Kid vs Masato
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ECc6C6E8kEQ&feature=related
if you know who Masato is then the fact that kid can actually hang with him w/o getting knocked out is a HUGE statement to his standup ability. Being able to stand with Masato puts him in the top 5 of standup fighters for MMA EASILY.
Kid knocking Royler Gracie the fuck out
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ECc6C6E8kEQ&feature=related
Testament to his ground skills
Another highlight:
give you some more idea of his ability.
his RBK (REEBOK) endorsement
which fyi is why a lot of japanese fighters won’t fight for the UFC, they make more money, get treated better, and get better endorsements in japan. Underarmor, Nike, Reebok, they DO endorse fighters but they know where the better market is.
more informed fans along with a better run organization = better $$ for fighters.
Anyway, Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto
k-1 level striking
olympic caliber wrestling
Decent Subs (Though he rarely uses them they do exist)
Excellent ability to avoid subs
Explosive, Athletic
Ridiculous genetics
unparalleled killer instinct (with exception of w. silva)
If you’re a fan of MMA, then you’re a fan of “Kid” Yamamoto. It’s a fucking SHAME that he and Faber will probably NEVER fight (at least in their respective prime’s).
From wikipedia:
Kid comes from a wrestling family with his father Ikuei Yamamoto representing Japan at the 1972 Olympic games in Munich and his sisters Miyu and Seiko both winning world championships in freestyle wrestling. Kid received his education in the United States and wrestled at Marcos de Niza High School in Tempe, Arizona, capturing three state championships (with a third place finish as a freshman). He also trained briefly under Choi Mu Bae[1].
Kid naturally walks around at 143 pounds. Though most fighters his size fight at 130 pounds, most of Kid’s fights have been in the Lightweight Division (155lbs) as it was the lightest division in HERO’s. Now competing in DREAM (co-promoted by former PRIDE executives from Dream Stage Entertainment and K-1 HERO’s executives), Kid will be fighting in the Featherweight Division (145lbs) as it is closer to his natural weight.
…
In early 2007, Kid announced an indefinite leave of absence from MMA to train for and compete in freestyle wrestling for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. He had hoped to win the Olympic Gold medal for freestyle wrestling ever since he was a child, as his father Ikuei Yamamoto represented Japan in the 1972 Olympic games in Munich. However his hopes of following in his fathers footsteps stopped short, after an injury prevented Yamamoto from competing in the Japanese Olympic wrestling qualifiers. With this injury, Kid would have no choice but to leave his hopes of competing in the Olympic Games and return to Mixed Martial Arts.
