10 UFC Fighters Who Died This Past Decade
3. Norifumi Yamamoto
Norifumi 'Kid' Yamamoto was the son of an Olympic wrestler who would go on to make his own mark in the world of combat sports.
Following in his father's footsteps, 'Kid' Yamamoto became an accomplished wrestler in his own right before ultimately transitioning into mixed martial arts at the age of 21.
Due to his aggressive style and over the top persona, Yamamoto quickly became a star in his home country of Japan.
After a legendary career in Japan, that lasted roughly a decade, the man they called 'Kid' would finally get his chance to fight in the UFC.
His first UFC opponent would none other than future UFC champ Demetrious 'Mighty Mouse' Johnson. The contest took place in February of 2011 at UFC 126. While it was Johnson who would ultimately get his hand raised, Yamamoto was able to go the distance with the future pound for pound great.
The native Kawasaki fought three more times for promotion but would end up going 0-3 (1) during his stint with the company.
In August of 2018, Yamamoto took to social media to announce that he had been diagnosed with cancer. It was later revealed that he was aware of the condition roughly two years prior but decided not to share the information with the public.
On September 18, 2018, stomach cancer would claim the life of Norifumi 'Kid' Yamamoto.