Two aging greats faced off in an unusual form of special-rules bout at ONE 165 when Yoshihiro “Sexyama” Akiyama tried to get to the third round, a round under the MMA rulset, by surviving three minutes of boxing and three minutes of Muay Thai against kickboxing legend Nieky Holzken.
It is a tall ask for a 48-year old to survive six minutes of striking against a real kickboxer, but Holzken is 40 himself, and the certainty that a skilled grappler in ‘Sexyama’ would get a finish with his grappling in an MMA round provided some intrigue, however unlikely. Yoshihiro has also won his last two fights, and is specifically famous for how good he looks physically despite his age. The fans in Tokyo were certainly rooting for their star, who is more popular than ever after Akiyama had his profile boosted further recently by representing Japan on the show “Physical 100.” They were, in the end, dissappointed by the result as the fight went as most people expected and the kickboxing legend knocked out the old MMA fighter in a boxing ruleset.
Only one minute went by in the boxing round before Sexyama was put down with a left hook. He was clearly dazed and even sort of shot for a takedown after the ten count ended. The referee separated them, and when action resumed Nieky found the finish with ease, almost as if he was just sparring and accidentally knocked out Akiyama, who could not stand up to that skill level and eat clean punches with power at his age.
He stated his appreciation for the opportunity to compete in the special-rules bout, stating that he thinks going from boxing to Muay Thai to MMA is entertaining for the fans. Unfortunately, the fight never got past the boxing stage.
When asked what is next for him, Nieky Holzken said he will just spend time with his family, keep training, and talk to ONE to see what is next for him. At forty years of age, he does not seem to have retirement on his mind whatsoever. And why would he, when he is able to get his full purse and a $50,000 performance bonus with such ease. After all, he said he came straight from vacation to this fight.
Official Result: Nieky Holzken def. Yoshihiro Akiyama by TKO (punches) Round 1, 1:40
