is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently competing in the Welterweight division. A professional competitor since 1996, he has competed for the UFC, PRIDE Fighting Championships, Pancrase, DREAM, World Victory Road, DEEP, Shooto, and Vale Tudo Japan. He is the former Pancrase Light Heavyweight Champion (2001–2003) and the winner of the ADCC 88 kg class in 2001. Early life Kikuta started training in Judo in his childhood, winning the Kantō Middleweight class when he was in 3rd grade. He became a student at the Super Tiger Gym when he was in the 6th grade, learning Shooto under Satoru Sayama, but he left on the feeling that he wasn't being given enough attention in the combative aspect. Kikuta later joined the Judo team again at high school, where he won the 86 kg class at the National Athletic Highschool Meeting. He also learned under Toshihiko Koga at the Nippon Sport Science University. During his university tenure, Kikuta also tried Professional Wrestling, failing to enter New Japan Pro-Wrestling, but being accepted in Union of Wrestling Forces International and training with them for a time before leaving. After considering finding a job as a Judo teacher, Kikuta applied again to the entrance exam for NJPW, but he failed for a second time, this time due to showing dehydration symptoms during a sparring with fellow examinee Kenichi Yamamoto. Kikuta left college and went to train Kickboxing under Stan Longinidis in Australia. Upon his return to Japan, Kikuta started training at Seidokaikan and won the All Japan amateur Shootboxing heavyweight championship. However, after watching Royce Gracie win the first Ultimate Fighting Championship events, he became interested in Mixed Martial Arts. Mixed martial arts career Kikuta had his MMA debut for the first tournament hosted in 1996 by Lumax Cup, which featured the use of keikogi. Kikuta won after beating Egan Inoue and Masanori Suda. He then went to compete in the Vale Tudo Japan event, but was defeated by Mushtaq Abdullah by forearm choke. After returning to Lumax Cup, he won the 1997 tournament, too, defeating Suda again. PRIDE Fighting Championships Kikuta made his worldwide MMA debut for the PRIDE promotion at its second event, where he faced Brazilian jiu-jitsu expert Renzo Gracie in a special rules match. The fight turned out to be a slow, methodical bout which lasted six fifteen minutes rounds, whose end saw Renzo submitting Kikuta via guillotine choke at the