Yuya Yamamoto

Yuya Yamamoto 山本優弥
Born	Yutaka Wataru Yamamoto (1984-07-15) July 15, 1984 Onomichi, Hiroshima, Japan
Native name	山本優弥
Nationality	Japanese
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	70 kg (150 lb; 11 st)
Division	Welterweight
Style	Karate
Team	Seishun Juku
Rank	black belt in Shin Karate
Years active	2001–present

Kickboxing record
Total	60
Wins	34
By knockout	13
Losses	25
By knockout	7
Draws	1
Other information
University	Hiroshima Preféctural Matsunaga High School
last updated on: May 12, 2013

Yuya Yamamoto (born July 15, 1984) is a Japanese kickboxer competing in K-1 at middleweight (-70 kg). He is the former Japanese national champion of kickboxing sanctioned by All Japan Kickboxing Federation at welterweight.

Biography

Amateur era

Yuya Yamamoto was born in Takasu, Onomichi in Hiroshima, Japan on July 15, 1984. He started learning karate at Kushukaikan during his high school life. Although he was only 16 years old, he won the All Japan Shin Karate championships at lightweight.^[1] After winning the championship, he moved to Tokyo and joined Booch Beat, a kickboxing team, to be a kickboxer. On September 7, 2001, he debuted as a professional kickboxer for All Japan Kickboxing Federation(AJKF). At this time, he was only 17 year old.

Professional kickboxing

In 2004, Yamamoto challenged Yamauchi's welterweight championship on January 4, but he was defeated by the unanimous decision at 5R. On November 19, he challenged Yamauchi's title again, but he failed to won the title because the match resulted as a draw.　In January 2006, he moved to Seishunjuku from Booch Beat.

On February 6, 2005, he fought against Yoshihiro Sato. He was beaten completely as he was knocked down 6 times during the bout of 5R. Sato knocked down Yamamoto twice at 1R, twice at 2R, once at 3R, once at 4R. Yamamoto was going to be retired before fighting against Sato. For this reason, although he was offered only 10 days before, he accepted this bout as a replacement.^[2] Although he intended to retire, this bout was evaluated by K-1; thereafter, he decided to continue his career.

In 2007, he participated the tournament for the vacant welterweight championship of AJKF. He won the tournament on May 11, 2007, and 23rd champion of AJKF at welterweight. On December 28, 2007, AJKF announced that Yamamoto is going to be awarded "2007 Outstanding Performance Award" as he won the title and he beat Keiji Ozaki in October. He was awarded on January 12 in 2008.^[3]

On December 5, 2008, he fought against Christophe Pruvost from Switzerland for his AJKF Welterweight title, but he was beaten by TKO by cut and he lost his title.

Yamamoto lost to Xu Yan by TKO at Krush.16 in Tokyo, Japan on February 17, 2012.^[4]

Yamamoto competed in the Krush Grand Prix 2013 ~67kg First Class Tournament~ on January 14, 2012 in Tokyo.^[5]^[6] In the quarter-finals, he went up against Hitoshi Tsukagoshi, a quick former 63kg fighter. Yamamoto's power was too much for Tsukagoshi, however, and he knocked him out with a brutal left hook in round three. He then lost a split decision after taking Abdellah Ezbiri into an extension round in the semis.^[7]

He lost to TaCa via unanimous decision after an extension round at Krush.28 in Tokyo, Japan on May 12, 2013.^[8]

Titles

Amateur
- The 12th All Japan Shin Karate Championship K-2 Tournament Lightweight winner (May 5, 2001)
Professional
- 2009 K-1 World MAX Japan Tournament Runner Up (February 23, 2009)
- All Japan Kickboxing Federation Welterweight champion (Defense: 0)
- 2011 K-1 World MAX Japan Tournament Runner Up (September 25, 2011)

Awards

2007 Outstanding Performance Award (All Japan Kickboxing Federation, January 12, 2008)

Entrance music

"BIRTH" by Yutaka Ozaki

Kickboxing record

34 Wins (13 (T)KO's, 19 decisions), 25 Losses, 1 Draw

For K-1 World MAX 2011 Japan Tournament Title.
Date	Result	Opponent	Event	Location	Method	Round	Time
2014-11-03	Loss	Kerrith Bhella	K-1 World GP 2014 -65kg Championship Tournament^[9]	Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan	Decision	3	3:00
2014-04-15	Loss	Makihira Keita	Krush.40	Tokyo, Japan	Extension round decision (unanimous)	4	3:00
2013-08-25	Loss	Onder Ural	Krush.31	Hiroshima, Japan	Split decision	3	3:00
2013-05-12	Loss	TaCa	Krush.28	Tokyo, Japan	Extension round decision (unanimous)	4	3:00
2013-01-14	Loss	Abdellah Ezbiri	Krush Grand Prix 2013 ~67kg Tournament~, Semi Finals	Tokyo, Japan	Extension round decision (split)	4	3:00
2013-01-14	Win	Hitoshi Tsukagoshi	Krush Grand Prix 2013 ~67kg Tournament~, Quarter Finals	Tokyo, Japan	KO (left hook)	3	1:59
2012-02-17	Loss	Xu Yan	Krush.16	Tokyo, Japan	TKO (referee stoppage)	2	1:39
2011-09-25	Loss	Yūji Nashiro	K-1 World MAX 2011 -70kg Japan Tournament Final	Osaka, Japan	KO (punches)	1	3:00
2011-09-25	Win	Kenta	K-1 World MAX 2011 -70kg Japan Tournament Final	Osaka, Japan	Decision (Unanimous)	3	3:00
2011-09-25	Win	Shintaro Matsukura	K-1 World MAX 2011 -70kg Japan Tournament Final	Osaka, Japan	Decision (Unanimous)	3	3:00
2011-05-29	Loss	Shintaro Matsukura	Krush -70 kg The First Championship Tournament 1st Round^[10]	Tokyo, Japan	Decision (Unanimous)	3	3:00
Fails to qualify for Krush tournament semi finals -70 kg.
2011-04-30	Win	Akihiro Gono	Krush The First Championship Tournament ~Triple Final Round~	Tokyo, Japan	Decision (Unanimous)	3	3:00
2011-01-09	Win	Masakazu Watanabe	Krush First Generation Kings Tournament Round 2, Super Fight	Tokyo, Japan	KO (Punches)	2	2:16
2010-07-05	Loss	Yoshihiro Sato	K-1 World MAX 2010 Final 16 - Part 1	Tokyo, Japan	Decision (Majority)	3	3:00
Fails to qualify for K-1 World MAX 2010 Final.
2010-04-29	Win	Scott Shaffer	Krush 6	Tokyo, Japan	KO (High kick)	3	1:59
2010-03-27	Loss	Hinata Watanabe	K-1 World MAX 2010 –70 kg Japan Tournament	Saitama, Japan	Decision (Unanimous)	3	3:00
2009-10-26	Loss	Giorgio Petrosyan	K-1 World MAX 2009 Final	Yokohama, Japan	KO (Right hook)	1	2:09
2009-07-13	Win	Gago Drago	K-1 World MAX 2009 Final 8	Tokyo, Japan	Decision (Unanimous)	3	3:00
2009-04-21	Win	Chi Bin Lim	K-1 World MAX 2009 Final 16	Fukuoka, Japan	Decision (Unanimous)	3	3:00
2009-02-23	Loss	Taishin Kohiruimaki	K-1 World MAX 2009 Japan Tournament	Tokyo, Japan	Decision (Unanimous)	3	3:00
For K-1 World MAX 2009 Japan Tournament Title.
2009-02-23	Win	Yuichiro Nagashima	K-1 World MAX 2009 Japan Tournament	Tokyo, Japan	TKO (Doctor stoppage/cut)	3	0:59
2009-02-23	Win	Tatsuji	K-1 World MAX 2009 Japan Tournament	Tokyo, Japan	Ext. R Decision (Unanimous)	4	3:00
2008-12-05	Loss	Christophe Pruvost	All Japan Kickboxing Federation	Tokyo, Japan	TKO (Doctor stop./cut)	4	2:59
Loses his AJKF Welterweight championship title.
2008-04-09	Win	Marfio Canoletti	K-1 World MAX 2008 Final 16	Hiroshima, Japan	Decision (Unanimous)	3	3:00
2008-02-02	Loss	Andy Ologun	K-1 World MAX 2008 Japan Tournament	Tokyo, Japan	Decision (Unanimous)	3	3:00
2007-05-11	Win	Mitsumasa Horikawa	AJKF "REARM" AJKF Welterweight tournament final	Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan	Decision(2-0)	5	3:00
Wins vacant title of AJKF Welterweight championship.
2006-09-04	Loss	Ferrid Kheder	K-1 World MAX 2006 Champions Challenge	Yokohama, Japan	Decision (Majority)	3	3:00
2006-02-04	Loss	Tatsuji	K-1 World MAX 2006 Japan Tournament	Saitama, Japan	TKO (Injury, dislocated shoulder)	2	2:47
2005-10-12	Win	Ash-Ra	K-1 World MAX 2005 Champions Challenge	Tokyo, Japan	Decision (Unanimous)	3	3:00
2005-06-14	Loss	Kazuki Hamasaki	K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Hiroshima	Hiroshima, Japan	TKO	2	2:20
2005-05-04	Win	Yasuhiro Kido	K-1 World MAX 2005 World Tournament Open	Tokyo, Japan	Decision (Unanimous)	3	3:00
2005-02-06	Loss	Yoshihiro Sato	All Japan Kickboxing 2005: Moving	Japan	Decision (Unanimous)	5	3:00
2004-09-23	Win	Hiroyuki Takaya	All Japan Kickboxing 2004: Danger Zone	Tokyo, Japan	Decision (Unanimous)	3	3:00
2004-01-04	Loss	Yutaro Yamauchi	All Japan Kickboxing 2004: Wilderness	Tokyo, Japan	Decision (Majority)	5	3:00
Yamauchi retained his AJKF Welterweight itle.
2003-11-23	Win	Masaaki Kato	All Japan Kickboxing 2003: Scramble	Tokyo, Japan	KO (Strikes)	1	0:58

Legend: Win Loss Draw/No contest Notes