Kōji Kitao
Kōji Kitao | |
|---|---|
| Born | 12 August 1963 Tsu, Mie, Japan |
| Died | 10 February 2019 (aged 55) Japan |
| Citizenship | Japan |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Kitao Kōji Kitao Mitsuharu Kitao Monster Machine |
| Billed height | 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) |
| Billed weight | 160 kg (353 lb) |
| Trained by | NJPW Dojo Brad Rheingans Masa Saito |
| Debut | November 18, 1989 |
| Retired | October 11, 1998 |
| Martial arts career | |
| Other names | Mitsuharu |
| Division | Super heavyweight |
| Team | Bukō Dōjō |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 3 |
| Wins | 1 |
| By knockout | 0 |
| By submission | 1 |
| By decision | 0 |
| Losses | 2 |
| By knockout | 2 |
| By submission | 0 |
| By decision | 0 |
| Draws | 0 |
| Other information | |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Kōji Kitao (Japanese: 北尾 光司; August 12, 1963 – February 10, 2019) was a Japanese sumo wrestler (rikishi), professional wrestler, and mixed martial artist.
As Futahaguro Kōji (双羽黒 光司) he was sumo's 60th yokozuna, and the only one in sumo history not to win a top division tournament championship. He was forced to leave sumo at the end of 1987 after a falling-out with his stable master Tatsunami, and became a professional wrestler in 1990, primarily for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and Super World of Sports (SWS).
He also had a short film career as an actor, portraying a sumo wrestler in Jean-Claude Van Damme's 1996 martial arts film The Quest.