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Kazuyuki Fujita (藤田和之 Fujita Kazuyuki, born October 16, 1970) is a Japanese professional wrestler, a mixed martial arts fighter and a former amateur wrestler.
Career
Fujita practised freestyle amateur wrestling in high school. He participated in the World Championships in 1993.
Fujita joined New Japan Pro Wrestling in 1993, but he still competed in amateur wrestling. Because of this his professional debut was delayed to three years later, in to 1996. His debut match was against Yuji Nagata. Fujita steadily worked his way up the card, and in 1999 he started working against professional wrestlers who came from a Vale Tudo mixed martial arts background.
In January 2000 he put his professional wrestling career on hiatus and began training for mixed martial arts competition. His trainer was his professional wrestling mentor and mixed martial arts legend, Antonio Inoki. He entered the PRIDE organization, and quickly gained success by defeating such fighters as Mark Kerr, Ken Shamrock, Gilbert Yvel.
In April 2001 he returned to NJPW, and quickly won the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. He reigned as the champion until he was forced to vacate the title due to injury. In June 2004 he defeated Bob Sapp in an MMA fight. Sapp was the current IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, and the championship was vacated after his loss to Fujita. Fujita immediately won the vacated title by defeating Hiroshi Tanahashi. He lost the championship to Kensuke Sasaki on October 9, 2004.
In 2005 he joined the Team JAPAN faction, and on July 18, 2005 he won the championship for the third time. He lost it to Brock Lesnar on October 8, 2005 in a three way match including Masahiro Chono. Lesnar pinned Chono to win the title. In late 2005 he withdrew from a rematch with Lesnar, scheduled for January 4, 2006. Fujita was represented by Inoki Office, an agency originally started by Antonio Inoki, and had not been under a contract with NJPW.
On May 5, 2006 he returned to MMA with a win in PRIDE over James Thompson by knockout. Fujita fought Wanderlei Silva at PRIDE Critical Countdown Absolute in July 2006 and lost by TKO.
Trivia
- He has a professional MMA record of 13-4-1 as of May 6, 2006.
Finishing and signature moves in professional wrestling
- Front chancery
- Fisherman brainbuster
- Driving knee smash to the side of a laying opponent
- Tackle slam
- Lifting spinebuster slam
- Jackhammer
Championships and accomplishments
- Professional wrestling
References
- K-1sport.de - Complete Fighters Profile of Kazuyuki Fujita
- Professional wrestling profile at Puroresufan
- Professional MMA record
- PRIDE profile
1970 births | Living people | Japanese professional wrestlers | Japanese sport wrestlers | Japanese mixed martial artists
"Kazuyuki Fujita"