Introduction
Kyotaro (京太郎 [kjoːtaɽoː], Kyōtarō, born 23 June 1986) is a Japanese heavyweight boxer and former kickboxer. His real name is Kyotaro Fujimoto, and he had been using 3 other ring names before. He is known for his right hook which has knocked out many of his opponents. He is currently the K-1 Heavyweight Champion and has successfully defended the title against Peter Aerts at K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 in Yokohama. He was also the K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 in Fukuoka tournament finalist and K-1 Young Japan GP 2007 champion.
Early life
Fujimoto was born in Osaka, Japan on June 23, 1986. He started learning karate of Uomoto-ryū(魚本流) as a child. His parents divorced in 1997 and he lived with his mother, sisters and grandmother.
Kickboxing career
Kyotaro moved to Tokyo and joined Dragon Dojo established by Kensaku Maeda. He debuted on May 17, 2006 against Junichi Hanada.
Kyotaro entered the world of K-1 when he fought and won the K-1 Tryout 2007 Survival tournament in Tokyo by defeating Tatsunori Momose in the semi-final and Takumi Sato in the final, all by decision. This tournament was designed to showcase new talent. He then fought Kyoung Suk Kim during the opening fights at K-1 World Grand Prix 2007 in Seoul Final 16 defeating Kim by 2nd Round Knockout. He further proved himself as a top K-1 contender by defeating the K-1 World Grand Prix 2004 in Las Vegas II and the K-1 World Grand Prix 2007 in Hawaii tournament champion Mighty Mo at K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 in Yokohama. Kyotaro was then invited to fight in the K-1 World GP 2008 in Fukuoka in which he became the runner up losing to Brazilian Karateka Ewerton Teixeira.
On March 28, 2009, Kyotaro won the K-1 Heavyweight (-100 kg) Title tournament by knocking out Melvin Manhoef in semifinals and beating Gokhan Saki in finals by extra round majority decision. Kyotaro became the second fighter after Badr Hari to win the title in K-1 Light Heavyweight division. Kyotaro recently defended his title against 3 time K-1 Grand Prix Champion Peter Aerts at K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 in Yokohama. Kyotaro knocked Aerts down twice at the end of the 1st Round and then knocked him out with his right hook in the 2nd Round.
At the K-1 Final 16 Kyotaro defeated another legend in Jerome Le Banner. Kyotaro withstood the Frenchman's early power to give him a severe beating in the 3rd round to earn a draw. Le Banner was angry at the decision and walked out of the ring, giving Kyotaro the win by DQ.
His next fight was at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 Final against 4-time defending champion Semmy Schilt. He was unable to faze his taller opponent, losing by unanimous decision.
He then chose to fight the DREAM (MMA) Light-heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi. He was knocked down in the second round and again lost by unanimous decision.
In October 2011, Kyotaro relinquished the K-1 Heavyweight title in order to pursue a career in professional boxing.
Boxing career
Kyotaro debuted as a pro boxer on December 31, 2011 when he took a unanimous decision win over Michael O'Donnell in Osaka, Japan. In September 2012, he defeated Chauncy Welliver by unanimous decision, who at the time was ranked #15 in the world by the WBC. Kyotaro took Welliver's place in the WBC top 15 as a result of this win. Kyotaro lost his next fight against Solomon Haumono via TKO in the 5th round. The fight was held at Bodymaker Colosseum in Osaka on December 31, 2012. Kyotaro won his first major regional title against Willie Nasio for the vacant WBC - OPBF heavyweight title in 2017.
Kickboxing Titles
- Amateur
- 18th All Japan Shin-Karate Championships(K-2 GRAND PRIX) Heavyweight(+75 kg) tournament winner (May 3, 2007)
- Professional
- 2009-2011 K-1 Heavyweight (-100 kg) Champion (1 def.)
- 2009 K-1 Heavyweight (-100 kg) Tournament Champion
- 2008 K-1 Japan GP in Fukuoka Runner-up
- 2007 K-1 Tryouts Young Japan GP champion
Boxing Titles
- Japanese heavyweight title (224½Ibs)
- WBC - OPBF heavyweight title (227¼Ibs)
Awards
- 18th All Japan Shin-Karate Championship Gaora Award
Ring names
- Kyōtarō Ranger (狂太郎レンジャー / May 2006 - August 2007)
- Kyōtarō Ranger (強太郎レンジャー / August 2007 - January 2008)
- Maeda Keijirō (前田 慶次郎 / January 2008 - August 2009) a.k.a. Keijiro Maeda
- Kyōtarō (京太郎 / August 2009–Present)
Kickboxing record
| Professional kickboxing record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Wins (9 (T) KO's, 8 decisions, 1 dq), 5 Losses | ||||||||
| Date | Result | Opponent | Event | Location | Method | Round | Time | Record |
| 2010-12-31 | Loss |  Gegard Mousasi | Dynamite!! 2010 | Saitama, Japan | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | 18-5 |
| 2010-12-11 | Loss |  Semmy Schilt | K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 Final | Tokyo, Japan | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | 18-4 |
| 2010-10-02 | Win |  Jérôme Le Banner | K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 in Seoul Final 16 | Seoul, South Korea | Forfeit | 4 | 0:00 | 18-3 |
| 2010-04-03 | Win | Peter Aerts | K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 in Yokohama | Yokohama, Japan | KO (Right hook) | 2 | 1:56 | 17-3 |
| Fight for K-1 Heavyweight (-100kg) title. | ||||||||
| 2009-12-05 | Loss |  Tyrone Spong | K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Final | Yokohama, Japan | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | 16-3 |
| 2009-09-26 | Loss |  Ruslan Karaev | K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Final 16 | Seoul, Republic of Korea | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | 16-2 |
| 2009-08-11 | Win |  Jan Soukup | K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 in Tokyo Final 16 Qualifying GP | Tokyo, Japan | KO (Right hook) | 3 | 1:20 | 16-1 |
| 2009-03-28 | Win |  Gökhan Saki | K-1 World GP 2009 in Yokohama | Yokohama, Japan | Ext R. Decision (Majority) | 4 | 3:00 | 15-1 |
| Wins K-1 Heavyweight (-100kg) title. | ||||||||
| 2009-03-28 | Win | Melvin Manhoef | K-1 World GP 2009 in Yokohama | Yokohama, Japan | KO (Right hook) | 1 | 2:02 | 14-1 |
| 2008-09-27 | Win |  Min Ho Song | K-1 World GP 2008 Final 16 | Seoul, Korea | KO (Punches) | 3 | 1:43 | 13-1 |
| 2008-06-29 | Loss |  Ewerton Teixeira | K-1 World GP 2008 in Fukuoka Final | Fukuoka, Japan | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | 12-1 |
| Fight was for K-1 World GP 2008 in Fukuoka title. | ||||||||
| 2008-06-29 | Win |  Takumi Sato | K-1 World GP 2008 in Fukuoka | Fukuoka, Japan Semi-final | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | 12-0 |
| 2008-06-29 | Win | Musashi | K-1 World GP 2008 in Fukuoka Quarter-final | Fukuoka, Japan | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | 11-0 |
| 2008-04-13 | Win |  Mighty Mo | K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 in Yokohama | Yokohama, Japan | Decision (Ext.R.) | 4 | 3:00 | 10-0 |
| 2007-12-22 | Win | Tsuyoshi Nakasako | AJKF "Enter the Dragon The 1st" | Japan | KO | 2 | 2:07 | 9-0 |
| 2007-09-29 | Win | Kyoung Suk Kim | K-1 World Grand Prix 2007 in Seoul Final 16 | Seoul, Korea | KO | 2 | 2:14 | 8-0 |
| 2007-08-16 | Win | Takumi Sato | K-1 Tryout 2007 Survival K-1 Young Japan GP Final | Tokyo, Japan | Ext.R Decision (Unanimous) | 4 | 3:00 | 7-0 |
| Wins K-1 Tryout 2007 Survival title. | ||||||||
| 2007-08-16 | Win | Tatsunori Momose | K-1 Tryout 2007 Survival K-1 Young Japan GP Semi-final | Tokyo, Japan | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | 6-0 |
| 2007-06-03 | Win | Ryo Takigawa | J-Network "Team Dragon Quest 1" | Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan | Decision(unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | 5-0 |
| 2007-01-12 | Win | Tank Sugimura | MAJKF "Shidokan Spring New Year Event Breakdown-1" | Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan | KO(Punches) | 2 | 1:42 | 4-0 |
| 2006-11-05 | Win |  Turbo Weerasakreck | M-1 "M-1 Fairtex Shingha Beer Muay Thai Challenge -Thai King's Enthronement 60th Anniversary Cup 2006-" | Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan | TKO(Right low kick) | 4 | 2:13 | 3-0 |
| 2006-09-01 | Win | Toshi Saenchai Gym | J-Network "Mach! Go! Go! '06 -Flyweight Strongest Decision Tournament 1st Match- | Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan | Decision(unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | 2-0 |
| 2006-05-17 | Win | Junichi Hanada | J-Network "Go! Go! J-Net '06 -Invading the Dragon- | Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan | KO | 2 | 1:16 | 1-0 |
| Legend: Win Loss Draw/No contest Notes | ||||||||
| Amateur kickboxing record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Result | Opponent | Event | Location | Method | Round | Time | |
| 2007-05-03 | Win | Jun'ichi Kikuchi | 18th K-2 GRAND PRIX Heavyweight tournament Final | Adachi, Tokyo, Japan | Ippon (Awasete) | 1 | ||
| Legend: Win Loss Draw/No contest Notes | ||||||||
Boxing record
| Professional boxing record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 win (8 (T)KO, 8 decision), 1 losses(1 (T)KO) | ||||||||
| Date | Result | Opponent | Event | Location | Method | Round | Time | Record |
| 2017-01-14 | Win |  Willie Nasio | Korakuen Hall | Tokyo, Japan | Decision (Unanimous) | 12 | 3:00 | 16-1 |
| Wins vacant OPBF Heavyweight title. | ||||||||
| 2016-08-02 | Win | Adam Lovelock | Shinjuku FACE | Tokyo, Japan | TKO | 2 (8) | 2:13 | 15-1 |
| 2016-04-27 | Win | Nathan McKay | Ota-City General Gymnasium | Tokyo, Japan | Decision (Unanimous) | 8 | 3:00 | 14-1 |
| 2015-10-21 | Win |  David Torres Garcia | Korakuen Hall | Tokyo, Japan | KO | 3 (8) | 1:05 | 13-1 |
| 2015-04-30 | Win | Nobuhiro Ishida | Korakuen Hall | Tokyo, Japan | Decision (Split) | 10 | 3:00 | 12-1 |
| Retains Japanese heavyweight title | ||||||||
| 2014-12-18 | Win | David Radeff | Korakuen Hall | Tokyo, Japan | Decision (Unanimous) | 8 | 3:00 | 11-1 |
| 2014-09-10 | Win | Kotatsu Takehara | Korakuen Hall | Tokyo, Japan | TKO | 5 (10) | 0:44 | 10-1 |
| Retains Japanese heavyweight title | ||||||||
| 2014-04-30 | Win | Nobuhiro Ishida | Korakuen Hall | Tokyo, Japan | Decision (Unanimous) | 8 | 3:00 | 9-1 |
| 2013-11-25 | Win | Kotatsu Takehara | Korakuen Hall | Tokyo, Japan | Decision (Unanimous) | 10 | 3:00 | 8-1 |
| Retains Japanese heavyweight title | ||||||||
| 2013-07-25 | Win |  Okello Peter | Korakuen Hall | Tokyo, Japan | TKO | 6 (10) | 2:59 | 7-1 |
| Wins vacant Japanese heavyweight title | ||||||||
| 2013-04-17 | Win | Fabrice Aurieng | Korakuen Hall | Tokyo, Japan | TKO | 7 (8) | 1:11 | 6-1 |
| 2012-12-31 | Loss | Solomon Haumono | Bodymaker Colosseum | Osaka, Japan | TKO | 5 (12) | 0:57 | 5-1 |
| Fight for vacant OPBF Heavyweight title. | ||||||||
| 2012-06-20 | Win |  Chauncy Welliver | Korakuen Hall | Tokyo, Japan | Decision (Unanimous) | 10 | 3:00 | 5-0 |
| 2012-06-20 | Win | Clarence Tillman | Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium | Osaka, Japan | TKO | 3 (8) | 2:02 | 4-0 |
| 2012-05-17 | Win | Afa Tatupu | Korakuen Hall | Tokyo, Japan | TKO | 2 (6) | 0:47 | 3-0 |
| 2012-03-06 | Win | Jae-Chan Kim | Korakuen Hall | Tokyo, Japan | TKO | 2 (6) | 1:03 | 2-0 |
| 2011-12-31 | Win | Michael O'Donnell | Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium | Osaka, Japan | Decision (Unanimous) | 6 | 3:00 | 1-0 |
| Legend: Win Loss Draw/No contest Notes | ||||||||