Shota Yamaguchi
Cruiserweight (kickboxing) · Japan · K-1 (also GLADIATOR KICK, Krush)
A decorated karateka (5x Byakuren Kaikan all-Japan champion, back-to-back JFKO heavyweight titles) who moved to kickboxing in his 30s in search of tougher competition, mixing volume decision wins with occasional finishes.
Guard, low kicks and the right straight — the combination that carried his unanimous-decision win over Kanta Koyama at GLADIATOR KICK 001.
Record & stats
| Division | Cruiserweight (kickboxing) |
|---|---|
| Categories | Kickboxing |
| Promotion | K-1 (also GLADIATOR KICK, Krush) |
| Nationality | Japan |
| Born | Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan |
| Team | GENESIS/TEAM3K |
| Pro debut | 2022 |
| Height | 178cm |
| Age | 36 |
| KO rate | 45% |
| Status | Active |
How the wins come
45% Finish rate- 5 KO/TKO · 45%
- 6 Decision · 55%
Titles & honors
- RKS Cruiserweight Champion
- AJKN Cruiserweight Champion
- K-1 WORLD GP 2024 openweight tournament — 3rd place
- JFKO All-Japan Heavyweight Karate Champion (2018, 2019)
- 5x Byakuren Kaikan All-Japan Karate Champion
Biography
Shota Yamaguchi is a 36-year-old cruiserweight kickboxer out of GENESIS/TEAM3K, born July 9, 1990, in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture (178cm/90.0kg). Before he ever threw a kickboxing strike professionally, he was one of Japan's most decorated karateka: a five-time All-Japan champion for Byakuren Kaikan and back-to-back JFKO All-Japan heavyweight champion in 2018 and 2019, plus a runner-up finish at the KWF World Karate Grand Prix heavyweight division.
He left Byakuren Kaikan in 2022 in search of tougher competition, debuting in kickboxing via Krush that September and moving up to K-1, where he's picked up marquee results — including a 3rd-place finish in the K-1 WORLD GP 2024 openweight tournament — alongside setbacks, most notably a KO loss to Errol Zimmerman in October 2024. Along the way he's collected the RKS and AJKN Cruiserweight titles. A rough stretch reportedly had him considering retirement before he returned to the ring in 2026.
Yamaguchi's return came on July 20, 2026, in the Part 1 main event of GLADIATOR KICK 001 — the launch card for new promotion GLADIATOR's kickboxing division, held at W Osaka. In an 83kg catchweight bout under GLADIATOR KICK rules (three 3-minute rounds plus an overtime round), Yamaguchi used his guard, low kicks and right straight to outpoint Kanta Koyama (RKS Light-Heavyweight Champion, Kyoto Seikenkai), winning a clean unanimous decision, 30-28 on all three cards — pushing his kickboxing record to 11-4 (5 by KO) over 15 professional bouts.
Fight history
- WKanta KoyamaW UD 30-28 x3
- WFeng RuiW Decision
- LErrol ZimmermanL KO
FAQ
- What is Shota Yamaguchi's kickboxing record?
- Per the K-1 official fighter database, he's 11-4 (5 by KO) over 15 professional bouts, a tally that already reflects his July 20, 2026 win.
- What did Shota Yamaguchi win at GLADIATOR KICK 001?
- He won the Part 1 main event by unanimous decision (30-28 on all three cards) over Kanta Koyama, in an 83kg catchweight bout at W Osaka on July 20, 2026 — the launch card for GLADIATOR's new kickboxing division.
- Was Shota Yamaguchi a karate champion?
- Yes. Competing for Byakuren Kaikan, he was a five-time All-Japan champion and won back-to-back JFKO All-Japan heavyweight titles in 2018 and 2019, before switching to kickboxing in 2022.
- What titles does Shota Yamaguchi hold in kickboxing?
- He holds the RKS and AJKN Cruiserweight titles and placed third in the K-1 WORLD GP 2024 openweight tournament.