Yusuke Fujimoto (born July 22, 1975) is a Japanese former heavyweight kickboxer who competed in K-1 and was the K-1 World GP 2007 in Hong Kong tournament champion. He is nicknamed "Bun Bun Maru" because of his tendency to throw big, swinging punches, and is distinguishable by his bald head and lack of eyebrows. He holds notable victories over Musashi, Dewey Cooper, and Francois Botha.

Career

Fujimoto made his professional kickboxing debut at K-1 Rising 2000 on January 25, 2000 and scored a second round TKO victory over Masanobu Yamanaka. He briefly stepped down to amateur status the same year, winning the Monster Challenge 2000 K-2 Tournament via decision over the returning Yamanaka. This was the only championship Fujimoto would win for some time: he entered four regional tournaments within the following three years but was regularly defeated, advancing no further than the last match of the K-1 Survival 2003 Japan Grand Prix Final. At K-1 Burning 2004, Fujimoto broke his right arm during a match with Montanha Silva. The injury kept him out of competition for 14 months. He returned to fight Carter Williams at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Las Vegas, but was injured again when Williams broke his nose, ending the match via no contest. Fujimoto later made it to the finals of the K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Hawaii but was knocked out by Gary Goodridge. The following year saw a change in Fujimoto’s fortune. On June 3, he bested ssireum wrestler Dong-wook Kim, karateka Tsuyoshi Nakasako, and Olympic judoka Kim Min-soo to win the K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 in Seoul – becoming the first Japanese K-1 competitor to win an overseas tournament. His victory brought him to the K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 in Osaka opening round, where he fought the legendary Ernesto Hoost to a third round KO loss. In March 2007, he entered a tournament to determine the first K-1 Heavyweight Champion and met Musashi in the semifinals at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2007 in Yokohama. In one of the most significant wins of his career, Fujimoto exercised great timing and reach over the two-time WGP runner-up, eventually securing a TKO with a kick to the head. He subsequently met Badr Hari at the finals and suffered a KO loss within the first minute of the opening round. Later that year, Fujimoto won the K-1 World Grand Prix 2007 in Hong Kong – his second regional tournament. It was a controversial event, with Fujimoto losing his semifinal match to Taiei Kin but nevertheless advancing due to Kin suffering a facial injury. Fujimoto entered his finals match to conspicuous silence from the crowd, but eventually elicited cheers upon defeating sanshou champion Wang Qiang. Fujimoto subsequently reached the WGP final elimination for a second time but forfeited to opponent Junichi Sawayashiki following multiple knockdowns. Fujimoto lost his only 2008 bout to karate champion Ewerton Teixeira after breaking his right arm for a second time. He was out of action for over a year, and declared on his personal blog to be considering withdrawal from kickboxing. These considerations proved concrete, as Fujimoto engaged in his retirement match on November 3, 2009 – defeating Junpei Hamada by unanimous decision at the Japan-Korea International Martial Arts Competition. Over a year later, he fought an additional retirement bout for K-1 so as to bid farewell to the company responsible for his career. On December 10 at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 Final, Fujimoto competed against Hesdy Gerges. Over 8 inches (22 cm) shorter than his opponent and considerably less muscular than his norm, he was knocked down three times in the first round and lost via TKO. After the bout, a retirement ceremony commenced wherein Fujimoto received flowers from his family and thanked his authorities and fans. He retired with a record of 27 wins, 17 losses, and 1 no contest.

Personal life

Fujimoto claims that his signature look of a bald head and brows is the result of natural causes, stating he suffered from alopecia areata because of stress involved in his participation in martial arts competitions, and decided to shave his head. He had previously suffered from the condition during high school. His eyebrows began growing back in July 2005. He is an avid bodybuilder and weightlifter, bench pressing a personal best of 140 kilos (308 pounds). He has a sister, as well as one niece and one nephew. His favorite food is ayu.

Titles

Kickboxing record

! style=background:white colspan=9 |Wins K-1 World GP 2007 in Hong Kong Tournament. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Yusuke Fujimoto replaced Taiei Kin in the final as Taiei Kin was unable to continue due to an injury. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |The bout was for the vacant 1st K-1 Heavyweight championship title. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Elimination match for challenging the vacant 1st K-1 Heavyweight championship title. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Winning the title of K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 in Seoul tournament. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |The bout was for K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Hawaii tournament title. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Match resulted in a No Contest due to an injury to Yusuke Fujimoto - Carter Williams advanced due to the Survivor Rule. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Winning K-2 Tournament Heavyweight Championship.