Yoshihiro Akiyama will face Christian Silas Leben in his final mixed martial arts match at Black Combat 17.
Sixteen Years After UFC 116
The bout marks a rematch nearly 16 years after their first meeting at UFC 116 in July 2010. Leben submitted Akiyama via triangle choke with 20 seconds remaining in the third round of their co-main event bout in Las Vegas.
That first encounter earned Fight of the Night honors and finished second for 2010 Fight of the Year awards. Akiyama secured five takedowns during the bout but ultimately succumbed to the submission.
Stepping Back from the Main Event
Organizers initially slated Akiyama for the top of the card at Gocheok Sky Dome due to his broad media profile and career stature. However, the fighter asked to cede the main event slot.
“The main event order should be left to wonderful fighters,” Akiyama said.
The promotion booked a bantamweight title fight between champion Kim Jae-un and challenger Kang Kyung-ho for the main event instead. Akiyama also requested to enter the venue before Leben as the challenger, declining the promotion’s suggestion to enter last.
“That is natural. Because I am the challenger,” Akiyama said, according to MK Sports. “I wanted to show respect to Christian Silas Leben, who beat me before.”
Akiyama won gold before competing in the UFC
Akiyama won a gold medal in the 81kg judo division at the 2002 Busan Asian Games before transitioning to MMA. He reached a career-high ranking of fifth in the middleweight division on Fight Matrix in 2008.
During his UFC tenure, he competed against prominent figures including Michael Bisping and Vitor Belfort.
Event Details
Black Combat 17 is scheduled to take place on November 21 at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. The card features the bantamweight championship bout between Kim Jae-un and Kang Kyung-ho alongside Akiyama’s retirement bout against Leben.
