Akiyama Taps into The Force

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- By the time Yoshihiro Akiyama steps into the Octagon to face Michael Bisping in the UFC 120 main event on Saturday, he will have logged many miles in pursuit of improving his mixed martial arts technique.

The ethnic Korean fighter journeyed from his home in Japan to Albuquerque, N.M., to spend several weeks training with the respected Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts camp in preparation for his middleweight bout against “The Count” at the O2 Arena in London.

“I had heard that many of the world’s top MMA fighters train there,” Akiyama says through a translator, “so I wanted to see if Greg Jackson could also teach me.”

The decorated judoka does not speak fluent English, but that did not prevent Jackson and striking coach Mike Winkeljohn from implementing a game plan to help him rebound from a heartbreaking loss to Chris Leben at UFC 116.

“Fighting is a non-verbal skill a lot of times. You can just demonstrate by showing,” Jackson says. “You don’t have to exactly speak the language. It’s kind of like mathematics – it’s a universal language, so it wasn’t that hard.”

Akiyama was well on his way to taking a unanimous decision victory over Leben in July, but the K-1 and Dream veteran tapped to a triangle choke with just 20 seconds remaining in the fight. While the improbable ending raised Leben’s stock to an all-time high, the come-from-ahead nature of the loss raised questions about Akiyama’s conditioning. He appeared to tire considerably in the fight’s latter stages and attempted to ride out the match in his opponent’s guard. In assessing what he would have done differently, Akiyama claims he “would fight with more calm and try to stick to my game plan next time.”

Keeping one’s cool during tense moments of a fight can be an overlooked aspect of maintaining stamina. Jackson believes getting too excited can contribute to a fighter’s exhaustion, just as poor cardio in the weeks before would.

“You can waste yourself out because you’re so amped, so staying calm is huge,” the trainer says. “It’s very important, especially in between rounds, to remind your fighter to do that. You see everybody do it now. Everybody’s like, ‘Calm down, breathe.’”

Akiyama struggled with his altitude training when he first arrived in New Mexico. Running through the state’s mountainous region at an elevation of 11,000 feet proved to be a rude introduction to Jackson’s program.

“He had a hard time with it, but he showed a lot of heart,” Jackson says. “He got the hang of it at the end.”

Akiyama came away impressed with the technical aspects of his training and plans to make the gym a regular destination for future bouts.

“The practices were very hard, but the training was a very good experience for me, especially the work we did on takedown techniques and the step-by-step on my ground-and-pound,” he says. “I felt that I was received really well, and they tailored the training and practices for each individual fighter.”

Despite being a pop culture icon in Asia, Akiyama impressed his coaches with his unassuming manner and willingness to learn.

“If everybody would be like him, it’d be a better place,” says Winkeljohn. “He’s a very nice guy. I didn’t know that he’s the star that he is, that he sings, and they told me he’s in commercials. I thought he was just a fighter. He’s very, very humble for being that.”

“He picks [things] up really quick,” Jackson says. “There’s a reason he’s got all the wins he’s got, and it’s because of his talent.”

Jackson and Winkeljohn cornered Rashad Evans for his split-decision triumph over Bisping at UFC 78. However, Jackson cautions that the differences between Akiyama and Evans -- coupled with the improvements Bisping has made in the three years since -- make this a totally different fight.

“[Bisping has] gotten better everywhere,” Jackson says. “He’s a better kickboxer, a better wrestler.”

Although Akiyama is known for his judo proficiency, Winkeljohn believes neutralizing Bisping’s reach advantage on the feet will be pivotal. “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 3 winner has collected 12 of his 19 victories by knockout or technical, including six of his nine wins in the UFC.

“We worked on footwork, closing the gap and catching Bisping, because he’s definitely going to try to use his jab and his length,” Winkeljohn says. “Our goal is to do what Dan Henderson did -- just catch him.”

Henderson’s one-punch knockout of Bisping at UFC 100 was one for the highlight reel, and Winkeljohn believes Akiyama has the punching power to give the British fighter a sense of déjà vu.

“I knew his judo was gonna be great. I was real surprised with the power of his strikes,” Winkeljohn says. “When I saw that, I said, ‘We’re gonna try to make him hit harder but in the right position to land those shots.’ I had to get his feet underneath him and get his hands up.”

Akiyama defeated Alan Belcher in his promotional debut at UFC 100. To earn his second win in the UFC, he must incorporate his new coaches’ teachings in front of a pro-Bisping crowd in the U.K. -- another journey and challenge for which he should be well prepared.

“It’s totally his place,” Akiyama says, “but I believe I have supporters there, so I want to fight for them.”