Sherdog’s Top 10: Japanese Fighters

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4. Norifumi Yamamoto

It was not all that long ago that “Kid” Yamamoto was among the best fighters in all of MMA -- a time period that has been overshadowed by his struggles the last six years. In his prime, he was nearly untouchable.

Yamamoto was a decorated wrestler before switching gears to MMA in 2001. He quickly emerged as one of the top fighters in Japan, scoring wins over Genki Sudo, Caol Uno, Jeff Curran, Narantungalag Jadambaa and Royler Gracie, among others. Yamamoto not only beat people, he destroyed them. Known for his pathological aggression, “Kid” took 12 of his first 17 wins via knockout; and his four-second KO on Kazuyuki Miyata at K-1 Hero’s 5 remains the fastest such stoppage in MMA history.

The Krazy Bee rep won tournaments in Shooto and K-1 Hero’s and will remain a favorite of hardcore fans until his time in the sport is up. Unfortunately, a large contingent of modern-day MMA followers will only view him through the lens of his subpar results in the UFC.

Number 3 » He is perhaps the most dangerous ground fighter ever to compete in MMA. A grappling wizard in every sense of the word, he has posted an incredible 66-percent submission finish rate during his brilliant career, which continues to this day.