Shooto Sends Off Talented Kikuchi

[iverbure]

Shooto fans will bid farewell Saturday to one of Japan's best talents in recent years.

The organization will hold a retirement ceremony at its Jan. 26 Korakuen Hall card for former Shooto world champion Akira Kikuchi (Pictures).

An All Japan amateur Shooto champion in 2001, Kikuchi quickly emerged as one of the best up-and-coming talents in the pro Shooto ranks. The biggest victory of his pro career came in his rematch with the highly regarded Jake Shields (Pictures) in December 2004. In that bout Kikuchi took a commanding and impressive decision to avenge the first loss of his pro career and to become the seventh world middleweight champion of pro Shooto.

Kikuchi lost his title in February 2006 to current star Shinya Aoki (Pictures) in what was Aoki's breakout performance. In a second hotly disputed match, Kikuchi failed to regain his title, dropping a split decision to Aoki the following February.

Last year Kikuchi was a prohibitive favorite in GCM's Cage Force 170-pound tournament. Many believed he would be bound for the UFC after an inevitable tournament win, but Kikuchi was upset in brutal fashion by eventual winner Yoshiyuki Yoshida (Pictures).

The 29-year-old Kikuchi has given no reason for retiring. He bows out with a career mark of 16-4.

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I've never seen a entire fight of his, however i know he is a very good fighter, hopefully his retirment is only temporaly and will be back soon.