Hiroki Nakajima
Encyclopedia
Hiroki Nakajima in Tokyo, Japan is a Japanese
welterweight
kickboxer fighting out of Tokyo, Japan for the Bungeling Bay gym. He is the 2009 Krush middleweight tournament champion and 2010 K-1 World MAX Japan runner up, currently fighting in K-1 MAX
. He is touted as one of the future Japanese kickboxing stars and is the man picked by the legendary MAX fighter Masato
to be his successor.
organization, winning all four of his fights. In 2009 after fighting for a number of promotions he joined Krush and won their "Road to MAX" 70 kg tournament at the end of the year. As Krush was a feeder league for K-1 MAX
, champion Nakajima qualified for the following year's K-1 World MAX Japan tournament.
He went into the competition on a hot winning streak, having won all eleven of his fights, an impressive seven by KO. At the tournament in Saitama
Nakajima made his way to the final, stopping both of his opponents including a 0:58 second knockout of fellow prospect Hinata Watanabe
. In the final he faced Yuichiro Nagashima
in what was an entertaining match with both fighters going all out in their quest for victory. In the second round Nakajima managed to knock down Nagashima but was unable to press home his advantage, losing in the third by knockout
. Despite the first ever loss on his record, Nakajima's performance at the tournament earnt him a call up to the K-1 World MAX 2010 Final 16 - Part 1 where he lost his elimination fight to 2002 MAX champion Albert Kraus
.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
welterweight
Welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
kickboxer fighting out of Tokyo, Japan for the Bungeling Bay gym. He is the 2009 Krush middleweight tournament champion and 2010 K-1 World MAX Japan runner up, currently fighting in K-1 MAX
K-1
K-1 is a defunct world-wide kickboxing promotion based in Tokyo, Japan founded by Kazuyoshi Ishii, a formerKyokushin karate practitioner. K-1 combines stand up techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Savate, San Shou, kickboxing, western-style boxing, and other martial arts...
. He is touted as one of the future Japanese kickboxing stars and is the man picked by the legendary MAX fighter Masato
Masato (kickboxer)
Masato Kobayashi is a Japanese former welterweight kickboxer. He was the world champion of ISKA at Welterweight under Oriental rules, and he is the winner of K-1 WORLD MAX World tournament in 2003 and 2008...
to be his successor.
Biography / Career
Nakajima began his kickboxing career in 2006 with the Shoot BoxingShoot boxing
Shoot boxing is both a combat sport and a stand-up fighting promotion company based in Tokyo, Japan. The organization was founded by former kickboxer Caesar Takeshi in 1985....
organization, winning all four of his fights. In 2009 after fighting for a number of promotions he joined Krush and won their "Road to MAX" 70 kg tournament at the end of the year. As Krush was a feeder league for K-1 MAX
K-1
K-1 is a defunct world-wide kickboxing promotion based in Tokyo, Japan founded by Kazuyoshi Ishii, a formerKyokushin karate practitioner. K-1 combines stand up techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Savate, San Shou, kickboxing, western-style boxing, and other martial arts...
, champion Nakajima qualified for the following year's K-1 World MAX Japan tournament.
He went into the competition on a hot winning streak, having won all eleven of his fights, an impressive seven by KO. At the tournament in Saitama
Saitama, Saitama
' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance...
Nakajima made his way to the final, stopping both of his opponents including a 0:58 second knockout of fellow prospect Hinata Watanabe
Hinata Watanabe
Hinata Watanabe , or HINATA, is a Japanese welterweight kickboxer fighting out of Hiratsuka, Japan for the Shonan Kakuto Club. He is the 2008 R.I.S.E. champion currently competing in R.I.S.E. and K-1 MAX....
. In the final he faced Yuichiro Nagashima
Yuichiro Nagashima
is a Japanese welterweight kickboxer, and a Cosplayer, fighting out of Nishinomiya, Hyogo, currently competing at K-1. His rank is black belt of 2nd dan of Nippon Kempo.-Early life:...
in what was an entertaining match with both fighters going all out in their quest for victory. In the second round Nakajima managed to knock down Nagashima but was unable to press home his advantage, losing in the third by knockout
Knockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
. Despite the first ever loss on his record, Nakajima's performance at the tournament earnt him a call up to the K-1 World MAX 2010 Final 16 - Part 1 where he lost his elimination fight to 2002 MAX champion Albert Kraus
Albert Kraus
Albert “The Hurricane” Kraus is a Dutch welterweight kickboxer. He was the first K-1 World MAX 2002 champion and has also held four separate world titles in kickboxing and Muay Thai...
.
Titles
- 2010 K-1 MAX Japan runner up -70 kg
- 2009 Krush "Road to MAX" tournament champion -70 kg
Kickboxing Record
| Kickboxing Record | |
|---|---|
Legend: |
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See also
- List of kickboxing organizations
- List of male kickboxers
- List of K-1 Events