Yoshihiro Sato is a Japanese kickboxer competing in K-1 at middleweight. He is the former world champion of Muay Thai in WKA and WPKC, and he won the Japanese national tournament of K-1 twice in 2006 and 2007. His official nickname is "Mugen Sniper" which means Infinite Sniper.
Biography
Amateur era
Born in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan on January 25, 1981, Sato began training in kickboxing in 1994 when he was in his second year of junior high school. Originally, Sato had been going to visit a boxing gym with his friend, but he argued and fought just before visiting. Sato was defeated completely in the fight. For this incident, he visited "Nagoya JK Factory", a kickboxing gym near to Sato's house, and started learning kickboxing. He won the Glove Karate Open Championship Tournament when he was just 16 years old, still in his second year of high school. He also won the championship the next year in 1997.
Fight as a professional kickboxer
He passed the examination for professional kickboxing of New Japan Kickboxing Federation in 1998. He won his first match against Isao Miyamoto by decision on December 25, 1998. He changed his weight class from lightweight to welterweight in April 2000. He moved to All Japan Kickboxing Federation from NJKF in June 2001. He won the title of WKA World Muay Thai Welterweight by KO Milan Stevic in Germany on 23 November 2001. It was the first time for him to fight in the oversea.
Entry to K-1
In his K-1 debut on May 3, 2005, he beat William Diender by decision. He lost to Virgil Kalakoda in a K-1 Superfight in the K-1 MAX Finals. On October 12, 2005, he defeated Kaoklai Kaennorsing, the only fighter who has fought in both K-1's heavyweight division and in K-1 MAX. On February 4, 2006 he defeated Akeomi Nitta, Ryuki Ueyama and Tatsuji to win the K-1 MAX Japan Grand Prix 2006 tournament. On February 5, 2007 he won the K-1 MAX Japan Grand Prix 2007 tournament. In April 2007 he lost to Dutch fighter Andy Souwer by decision. His latest fight was on July 7, 2008 in which he defeated Buakaw Por. Pramuk by KO in the 3rd round in the Quarterfinals for the K-1 MAX Finals and he is set to fight Masato on October 10, 2008. On February 17, 2012, Sato defeated Fadi Merza via unanimous decision after 5th round to take the Merza's ISKA World Light Middleweight Championship under Oriental rules in Tokyo, Japan. He was scheduled to face Dzhabar Askerov in a tournament reserve bout at ' to be held on November 3, 2012 in Rome, Italy. However, when quarter finalist Albert Kraus came down with the flu, Sato was given his place in the tournament proper. He was TKO'd by Sanny Dahlbeck. In an upset, Sato lost a unanimous decision to Kenta in the co-main event of Krush.26 in Tokyo on January 28, 2013. He broke a three-fight losing streak when he took a majority decision win over Henri van Opstal at Shootboxing 2013 - Act 1 in Tokyo on February 22, 2013. Sato defeated Lee Sun-Hyun via unanimous decision at ' in Tokyo on May 3, 2013. He beat Yuichiro Nagashima by unanimous decision at Hoost Cup: Kings in Nagoya, Japan on June 16, 2013. Sato beat Shintaro Matsukura by unanimous decision at Krush.32 in Nagoya on September 1, 2013. In their fourth meeting, Sato lost to Buakaw Banchamek on points at MAX Muay Thai 4 in Sendai, Japan on October 6, 2013. He lost to Dzhabar Askerov by unanimous decision at Tech-Krep FC: Southern Front 2 in Kiev, Ukraine on December 8, 2013. Sato lost via unanimous decision to Petchmankong Gaiyanghaadao at Hoost Cup: Legend in Nagoya, Japan on March 23, 2014.
