Watch: 'Sexyama' takes you behind the scenes of his ONE X pre-fight preparations

Yoshihiro 'Sexyama' Akiyama recently released a vlog on his YouTube channel documenting his preparations for his grudge match with Shinya Aoki at ONE X.

In the video, we see the grueling task of weight management as 'Sexyama' was dropping from welterweight (185 pounds) to lightweight (170). ONE banned weight-cutting due to dehydration and so Akiyama had to drop weight while still passing their hydration test.

Looking at Akiyama's amazing physique, you can see how much bulk he has lost as he looks absolutely shredded. Nonetheless, 'Sexyama' passed the hydration test and made weight at the same time.

Part of his preparation involved drilling a lot of striking exchanges whilst countering clinch entries. It should also be noted that Akiyama had a much larger and heavier sparring partner. Perhaps the 46-year-old warrior was preparing for Aoki's inhuman strength in the clinch.

The preparations paid off as Akiyama was able to survive the clinch nightmare that Aoki put him through at ONE X. After that, 'Sexyama' came back to score a knockout and, in doing so, secured a conclusion to his 14-year rivalry with Aoki.

Check out the full video below:

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Yoshihiro Akiyama defeats Shinya Aoki in an inspiring comeback win at ONE X

In one of the best moments on the historic ONE X card, Yoshihiro Akiyama put on an inspiring comeback against his bitter fellow Japanese rival, Shinya Aoki. It was the storybook conclusion of a bitter rivalry that involved a lot of trash talking across 14 years.

The start of the fight was a rocky one for 'Sexyama'. The Japanese fashion icon spent the majority of the opening frame with Aoki riding on his back looking for submissions. Considering how many world-class grapplers Aoki submitted in that position, it was amazing how Akiyama survived the round without getting choked out.

In the second round, Akiyama turned things around by blitzing Aoki with punches in the clinch. 'Sexyama' then dropped Aoki with his strikes en route to a TKO finish.

The stoppage win was Akiyama’s first in two years, improving his overall pro MMA record to 16-7. His marvelous performance also earned him a sweet $50,000 performance bonus from ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong.