Wel said.
I was watching that Dream fight he had in 2008 or so vs a wrestler he quickly got rid of.
He as getting booed and thumbs down during his ring walk and even stared down some guy who was heckling him.
He knew his time was up in the Japanese fighting circuit.
Oh absolutely, against Misaki for instance everyone was booing + thumbs down during Akiyama's walkout
You might be talking about the Shibata fight in which Akiyama was also copiously booed IIRC?
Speaking of him, I'm so happy that
the Mad Dog Pro-Wrestler befriended
Saku after their fight, and ended up coming back to pro-wrestling full time after a disappointing run in JMMA, ended up becoming a huge international star, and despite getting heavily injured after a botched headbutt, something that lots of fans feared would become a career-ending injury, is still going strong in 2025 against all odds....
I've never seriously followed pro-wrestling (I mean I'd watch Saku's match here and there for fun, same for Coleman & Randleman, but nothing more) so I don't know all the details, but I'm just very happy for the dude.
His latest event was just a few days ago apparently, I've time-stamped the most memorable part of the bout according to the comment =>
After Shibata's MMA career sadly went nowhere, despite being introduced in the Saku/Funaki mini-arc, as Masakatsu Funaki's student/ mini-boss for Saku to vanquish, to hype up the IQ Wrestler vs the Hybrid Wrestler mega fight main-eventing the extremely fun
K-1 PREMIUM 2007 Dynamite!!
I really wish that my poor Saku stuck to fighting fellow aging pro-wrestlers like Funaki after his prime was over and his knees shot, instead of taking concerning beating from guys like Melvin Manhoef or Shinya Aoki, 2 hardcore dudes who still cried in the ring after the fight was over and Saku was left a bloody mess...
(I didn't know that before their fight was announced, but Manhoef is a huge fan of Saku, and has the merch to prove it!)
... ok that sub-topic went on long enough, what were we talking about?
Ah yes, RIZIN's first event in South Korea! Seoul (Incheon more specifically), sweet location if the only manwha I follow is to be believed! <(^Q^ <)
Mmmmmhhh, who could we get there?
The Korean Zombie is obviously retired, and after his perfect send-off in the UFC against Max Holloway, it's obvious he won't be fighting in MMA anymore... but I sure hope he'll be the dude giving out flowers for the main event or something like that ^^
Or you know what, even maybe take part in a short exhibition style sparring match open-weight 10min grappling bout at this event against another retired Korean star like Yoon Dong Sik or Dong "Stun Gun" Hyun Kim?
Something a bit like Fedor vs Aoki, just for fun (and the size disparity was comical), but no one got hurt, pockets were lined, and people cheered right before the main event at
M-1 Challenge 14: Japan
When it comes to active Korean fighters, this event would be a good occasion to bring back
Ji Yong Yang from Team Ducking, he last fought at ROAD FC in December 2024 but he's taken part in 3 RIZIN events in the past.
Same for his latest opponent, veteran
Soo Chul Kim, from team Road Gym Wonju, he's a ROAD FC guy (former BW & FW champ) who's taken part in many RIZIN event, including the first Bellator vs RIZIN in which he took on
Juan "Spaniard" Archuleta and went to a split decision with the Bellator representative.
He's taken on Sherdog darling
Bibiano "The Flash" Fernandes in a memorable battle a dozen years ago and you can make a serious argument that he could have won the decision with a different set of judges... but you be the judge:
and has beaten
TUF 14: Mayhem vs Bisping allumnus, long time UFC veteran and Conor McGrgor victim
Marcus Brimage , among other cooler achievments.
Just get him!
Obviously ROAD FC champ and all around charismatic badass
Tae In Kim would have been ideal, he's fought in RIZIN once before and is very popular... but sadly he's already booked to take on LHW champ
Taisei Sekina at March 16
ROAD FC 72 just 2 & 1/2 months before the RIZIN event, depending on how his title fight goes he might not be able make it
Exact same issue with
In Soo "Legendary" Hwang, the 7-1 ROAD FC MW champion, who is defending his title at the same
ROAD FC 72 card in March 16...
The RIZIN event is on the 31 of Mai, so it's 2 & and half months after that one, maybe one of the 2 could make it if they don't get injured and finish their fight fast?
Another good choice could be
"Doraemon" Jung Hyun Lee, another ROAD FC guy who has fought in RIZIN several times and in the UFC once (
ROAD to UFC: Shanghai ep 1 ), exciting striker & solid kickboxer in general, used to the ring, and with a nickname like Doraemon the Japanese might find him endearing ^^ (even if he went by "The Phenom" the last time I watched one of his fights) he could fit the bill
/!\Not to be confused with the other, less famous MMA fighter also named Jung Hyun Lee who also fights for ROAD FC 
/!\
I was going to suggest another ROAD to UFC guy,
Sang "No Problem" Won Kim from Korean Top Team, he's been in Pancrase lately and got 3 solid wins in a row, but I just saw that he got signed by
PFL not long ago. Good for him, he deserves it.
Cheers Sherdawgs! o/
www.sherdog.com
in which he got FOTN in a split decision win over Alan Belcher, he got popular and was Christened as Sexyama,and despite not great results his first 3 fights in the UFC were FOTN and it can help your case with popularity...
www.tapology.com
