David vs Goliath fights were a pivotal part of the rise of MMA in Japan.
Sometimes they ended in a shock. Boxing icon Butterbean got drop-kicked and tapped out when he made his Pride debut against an opponent, Ikuhisa Minowa, who weighed 200lbs less than him when they fought in 2006.
You rarely see these types of fights nowadays. However, Eddie Hall did win a 2vs1 ‘freak’ fight against Jamil and Jamel Neffati, whose combined weight was 75lbs less than what the former World’s Strongest Man tipped the scales at for their June 2024 clash.
Still, we’re unlikely to ever see a 7ft vs 5ft 8in fight sanctioned by MMA’s top promotion again
Watch Semmy Schilt vs Akira Shoji
Semmy Schilt was one of the best heavyweight kickboxers on the planet, who also enjoyed a 41-fight MMA career. Meanwhile, Akira Shoji was a mainstay in Pride, taking on all comers during his 14-17-5 run in the sport
At Pride 16, Schilt, who stands at 7ft, was matched up with the 5ft 8in Shoji, who picked the worst opponent possible as he tried to bounce back from two straight losses.
Amazingly, the overmatched Japanese fighter managed to take his gigantic opponent down to the floor early in round one, but Schilt quickly scored a reversal and banged in big shots from top position.
When they returned to their feet, the four-time K1 champion trapped Shoji in the corner and unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks to bundle him to the floor.
Soon after, a massive knee from the clinch knocked Shoji down again. ‘Mr. Pride’ quickly bounced back to his feet, but it didn’t take long for Schilt to catch him with another barrage of strikes to end what some call ‘the biggest mismatch’ in MMA history.
Where are they now?
Schilt retired in 2013 after being instructed to do so by his medical team due to a heart condition.
‘Hightower’ walked away from fighting after more than 100 fights across MMA and kickboxing.
Schilt owns a gym and has stayed involved in martial arts by occasionally refereeing at SENSHI events.
As for Shoji, he retired from MMA in 2011 after an emotional TKO defeat against Kazuo Misaki.