Birthdate - 9/19/66
6'5" 249 lbs. - Tokyo, Japan

Athletic background - Muay Thai Boxing

Professional background - UWFi(`91-`96), Kingdom(`96-`97), Pride(`01-)

Groups - Golden Cups, Team Kingdom

Career Highlights - n/a

Favorites -
- Cross Armbreaker
- Clenched Knee
- Double-Arm Suplex
- Anklelock
- Mid Kick
- Punches/Slaps

Ringwork Rating -
technique - 6
science - 4
counters - 7
transitions - 5
diversity - 6
power - 8
strikes - 5

Intangible Rating -
entertainment - 5
selling - 5
toughness - 7
carrying - 5
heat - 6
star level - 5

Place in History - What a difference a decade makes. Before Pride, before the blonde mane, before the plump body, Yoshihiro Takayama was a much different man. In his UWFi days, Takayama looked like a cross between Masaaki Satake and Giant Baba, thankfully he didn't work like such a hybrid. Paired with Yoji Anjoh as a midcard brawler type, Takayama never really got a major push, which is no surprise comparitively considering his skill level. He improved some and honed his skills further with Kingdom and was good enough, big enough and promising enough to get into All Japan as a freelancer. He jumped on with NOAH after the split and then at least five years past his physical prime, he made his MMA debut with Pride. While some might argue shootfighting has only given him injuries and losses, the exposure and spirit he's shown has made him a superstar.