Genki Sudo is a true enigma in the world of MMA. He stood out for his wild and aggressive style, frequent use of unorthodox techniques like the spinning back fist and the flying triangle choke and his spectacular walk ins and mid-fight dancing.
Sudo was also unique in his willingness to take on opponents who far outsized him. Pro boxer and kickboxer Eric “Butterbean” Esch has been known to weigh in as heavy as 425 lbs coming into fights, but Sudo had no qualms about accepting a bout with the massive American.
“Butterbean” came into the contest well over twice Sudo’s weight, making this one of the biggest weight disparities ever in a professional fight. The lack of relative size and strength, however, would not hinder the Japanese legend’s performance in this bout.
Sudo came out with a trademark elaborate entrance and then literally danced circles around the gargantuan “Butterbean” before forcing the far bigger man to tap out to a heel hook submission in the second round. Sudo demonstrated that skill can defeat size and further solidified his reputation as one of the most intriguing figures in MMA history with this win.
The website fightstate.com wrote this colorful but accurate description of Genki Sudo:
Genki Sudo has one of the most unique highlight reels you’ll ever see. He’s a veteran of Pancrase, the UFC, K-1 and more. He’s known for his unorthodox fighting style and flashy entrances. He’d have choreographed dancers, slick moves, pyrotechnics… then the fight would start and things would stay just as over-the-top.
After his fighting career ended on New Years Eve 2006 with a record of 16-4-1, Genki Sudo went on to pursue a number of other interests. He’s written a dozen books, has acted in movies and on TV, and even won a Newcomer Encouragement Award at a Japanese Calligraphy event, whatever that means.
Genki was a true student of the game who took a philosophical approach to fighting. It was a mental thing for him, and he knew how to get in people’s heads or at the very least how to have his opponents thinking WTF.”
source: fightstate.com
