Keiichiro Yamamiya


Keiichiro Yamamiya is a Japanese professional mixed martial artist who last competed in the Middleweight division of Pancrase. A veteran of 89 fights who began his career in 1996, he also fought for the UFC, DEEP, and World Victory Road. He was the inaugural King of Pancrase Light Heavyweight Champion. He holds notable decision victories over Chael Sonnen, Nate Marquardt, and Denis Kang.

Mixed martial arts career

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Yamamiya signed with the UFC in 1999. He made his debut against Eugene Jackson at UFC 23 on November 19, 1999, and lost via first-round knockout. Yamamiya was then granted his release to return to Pancrase.

Pancrase

Yamamiya's history with Pancrase goes back his professional debut in 1996, when he faced Satoshi Hasegawa at the 1996 Pancrase Neo-Blood Tournament. He won his debut by split decision. He then lost in the quarter-finals of the tournament, falling to now-MMA legend Yuki Kondo by TKO.
He faced Ryo Kawamura for the Light Heavyweight "King of Pancrase" Championship at Pancrase: Shining 8 on October 1, 2008. He lost via unanimous decision.
On June 5, 2010, Yamamiya challenged Kengo Ura for the Pancrase Welterweight Championship at Pancrase: Passion Tour 5. He lost the fight via split decision. Yamamiya faced Yuji Hisamatsu at Pancrase 250 on July 28, 2013. Though Yamamiya was the heavy favorite on multiple media scoring websites, Hisamatsu won a majority decision.

DEEP

Yamamiya made his DEEP debut on January 8, 2001, when he faced Paulo Filho at DEEP: 1st Impact. He lost via second-round TKO. He faced Yuki Okano at DEEP: 65 Impact on March 22, 2014. Yamamiya was quickly taken down and submitted with a rear-naked choke in the first round.

Sengoku

Though not currently active for the promotion, Yamamiya signed a contract with Sengoku and made his debut against Alexandre Ribeiro at Sengoku 8 on May 2, 2009. He lost via third-round knockout.
Yamamiya faced UFC veteran Keita Nakamura at DEEP: 67 Impact on June 22, 2014. He lost the fight via TKO in the first round, putting Yamamiya at four losses in a row.

Championships and accomplishments