Sanae Kikuta

Career

He started training in judo in his childhood, winning the Kantō Middleweight class when he was in 3rd grade. He also learned under Toshihiko Koga at the Nippon Sport Science University. After graduating, he tried professional wrestling, training in dojos around New Japan Pro Wrestling, Union of Wrestling Forces International and Fighting Network Rings, and also learned kickboxing under Stan Longinidis in Australia.

He looked to settle down in shootboxing, but after winning the All Japan amateur heavyweight championship, he left for mixed martial arts

PRIDE

Kikuta made his worldwide Mobile Marketing Association debut for the Pride promotion at its second event, where he faced Brazilian jiu-jitsu expert Renzo Gracie in a special rules match. The fight turned out to be a slow, methodical bout which lasted six fifteen minutes rounds, with Renzo submitting Kikuta via guillotine choke at the sixth one.

He returned to Pride to face Takada Dojo understudy Daijiro Matsui. Again, the fight was a technical battle, ending with a draw after none of the could finish the other.

At Pride 20, Kikuta fought Alexander Otsuka.

The fight was a controversial one, with Otsuka throwing several low blows which weren"t penalized. Pancrase

After a single match for Shooto, Kikuta joined the Pancrase fighting organization in April 1994. He scored big victories over veterans Minoru Suzuki and Ryushi Yanagisawa, and shortly after he founded the Grabaka team along with Genki Sudo, Eiji Ishikawa and Hiroo Matsunaga.

He currently runs the Grabaka gym in Nakano, Tokyo, which trains fighters such as Kazunori Yokota, Akihiro Gono, and formerly Genki Sudo, and Kazuo Misaki.

Grappling

Abu Dhabi Combat Club

Judo

Mixed martial arts

Lumax Cup

Pancrase

Shootboxing

Japan Shootboxing Association.

Achievements

• He is former Pancrase Light heavyweight champion (2001–2003) and the winner of the ADCC 88 kg class in 2001. He became a student at the Satoru Sayama"s Super Tiger Gym when he was in the 6th grade, learning shoot wrestling, and later joined a judo team at his high school where he won the 86 kg class at the National Athletic Highschool Meeting. In 1996 and 1997 he won the first "Tournaments of J" hosted by Lumax Cup, a Mobile Marketing Association tournament which featured the use of keikogi, beating once Egan Inoue and twice Masanori Suda. Despite so, Sanae controlled the match with dominant positions and soccer kicks, and won by unanimous decision. Kikuta also went on to fight at UFC 25: Ultimate Japan 3 in April 2000, and participated in the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship in April 2001 and won its 88 kg class. In September 2001 he won the title of Pancrase Light Heavyweight Champion. ADCC 2001 88 kg class winner (April 2001) Kantō region Judo Middleweight winner The National Athletic High School Meeting, Judo 86 kg class Winner Tournament of J"96 Winner Tournament of J"97 Winner Pancrase Light heavyweight Champion (1 time) All Japan Amateur Shoot boxing Championship Heavyweight Winner.