ONE Championship star Yoshihiro Akiyama among 30 participants left in Netflix’s "Physical: 100"

ONE Championship star Yoshihiro Akiyama loved Netflix's show Squid Game so much that he is participating in its real-life version. The South Korean survival drama TV series was a massive hit in 2021.

So much so that Netflix decided to create a reality show called Physical: 100 — which poses physical challenges eerily similar to the death-defying stunts of its predecessor.

As the title suggests, Physical: 100 features 100 physically-gifted competitors who will undergo a series of head-to-head individual and team challenges that will test their strength, agility, and strategy. Only one will remain standing by the end of the show and take home the 300 million cash prize ($238,000).

Physical: 100 features an impressive stable of physical specimens, including Korean national athletes, bodybuilders, wrestlers, professional fighters, crossfitters, powerlifters, and army reservists, among others.

However, it was the oldest of the competitors, Akiyama, who arguably received the loudest reception from fans of the series. Even his peers were left star-struck upon meeting the 47-year-old, who goes by his Korean name Choo Sung-hoon on the show.

Yoshihiro Akiyama has already proven his mettle in the first three obstacles, showing his grit, determination, and physical prowess. The Korean-Japanese star even displayed his leadership skills during the team challenges.

As of writing time, Akiyama is among the 30 participants left. When he is not shooting reality shows, the man who goes by the moniker ‘Sexyama’ is a complete badass inside the circle. The feared judoka has a 16-7-2 MMA record and is known for always figuring in exciting fights. He last fought at ONE: X last year, where earned a TKO victory over fellow legend Shinya Aoki.

Rewatch the Yoshihiro Akiyama vs Shinya Aoki fight below:

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Joe Rogan recognizes the legendary Yoshihiro Akiyama after watching “Physical:100” trailer

Even UFC commentator and renowned podcaster Joe Rogan bought into the Physical:100 hype and talked about it on his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience.

Joined by his guest Punkie Johnson, Rogan watched a teaser of the series and immediately recognized that there was a legend in the midst among the 100 contestants:

“Hey, is that [Yoshihiro] Akiyama? That might be Akiyama. That guy with the big head in the background. They call him 'Sexyama.' Yoshihiro Akiyama. He is a world-famous MMA fighter that fought in PRIDE.”

Rogan, who obviously knows his stuff, continued:

“This dude [Akiyama] was a PRIDE legend. He used to fight with his gi on. but he fought with no gi. He’s an evil fighter, man. He was bada**. Akiyama was legit …he was super legit with judo.”

Watch the full episode from The Joe Rogan Experience below: