D.P.

Nickname Kid
Height 5 ft 4 in (163 cm)
Weight 143 lb (65 kg)
Born March 15, 1977 (1977-03-15) (age 32)
Fighting out of Tokyo, Japan
Team/Association Krazy Bee
Primary fighting style Freestyle Wrestling

Wins 17
By knockout 12
By submission 2
Losses 1
Draws 0

MMA career

Shooto

Kid made his professional Mixed Martial Arts debut on March 02, 2001 against Masato Shiozawa at Shooto - To The Top 2, where he won this fight by unanimous decision. Kid would go on to win his next two fights both by TKO in the first round.

On May 5, 2002, Kid suffered his first and only loss to date by TKO to Stephen Palling. Kid received a cut as he went for a double-leg takedown. Kid shot in and Palling countered with a knee, opening a huge cut to Kid's face. Kid then slammed Palling. However, blood began pouring out of Yamamoto's cut and the referee stopped the fight. The doctors determined that Kid was unable to continue and Stephen Palling was declared the winner.

Kid would then go on to win his next three fights by TKO and Decision over Tetsuo Katsuta, Jeff Curran and Caleb Mitchell.

K-1 HERO's

Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto made his K-1 HERO's debut on April 7, 2004 at the K-1 MAX - World Grand Prix 2004 Opening Round where he made the Lightweight division take notice by choking out Tony Valente only 58 seconds into the fight. Kid wouldn't stop impressing there, as he would go on to defeat Kazuya Yasuhiro, Jadamba Narantungalag and Ian James Schaffa by TKO or Submission within the next twelve months.

Yamamoto faced Masato at K-1 Premium 2004 Dynamite!!, and lost via Decision. Kid then faced Mike Zambidis at the K-1 World Max 2005 tournament, he would also lose this bout by KO early into the third round.

Merely one year after his HERO's debut, Kid would etch his name into HERO's history where he defeated (and finished) three very highly regarded fighters in Royler Gracie, Caol Uno and Genki Sudo to win the 2005 Middleweight Grand Prix.

On May 3, 2006 Kid made Mixed Martial Arts history when he knocked out Kazyuki Miyata four seconds into the fight, making it the shortest fight in HERO's and one of the fastest knockouts in MMA-history. He went on to win his next fight against Istvan Majoros by TKO half way through round 1.

Olympic Freestyle Wrestling

In early 2007, Kid announced an indefinite leave of absence from MMA to train for and compete in freestyle wrestling for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. He had hoped to win the Olympic Gold medal for freestyle wrestling ever since he was a child, as his father Ikuei Yamamoto represented Japan in the 1972 Olympic games in Munich. However his hopes of following in his fathers footsteps stopped short, after an injury prevented Yamamoto from competing in the Japanese Olympic wrestling qualifiers. With this injury, Kid would have no choice but to leave his hopes of competing in the Olympic Games and return to Mixed Martial Arts.

Return to K-1 HERO's

Kid would return to Mixed Martial Arts on September 17, 2007 against Bibiano Fernandes at K-1 Hero's 11. Kid went on to win this fight by unanimous decision, his first in HERO's.

His most recent fight was at K-1 HERO's Dynamite!! 2007 on December 31 against BJJ expert and Abu Dhabi Combat Club champion Rani Yahya at a weight of 135lbs. Yamamoto won in the second round via KO due to kicks on the ground.

DREAM

In February 2008, it was announced by Fighting and Entertainment Group, the parent entity behind kickboxing organization K-1 and mixed martial arts organization HERO's, that they would be producing a new MMA promotion titled DREAM alongside former PRIDE executives from Dream Stage Entertainment that will succeed and will replace FEG's previous-run mixed martial arts fight series, HERO'S. Norifumi Yamamoto was one of the many former PRIDE and HERO's fighters that were named to compete in this new promotion.

It had since been announced that Kid will be making his DREAM debut on July 21 against undefeated Californian Joseph Benavidez in a Featherweight bout, however the bout was abruptly called off a mere three days prior to its scheduled date due to a knee injury suffered by Kid. Yamamoto could be facing up to six months on the shelf. He claimed that while sparring on Thursday, he attempted a flying knee, landed awkwardly on his right leg and heard his knee pop. After icing his knee throughout the night, Yamamoto went to the hospital the next morning for X-rays and an MRI. The 31-year-old firebrand was later diagnosed with a partial tear of his right anterior cruciate ligament. Yamamoto said that follow-up would be necessary to determine whether he needs surgery, but that he ardently hopes to not have to go under the knife.

Yamamoto announced his participation in the Dream Featherweight Grandprix which begun at DREAM.7, due to an injury he will be seeded into the second round of the tournament.