Akira Corassani

Akira Corassani
Born Hamid Khorassani
(1982-08-27) August 27, 1982
Lund, Sweden
Residence Malmö, Sweden
Nationality Swedish
Ethnicity Iranian
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight 145 lb (66 kg; 10.4 st)
Division Featherweight (2012-2015)
Lightweight (2008-2011)
Welterweight (2007)
Light heavyweight (2007)
Reach 68.0 in (173 cm)[1]
Stance Orthodox
Fighting out of New York City, New York
Team Redline Training Center
Renzo Gracie Combat Team
Rank Black on red belt in Tae Kwon Do[2]
Purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[2]
Years active 2007–2015
Mixed martial arts record
Total 19
Wins 12
By knockout 1
By submission 3
By decision 7
By disqualification 1
Losses 6
By knockout 6
No contests 1
Amateur career
Total 3
Wins 3
By decision 3
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Hamid Khorassani (Persian: حمید خراسانی‎‎; born August 27, 1982), professionally known as Akira Corassani, is a Swedish mixed martial artist who most recently competed as a Featherweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, Corassani has made a name for himself fighting mainly in Western Europe. He was a competitor on Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller as a member of Team Bisping.

Background

Corassani was born in Lund, southern Sweden. His parents moved to Sweden from Iran around 1976. He began martial arts when he was six years old, Shotokan Karate became his disciplin for 1 year until he switched over to Tae Kwon Do. He was playing football in his hometown team as well as pursuing his black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Corassani graduated fast and was considered a natural talent early on. At the age of 14 he became a Tae Kwon Do black belt to shortly after quit and pursue his football journey. Football became his main focus in life as he played in the highest youth league in Sweden. At the age of 22 Corassani found his way back to martial arts and he began training MMA. Corassani comes from an academic family and has four sibling who are all doctors. Corassani is vegan.[3] Corassani speaks seven different languages: Swedish, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Farsi, Azeri and Turkish.[4]

Career

Early career

In 2005 Corassani started training at a local MMA gym in Gothenburg where he lived at the time. He decided to dedicate his life to martial arts and only four months later he competed in his first grappling tournament where he took a silver medal. Up until his professional debut Corassani had 30 grappling matches and 12 boxing fights. Corassani began fighting professionally in 2007, and traveling all across Europe to compete. In his professional debut fight he challenged the dutch heavyweight fighter Dion Staring. Corassani had travelled to Holland to corner his friend but heard about Straing's oponnent pulling out. Corassani stepped up on the scale as 76 kg as his opponent weighed 102 kg. The fight was titled as an open weight fight. He built a record of 9–3 (1 NC) beating good names before his UFC debut.[5] He moved to New York in 2011 and was a part of Team Renzo Gracie. In US he joined their MMA team coahced by Ricardo Almeida with teammates such as Frankie Edgar, Edson Barboza, Eddie Alvarez, Corey Anderson and Marlon Moraes.

The Ultimate Fighter

In 2011, Corassani had signed with the UFC to compete on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller.[6] In the first episode, Corassani fought Brian Pearman to gain entry into the Ultimate Fighter house. Corassani defeated Pearman in the first round via KO. Corassani was selected as a part of Team Bisping, he was the second featherweight chosen for the team (fifth overall).

In episodes three through five, Corassani was shown multiple times in altercations with Team Mayhem fighter, Dustin Neace.[7][8][9] The two would later be paired in a bout against each other in the preliminary round. During the fight, inside the first round, Neace applied a heel hook submission that looked like Corassani tapped to; however referee Herb Dean did not stop the fight and Corassani was released from the hold.[9][10] Corassani went on to defeat Neace via a majority decision after two rounds. After the win Corassani moved onto the semi-finals.[9]

Corassani was chosen to fight Team Mayhem fighter, Dennis Bermudez, in the semi-final round. The fight would determine who would move into the final round of the featherweight tournament. Though Corassani controlled throughout the fight with effective striking, scoring several knockdowns, Corassani lost the fight via submission (guillotine choke) in the first round. When the referee stopped the fight Akira had lost consciousness and had to be told that he lost the fight.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Though Corassani lost in the semi-final round, and did not win the show, he signed an exclusive deal with the UFC. He was set to make his debut on December 3, 2011 at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale against Steven Siler. However, after an injury in training camp, Corassani was forced to pull out of the bout and was replaced by newcomer Josh Clopton.[11]

Corassani was expected to make his UFC debut in his native Sweden against Jason Young on April 14, 2012 at UFC on Fuel TV 2.[12] However Corassani pulled out of the bout due to injury.[13]

Corassani won his UFC debut via split decision against Andy Ogle on September 29, 2012 at UFC on Fuel TV 5.[14]

A bout with Robbie Peralta, previously linked to UFC 156,[15] was moved April 6, 2013 at UFC on Fuel TV 9, after an illness sidelined Corassani for a time.[16] He won the fight by unanimous decision.

Corassani was expected to face Mike Brown on August 17, 2013 at UFC Fight Night 26.[17] However, Corassani pulled out of the bout due to an injury and was replaced by Steven Siler.[18]

Corassani faced Maximo Blanco on November 30, 2013 at The Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale.[19] Early in the opening round Blanco landed an illegal knee to the head of Corassani when he had a knee and hand on the ground. Corassani was unable to continue, so he was rendered with the victory by disqualification. It was later revealed that the illegal knee had broken his nose in five different places.[20]

Corassani faced Dustin Poirier at The Ultimate Fighter Nations Finale.[21] He lost the back-and-forth fight via TKO in the second round. He was awarded his first Fight of the Night bonus for his efforts.[22]

Corassani was expected to face Chan Sung Jung on October 4, 2014 at UFC Fight Night 53.[23] However, Jung pulled out of the bout citing a strained shoulder.[24] and was replaced by Max Holloway.[25] Corassani lost the fight via knockout in the first round.

Corassani fought Sam Sicilia on January 24, 2015 at UFC on Fox: Gustafsson vs. Johnson.[26] He lost the fight via KO in the first round.

On January 26, 2015, Corassani announced his retirement from MMA on his Facebook page, finishing with a 3-3 record inside the UFC.[27]

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts record

Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 12–6 (1) Sam Sicilia KO (punch) UFC on Fox: Gustafsson vs. Johnson January 24, 2015 1 3:26 Stockholm, Sweden
Loss 12–5 (1) Max Holloway KO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Nelson vs. Story October 4, 2014 1 3:11 Stockholm, Sweden
Loss 12–4 (1) Dustin Poirier TKO (punches) The Ultimate Fighter Nations Finale: Bisping vs. Kennedy April 16, 2014 2 0:42 Quebec City, Quebec, Canada Fight of the Night.
Win 12–3 (1) Maximo Blanco DQ (illegal knee) The Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale November 30, 2013 1 0:25 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States An illegal knee rendered Corassani unable to continue.
Win 11–3 (1) Robbie Peralta Decision (unanimous) UFC on Fuel TV: Mousasi vs. Latifi April 6, 2013 3 5:00 Stockholm, Sweden
Win 10–3 (1) Andy Ogle Decision (split) UFC on Fuel TV: Struve vs. Miocic September 29, 2012 3 5:00 Nottingham, England Featherweight debut.
Loss 9–3 (1) Paul Reed TKO (punches) The Zone FC 8 February 26, 2011 2 3:28 Gothenburg, Sweden
Win 9–2 (1) Graham Turner Decision (unanimous) Superior Challenge 6 October 29, 2010 3 5:00 Stockholm, Sweden
Win 8–2 (1) Martin Begley Submission (scissor choke) Vision Fighting Championship 1 August 28, 2010 1 4:28 Karlstad Municipality, Sweden
Win 7–2 (1) Ivan Buchinger Decision (unanimous) Battle of Botnia 2 December 12, 2009 3 5:00 Umeå, Sweden
Win 6–2 (1) Peter Mettler TKO (punches) Superior Challenge 4 October 31, 2009 1 3:42 Stockholm, Sweden
NC 5–2 (1) Felipe Enomoto No Contest (overturned) Gods of War 5: Empathy September 12, 2009 3 5:00 Baumholder, Germany Originally a decision for Enomoto, result overturned.
Win 5–2 Dominique Stetefeld Submission (arm-triangle choke) La Onda Fight Night 2 May 23, 2009 3 5:00 Magdeburg, Germany
Win 4–2 Grzegorz Tredowski Decision (unanimous) United Glory 10: The Battle of Arnhem November 9, 2008 3 5:00 Arnhem, Netherlands
Loss 3–2 Darin Hughes TKO (punches) Superior Challenge 1 April 5, 2008 2 4:10 Stockholm, Sweden Lightweight debut.
Win 3–1 Jukka Kuitunen Decision (unanimous) Shooto Finland: Chicago Collision III November 17, 2007 2 5:00 Lahti, Finland
Win 2–1 Raymond Jarman Submission (triangle choke) United Glory 5: Stronger September 9, 2007 2 N/A Amersfoort, Netherlands
Win 1–1 Jaroslav Poborsky Decision (unanimous) Gods of War 1: Rise of the Warriors July 28, 2007 3 5:00 Erdesbach, Germany Welterweight debut.
Loss 0–1 Dion Staring TKO (corner stoppage) United Glory 3: Upside Down May 20, 2007 2 2:52 Amersfoort, Netherlands Light Heavyweight bout.

Mixed martial arts exhibition record

Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 2-1 Dennis Bermudez Submission (guillotine choke) The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller 1 3:12 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Semi-finals.
Win 2–0 Dustin Neace Decision (majority) The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller 2 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Quarter-finals.
Win 1–0 Brian Pearman KO (punches) The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller 1 4:17 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Preliminary bout.

Amateur mixed martial arts record

Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Win 3–0 Henrik Olsen Decision (unanimous) Shooters MMA: Frederikssund Brawl 2 May 27, 2006 3 5:00 Frederikssund, Denmark
Win 2–0 Arash Dastnai Decision (unanimous) Shooters MMA: Fightergalla 2 October 22, 2005 3 5:00 Odense, Denmark
Win 1–0 Arild Skagseth Decision (unanimous) Cage Challenge 2 June 4, 2005 1 5:00 Stockholm, Sweden

References

  1. ↑ "Fight Card - TUF 18 Live Finale on FOX Sports 1". UFC.com. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Akira Corassani - Official UFC Fighter Profile". UFC.com. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
  3. ↑ http://mma.xtremetweet.com/Akira_Corassani - MMA Xtreme Tweet Retrieved 2013-04-22.
  4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kloMikr37w4
  5. ↑ "Hamidreza Khorassani MMA Stats". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2011-10-26.
  6. ↑ "Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 cast announced for 'Team Miller vs Team Bisping' on Sept. 21". MMAMania.com. Retrieved 2011-10-26.
  7. ↑ "Episode No. 3 recap: 'The Ultimate Fighter 14: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller'". MMAJunkie.com. Retrieved 2011-10-26.
  8. ↑ "Episode No. 4 recap: 'The Ultimate Fighter 14: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller'". MMAJunkie.com. Archived from the original on 2011-10-16. Retrieved 2011-10-26.
  9. 1 2 3 "Episode No. 5 recap: 'The Ultimate Fighter 14: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller'". MMAJunkie.com. Retrieved 2011-10-26.
  10. ↑ "'TUF 14' cast member Akira Khorassani: 'If I tapped, my knee wouldn't even be stable'". MMAJunkie.com. Retrieved 2011-10-26.
  11. ↑ "TUF 14 add 145ers Brimage-Bass, Siler-Clopton, Caraway-Neace". mmajunkie.com. 2011-12-01.
  12. ↑ "Akira Corassani vs. Jason Young added to UFC on FUEL TV 2". MMAJunkie.com. Archived from the original on 2012-01-12. Retrieved 2012-01-11.
  13. ↑ "Injured Akira Corassani out of UFC on FUEL TV 2 in Sweden". mmajunkie.com. February 16, 2012.
  14. ↑ "UFC heading to Nottingham Sept. 29 with Ogle-Corassani". mmajunkie. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  15. ↑ Bohn, Mike (January 4, 2013). "Robbie Peralta vs. Akira Corassani featherweight bout added to February's UFC 156". mmamania.com.
  16. ↑ John Morgan and Steven Marrocco (January 20, 2013). "Akira Corassani vs. Robbie Peralta targeted for UFC on FUEL TV 9 in Sweden". MMAJunkie.com.
  17. ↑ "Mike Brown vs. Akira Corassani set for UFC on FOX Sports 1 1 in Boston". mmajunkie.com. May 31, 2013.
  18. ↑ Staff (2013-07-01). "Akira Corassani off UFC on FOX Sports 1 1 card, Steven Siler meets Mike Brown". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2013-07-01.
  19. ↑ "Maximo Blanco meets Akira Corassani at TUF 18 Finale in Las Vegas". mmajunkie.com. 2013-09-28.
  20. ↑ "Akira Corassani's nose broken in five places due to illegal knee". mmajunkie.com. 2013-12-01.
  21. ↑ Staff (2014-02-28). "Dustin Poirier meets Akira Corassani at TUF Nations Finale". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2014-02-28.
  22. ↑ "TUF Nations Finale bonuses: Poirier-Corassani earn Fight of the Night". mmajunkie.com. 2014-04-16.
  23. ↑ Jesse Holland (2014-08-09). "Akira Corasani vs. Chan Sung Jung official for UFC Fight Night 53 on Oct. 4 in Sweden". mmamania.com. Retrieved 2014-08-09.
  24. ↑ LeeLi (2014-08-26). "Korean Zombie Chan Sung Jung out of Oct. 4th match with Akira Corassani due to injury". mma-in-asia.com. Retrieved 2013-08-26.
  25. ↑ Staff (2014-08-28). "Max Holloway in for 'Zombie' vs. Akira Corassani at UFC Fight Night 53 in Sweden". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2014-08-28.
  26. ↑ Lee W (2014-12-04). "Akira Corassani vs Sam Sicilia joins UFC on FOX 14 lineup". mmacrazytv.com. Retrieved 2014-12-04.
  27. ↑ "Akira Corassani announces MMA retirement following UFC on FOX 14 loss". mmajunkie.com. 2015-01-26.
  28. ↑ "TUF Nations Finale bonuses: Poirier, Corassani, Noons, Jimmo earn $50K awards". sherdog.com. 2014-04-16.
  29. ↑ "MMAJunkie's Fight of the Month for April 2014". mmajunkie.com. 2014-05-03.

External links

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