What happened to Katusnori Kikuno?

[CaptHANDSUP]

Seriously, that guy was a beast. He has looked terrible since coming to UFC. He was doing really well in the first 2 minutes of his second fight though (Ferguson).

Really disappointed.

 

[Nuclearlandmine]

I seemingly remember he went from a really good, technical karate guy then for some reason he decide to take his hands off and swing from the fence to prove his "karate".

 

[Blond]

I'm very unfamiliar with Kikuno, all I knew about him is that he supposedly has very nice front kicks. Was quite excited to see him in the ufc, but ended up missing his fight in Singapore. Does he always fight like he did in that fight? He looked like a weird fuck against Ferguson tbh, I have hard time believing that he's been outstriking people for many years with a style like that.

 

[Steve08]

I seemingly remember he went from a really good, technical karate guy then for some reason he decide to take his hands off and swing from the fence to prove his "karate".

Pretty much this. He doesn't use really a karate stance anymore.

 

[number9dream]

I don't think he ever had much head movement... and fighting a guy outranging him this massively, meant he was getting tagged pretty god damn badly coming in.

 

[JohnSAFTAHess]

He's always looked weird as fuck, but had good power and nice striking and gauged distance really well.. He looked decent for a minute then just started swinging for the fences, slowed down quickly and kept his hands low with no head movement at all.. but when he's on he's awesome to watch. I hope he has a few more fights and starts looking better.

I'm really hoping to see him get some highlight reel crescent kick finishes.

 

[D3thr0n3d K1ng]

Kikuno doesnt use zombie stance anymore?

I am disappoint

 

[Azam]

Changed his approach to fighting....hence the loss recently and the less than stellar debut fight.

When he first started fighting like that after making the complete U-turn in approach, it wasn't hard to really realise that he'd get knocked out eventually.

It's a case of Kikuno moving away from his strengths to try something new/different - he's ditched the sanchin-dachi stance/stalking & intelligent pressure fighting that made him so successful into something that really is pretty hard to identify with.

I respect Yoshitomo Yamashiro (the stance he's using now is influenced by his teaching) but Kikuno really needs to get as far away as possible from him because the way he's influenced Kikuno of late - has had a detrimental impact on his MMA.


Hopefully after this loss (which could have been easily avoided had he fought the way he use to) he'll go back to the blueprint he use to apply.

 

[a guy]

All I know is that guy got hit by every fucking jab and every fucking straight right Ferguson threw. Like I can't imagine going into a fight being THAT unprepared to defend a 1-2.

 

[Nuclearlandmine]

All I know is that guy got hit by every fucking jab and every fucking straight right Ferguson threw. Like I can't imagine going into a fight being THAT unprepared to defend a 1-2.

Well, if you look up his interviews at one point he decided he's not going to fight like the technical, pressure Karate guy with his zombie-like stance anymore, but drop his hands to his waist and swing from their instead to prove the power of his "karate". Whoever is feeding him that line deserved to get shoot. I know that kyokushin guy prided themselves on being one of the toughest mofos every but c'mon.

 

[a guy]

I'm gonna have to watch some earlier fights because that was a joke. I don't understand how his trainers could send him in like that. They had to know how unprepared he was for this. There's no way there weren't signs in sparring. He didn't defend a damn thing. A lot of the people I was with started talking shit about TMAs because of that fight, which was a shame.

 

[CaptHANDSUP]

He's always looked weird as fuck, but had good power and nice striking and gauged distance really well.. He looked decent for a minute then just started swinging for the fences, slowed down quickly and kept his hands low with no head movement at all.. but when he's on he's awesome to watch. I hope he has a few more fights and starts looking better.

I'm really hoping to see him get some highlight reel crescent kick finishes.

I definitely hope so. He is great to watch.

 

[Azam]

Well, if you look up his interviews at one point he decided he's not going to fight like the technical, pressure Karate guy with his zombie-like stance anymore, but drop his hands to his waist and swing from their instead to prove the power of his "karate". Whoever is feeding him that line deserved to get shoot. I know that kyokushin guy prided themselves on being one of the toughest mofos every but c'mon.

Exactly what's really happened. Like I said before he needs to get as far away from Yoshitomo Yamashiro (I mean this in as respectful way I can say). His influence has drastically changed Kikuno's approach in a very detrimental way. I'm not sure who is entirely to blame - might be that Kikuno is responsible more so than anyone else.

But I don't know where the influence came - that he felt the need to ditch the intelligent pressure fighting he once pursued for something entirely different with no real discernable objective - all I know is that since he's been in the presence of Yoshitomo Yamashiro - his MMA/striking has been really affected in a negative way - I mean he hasn't even attempted to throw liver kicks (a trademark) in his last 3/4 MMA fights....

I'm gonna have to watch some earlier fights because that was a joke. I don't understand how his trainers could send him in like that. They had to know how unprepared he was for this. There's no way there weren't signs in sparring. He didn't defend a damn thing. A lot of the people I was with started talking shit about TMAs because of that fight, which was a shame.

If you watch any past fight (in his zombie stance) - any 1-2's or 2's he would know to slip (albeit using his trunk instead of internally rotating his rear foot), simple approach but his striking was miles more technical than it is at the moment.

The problem I think is the addition of Yoshitomo Yamashiro input into his striking and the fact that he's listening to said instruction. Not doubting Yamashiro's karate ability or anything of the sort but questioning his ability to instruct a professional MMA fighter in the nuances of striking within an MMA context.

I really hope he gets his act together - was really looking forward to his UFC stint. Not looking like he will live up to the high expectations people had for him (well those familiar with his career)

 

[Jukai]

I'm gonna have to watch some earlier fights because that was a joke. I don't understand how his trainers could send him in like that. They had to know how unprepared he was for this. There's no way there weren't signs in sparring. He didn't defend a damn thing. A lot of the people I was with started talking shit about TMAs because of that fight, which was a shame.

Watch his fight against Eddie Alvarez. He completely abuses Alvarez on the feet. Couldn't do anything on the ground, sadly.

Kikuno was never an all-time champion but I feel he's ruined his career by trying to BECOME an all-time champion. He began trying to become a more 'MMA-centric' fighter, slowly abandoning his Karate stance... and now he's gone back to it but like, gone back to it on STEROIDS. It was always weird, but it was more bladed, more upright... now it is super squared, super bent and super strict, he's nowhere near as flowy. I dunno. Very odd.

 

[aries]

Funny thing about that fight was in the first minute or so Kikuno was confusing the hell out of Ferguson. But then Ferguson adjusted to the range and movement and started to pick him apart but Kikuno just carried on with plan A. Sad to watch.