Yusuke Fujimoto

Yusuke Fujimoto
Born	Fujimoto Yūsuke (1975-07-22) July 22, 1975 (age 49) Kyoto, Japan
Native name	藤本 祐介
Other names	Bun Bun Maru
Nationality	Japanese
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	98 kg (216 lb; 15.4 st)
Division	Heavyweight
Style	Seidokaikan
Team	Monster Factory
Years active	11 (1999–2010)
Kickboxing record
Total	45
Wins	27
By knockout	13
Losses	17
By knockout	15
No contests	1
Last updated on: December 11, 2010

Yusuke Fujimoto (Japanese: 藤本祐介 [ɸɯʑiꜜmoto juꜜːsɯ̥ke]; born July 22, 1975) is a Japanese former heavyweight kickboxer who competed in K-1 and was the K-1 World GP 2007 in Hong Kong tournament champion.^[1] He is nicknamed "Bun Bun Maru" because of his tendency to throw big, swinging punches, and is distinguishable by his bald head and lack of eyebrows. He holds notable victories over Musashi, Dewey Cooper, and Francois Botha.

Fujimoto made his professional kickboxing debut at K-1 Rising 2000 on January 25, 2000 and scored a second round TKO victory over Masanobu Yamanaka. He briefly stepped down to amateur status the same year, winning the Monster Challenge 2000 K-2 Tournament via decision over the returning Yamanaka. This was the only championship Fujimoto would win for some time: he entered four regional tournaments within the following three years but was regularly defeated, advancing no further than the last match of the K-1 Survival 2003 Japan Grand Prix Final.

At K-1 Burning 2004, Fujimoto broke his right arm during a match with Montanha Silva.^[2] The injury kept him out of competition for 14 months. He returned to fight Carter Williams at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Las Vegas, but was injured again when Williams broke his nose,^[3] ending the match via no contest. Fujimoto later made it to the finals of the K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Hawaii but was knocked out by Gary Goodridge.

The following year saw a change in Fujimoto’s fortune. On June 3, he bested ssireum wrestler Dong-wook Kim, karateka Tsuyoshi Nakasako, and Olympic judoka Kim Min-soo to win the K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 in Seoul – becoming the first Japanese K-1 competitor to win an overseas tournament.^[4] His victory brought him to the K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 in Osaka opening round, where he fought the legendary Ernesto Hoost to a third round KO loss. In March 2007, he entered a tournament to determine the first K-1 Heavyweight Champion and met Musashi in the semifinals at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2007 in Yokohama. In one of the most significant wins of his career, Fujimoto exercised great timing and reach over the two-time WGP runner-up, eventually securing a TKO with a kick to the head. He subsequently met Badr Hari at the finals and suffered a KO loss within the first minute of the opening round.

Later that year, Fujimoto won the K-1 World Grand Prix 2007 in Hong Kong – his second regional tournament. It was a controversial event, with Fujimoto losing his semifinal match to Taiei Kin but nevertheless advancing due to Kin suffering a facial injury.^[1] Fujimoto entered his finals match to conspicuous silence from the crowd, but eventually elicited cheers upon defeating sanshou champion Wang Qiang.^[1] Fujimoto subsequently reached the WGP final elimination for a second time but forfeited to opponent Junichi Sawayashiki following multiple knockdowns.

Fujimoto lost his only 2008 bout to karate champion Ewerton Teixeira after breaking his right arm for a second time.^[5] He was out of action for over a year, and declared on his personal blog to be considering withdrawal from kickboxing.^[5] These considerations proved concrete, as Fujimoto engaged in his retirement match on November 3, 2009 – defeating Junpei Hamada by unanimous decision at the Japan-Korea International Martial Arts Competition. Over a year later, he fought an additional retirement bout for K-1 so as to bid farewell to the company responsible for his career. On December 10 at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 Final, Fujimoto competed against Hesdy Gerges. Over 8 inches (22 cm) shorter than his opponent and considerably less muscular than his norm, he was knocked down three times in the first round and lost via TKO. After the bout, a retirement ceremony commenced wherein Fujimoto received flowers from his family and thanked his authorities and fans.^[6] He retired with a record of 27 wins, 17 losses, and 1 no contest.

Fujimoto claims that his signature look of a bald head and brows is the result of natural causes, stating he suffered from alopecia areata because of stress involved in his participation in martial arts competitions, and decided to shave his head. He had previously suffered from the condition during high school.^[7] His eyebrows began growing back in July 2005.^[8]

He is an avid bodybuilder and weightlifter, bench pressing a personal best of 140 kilos (308 pounds).^[9]

He has a sister,^[10] as well as one niece and one nephew.^[11] His favorite food is ayu.^[12]

• Professional
  • 2007 K-1 World Grand Prix in Hong Kong champion
  • 2006 K-1 World Grand Prix in Seoul champion
  • 2005 K-1 World Grand Prix in Hawaii runner up
  • 2005 Japan GP 3rd place
  • 2003 K-1 Japan GP runner up
  • 2002 K-1 Japan GP 3rd place
• Amateur
  • Monster Challenge 2000 K-2 Tournament Heavyweight Winner

Kickboxing record

27 Wins (13 KOs), 17 Losses, 1 No contest
Date	Result	Opponent	Event	Location	Method	Round	Time
2010-12-11	Loss	Hesdy Gerges	K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 Final Super-fight	Ariake, Japan	KO (right leg kicks)	1	1:41
2009-11-03	Win	Junpei Hamada	Japan-Korea International Martial Arts Competition: Gladiator Okayama	Okayama, Japan	Decision (unanimous)	3	3:00
2008-04-13	Loss	Ewerton Teixeira	K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 in Yokohama	Yokohama, Japan	KO (right cross)	2 Ext R.(5)	2:01
2007-09-29	Loss	Junichi Sawayashiki	K-1 World GP 2007 final elimination	Seoul, Korea	KO (gave up/3 knockdowns)	3	1:34
2007-08-05	Win	Wang Qiang	K-1 World Grand Prix 2007 in Hong Kong Final	Hong Kong	KO (left hook)	1	2:49
Wins K-1 World GP 2007 in Hong Kong Tournament.
2007-08-05	Loss	Taiei Kin	K-1 World Grand Prix 2007 in Hong Kong Semi-final	Hong Kong	KO (Knee attack)	2	1:59
Yusuke Fujimoto replaced Taiei Kin in the final as Taiei Kin was unable to continue due to an injury.
2007-08-05	Win	Shi Hongjian	K-1 World Grand Prix 2007 in Hong Kong Quarter-final	Hong Kong	Decision (unanimous)	3	3:00
2007-04-28	Loss	Badr Hari	K-1 World Grand Prix 2007 in Hawaii	Honolulu, Hawaii	KO (left high kick)	1	0:56
The bout was for the vacant 1st K-1 Heavyweight championship title.
2007-03-04	Win	Musashi	K-1 World Grand Prix 2007 in Yokohama	Yokohama, Japan	KO (left high kick)	Ex.1(4)	1:23
Elimination match for challenging the vacant 1st K-1 Heavyweight championship title.
2006-12-16	Loss	Freddy Kemayo	K-1 Fighting Network Prague Round '07	Prague, Czech Republic	KO	3	2:35
2006-09-30	Loss	Ernesto Hoost	K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 in Osaka opening round Elimination Fight	Osaka, Japan	KO (right low kick)	3	2:09
2006-07-30	Win	Bobby Ologun	K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 in Sapporo	Sapporo, Japan	Decision (unanimous)	3	3:00
2006-06-03	Win	Min-Soo Kim	K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 in Seoul Final	Seoul, South Korea	KO (right hook)	2	0:23
Winning the title of K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 in Seoul tournament.
2006-06-03	Win	Tsuyoshi Nakasako	K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 in Seoul Semi-final	Seoul, South Korea	Decision (Majority 2-0)	3	3:00
2006-06-03	Win	Dong-Wook Kim	K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 in Seoul Quarter-final	Seoul, South Korea	Decision (unanimous)	3	3:00
2006-04-29	Loss	Carter Williams	K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 in Las Vegas	Las Vegas, Nevada	Decision (unanimous)	3	3:00
2005-07-29	Loss	Gary Goodridge	K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Hawaii Final	Honolulu, Hawaii	KO (left hook)	3	1:19
The bout was for K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Hawaii tournament title.
2005-07-29	Win	Marcus Royster	K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Hawaii Semi final	Honolulu, Hawaii	KO (left hook)	1	2:16
2005-07-29	Win	Scott Junk	K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Hawaii Quarter final	Honolulu, Hawaii	KO (right hook)	3	2:21
2005-06-14	Loss	Tatsufumi Tomihira	K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Hiroshima Semi-final	Hiroshima, Japan	KO (right high kick)	1	2:39
2005-06-14	Win	Ryu Moriguchi	K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Hiroshima Quarter-final	Hiroshima, Japan	Decision (unanimous)	3	3:00
2005-04-30	NC	Carter Williams	K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Las Vegas Quarter-final	Las Vegas, Nevada	No contest	1	?
Match resulted in a No Contest due to an injury to Yusuke Fujimoto - Carter Williams advanced due to the Survivor Rule.
2004-02-15	Loss	Montanha Silva	K-1 Burning 2004	Ginowan, Japan	KO (right cross)	3	1:04
2003-12-31	Win	Francois Botha	K-1 PREMIUM 2003 Dynamite!!	Nagoya, Japan	Decision (unanimous)	3	3:00
2003-12-06	Win	Matthias Riccio	K-1 World Grand Prix 2003 Final Opening-fight	Tokyo, Japan	KO (left hook)	2	2:34
2003-09-21	Loss	Musashi	K-1 Survival 2003 Japan Grand Prix Final Final	Yokohama, Japan	Decision (Majority 0-2)	Ex 1(4)	3:00
2003-09-21	Win	Hiromi Amada	K-1 Survival 2003 Japan Grand Prix Final Semi-final	Yokohama, Japan	Decision (unanimous)	3	3:00
2003-09-21	Win	Nobu Hayashi	K-1 Survival 2003 Japan Grand Prix Final Quarter-final	Yokohama, Japan	Decision (Split 2-1)	Ex 1(4)	3:00
2003-09-21	Loss	Eric Esch	K-1 Beast II 2003	Saitama, Japan	KO (left hook)	1	1:02
2003-06-29	Loss	Carter Williams	K-1 World Grand Prix 2003 in Las Vegas Semi-final	Las Vegas, Nevada	TKO (right hook/2 knockdowns)	2	2:26
2003-05-03	Win	Dewey Cooper	K-1 World Grand Prix 2003 in Las Vegas Quarter-final	Las Vegas, Nevada	Decision (Majority 2-0)	3	3:00
2003-04-06	Win	Kerri Karena	K-1 Beast 2003	Yamagata, Japan	KO (right cross)	3	1:20
2002-09-22	Loss	Tsuyoshi Nakasako	K-1 Andy Spirits Japan GP 2002 Final Semi-final	Osaka, Japan	KO (left hook)	2	2:18
2002-09-22	Win	Toru Oishi	K-1 Andy Spirits Japan GP 2002 Final Quarter-final	Osaka, Japan	KO (left high kick)	3	1:47
2002-08-10	Loss	Rony Sefo	Ichigeki	Urayasu, Japan	KO (right uppercut/3 knockdowns)	1	2:51
2002-07-14	Win	Ryo Takigawa	K-1 World Grand Prix 2002 in Fukuoka	Fukuoka, Japan	KO(left cross)	1	3:00
2002-01-27	Win	Cedric Kongaika	K-1 Rising 2002	Shizuoka, Japan	Decision(unanimous)	5	3:00
2001-08-19	Loss	Nicholas Pettas	K-1 Andy Memorial 2001 Japan GP Final Quarter-final	Saitama, Japan	KO(right low kick)	1	2:57
2001-06-24	Win	Noboru Uchida	K-1 Survival 2001	Sendai, Japan	KO	Ex 1R(4)	1:15
2001-04-15	Win	Yasuhiro Anbe	K-1 Burning 2001	Kumamoto, Japan	Decision(unanimous)	3	3:00
2000-11-19	Loss	Ricky Nickolson	K-1 UK Global Heat 2000	Birmingham, England	KO (right hook)	2	0:33
2000-10-09	Win	Shinji Yoda	K-1 World Grand Prix 2000 in Fukuoka	Fukuoka, Japan	KO (right low kick)	2	2:54
2000-07-07	Win	Issei Nakai	K-1 Spirits 2000	Sendai, Japan	Decision (unanimous)	3	3:00
2000-03-19	Win	Ryo Takigawa	K-1 Burning 2000	Yokohama, Japan	KO (right cross/3 knockdowns)	2	1:10
2000-01-25	Win	Masanobu Yamanaka	K-1 Rising 2000 Pro debut fight	Nagasaki, Japan	TKO	2	0:36

Amateur kickboxing record

5 wins, 0 Losses, 0 Draws
Date	Result	Opponent	Event	Location	Method	Round	Time
2000-09-03	Win	Masanobu Yamanaka	Monster Challenge 2000 Japan Open "The Road to K-1" K-2 Tournament Heavyweight Final	Tokyo, Japan	Decision (4-0)	1	3:00
Winning K-2 Tournament Heavyweight Championship.
2000-09-03	Win	Tatsunori Momose	Monster Challenge 2000 Japan Open "The Road to K-1" K-2 Tournament Heavyweight Semi-final	Tokyo, Japan	KO (left middle kick)
Legend:   Win   Loss   Draw/No contest   Notes

• List of male kickboxers
• List of K-1 Events

• Official K-1 website
• Yusuke Fujimoto K-1 profile