Former Yokozuna Akebono said Thursday he has resigned from the Japan Sumo Association and decided to become a K-1 martial arts fighter.
Taro Akebono is scheduled to meet popular American K-1 fighter Bob "The Beast" Sapp when he debuts in a K-1 event Dec. 31 in Japan, event organizers said.
"I decided to become a professional fighter, and as a first step, I decided to take part in K-1," Akebono, who is the first foreign-born sumo grand champion, said at a news conference at a Tokyo hotel attended by some 300 journalists.