UFC Fight night 79's Yoshihiro Akiyama, 40, undecided on fighting future

Yoshihiro Akiyama

SEOUL – After nearly staging an incredible come-from-behind victory at UFC Fight Night 79, the man known as “Sexyama” says he hasn’t decided if he’ll fight again.

“I haven’t thought about that issue,” Yoshihiro Akiyama told MMAjunkie through an interpreter at today’s post-event press conference. “I’ll just take a good sleep first and think about that later on.”

UFC Fight Night 79 took place Saturday at Seoul’s Olympic Gymnastics Arena and streamed on UFC Fight Pass.

Akiyama (14-6 MMA, 2-6 UFC), who boasts South Korean family heritage and competed for the nation’s national judo team, faced Alberto Mina (12-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) on the evening’s main card. Promoted for the event using his Korean name of Choo Sung Hoon, Akiyama was unquestionably one of the card’s biggest attractions, and the Korean fans vocally supported his every move.

Akiyama nearly rewarded them with a special performance, surviving a nasty barrage of strikes in the second frame and launching an incredible comeback bid in the final round. Mina could hardly walk on a badly battered left leg, and he went willingly to the floor on multiple times to avoid Akiyama’s desperate strikes.

The crowd was at its loudest during the rally, and Akiyama admitted it was their energy that fueled his efforts.

“I got knocked dow down during the second round, and I felt that it might not work the way I wanted it to be,” Akiyama admitted. “There were so many Korean fans that were cheering for me that it helped me to stand up again for the second round. That actually gave me the courage and the power to fight for the third round.

“During the third round, all the cheers from the Korean fans also encouraged me a lot, and I’d like to thank the Korean fans for giving me such a wonderful time and happy moment.”

Akiyama ultimately was handed a split-decision loss, dropping his record to just 1-5 in his past six outings. Still, the judo stylist said he’s undecided on his next move.

“Of course, the result is the result, but I really had a very happy time,” Akiyama said. “As for the UFC contract, I don’t know how it will turn out.”

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 79, check out the UFC Events section of the site.