Yoshihiro Akiyama drops to 170 pounds, faces Jake Shields at UFC 144 in Japan



"Sexyama" is making his welterweight debut.

UFC officials today announced Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-4 MMA, 1-3 UFC) will drop to 170 pounds for a February meeting with former Strikeforce champ Jake Shields (26-6-1 MMA, 1-2 UFC).

The two meet on the main card of UFC 144, which takes place Feb. 26 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

A lightweight title fight between current champ Frankie Edgar and top contender Ben Henderson takes the headlining role.

Akiyama made his professional debut in 2004 and quickly rose to prominence while fighting under the K-1 and DREAM banners. While controversy followed Akiyama from his judo career into a few hotly-debated bouts with Kazushi Sakuraba and Kazuo Misaki, Akiyama continued to rise in popularity throughout the Asian market.

In July 2009, Akiyama made his UFC debut with a controversial split-decision win over Alan Belcher. However, he's struggled in recent contests, dropping consecutive fights to Vitor Belfort, Michael Bisping and Chris Leben. While the bouts with Bisping and Leben were competitive and each earned Akiyama additional "Fight of the Night" bonuses, he looked fatigued in the latter rounds of both contests.

Meanwhile, Shields looks to snap a two-fight losing streak. The former Strikeforce middleweight title holder vacated his belt in 2010 in favor of a welterweight UFC run. After defeating Martin Kampmann in a hotly-contested split decision, Shields met UFC champ Georges St-Pierre at UFC 129. Shields was defeated via unanimous decision.

Shields fought most recently in September, where he suffered a first-round knockout loss to fast-rising contender Jake Ellenberger. The defeat came just weeks after the loss of his father and manager, Jack Shields

 

Jenna Jameson looks like a plastic surgery volume discount gone wrong.

[referencing 2 posts up]

 

Its mind boggling how some people find that attractive...puke

 

When Tito was on The Celebrity Apprentice and brought her on, she looked like a total freak. It was really distracting.

Just like Pamela Anderson was naturally pretty when she was younger, and obliterated her natural good looks with surgery, Jenna did the same. I don't get it.

 

 

Shane Carwin on his back injury - Inside MMA exclusive - YouTube

 

random thoughts

ben henderson is unbelievable, hes become my new favorite fighter, his last 2 fights were epic, these are the battles i like to se,

guida is half human half something else, i just cant figure out what, love his sportsmanship and killer stamina,

i didnt know big johns back, thought he had a fall apart with ufc management

and it also good to se bas rutten in this last post

 

From my understanding he chose to leave the sport back in 2007 and only recently has come back...

The UFC does not get to choose whom refs fights, rather it is the job of the commission in place of where the fight is happening that goes about that business.

 

Cant wait for The Reem vs. Brock, should be an epic clash of the Titans. I think we'll see this as Brock's fading point in the UFC, the heavyweight division is just too stacked now. He got beat by Cain, I dont think he can beat JDS, and I also think he'll lose to Overeem.

 

I think Overeem will throw Brock into the history books, but you never know in this sport.