Yuki Kondo

Yuki Kondo (近藤 有己) is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently competing in the Welterweight division.

He has officially 112 professional fights, making him one of the most experienced mixed martial artists ever.

He has also competed for the UFC, PRIDE, Sengoku, Palace Fighting Championships, BodogFIGHT, and DEEP.

He has competed overseas only four times, and holds a record of 2–2.

He is the former Pancrase Light Heavyweight Champion as well as the former Pancrase Middleweight Champion.

Kondo is from Niigata, Japan, began Shorinji Kempo in high school, and is currently a second dan rank.

All but one of Kondo's first 38 career fights were under the Pancrase banner, and he held a record of 31-4-3 with wins over Minoru Suzuki, Semmy Schilt (2x), Keiichiro Yamamiya (2x), Pete Williams, Guy Mezger, Masakatsu Funaki, Ikuhisa Minowa, Jason DeLucia, Kazuo Takahashi, and Manabu Yamada before making his UFC debut.

Kondo made his professional debut for the Pancrase organization in Japan in early 1996 when he was 21 years old at the Pancrase: Truth 1.

His decision to compete for Pancrase was heavily influenced by Masakatsu Funaki being the co-founder, as Kondo looked up to the professional wrestler Funaki.

Kondo won his debut by a guillotine choke submission in the first round and would go to reach a 7–0–1 record, before he was handed his first career loss by Jason DeLucia in a decision.

He would then defeat DeLucia in a rematch via toe hold submission.

Kondo made his UFC and overseas debut on September 22, 2000 at UFC 27 in New Orleans, Louisiana against Brazilian Alexandre Dantas.

Kondo won via TKO in the third round in a highly-entertaining bout.

Kondo then fought for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship Tito Ortiz, who would be making his first title defense at UFC 29 in Japan.

After rocking Ortiz with a flying knee early in the fight, Kondo would lose the bout via cobra choke submission at 1:52 into the first round.

Three fights later, Kondo returned to the UFC at UFC 32 to face Vladimir Matyushenko and lost via unanimous decision.

Kondo then received his second consecutive unanimous decision loss in his debut for the DEEP organization in Japan against Paulo Filho.

Kondo then went 8-1-3 with wins over Akihoro Gono and Josh Barnett before facing Sanae Kikuta for the Light Heavyweight King of Pancrase title.

The two had fought to a draw two fights before but Kondo won the rematch via knockout in the third round before making his debut in the PRIDE organization.

Kondo made his PRIDE debut against Mario Sperry at Pride Shockwave 2003 on December 31, 2003 and won via TKO in the first round.

He returned three fights later to face Wanderlei Silva at Pride Final Conflict 2004 and was dominated, losing by knockout in the first round after he was stomped repeatedly by Silva.

This was the first time Kondo had lost by knockout or technical knockout in his career.

Kondo would then go on to lose his next five bouts with the organization, including a rematch with Akihiro Gono and another knockout loss at the hands of Phil Baroni at Pride Bushido 10.

After the loss to Gono, Kondo went 8–1–1, with wins over Trevor Prangley and Yuki Sasaki, dropping down to the Middleweight division in between fights before becoming the Middleweight King of Pancrase with a unanimous decision win over Ichiro Kanai.

After a unanimous decision loss in Cage Force to Rikuhei Fujii, Kondo faced Fujii in a rematch for Kondo's Pancrase title, and Kondo lost again via unanimous decision.