Jayson Vemoa

Jayson was born in New Zealand. He is of Cook Islands (Mangaia) and Niue (Liku) descent. He attended Otahuhu College from 1985 until 1989. 1988 NZ Inter-Collegiate Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Championship - Bronze Medalist 1989 Otahuhu College Wrestling Team Captain 1989 NZ Inter-Collegiate Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Championship - Bronze Medalist 1989 Otahuhu College Wrestling Cup

Originally a Muay Thai exponent from Phillip Lam Lee Gar in Auckland, NZ, Jayson Vemoa fought under NZ trainer Lollo Heimuli from 1990. Early in his career Jayson trained at Balmoral Lee Gar gym alongside Ray Sefo, Jason Suttie, Rony Sefo, John Conway (boxer), and Doug Viney. Well known throughout Oceania in the 1990s he obtained professional New Zealand, South Pacific, Commonwealth, Intercontinental and World Titles.

Retiring from professional fighting in 1999 Jayson began his coaching career in 2002 after being appointed by Ray Sefo as the Head Instructor for the Ray Sefo Fight Academy in Waitakere Auckland. At that time helping produce notable champions Rony Sefo, Jordan Tai, Paula Mataele and help Ray Sefo to 4 consecutive K-1 WGP Final 8 tournaments, K-1 World Grand Prix 2002, K-1 World Grand Prix 2003, K-1 World Grand Prix 2004 and K-1 World Grand Prix 2005.

In 2002 he entered K-1 and lost as a challenger for the ISKA World Title against Gurkan Ozkan (ISKA World Champion), won against Aaron Boyes (WKBF World Champion) at the K-1 Oceania MAX 2004 event in Auckland, NZ and lost to Nathan Corbett (WMC World Champion) Boonch Cup Muay Thai Event, Queensland Australia, 2004. Jayson retired for a second time from professional competition in 2005.

During 2004 Jayson was recruited by Jonah Lomu to help him in his physical rehabilitation before, during and after his Kidney donor replacement. Whilst at the Ray Sefo Academy Jayson also helped the Manu Samoa World Rugby Cup 2004 Team in crossing training in preparation for their upcoming World Cup Qualifying Games that year.

In 2005 Jayson Vemoa was recruited and contracted by Kancho Matsui to help prepare his Kyokushin fighters to compete successfully in the K-1. He was relocated to Japan to train Glaube Feitosa and helped Glaube in the same year to win the K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Las Vegas. In December 2005 Feitosa placed 2nd in the K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 Tokyo Dome. Jayson continued to help Feitosa to qualify and compete in consecutive K-1 WGP Final 8 tournaments K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 and K-1 World Grand Prix 2007 Final. In 2008 Jayson helped Ewerton Teixeira in his 1st year of K-1 to win the Japan K-1 WGP Tournament Championship Title Belt defeating Keijiro Maeda in the final at the K-1 World GP 2008 in Fukuoka and continuing to help Ewerton gain wins over K-1 legends Musashi and Jerome Lebanner on his way to qualify for 3 consecutive years in K-1 World GP 2008 Final, K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Final and K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 Final. As the Head Kickboxing Instructor of the Ichigeki Academy Jayson took general public kickboxing classes and has also trained other Kyokushin Champions for K-1, i.e. Aleksandr Pitchkounov gaining 2nd place in K-1 World Grand Prix 2007 in Hawaii, K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 in Taipei and 3rd place K-1 World Grand Prix 2007 in Las Vegas. Takumi Sato gaining 3rd place in K-1 World GP 2008 in Fukuoka and K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 in Seoul, Jan Soukup (Czech Rep.) and Kou Tasei (Japan).

Team Ichigeki from 2005 until 2010 consisted of 3 trainers Mauricio "Baboo" Da Silva (Brazil), Fai Falamoe (NZ) and Jayson Vemoa (NZ).

Jayson has continued to maintain his connection with Team Sefo from Japan, throughout the following years helping train Doug Viney for K-1 and Jordan Tai for K-1 Max WGP competition in Japan. He prepared Ray Sefo for the K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 and helped corner Ray Sefo for the K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 Final and K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 in Seoul Final 16.

Jayson started Kyokushin Karate (IKO1 Matsui) in 2006 studying under Shihan Ryu Narushima (Japan) at the former Ichigeki Academy Dojo in Tokyo.

Jayson took part as opponent no.54 in the 100-man kumite for Arthur Hovhannisyan (karateka) held on 29 March 2009 in Tokyo, Japan.

In September 2010 Jayson successfully passed his 1st Dan Black Belt (Shodan) from HONBU becoming Shihan Narushima's 1st original student from the Ichigeki Academy, Ebisu Dojo to gain Black Belt status.

From 2010 to 2013 Jayson studied from Honbu Dojo in Ikebukuro, Tokyo in specialized training for Kyokushin Black Belts.

25 April 2010 - Antz Nansen enlisted Jayson for ASTRA in Tokyo, Japan where he lost by submission to Enson Inoue (Japan)

2011 to 2013 Ray Sefo entered the Japan Pro Wrestling ranks fighting in Antonio Inoki's new promotions named Inoki Genome Federation. Sefo enlisted Jayson Vemoa's help for his pro wrestling support team.

In 2011 Jayson helped train Jan Soukup in Tokyo for RISE 85: RISE Heavyweight Tournament 2011 in which Jan defeated favorite and number one seed Fabiano Aoki in the Quarter Finals. Jan eventually gained 3rd place in the 8 man tournament.

In April 2011 Jayson became an Assistant Kyokushin Instructor at Ichigeki Academy Ebisu Dojo under the supervision of Shihan Narushima.

26 February 2012 - Mark Hunt while in Japan enlisted Jayson's help for UFC 144 where Hunt won by 1st round KO against Cheick Kongo (France)

Jayson finished his contract with Ichigeki Academy mid 2013.

3 March 2013 - Mark Hunt enlisted Jayson for UFC on Fuel TV: Silva vs. Stann where Hunt won and earned a jaw breaking Knock Out of the Night against Stefan Struve (Nederlands)

25 May 2013 - Mark Hunt enlisted Jayson for UFC 160 in Las Vegas, although losing to the former UFC World Champion Junior dos Santos he gained Fight of the Night Honors

7 December 2013 - Mark Hunt enlisted Jayson for UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Bigfoot in Brisbane, Australia, this fight was rated the best Heavyweight Fight in UFC History from UFC president Dana White, and once again Mark Hunt gained fight of the Night Honors.

3 May 2013 Kengo Shimizu (Japan) enlisted Jayson's help as a major sparring partner in preparation for Glory 8: Tokyo where Shimizu won the 4 man - Glory Japan Tournament Champion (187 lb / 85 kg).

21 December 2013 Joseph Valtellini (Canada) enlisted Jayson's help for Glory 13: Tokyo competing in the 4 man Welterweight World Championship Tournament. Defeating Raymond Daniels (USA) by KO in the semi-final to progress to the Final against Nieky Holzken (Netherlands).

20 September 2014 - Jayson corners Mark Hunt for UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Nelson Tokyo, Japan. Hunt was awarded Performance of the Night Bonus award with his KO of Roy Nelson (fighter)

9 July 2016 - Jayson corners Mark Hunt for UFC 200 in Las Vegas, USA

In May 2017 Jayson Vemoa joined the BJJ ranks as a white belt under Professor Steve Oliver (NZ) a Rickson Gracie BJJ Black Belt

2018 - President and Co founded the Japan-Niue Friendship Foundation in Japan to promote Cultural Exchange between the two countries.