Tributes flowed Wednesday for charismatic Japanese Mixed Martial Artist ( MMA) Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto, who died at age 41, three weeks after announcing a battle with cancer.
Born to a family of wrestlers and martial artists, the wiry, tattoo-covered Yamamoto took on larger opponents in a wide range of MMA events, including the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
He won fans with a beaming, confident smile — a rarity in Japan where many fighters tend to display stoicism rather than showmanship.
Yamamoto started wrestling at a young age under his father, who represented Japan at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Two of his sisters were also successful wrestlers.
