Outside Source
News of his death was first reported by Japan-based outlet Chunichi Sports on Friday. Born in 1969 to military family stationed in Tokyo, Miller moved to St. Louis, Missouri, as a child and grew up there while learning wrestling. After graduating from high school, the man who would soon become “Sentoryu Henri” did not go to college to train further or pursue the Olympics. Instead, he returned to his birth country to become a sumo wrestler, and he gained the name that riffed on his home city while loosely translated to “fighting war dragon.”
While he only measuring 5-foot-9 and initially weighed just over 205 pounds, the American still saw success at a young age as a sumo. Debuting in 1988, he won his way through a few tournaments while struggling with injury issues that would go on to plague much of his career. In about 15 years of sumo wrestling, “Sentoryu” put on size and hit around 300 pounds, which allowed him to reach the elite rank of maegashira for a brief time.
From Sumo to Striking
After retiring from sumo in 2003 due to the serious toll it took on his body, Miller moved on to combat sports. At that time, Pride FC in Japan was in full swing, as he transitioned to mixed martial arts in 2004 along with fellow ex-sumo Chad “Akebono Taro” Rowan. The super heavyweight made his pro debut at Pride Total Elimination 2004 against the towering “Giant” known as Paulo Cesar Silva, and while he succumbed to a submission, he was hooked.
Miller’s bounce back sophomore effort proved successful, as he iced Mal Foki in 21 seconds at Pride Bushido 5 to earn what would be one of six wins as a professional. The promotion matched him against Makoto Takimoto, James Thompson and “Zuluzinho,” but he fell short each time as the latter two both knocked him out in exactly 91 seconds.
The Missouri native departed the confines of the Pride FC ring in 2005, and he proceeded to test his might in Japan, England, South Korea and Australia for the next eight years as a pro MMA fighter. Of note, “Sentoryu” blasted 1996 Olympic silver medalist in judo Min Soo Kim in 2009 with a barrage of punches and knees in what served as his final victory in the sport. While his record may have not reflected his skillset, the powerhouse never needed more than five minutes to win a fight.
Miller posted regularly on social media, providing updates on his Facebook page about his various illnesses, recovery regimen and how procedures went. His father had also posted a GoFundMe page to help pay to treat his conditions, one of which included sarcoidosis, which essentially requires a lung transplant in order to breathe properly. Five days before his death, Miller had provided positive news.
“I’m thrilled to share that my stomach cancer surgery was successful, and the cancer has been removed,” the big man wrote with a winking emoji. “My condition has improved, and I’ve already been moved back to a regular hospital room, much sooner than expected. The road to a [lung] transplant is still long and difficult, but I’m not giving up. With prayers, love, and support, I will continue to fight every day. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
This message proved to be his last on this medium, as the former three-time kickboxer died days later due to complications from his lung disease. Fellow sumo and former teammate Asakayama Oyakata was beside himself when learning the news, as he had just attempted to visit his friend in the Tokyo hospital that day, only to be refused by the staff due to Miller’s drastic decline in condition. He told Chunichi Sports that he did not believe Miller was gone because “it was so sudden. It must be a lie.”
A crestfallen Asakayama continued, “He was right in front of me, below the hospital. If I had come a little earlier, I might have been able to meet him. We lived together for a long time. He was a good training partner. We would ride our bicycles together at night. He also served as my attendant. I would go and watch him [fight in MMA], I was so worried that my stomach hurt. He had quit sumo because his body was in tatters, but he was pushing himself hard again.”
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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