Norifumi Yamamoto

Norifumi Yamamoto (山本 徳郁, Yamamoto Norifumi; March 15, 1977 – September 18, 2018) was a Japanese mixed martial artist and kickboxer who competed in the bantamweight division of the UFC. He quickly gained popularity in the Shooto organization due to his aggressive, well-rounded style and controversial persona. He moved on to K-1 Hero's, where he became the K-1 Hero's 2005 Middleweight Grand Prix Tournament Champion in December, 2005 after defeating Genki Sudo via a controversial TKO due to punches. Though by most measures he was a natural bantamweight, many of Yamamoto's most significant bouts came in the lightweight division as it was the lightest division in Hero's. Later in his career, Yamamoto competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship in the bantamweight division, although he did not perform well there, going winless in his four fights with the promotion.