#7 Yoshihisa Yamamoto crashes Mark Kerr’s homecoming
Many will concur that Mark Kerr’s nickname “The Titan”, was befitting, especially in the genesis of modern MMA. The collegiate wrestling champion was a towering figure in the early MMA landscape but just like the Titans, he crashed down from his zenith.
After winning several ADCC golds and two UFC tournaments, Kerr traversed the globe to the erstwhile burgeoning hub of fighting, PRIDE FC. After a topsy-turvy phase, “The Smashing Machine” returned from a three-year hiatus from MMA to face pro-wrestler/fighter, Yoshihisa Yamamoto.
Kerr’s Herculean physique, which earned him the moniker “The Specimen”, looked closer to a dad-bod and his offence itself appeared defanged. Forty seconds into the fight, Kerr lunged for a takedown but drove his skull into the mat. He left PRIDE after the embarrassing loss and slumped to 7-2 in his last 9 fights.
Those were anguishing death throes of the career of an icon, who once prompted event organisers to ban knees to the head and headbutts just because of his Blitzkrieg finishes that cut short TV programming time. That win was the peak of Yamamoto’s career, as he never had his hand raised at the end of a fight again.
