fight I was expecting some better stand up movement. I don't think he'll be a force in the UFC

And I wouldn't be shocked if he didn't cut weight. Most Japanese fighters don't cut much if any, which is why they are typically undersized.

he looks better suited to 170 to me also. still, these japanese guys often don't like to cut much, if any, so a change might prove to be detrimental.
if he's content to put on exciting fights regardless of the result he'll continue doing just fine at 185. not to mention dana will continue to be happy and keep him on the roster.