When I wrote this article, Gono hadn’t fought in a year and was 49.
Just checked Tapology and he fought Kondo again, lol, for the 4th time, at DEEP 127 a couple of weeks ago.
These two dudes are nuts. Gono looks crazy skinny and they both look really old for being 50. But both surprisingly physically agile, especially Gono, who looks really fast.
The Magic Man. The Japanese Sensation. DJ GOZMA. Very few fighters are as ostentatious as Akihiro Gono. Known for his elaborate and often hilarious ring entrances, Gono made a name for himself in Shooto in the late 90s. He debuted in April of 1994 at Lumax Cup, which was the Japanese equivalent to UFC at the time – style versus style matchups. He made his way through the gauntlet of MMA organizations throughout the years – on top of everything listed above, he competed in Bellator, WSOF, RINGS, and even crossed over to kickboxing promotions such as Hero Legends in China, and Krush in Japan. Like Sakurai and Kondo, Gono fought well above his natural weight class – taking on guys like Shogun Rua, Dan Henderson, Chael Sonnen (who he took to a draw), and Denis Kang. Although he came up short against them, he holds wins over Hector Lombard, Crosley Gracie, Hayato Sakurai and Yuki Kondo. His biggest win was undoubtedly his come back against Gegard Mousasi, who had Gono hurt at multiple points during the fight. Akihiro was a spectacle to watch and played many characters when entering the ring, like a Japanese showgirl, or an alter-ego based on Japanese musical artist named DJ Ozma. If you don’t remember Gono for his entrances, you’ll remember him for his fighting style. Akihiro’s background was in Sambo and Karate, which was an uncommon combination in Japan. Like most other fighters during that era, he learned on the job while he was competing as a professional fighter, and developed into a complete fighter. He was a tricky striker, often using deception to distract his opponents before throwing his strikes. He spent a lot of time in the air throwing flying stomps and kicks. And when I say flying, I mean flying. Akihiro Gono never won a world title but if he were to be described as a journeyman; he would be called the enduring, extraordinary, high-flying, ultimate journeyman.
Yall will like this one ^^
“The sport of the nineties”
MOMA TTT
Thanks brother
I’m throwing shit at the wall and hoping some of it sticks
This is an X thread so you have to click on it to see the rest.
Thread about Akebono. Who fights prime Sapp and Musashi in their first year as a pro kickboxer 