Report: Kazuo Misaki calling it quits

**Crunchie** · 10-21-2012 04:40 PM

http://blogs.thescore.com/mma/2012/1...nal+Tap+Out%29

Kazuo Misaki has apparently decided to end his MMA career.

The 2006 PRIDE welterweight grand prix champion announced earlier today at DEEP 60 that he plans on hanging up the four-ounce gloves for good, although he does plan on fighting one more time for DEEP in December.

Misaki’s retirement is according to AsianMMA.com, who also said that Misaki’s contract with Strikeforce might mean his final fight in DEEP has to be marketed as a “special rules” bout.

The timing is odd for Misaki (25-11-2, 1 NC in his career) to retire, considering he is currently on a three-fight win streak including a big win over Paul Daley earlier this year, but with the uncertainty of Strikeforce and the fact Misaki hasn’t had a fight for them in seven months, it’s possible his inactivity combined with his age (he’s 36) meant that now was as good a time as any to call it quits.

Misaki holds career wins over notables such as Daley, Dan Henderson, Ed Herman, Denis Kang, and Siyar Bahadurzada, and in 2010 combined with Jorge Santiago in Sengoku for one of the best MMA fights of the decade so far, even though he did end up losing the bout.

Overall, he went 2-0 in Strikeforce with a win over Daley and Joe Riggs, but it’s his two bouts against each of Henderson and Santiago that most fans will remember him for.

**Beanflicker** · 10-21-2012 04:52 PM

That's a shame. Misaki was gonna be a tough fight for almost any 170lber.

**Sub Zero** · 10-21-2012 05:24 PM

If he has one more fight, it should be a rematch vs Trigg

**the_rhythm** · 10-21-2012 06:29 PM

I'm gonna miss him. Misaki rarely puts on a boring fight. I remember the beating he put on Akiyama on New Years a while back. I enjoyed that one. His two fights with Santiago were both amazing too.