Japanese judo star Satoshi Ishii brushed off his Olympic gold medal as merely a ticket to greater glory as he announced a switch to the cash-rich world of mixed martial arts.
Only three months after saving Japan’s pride at the Beijing Olympics, the 21-year-old disappointed many in the homeland of tradition-bound judo by joining what is still widely seen as a make-believe sport designed solely for television.
“I had made up my mind that I would go to the world of mixed martial arts whether I won or lost at the Olympics,” Ishii said late on Monday, in a move that will see him combining techniques from judo, karate, kick-boxing and wrestling.
“I want to throw away the judo gold medal and everything, and fight it out in another world by starting from scratch with a white belt,” said the black belt holder, who at 181cm and 110kg is small for a heavyweight.
Ishii, fighting at the world’s top level for the first time in Beijing, was one of the only two Japanese who made the podium in men’s Judo, as Japan registered a record-low medal haul in the sport.
Japan’s judo establishment bans professionals in any other combat sport from competing under its auspices, making it impossible for Ishii to go for another gold at the 2012 London Olympics.
“He has kept on training while other people rested. He has interesting talent and will be missed because he could stimulate other participants,” said Kazuo Yoshimura, director of technical development at the All-Japan Judo Federation.
Critics fear that Ishii, who has irritated judo purists with his no-holds-barred style, could inspire others to follow him into a sport full of colorful figures, in which earnings can easily top ¥100 million (US$1 million) per match.
“In my value system, mixed martial arts is the strongest,” Ishii said.
“I am a total newcomer and I have no confidence in winning a match now. But I strongly feel I will work hard and succeed in this world, no matter what,” he said, citing legendary Brazilian Rickson Gracie as his model in the trade.
Before Ishii, other Olympic and world judo champions have also stepped into professional martial arts — but only when they were past their prime at around 30. They include four-time world heavyweight and open champion Naoya Ogawa, Barcelona Olympic 78kg gold medalist Hidehiko Yoshida and Sydney Olympics 81kg winner Makoto Takimoto.
Ishii, who has gifted his Olympic gold to the gym of his hero Ogawa, did not reveal which one of the multitude of martial arts organizations he would join. His debut in the sport will wait until his graduation from Tokyo’s Kokushikan University in March.
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