name	Izumi
pronunciation	Íz-mí
region	Japanese
origin	Japanese
footnotes
wikt	}}

, meaning "spring" (source of water), is a common Japanese given name, family name and place name. While a unisex name, it is more commonly used by women. Alternate spellings include 和泉, 泉水, いずみ and いづみ.

Places

Izumi, Osaka, city in Osaka

Izumi Hall -a prestigious concert hall in Osaka

Izumi, Kagoshima, city in Kagoshima

Izumi, Kumamoto, village in Kumamoto

Izumi-ku, Sendai, ward of Sendai

Izumi Province, former province

Izumi (Japanese: ), suburb of Tokyo in Suginami ward

Izumi Domain, a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in southern Mutsu Province

People

Given name

Izumi Aki (actress) (born 1960), actress

Izumi Inamori (born 1972), Japanese actress

Izumi Matsumoto (real name Kazuya Terashima, born 1958), manga artist

Izumi Mori, a Japanese model and actress

Izumi Sakai (1967–2007), singer

Izumi Takemoto (born 1959), manga artist and illustrator

Izumi Kazuto (born 1979), manga artist

Izumi Nakadai, member of Bon-Bon Blanco

Izumi Ochiai, founder member of the Japanese band AION

Organizations

Izumi school, one of the schools of Kyōgen

Izumi Todo is a collective pseudonym used to refer to the staff of Toei Animation

Surname

Aki Izumi, Japanese idol

Kyōka Izumi (1873–1939), Japanese author

Shigechiyo Izumi (1865–1986), oldest man who ever lived, according to The Guinness Book of Records

Tokuji Izumi (born 1939), Supreme Court of Japan member

Rei Izumi, female Japanese manga artist

Hiroshi Izumi (born 1982), Japanese judoka and mixed martial artist

Masayuki Izumi (born 1980), Japanese actor

Astronomy

6089 Izumi, an asteroid.

Characters

Given name

Izumi (Shelly) of ''Pocket Monsters'' (''Pokémon'')

Izumi Curtis, a character in ''Fullmetal Alchemist''

Izumo Hoshino, a character in ''All About Lily Chou-Chou''

Izumi Izosaki, a character in ''I"s''

Izumi Kanai, a character in ''Battle Royale''

Izumi Orimoto (Zoe Orimoto), a character in ''Digimon Frontier''

Izumi Sawatari, a character in ''He Is My Master''

Sano Izumi, a character in ''Hanazakari no Kimitachi e''

Himuro Izumi, a character in ''Princess Nine''

Surname

Konata Izumi, protagonist in the ''Lucky Star'' series

Koushiro "Izzy" Izumi Koushiro Izumi, a character in ''Digimon''

Shion Izumi, a character in ''Gantz''

Ako Izumi, a character in ''Negima''

Kaori Izumi, a character in ''Best Student Council''

Hina Izumi, a character in ''Kamen Rider OOO''

Shingo Izumi, a character in ''Kamen Rider OOO''

References

See also

Izumi Shikibu (disambiguation)

Category:Japanese given names Category:Japanese-language surnames

de:Izumi es:Izumi eo:Izumi ko:이즈미 it:Izumi lt:Izumi ja:いずみ pl:Izumi (imię) pt:Izumi ru:Идзуми fi:Izumi th:อิสึมิ

name	Kazuya Terashima
birth date	October 13, 1958
nationality	Japanese
other names	Izumi Matsumoto
known for	''Kimagure Orange Road''
occupation	Manga artist
website	}}

, pen name , is a Japanese manga artist best known for ''Kimagure Orange Road''. His career started in 1982, publishing his comic ''Milk report'' in the manga magazine ''Weekly Shonen Jump''. But real success came in 1984, publishing in the same magazine his masterpiece ''Kimagure Orange Road''. Other works: ''Sesame Street'', ''Black Moon''.

He has recently revealed that he's afflicted with a cerebrospinal fluid disease (stemming from a car accident when he was 3 years old) that has forced him to take 6 years off work, and he now hopes to bring attention to this disorder through his manga.

See also

Kimagure Orange Road

Kimagure Orange Road CD List

External links

Orange Road France

chibisake - Caprichosa Biografía de Izumi Matsumoto (RP2)

chibisake - Caprichosa Entrevista con Izumi Matsumoto (RP2)

References

Category:1958 births Category:Living people Category:Manga artists

de:Izumi Matsumoto es:Izumi Matsumoto fr:Izumi Matsumoto it:Izumi Matsumoto ja:まつもと泉 th:อิสุมิ มัตซึโมโต้

Izumi Shimada is a Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale (SIUC) and 2007 Outstanding Scholar with research interests in the archaeology of complex pre-Hispanic cultures in the Andes, the technology and organization of craft production, mortuary analysis, experimental archaeology, the role of ideology and organized religion in cultural developments, and ecology-culture interaction.

Born in Kyoto, Japan in 1948, Shimada moved at the age of 16 with his parents to the U.S. in 1964. He majored in anthropology at Cornell (B.A. 1971) where he became interested in the ancient Andean civilization and experimental archaeology under tutelage of Prof. John V. Murra and Robert Ascher, respectively. Two seasons (1973, 1975) of archaeological fieldwork at the Moche city of Pampa Grande (c. AD 600-750) on the northern coast of Peru led to his doctorate in anthropology from the University of Arizona in 1976.

Career

Since then, Shimada taught at University of Oregon (1977-8), Princeton (1978–1983) and Harvard (1984–1991) before joining the SIUC in 1994.

From 1978 to the present, he has directed the Sicán Archaeological Project, focusing on the developmental processes, technology, religion, and other aspects of the pre-Hispanic Sicán culture (c. AD 800-1400) on the northern coast of Peru. The project results formed the collection foundations of the Sicán National Museum in Ferreñafe, Peru, which opened in 2004.

In 2003 Shimada began interdisciplinary investigation into the social foundations and the paleo-environmental context of the famed prehistoric religious center of Pachacamac, outside the city of Lima. The executive government (2003) and the congress (2006) of Peru bestowed him medals of honor for his contribution to Peruvian cultural and historical knowledge and understanding.

He has written 150 journal articles and book chapters, collaborating on many of them with other prominent scholars in the field, including, but not limited to, Kenichi Shinoda and Robert Corruccini. Dr. Shimada has written or edited 11 books, including the following works:

''Pampa Grande and the Mochica Culture'' (1994);

''Cultura Sicán'' (1995);

''Andean Ceramics: Technology, Organization and Approaches'' (1998); and

''Craft Production in Complex Societies'' (2007).

Legacy and honors

2003, national government of Peru awarded him a medal of honor

2004, the Sicán National Museum, based on collection from the Shimada-led Sicán Archaeological Project, opened in Ferreñafe, Peru

2006, Peruvian Congress awarded a medal of honor to him

See also

Sican culture

References

Select Publications

Peer-reviewed articles

I. Shimada, K. Shinoda, J. Farnum, R.S. Corruccini, H. Watanabe. 2004. "An Integrated Analysis of Pre-Hispanic Mortuary Practices", ''Current Anthropology'' 45:369-402.

R.S. Corruccini, I. Shimada. 2002a. "Dental Relatedness Corresponding to Mortuary Patterning at Huaca Loro, Peru", in ''American Journal of Physical Anthropology'' 117:113-121.

R.S. Corruccini, I. Shimada, K. Shinoda. 2002b. "Dental and mtDNA Relatedness Among Thousand Year-Old Remains from Huaca Loro, Peru", in ''Dental Anthropology'' 16:9-14.

External links

Dr. Izumi Shimada Academic Homepage. Accessed 14 October 2010.

Sican Archaeological Project Website

Category:Southern Illinois University faculty Category:Japanese emigrants to the United States Category:Cornell University alumni Category:University of Arizona alumni Category:University of Oregon faculty Category:Princeton University faculty Category:Harvard University faculty Category:American anthropologists Category:1948 births Category:Living people Category:American people of Japanese descent Category:American academics of Japanese descent

de:Izumi Shimada ja:島田泉 (考古学者)

name	Izumi Sakai
background	solo_singer
birth name	Sachiko Kamachi
born	February 06, 1967
died	Shinjuku, Tokyo, JapanMay 27, 2007
origin	Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan
genre	Pop
occupation	singer, lyricist
years active	1991–2007
associated acts	Zard
website	wezard.net
notable instruments	}}

, born 6 February 1967 in Kurume, Japan – 27 May 2007 was a Japanese Pop singer, song writer, and member of the group Zard.

Biography

Born in Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan, Sakai grew up in Hadano, Kanagawa. Her father was a driving instructor, and she had a younger brother and younger sister. After her untimely death, a neighbor recalled how popular and beautiful Sakai had been in elementary school. She was also athletic, joining the track and field team in junior high and playing tennis in high school. (Indeed, promoting her 38th single in 2003, "Hitomi o Tojite," Sakai indicated that she liked sports.) Graduating from Shoin Women's College (now Shoin University) in Atsugi City, Kanagawa, Sakai worked in a real estate company office for two years before being scouted by Stardust Promotion.

Throughout her life, Sakai remained with her family, living modestly and mostly out of the public eye. Upon achieving career success, she helped pay for her parents home renovation. Acquaintances say that she commuted by subway every day, often wore T-shirts and minimal makeup. She did not wear any makeup in all seven of the television appearances she made in her lifetime. In promoting her third single, "Mō Sagasanai," and first album, ''Good-bye My Loneliness'' on February 6, 1991, she wore glasses in the television interview, citing the fact she had not slept the night before. She also indicated that she often slept in the morning rather than the evening.

Sakai had a well-rounded personality. She began playing the piano at age four and aspired to be a musician at a very young age. She visited galleries, attended theater productions, made dry flowers, and painted in oil in her spare time. She also stated that one reason she did not like to travel was that she was not accustomed to eating sashimi and preferred cooked food. Because she was hardly ever seen in public, there were widespread conspiracy theories in Japan that works by Zard were not produced by the woman pictured (Sakai): She was referred to as an urban legend.

Sakai appears to have been shy. In her first appearance on ''Music Station'', she was asked what took Zard so long to appear on camera. She replied that she wanted to make sure that the Zard project would in fact succeed first. In the other six interviews, Sakai expresses shyness on camera. In fact, a staff member revealed that when Sakai saw so many people lining up for her concert tour in 2004, she was taken aback and hid herself. After some effort, she was able to walk up to the crowd and thank them for coming. However, her shyness did not reflect an inability to work well with others. It has been noted that after she had gone home early one day she arranged for food to be sent to her staff at her office who were working late into the evening.

Rumored relation to Seiko Matsuda

Because her real name is Kamachi, it has long been rumored that Sakai was related to Japanese singer Seiko Matsuda, whose real name is Noriko Kamachi. Both are from Fukuoka Prefecture, however since Kamachi is a common name in that area and Sakai's family has not commented on the issue, the rumor has never been confirmed.

Professional career

For the next two years following her scouting, she was a Toei "karaoke queen" and a promotional model appearing in television commercials for Japan Air System. The following year Sakai was a Nissin race queen. During her time as a model she also released ''Nocturne'', a book of photos and ''Sexy Shooting'', a video. In 1990, Taiko Nagato, music producer for Being Corporation, noted her potential as a singer/songwriter. Through this connection, she created a Being subsidiary called Sensui (same Kanji characters as Izumi) and started her career taking the name Izumi Sakai. In addition to taking a new name, Sakai revised her year of birth from 1967 to 1969. However, her earlier career as a model continued to haunt her. As her model books continued to sell in used markets as well as internet auctions, she quietly expressed regret about it. In a rare interview, Sakai said that a major inspiration to her lyrics was her "difficult past."

In 1991, Sakai joined the five-member pop group Zard as lead vocalist. The group name did not have any particular meaning except Sakai felt that word Zard sounded like a rock group. She also took the name as derived from words such as "blizzard" and "wizard." The group’s name very quickly became synonymous with Sakai herself, and Sakai wrote the lyrics to all of Zard's songs except Onna de Itai and Koionna no Yuuutsu, both of which were written by Daria Kawashima. By 1993, the four male band members left the group but Sakai chose to keep the Zard name throughout her career. Izumi Sakai was Zard’s sole member at the time of the band’s debut, although between late 1991 and early 1993 four other members were introduced.

The melodies of early Zard hits were written by prominent Japanese composers, most notably Seiichirō Kuribayashi and Tetsurō Oda. Izumi Sakai wrote nearly all of the lyrics to Zard songs, totalling over one hundred fifty. A veteran recording producer described that while most artists communicate through the transparent glass in the recording studio, Sakai preferred covering the glass with a curtain.

Her 1991 first single, "Good-bye My Loneliness," sold very well, but her next two faltered. The ''Good-bye My Loneliness'' promotion video depicts a youthful and energetic Sakai. A decade after her debut, she listed this song as one of her most memorable pieces, especially because she had to sing it over a hundred times to get the recording right. Her fourth single, "Nemurenai Yoru o Daite" (Hold me through the sleepless night) was extremely successful, leading to four television appearances. And her best was still to come.

Izumi Sakai released "Makenaide" on January 27, 1993, her sixth single which appealed to the Japanese public. Released at a time that is now seen as the beginning of Japan's post economic bubble era when the Nikkei 225 Index had shrunk in value by a third in only three years, "Makenaide" (Don't Give Up) became known as the theme song of the country's Lost Decade." While Sakai commented on the television show ''Music Station'' that it would be a song to encourage men taking college and company employment examinations, many people said this song helped them cope with difficult issues such as school bullying. What is notable about "Makenaide" is that Zard fans’ favorite phrase, "Run through Until the End" was originally "Do Not Give Up until the End". "Makenaide" has been used as a theme song for the Nippon Television program ''24-hour TV'', an annual charity program hosted live by celebrities for a whole day. Sakai said that she was honored and looked forward to watching ''24-hour TV.'' Overall, "Makenaide" sold nearly 2 million copies. Later in 1993 she was ranked the top artist in CD sales and second as a lyricist.

Sakai produced 42 singles as well as 11 albums and 5 compilations in her lifetime. In addition to "Makenaide," she produced two other singles that sold over a million copies. Six of her albums as well as her first three compilations also surpassed the one-million mark, an unprecedented record. In record sales, Izumi Sakai is considered one of the most successful Japanese singers ever. This is remarkable, given that the height her career coincided with Japan's 1991 stock and real-estate market collapse and 1997 banking crises. In total CDs sold currently exceeds 30 million making Zard the eighth best-selling artist in Japan.

Since 2000, Sakai’s CD sales had declined but her death triggered an increase in CD sales. For example, her fifth compilation, ''Golden Best: 15th Anniversary'', released in May 2006, had actually slipped to the top 300, but surged to No. 3 in the rankings and became the sixth highest-selling album after her death. In the seven days to June 4, 2007, it sold 41,000 copies, a sixtyfold increase from the previous week. As of August 2007, Sakai is ranked fourth in all-time female album sales, just ahead of Hikaru Utada, at 19.2 million copies (see Zard).

Izumi Sakai sold more CDs than any female vocalist during the 1990s, surpassing even Namie Amuro. Unlike Amuro, who won two consecutive Japan Record Awards in 1996 and 1997, an unprecedented record until broken in 2004 by Ayumi Hamasaki, Zard did not win a single award. Sakai may have refused award nominations on the grounds that she did not want to perform live on screen, a requirement to accept them.

While many of her songs were intended to encourage other people, her 42nd and final single, "Heart ni Hi o Tsukete," was different. After Sakai died, a staff member revealed an email in which Sakai wrote that she felt that the song was written to encourage herself.

Television appearances

''Music Station'' (TV Asahi), "Nemurenai Yoru o Daite," August 7, 1992

''Music Station'' (TV Asahi), "Nemurenai Yoru o Daite," August 28, 1992

''Sound Arena'' (Fuji TV), "Nemurenai Yoru o Daite," September 1992

''Music Station'' (TV Asahi), "Nemurenai Yoru o Daite," September 18, 1992

''MJ-Music Journal'' (Fuji TV), "In My Arms Tonight," October 1992

''Music Station'' (TV Asahi), "In My Arms Tonight," October 6, 1992

''Music Station'' (TV Asahi), "Makenaide," February 5, 1993

Significance

The NHK program Close Up Gendai reported on June 18, 2007, that the secret to Sakai’s success was that she hardly was seen in public, which created a mystic aura.

Death

Despite her healthy lifestyle, which included abstaining from tobacco and alcohol, Sakai was seriously ill at times. According to the Kitto Wasurenai Official book, she had to stop her career temporarily due to various uterus-related illnesses in 2001, and did not begin working full time until 2003. In June 2006, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer, for which she immediately underwent treatment. She appeared to have healed, but discovered that her cancer had spread to her lungs, indicating a Stage 5 cancer. She began undergoing treatment at Keio University Hospital in April 2007 but she never fully recovered.

However, Sakai was neither discouraged nor thought she was dying. After her death, the Japanese weekly magazine ''Friday'' ran an interview in which said Sakai thought that modern treatments would enable her to live long. Her mother said that she greeted her visitors cheerfully and did not seem to show the effects of her illness. A fellow patient later said that they walked together at times and Sakai sang "Makenaide" for her when she could not walk. Finally, Sakai sent an e-mail to her staff saying that she was anxious to go back to producing music and was looking forward to another concert in late 2007.

Sakai died suddenly on 27 May 2007. Police judged her death accidental, the result of a fall from the landing of an emergency-exit slope at Keio University Hospital, where she was undergoing chemotherapy. The slope appeared to be very slippery due to rain the day before. According to police, the fall took place during a walk on the morning of 26 May 2007, from a height of about 3 meters. Sakai was discovered unconscious at around 5:40 a.m. by a passer-by and taken to the emergency room, where she died the following afternoon of head injuries. Due to the unusual and unlikely nature of her passing, police investigated for possibility of suicide, but concluded that it was indeed an accident. In the Friday article, her mother said that she took walks in rehabilitation and the location where she fell was her favorite place to meditate. Sakai had been planning to release a new album in fall 2007, as well as launch her first live tour in three years. She was 40. Her family was at her side, but it was reported that she never regained consciousness.

Epilogue: After Sakai’s death

The sudden news of Sakai’s death caused an uproar in the Japanese music industry and began to dominate headlines and the "what’s new" spaces on many major music websites. ''Music Station'', a TV program, did a four-minute tribute to her during its 1 June 2007 broadcast. Due to viewer request, another tribute was aired a week later.

The was released on August 15, 2007. This book contains tracks of 16 years by "Izumi Sakai's poetry" and "Comments of the staff who have helped ZARD".

The book records that she was informed two days before she died, and that Sakai was encouraged by the news that she was selected. Furthermore, the day before she died, Sakai told a producer who had been with her for 16 years that she was looking forward to have a recording machine at her home so she could start working upon discharge from hospital.

Public and private memorial services

A closed memorial service was held on 26 June at a funeral hall in Aoyama, Tokyo for members of the entertainment industry. This was attended by celebrities such as Maki Ohguro (another female vocalist who, like Sakai, rarely appears in public and writes most of her own material). Almost as if to illustrate Sakai’s impact on the Japanese music scene and the depth of her presence, singers Tak Matsumoto and Koshi Inaba, members of the popular B'z group, pop-singer Mai Kuraki, and even baseball giant Shigeo Nagashima all left moving messages of their encounters with Sakai. Singers Hikaru Utada and Nanase Aikawa, though not personally acquainted with Sakai, also issued memorial statements on their official web pages, describing how Sakai’s death had shocked them.

A public memorial service for Sakai was held the next day and was attended by some 40,000 people from all over Japan.

What a Beautiful Memory concert tours

A series of memorial concerts were held at Osaka’s Festival on September 6 and 7, as well as September 14 in Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan, called ''What a Beautiful Memory''. Tickets sold out immediately and 15,000 people gathered for the Tokyo event. Sakai’s favorite microphone was placed center-stage, and a recording of Sakai's comments about her thoughts toward the lyrics from 2004 was played. Over 20 members of Sakai’s band, who had come together again just for this occasion, began playing "Yureru Omoi". During the intermezzo, video images of the dressing room were shown, showing how staff had set it up in the same way Sakai used it during her What a Beautiful Moment concert tour. The door was labeled "Ms. Sakai Izumi" and the room had a clipboard displaying the day’s schedule; lunch boxes were also prepared and laid out on a coffee table.

The band went on to perform 34 songs, ending with "Makenaide." When "Makenaide" ended, Sakai’s recorded voice was played back to the sold-out crowd: "Thank you for coming today. I look forward to seeing you all again!" A portion of the proceeds from the concerts were donated to help fund cervical cancer research.

On the stage, nine giant screens showed more previously unreleased off-screen footage of Sakai, excerpts from 10,000 VHS tape recordings of Sakai in off-screen footage that her staff discovered after her death. In the encore of the memorial concerts, the music staff displayed some 300 songs in notebooks hand-written by Sakai that were found after she died.

Posthumous single: "Glorious Mind"

The audience was in awe on learning that Sakai had produced one unreleased song before she died, "Glorious Mind." She has been able to record just the chorus in December 2006 despite being in cancer treatment at the time, and Sakai’s mother is reported to have accompanied her to the recording studio. PVTV, in a three minute report on Zard in November 2007, also reported that Sakai’s physical weakness had only allowed her to record her singing a handful of times, but successfully passed the trials.

On October 19, 2007, it was announced that "Glorious Mind" would be released as Sakai’s first posthumous CD single on December 12, 2007. The song will be used as the theme song of ''Detective Conan'', a Japanese anime that was Sakai’s favorite. The song will be broadcast with the episode airing on October 15. This is the seventh time that a song by Sakai has been chosen as the theme for ''Detective Conan''. The single will contain rearranged versions of "Ai o Shinjiteiru" and "Sagashi ni Ikou yo."

Such is Sakai’s popularity that, according to Oricon, "Glorious Mind" was the best-selling single of the day on the first six days of its release, falling to third place on the seventh day.

What a Beautiful Memory Concert Tour 2008

Sakai’s office announced that there will be a nationwide tour to follow the What a Beautiful Memory tour. Announced on November 16, 2007, through Zard’s official website, it will consist of 15 concerts at 13 locations in early 2008. The first concert will be at Kobe’s International Forum on January 19 and the final one will commemorate the first anniversary of Sakai’s death at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Yoyogi on May 27. None of the concerts will take place at the Tokyo International Forum, where the "What a Beautiful Moment" DVD was mainly recorded, or at Nippon Budokan. Additional previously unreleased footage of Sakai will be shown throughout the tour.

Zard after Sakai's death

Some speculate that an artist like Sakai might be chosen in the future to produce those songs. Months prior to the NHK's ''Kōhaku Utagassen'', entertainment correspondents of conservative newspaper ''Yomiuri'' speculate that singer Mai Kuraki, who was in the same management office, is likely to sing a Zard song.

References

See also

Zard

Category:1967 births Category:2007 deaths Category:Japanese female singers Category:Japanese lyricists Category:People from Kurume, Fukuoka Category:Accidental deaths from falls Category:Accidental deaths in Japan

fr:Izumi Sakai ko:사카이 이즈미 id:Izumi Sakai ja:坂井泉水 pl:Izumi Sakai pt:Izumi Sakai fi:Izumi Sakai tl:Izumi Sakai th:อิซุมิ ซะกะอิ zh:坂井泉水

name	Gegard Mousasi
birth name	Geghard Movsesian
other names	The Dreamcatcher
nationality	Dutch
birth date	August 01, 1985
birth place	Tehran, Iran
fighting out of	Leiden, Netherlands
height
weight kg	93
weight class	Light Heavyweight (205 lb) (2009–present) Heavyweight (265 lb) (2008–present) Middleweight (185 lb) (2003–2008)
style	Boxing, Judo, Kickboxing
rank	Black belt in Judo
team	Red Devil Sport Club Team Jurojin Golden Glory Hayastan Studio Main Event Gym Glendale Fight Club
years active	2003–present
kickbox win	8
kickbox kowin	3
kickbox loss	0
mma kowin	18
mma subwin	10
mma decwin	3
mma koloss	0
mma subloss	2
mma decloss	1
mma draw	2
am label	Amateur boxing record
am win	12
am kowin	12
am loss	1
relatives	Gewik Mousasi, ''brother''
sherdog	7466 }}

Gegard Mousasi (born Geghard Movsesian on August 1, 1985) is an Armenian-Dutch mixed martial artist and kickboxer. He is fighting out of Team Jurojin in Leiden, Netherlands and is a member of Russian Red Devil Sport Club and Netherlands' Golden Glory. He is the current Dream Light Heavyweight champion, former Dream Middleweight Champion, Cage Warriors Middleweight Champion and the former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion. His last loss was to Muhammed Lawal at Strikeforce: Nashville. Mousasi is notable for having finished 29 of his 31 professional wins by knockout or submission. He holds notable wins over Hector Lombard, Evangelista Santos, Dennis Kang, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, Melvin Manhoef, Ronaldo Souza, Mark Hunt, and Renato Sobral, as well as notable K-1 victories over Kyotaro and Musashi. Mousasi is currently ranked as the #9 light heavyweight fighter in the world by MMAWeekly.

In February 2010, Mousasi left M-1 Global Management. Mousasi was quoted as saying "After careful consideration, I have decided that it is in my best interest to part ways with M-1 Global," Mousasi wrote in the e-mail. "During the time I spent under their wing, M-1 Global, as a promoter and management company, allowed me to achieve many great things. I appreciate all they have done for me. My management is being taken care of by someone close to me."

MMA career

Early life and career

Mousasi was born in Tehran, Iran to ethnic Armenian parents during the Iran-Iraq War. At the age of 4, Mousasi and his family relocated to Leiden, Netherlands, where he finished grade school before developing an interest in martial arts.

He started practicing Judo at the age of 8 and later boxing at age 15; twelve months later he became the amateur boxing champion of the Netherlands with a 12-1 record, earning 12 knockouts. He then switched to kickboxing and then eventually to mixed martial arts. There he fought and submitted K-1 veteran Melvin Manhoef in the semi-finals before meeting up with submission specialist Ronaldo Souza in the final. Mousasi defeated Souza by an upkick after being taken down by the Brazilian, thus becoming the first Dream Middleweight Champion and 2008 Middleweight Grand Prix tournament winner.

ADCC Championships

In November 21, 2008, ADCC Europe president Marko Leistén confirmed the signing of Mousasi has one of 2009's ADCC championships. it was rumored he would fight in the under 88KG. For unknown reasons Mousasi never participated in the ADCC 2009 championships.

K-1 Dynamite!! 2008

In somewhat of a surprise to the MMA world, Mousasi agreed to take on Japanese K-1 fighter Musashi in a K-1 rules fight at Dynamite!! 2008. Being an open weight fight Mousasi weighed in at 97.8 kg/216 lb, all but confirming his desire to move up in weight classes. Mousasi stated after winning the Dream Middleweight Grand Prix he would no longer fight at middleweight due to the large weight cut. Mousasi was the rank outsider to win the match against the more experienced Musashi, but came out fast and scored a first round KO. Mousasi went undefeated in 2008, going 6–0 in MMA, and 1–0 in K-1.

M-1 Global

Gegard Mousasi next made an appearance at M-1 Global's Breakthrough event at August 28, 2009, where he sparred former Pride Heavyweight and current WAMMA Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko in an exhibition match, where Mousasi was defeated with a straight Armbar.

Dream Super Hulk Grand Prix

In interviews from early 2009, Mousasi stated the weight he put on after winning Dream's middleweight tournament was too much for him to cut back down to middleweight and that his next fights would be at light-heavyweight and eventually heavyweight instead.

Then he signed for a place at Dream's openweight Grand Prix, the Super Hulk Grand Prix, being schedule to face Mark Hunt in the opening round. Mousasi submitted Hunt in the first round of the Super Hulk Grand Prix at ''Dream 9''. Mousasi was then expected to face Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou but he had to step down due to injury.

Affliction

Mousasi was set to fight Renato "Babalu" Sobral at ''Affliction: Trilogy'' on August 1, 2009, but the event was cancelled after losing its main event 10 days prior to the event. It was originally planned for him to face Vitor Belfort at that event, but there was a disagreement between both fighters over which weight class the fight would be fought at.

Strikeforce and Dream

On Monday July 27, 2009 it was announced that the cancelled bout between Sobral and Mousasi would take place on the August 15 Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg card and the fight became a contest for the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight championship. Mousasi defeated Sobral via KO in the first round to become the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight champion.

Mousasi would go on to win his second Strikeforce bout by TKO (strikes), three minutes and forty-three seconds into the 2nd round against Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou on November 7, 2009 at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers.

Mousasi quickly defeated journeyman Gary Goodridge under MMA rules at Dynamite!! 2009.

On April 17, 2010, Mousasi lost the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship belt in his first defense to Muhammed Lawal by way of unanimous judge's decision.

Mousasi was expected to face Mike Kyle on April 9, 2011 at Strikeforce 33. However, Kyle was forced off the card with an injury and was replaced by Keith Jardine. The fight resulted in a Draw (majority), mainly due to an illegal upkick which cost Mousasi a point in the first round; even though Mousasi outstruck Jardine 146 to 21 according to FightMetric. Regardless of the point deduction, many people(Including UFC president Dana White who wrote on his twitter "You've got to be $h*%ing me!" moments after the decision was announced and Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker who said that he felt that Mousasi had won the fight and was thinking of organizing a rematch) felt that Mousasi should have been the winner.

Dream Light Heavyweight Grand Prix

The 1st round took place at Dream.15, where Mousasi faced Jake O'Brien, who came overweight to their bout. Dream officials made it a catchweight fight, but allowed the fight to be part of the tournament. Mousasi won the fight early in the 1st round by submission via guillotine choke. In the final Mousasi faced Tatsuya Mizuno, Mousasi dominated the whole fight and finished the Japanese fighter in the 1st round by submission via rear naked choke.

K-1 Dynamite!! 2010

After a lot of speculation about Mousasi's opponent for 2010 New Year's Eve, Mousasi was set to face Kyotaro, the K-1 heavyweight champion, in a K-1 rules bout. The Armenian brought the fight to Kyotaro and in the second round Mousasi knocked the Japanese fighter down, almost finishing him. Mousasi then won a unanimous decision victory from the judges.

2012 Summer Olympics

It was revealed on January 31, 2011 that Mousasi was considering trying out for the 2012 Summer Olympics at the category of boxing. Mousasi will try to qualify himself through Netherlands qualifiers. His management said that it would make him a better fighter. Mousasi is already known in amateur boxing, being a former Netherlands amateur boxing champion.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Strikeforce

*Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)

Dream

*DREAM Light Heavyweight Championship (One time; First; Current)

*DREAM Middleweight Championship (One time; First)

*2010 DREAM Light Heavyweight Grand Prix Champion

*2008 DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix Champion

*First combatant to win DREAM championships in multiple weight classes

*First combatant to win DREAM Grand Prix in multiple weight classes

Cage Warriors Fighting Championship

*Cage Warriors Middleweight Championship (One time)

World MMA Awards

*2009 European Fighter of the Year

Boxing

Nederlandse Boks Bond

*Netherlands Amateur Boxing National Championship (2001)

Mixed martial arts record

|- | Win | align="center" | 31–3–2 | Hiroshi Izumi | TKO (punches) | Dream: Japan GP Final | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 3:29 | Tokyo, Japan | Defended Dream Light Heavyweight Championship |- | Draw | align="center" | 30–3–2 | Keith Jardine | Draw (majority) | Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley | | align="center" | 3 | align="center" | 5:00 | San Diego, California, United States | Mousasi got deducted 1 point due to an illegal upkick. |- | Win | align="center" | 30–3–1 | Tatsuya Mizuno | Submission (rear naked choke) | Dream.16 | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 6:10 | Nagoya, Aichi, Japan | Dream Light Heavyweight GP Final; Won Dream Light Heavyweight Championship |- | Win | align="center" | 29–3–1 | Jake O'Brien | Submission (guillotine choke) | Dream.15 | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 0:31 | Saitama, Saitama, Japan | Dream Light Heavyweight GP Semifinal; 212 lb catchweight due to O'Brien missing weight. |- | Loss | align="center" | 28–3–1 | Muhammed Lawal | Decision (unanimous) | Strikeforce: Nashville | | align="center" | 5 | align="center" | 5:00 | Nashville, Tennessee, United States | Lost Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship |- | Win | align="center" | 28–2–1 | Gary Goodridge | TKO (punches) | Dynamite!! 2009 | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 1:34 | Saitama, Saitama, Japan | Heavyweight bout. |- | Win | align="center" | 27–2–1 | Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou | TKO (punches) | Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers | | align="center" | 2 | align="center" | 3:43 | Hoffman Estates, Illinois, United States | Non-title bout. |- | Win | align="center" | 26–2–1 | Renato Sobral | KO (punches) | Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 1:00 | San Jose, California, United States | Won Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship |- | Win | align="center" | 25–2–1 | Mark Hunt | Submission (straight armbar) | Dream.9 | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 1:19 | Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan | Dream Super Hulk Grand Prix Quarterfinal |- | Win | align="center" | 24–2–1 | Ronaldo Souza | KO (upkick) | Dream.6 | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 2:15 | Saitama, Saitama, Japan | Dream Middleweight Grand Prix Final; Won Dream Middleweight Championship |- | Win | align="center" | 23–2–1 | Melvin Manhoef | Submission (triangle choke) | Dream.6 | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 1:28 | Saitama, Saitama, Japan | Dream Middleweight Grand Prix Semifinal |- | Win | align="center" | 22–2–1 | Dong Sik Yoon | Decision (unanimous) | Dream.4 | | align="center" | 2 | align="center" | 5:00 | Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan | Dream Middleweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal |- | Win | align="center" | 21–2–1 | Denis Kang | Submission (triangle choke) | Dream.2 | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 3:10 | Saitama, Saitama, Japan | Dream Middleweight Grand Prix Opening Round |- | Win | align="center" | 20–2–1 | Steve Mensing | TKO (punches) | M-1: Slamm | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 2:44 | Netherlands | |- | Win | align="center" | 19–2–1 | Evangelista Santos | TKO (punches) | HCF: Destiny | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 3:42 | Calgary, Alberta, Canada | 194 lb Catchweight |- | Win | align="center" | 18–2–1 | Damir Mirenic | TKO (punches) | HCF: Title Wave | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 4:46 | Calgary, Alberta, Canada | |- | Win | align="center" | 17–2–1 | Kyacey Uscola | TKO (punches) | Bodog Fight | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 4:56 | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | |- | Win | align="center" | 16–2–1 | Alexander Kokoev | Decision (unanimous) | M-1 Battle on the Neva | | align="center" | 3 | align="center" | 5:00 | Saint Petersburg, Russia | |- | Win | align="center" | 15–2–1 | Gregory Bouchelaghem | Submission (punches) | CWFC: Enter The Rough House | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 2:20 | Nottingham, England | Won Cage Warriors Middleweight Championship |- | Win | align="center" | 14–2–1 | Hector Lombard | Decision (unanimous) | Pride Bushido 13 | | align="center" | 2 | align="center" | 5:00 | Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan | Pride 2006 Welterweight Grand Prix Alternate Bout |- | Loss | align="center" | 13–2–1 | Akihiro Gono | Submission (armbar) | Pride Bushido 12 | | align="center" | 2 | align="center" | 4:24 | Nagoya, Aichi, Japan | Pride 2006 Welterweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal |- | Win | align="center" | 13–1–1 | Makoto Takimoto | TKO (broken eye socket) | Pride Bushido 11 | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 5:34 | Saitama, Saitama, Japan | Pride 2006 Welterweight Grand Prix Opening Round; Takimoto suffered a broken orbital bone. |- | Win | align="center" | 12–1–1 | Hidetada Irie | TKO (corner stoppage) | Deep 24 Impact | | align="center" | 2 | align="center" | 1:29 | Tokyo, Japan | |- | Win | align="center" | 11–1–1 | Sanjin Kadunc | TKO (punches) | Future Battle | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 0:35 | Bergen op Zoom, Netherlands | |- | Win | align="center" | 10–1–1 | Andre Fyeet | TKO (punches) | 2H2H: Mixed Fight | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 0:40 | Netherlands | |- | Win | align="center" | 9–1–1 | Tsuyoshi Kurihara | KO (knee) | Deep 22 Impact | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 0:10 | Tokyo, Japan | |- | Win | align="center" | 8–1–1 | Stefan Klever | TKO (punches) | Bushido Europe: Rotterdam Rumble | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 3:39 | Rotterdam, Netherlands | |- | Win | align="center" | 7–1–1 | Chico Martinez | Submission (rear naked choke) | JE: Holland vs Russia | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 4:39 | Netherlands | |- | Win | align="center" | 6–1–1 | John Donnelly | Submission (armbar) | Rings: Bushido Ireland | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 1:02 | Ireland | |- | Loss | align="center" | 5–1–1 | Petras Markevičius | Submission (armbar) | Fight Festival 13 | | align="center" | 2 | align="center" | 1:49 | Helsinki, Finland | |- | Win | align="center" | 5–0–1 | Erik Oganov | Submission (rear naked choke) | M-1: International Fight Night | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 2:16 | Saint Petersburg, Russia | |- | Win | align="center" | 4–0–1 | Rody Trost | TKO (punches) | IMA: Mix Fight | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 3:18 | Landsmeer, Holland | |- | Win | align="center" | 3–0–1 | Niko Puhakka | Submission (rear naked choke) | Fight Festival 11 | | align="center" | 2 | align="center" | 2:17 | Helsinki, Finland | |- | Draw | align="center" | 2–0–1 | Gilson Ferreira | Draw | Together Productions: Fight Gala | | align="center" | 2 | align="center" | 5:00 | Zaandam, Netherlands | |- | Win | align="center" | 2–0 | Xander Nel | TKO (punches) | IMA: Mixfight Gala | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 1:05 | Badhoevedorp, Netherlands | |- | Win | align="center" | 1–0 | Daniel Spek | TKO (punches) | 2H2H: 1st Open Team Mixfight Championships | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 3:40 | Amsterdam, Netherlands |

Kickboxing record

2010-12-31	Win	Kyotaro	Dynamite!! 2010		Decision (Unanimous)	3	3:00	K-1 rules 3 X 3
2008-12-31	Win		Dynamite!! 2008		TKO (Referee stoppage)	1	2:32	K-1 rules 3 X 3
2004-10-16	Win	Enrico Grootenhuis	Muaythai & Mixfight Gala	Emmen, Netherlands	KO	1	0:35	Muaythai (B-class 5 X 2)
2003-06-14	Win	Surinder Baghola	Muay Thai Warrior		TKO	1	1:04	Muaythai (C-class 3 X 2)
2003-01-25	Win	Arno Hilckmann	Muay Thai Gala		Decision (Unanimous)	3	2:00	Muaythai (C-class 3 X 2)

See also

List of current mixed martial arts champions

References

External links

Gegard Mousasi Official Web Site

HyeFighters - Armenian Combat Sports Athletes

Dream profile

Luta Gegard Mousasi

Biography of Gegard Mousasi

Category:Armenian mixed martial artists Category:Dutch mixed martial artists Category:Middleweight mixed martial artists Category:Light heavyweight mixed martial artists Category:Dream champions Category:Strikeforce champions Category:Armenian judoka Category:Dutch judoka Category:Armenian kickboxers Category:Dutch kickboxers Category:Heavyweight kickboxers Category:Armenian Muay Thai practitioners Category:Dutch Muay Thai practitioners Category:Dutch Armenians Category:Iranian Armenian people Category:People from Leiden Category:People from Tehran Category:Living people Category:1985 births

ja:ゲガール・ムサシ pl:Gegard Mousasi pt:Gegard Mousasi ru:Мусаси, Гегард