Asashoryu retired from sumo, could MMA be next?
Sumo grand champion Asashoryu retired Thursday amidst speculation that he got into a drunken brawl outside of a nightclub on Jan. 16. The announcement was made at a news conference and reported on by a variety of media outlets.
Nightmareofbattle.com has also reported that the sumo wrestler is appealing to both major Japanese MMA promotions, Sengoku Raiden Championship and Dream. Sasahara, the president of Dream, is even quoted as saying “[his conversion to MMA] is attractive/appealing.”
Asashoryu, who is originally from Mongolia, earned the title of Yokozuna in Jan 2003 becoming only the third foreign-born grand champion. Since then he has won 22 of the 39 tournaments he has entered. His highly physical and aggressive style dominated the sport for years.
Do you think this sumo could succeed in MMA?
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