Michihiro Omigawa
Michihiro Omigawa (小見川道大, Omigawa Michihiro, born December 19, 1975) is a Japanese mixed martial artist and submission grappler currently competing in the Featherweight division. A professional competitor since 2005, Omigawa has competed in the UFC, PRIDE, Cage Rage, World Victory Road, DREAM, DEEP, and Shooto.
| Michihiro Omigawa | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 19, 1975 Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan |
| Other names | Michi[1] |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) |
| Weight | 145.1 lb (65.8 kg; 10.36 st) |
| Division | Featherweight Lightweight |
| Reach | 68 in (173 cm) |
| Fighting out of | Tokyo, Japan |
| Team | Neo Judo Academy Omigawa Dojo |
| Rank | Third dan black belt in Judo |
| Kickboxing record | |
| Total | 3 |
| Wins | 2 |
| Losses | 1 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 34 |
| Wins | 19 |
| By knockout | 5 |
| By submission | 5 |
| By decision | 9 |
| Losses | 14 |
| By knockout | 2 |
| By decision | 12 |
| Draws | 1 |
| Other information | |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
last updated on: November 15, 2013 | |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing  Japan | ||
| Men's Judo | ||
| Asian Games | ||
.svg.png.webp){kind=icon} | 2002 Busan | -66 kg |
| Asian Championships | ||
.svg.png.webp){kind=icon} | 2001 Ulaanbaatar | -66 kg |
| Universiade | ||
.svg.png.webp){kind=icon} | 1999 Palma de Mallorca | -66 kg |
Background
Omigawa is from Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan and began training in judo when he was in elementary school. He attended Tsuchiuranichidai High School with fellow mixed martial artists Hayato Sakurai and Kazuyuki Miyata. Omigawa's grandfather, who he was named after, died the day before his graduation. Omigawa attended the International Budo University in the Chiba Prefecture of Japan.[2]
Omigawa has won various judo tournaments and medals during his career. He received the silver medal at the 2001 Asian Judo Championships in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and earned a bronze medal at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, South Korea all for the 66 kg weight class division.[2]
Early mixed martial arts career
Omigawa made his professional mixed martial arts debut in 2005 against future UFC veteran Aaron Riley at PRIDE Bushido 7. Omigawa and Riley traded punches before Omigawa was knocked out by a head kick six minutes into the first round. Omigawa then fought for the British Cage Rage organization against future two-time K-1 HERO'S Middleweight Champion Gesias Calvacante. He again lost this fight by knockout, this time from an overhand right.
After a majority decision loss to Kazunori Yokota brought Omigawa's record to 1-4, he then strung together three consecutive wins in the DEEP organization, before making his UFC debut at UFC 76 against Matt Wiman. He lost this fight via unanimous decision. Omigawa then fought again for the UFC at UFC Fight Night: Swick vs Burkman against Thiago Tavares and lost again via unanimous decision.
After cutting down to the Featherweight division, Omigawa's recognition and career began to take off. Though he lost his division debut against future WEC and UFC veteran Jung Chan-Sung, Omigawa made a resurgence when he entered the Sengoku Featherweight Grand Prix tournament promoted by World Victory Road. As a heavy underdog he defeated the likes of LC Davis via unanimous decision and Nam Phan via TKO. In the semi-final he faced then-undefeated Pancrase Featherweight Champion and future Sengoku Featherweight Champion Marlon Sandro. This fight was originally ruled as a majority draw before Omigawa was awarded the victory by split decision. This brought Omigawa to the final of the tournament against Masanori Kanehara (the semi-finalist loser) who stood in for Hatsu Hioki as Hioki could not continue to compete. Omigawa lost by a close split decision against Kanehara but in return earned him the recognition as a strong Featherweight.
After the tournament Omigawa continued to earn a spot as a world top five Featherweight, defeating the likes of Hatsu Hioki via a controversial split decision, Hiroyuki Takaya via TKO at Dynamite!! 2009, Micah Miller, and Cole Escovedo via armbar.
Return to the UFC
The 12-8-1 Omigawa re-signed with the UFC in the Featherweight division and he faced then-undefeated Chad Mendes on February 5, 2011 at UFC 126.[3][4] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.
Omigawa was defeated by Darren Elkins via unanimous decision on June 11, 2011 at UFC 131.[5] The decision was considered controversial, and despite the loss, UFC president Dana White stated on his Twitter account that both fighters would be paid a win bonus.[6]
Omigawa faced British fighter Jason Young on November 5, 2011 at UFC 138[7] and won the fight via unanimous decision.
Omigawa next faced former Jungle Fight Lightweight Champion Yuri Alcântara on January 14, 2012 at UFC 142.[8] Omigawa lost the fight via unanimous decision.
Omigawa fought fellow judoka Manny Gamburyan on August 4, 2012 at UFC on FOX 4.[9] He lost via unanimous decision. After back-to-back losses in the UFC, Omigawa was released from the promotion yet again.[10]
Post-UFC
Omigawa fought at DREAM 18 against Tatsuya Kawajiri on New Year's Eve 2012. Omigawa lost via unanimous decision. The loss puts Omigawa at 1-6 in his last seven fights, all of which have gone to a decision.
Road FC
In May 2013, it was announced that Omigawa had signed with Korea's ROAD FC and would debut against fellow judo practitioner, Bae Young Kwon at Road FC 12. After a back and forth fight, Omigawa lost a controversial decision.
Shootboxing
Bringing his boxing and judo skills to the kickboxing/grappling hybrid sport of shootboxing, Omigawa entered the 2013 –65 kg S-Cup held at Shoot Boxing Battle Summit Ground Zero Tokyo 2013 in Tokyo, Japan on November 15, 2013. After defeating Yuki Hiroshi Kimaya by unanimous decision in the quarter-finals, he then faced fellow mixed martial artist "Wicky" Akiyo Nishiura in the semis. The fight was ruled a majority draw after the regulation three rounds and so went to an extension round to produce a winner, after which Omigawa was given the nod by all three judges. In the tournament final, he fell victim to a flying knee from Hiroaki Suzuki, losing by knockout in round two.[11][12]
Championships and accomplishments
Kickboxing
- World Shoot Boxing Association
- 2013 65 kg S-Cup Runner-up
Mixed martial arts
Kickboxing record
| Kickboxing record | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 wins (0 KOs), 1 loss, 0 draws
Legend: Win Loss Draw/No contest Notes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mixed martial arts record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 34 matches | 19 wins | 14 losses |
| By knockout | 5 | 2 |
| By submission | 5 | 0 |
| By decision | 9 | 12 |
| Draws | 1 | |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 19–14–1 | Akihiko Mouri | TKO | DEEP 92 Impact | October 22, 2019 | 3 | 1:49 | Tokyo, Japan | [13] |
| Win | 18–14–1 | Yuka Ohara | Submission (head and arm choke) | DEEP 90 Impact | June 29, 2019 | 2 | 2:03 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 17–14–1 | Teddy Violet | Decision (split) | WSOF Global Championship 2 | February 7, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 16–14–1 | Yoshifumi Nakamura | Decision (unanimous) | Grandslam MMA 3: Way of the Cage | September 12, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 15–14–1 | Kosuke Umeda | Submission (guillotine choke) | DEEP Cage Impact 2015 | July 20, 2015 | 1 | 1:26 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 14–14–1 | Peter Cepeda | Submission (straight armbar) | DEEP 68 Impact | August 23, 2014 | 1 | 1:02 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 13–14–1 | Bae Young Kwon | Decision (unanimous) | Road FC 012 | June 22, 2013 | 2 | 5:00 | Gwandong, South Korea | |
| Loss | 13–13–1 | Tatsuya Kawajiri | Decision (unanimous) | DREAM 18 | December 31, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 13–12–1 | Manvel Gamburyan | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on Fox: Shogun vs. Vera | August 4, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Los Angeles, California, United States | |
| Loss | 13–11–1 | Yuri Alcântara | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 142 | January 14, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | 13–10–1 | Jason Young | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 138 | November 5, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Birmingham, England | |
| Loss | 12–10–1 | Darren Elkins | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 131 | June 11, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | |
| Loss | 12–9–1 | Chad Mendes | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 126 | February 5, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 12–8–1 | Cole Escovedo | Submission (inverted armbar) | DREAM 16 | September 25, 2010 | 1 | 2:30 | Nagoya, Japan | |
| Win | 11–8–1 | Young Sam Jung | Submission (guillotine choke) | DREAM 15 | July 7, 2010 | 1 | 7:31 | Saitama, Saitama, Japan | |
| Win | 10–8–1 | Micah Miller | Decision (unanimous) | Astra: Yoshida's Farewell | April 25, 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 9–8–1 | Hiroyuki Takaya | TKO (punches) | Dynamite!! The Power of Courage 2009 | December 31, 2009 | 1 | 2:54 | Saitama, Saitama, Japan | |
| Win | 8–8–1 | Hatsu Hioki | Decision (split) | World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku 11 | November 6, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 7–8–1 | Masanori Kanehara | Decision (split) | World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku 9 | August 2, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Saitama, Saitama, Japan | Sengoku Featherweight Grandprix Final, Hioki was unable to compete in finals. |
| Win | 7–7–1 | Marlon Sandro | Decision (split) | World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku 9 | August 2, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Saitama, Saitama, Japan | Sengoku Featherweight Grandprix Semifinal; originally a majority draw. |
| Win | 6–7–1 | Nam Phan | TKO (punches) | World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku 8 | May 2, 2009 | 1 | 4:52 | Tokyo, Japan | Sengoku Featherweight Grandprix Second Round. |
| Win | 5–7–1 | LC Davis | Decision (unanimous) | World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku 7 | March 30, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan | Sengoku Featherweight Grandprix Opening Round. |
| Draw | 4–7–1 | Shintaro Ishiwatari | Draw | Shooto: Shooto Tradition 5 | January 18, 2009 | 2 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan | Featherweight debut. |
| Loss | 4–7 | Jung Chan-Sung | Decision (unanimous) | Deep: Gladiator | August 16, 2008 | 2 | 5:00 | Okayama, Japan | |
| Loss | 4–6 | Thiago Tavares | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Swick vs Burkman | January 23, 2008 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 4–5 | Matt Wiman | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 76 | September 22, 2007 | 3 | 5:00 | Anaheim, California, United States | |
| Win | 4–4 | Naoki Matsushita | TKO (punches) | Deep: 29 Impact | April 13, 2007 | 2 | 1:17 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 3–4 | Woo Jin Eoh | TKO (punch) | Deep: 28 Impact | February 16, 2007 | 1 | 4:25 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 2–4 | Takaaki Aoki | Decision (unanimous) | Deep: clubDeep Tokyo: Future King Tournament 2006 | December 9, 2006 | 2 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 1–4 | Kazunori Yokota | Decision (majority) | Deep: 26 Impact | October 10, 2006 | 3 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 1–3 | Yoshihiro Tomioka | Decision (unanimous) | Deep: clubDeep Toyama: Barbarian Festival 4 | June 18, 2006 | 3 | 5:00 | Toyama, Toyama, Japan | |
| Win | 1–2 | Jason Chambers | Decision (split) | ICON Sport: Lawler vs. Niko 2 | February 25, 2006 | 3 | 5:00 | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |
| Loss | 0–2 | Gesias Cavalcante | KO (punches) | Cage Rage 14 | December 3, 2005 | 1 | 0:49 | London, England | |
| Loss | 0–1 | Aaron Riley | KO (head kick) | PRIDE: Bushido 7 | May 22, 2005 | 1 | 6:00 | Tokyo, Japan |
Submission grappling record
KO PUNCHES
| Result | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Notes |
| Draw |  Thomas Mietz | Draw | Quintet Fight Night 2 | February 3, 2019 | 1 | 10:00 | |
| Draw | Daisuke Nakamura | Draw | Quintet | April 11, 2018 | 1 | 10:00 |
References
- "Michihiro "Michi" Omigawa". Sherdog. Retrieved 2017-06-01.
- "Michihiro Omigawa ("Michi") | MMA Fighter Page". Tapology.com. Retrieved 2017-06-01.
- "Compare anything, from smartphones to cities". Versus.com. Retrieved 2017-06-01.
- "Shogun vs. Evans moved to UFC 128 in Newark". mixedmartialarts.com. December 14, 2010.
- "Darren Elkins dropping to 145, likely meets Michihiro Omigawa at UFC 131". mmajunkie.com. February 21, 2011. Archived from the original on February 23, 2011.
- "Dana White @ Twitter". twitter.com. June 10, 2011.
- "Omigawa vs Jason Young at UFC 138". fightersonly.com. July 21, 2011. Archived from the original on October 6, 2011. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
- "Michihiro Omigawa vs. Yuri Alcantara Booked For UFC 142". bloodyelbow.com. November 24, 2011.
- "Michihiro Omigawa vs. Manny Gamburyan in Place for UFC on FOX 4". mmafighting.com. May 19, 2012.
- Brian Hemminger (October 3, 2012). "Four more fighters released by the UFC including Michihiro Omigawa". MMAMania.com.
- "LiverKick – Your source for everything kickboxing". Liverkick.com. 2017-04-20. Retrieved 2017-06-01.
- "バウトレビュー - REPORTS [シュートボクシング] 鈴木博昭、S-cup 65kg日本トーナメント優勝：11.16 両国". Boutreview.com. 2013-11-17. Retrieved 2017-06-01.
- Deep 92 Impact: Photos and Results Asiamma.com retrieved October 26, 2019
