For Japanese star Yoshihiro Akiyama, a tough loss to Chris Leben at UFC 116 has meant rethinking his training as well as a lot of hard work to improve his skills.

The men he has chosen to help him with this mission may just be the best in the business: Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn from Jackson's Mixed Martial Arts in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Although "Sexyama" brought an impressive record of 12-1 2 NC to his UFC debut and won a hard-fought decision against Alan Belcher, it was apparent from the start that the Japanese fighter needed to improve his conditioning to be at his best for a full three rounds.  Akiyama's lack of stamina would come back to bite him during his next fight, when he was visibly exhausted before being caught at the end of the third round by Leben just seconds away from notching a decision win.

Still, according to Jackson, there's a good explanation why Akiyama has thirteen wins against some very tough opponents.

"He picks [things] up really quick," Jackson told Sherdog.com. "There's a reason he's got all the wins he's got, and it's because of his talent."

Among other things, Akiyama worked hard on improving his endurance during his stint at Jackson's with high-altitude running, and according to the trainer, his efforts have paid off.

"He had a hard time with it, but he showed a lot of heart," Jackson said. "He got the hang of it at the end."

Akiyama felt the technical fighting aspects of the training were a big help for him as well as he prepares to face Michael Bisping on the Brit's home turf at UFC 120.

"The practices were very hard, but the training was a very good experience for me, especially the work we did on takedown techniques and the step-by-step on my ground-and-pound," Akiyama stated. "I felt that I was received really well, and they tailored the training and practices for each individual fighter."

"Sexyama" may be a pop idol in his native Asia, but in the gym he's all business, with an attitude that impressed his trainers.

"If everybody would be like him, it'd be a better place," Winkeljohn gushed about the Japanese heartthrob. "He's a very nice guy. I didn't know that he's the star that he is, that he sings, and they told me he's in commercials. I thought he was just a fighter. He's very, very humble for being that."

Winkeljohn was also surprised and impressed by Akiyama's punching power, and is hoping that on Saturday fans will see "Sexyama" repeat what Dan Henderson did to Bisping at UFC 100: catch him with one almighty punch and end the fight with a highlight reel knockout.

"We worked on footwork, closing the gap and catching Bisping, because he's definitely going to try to use his jab and his length," Winkeljohn stated. "Our goal is to do what Dan Henderson did -- just catch him."

For his part, although he knows that he will be fighting in front of a local crowd that will be hugely supportive of his opponent, Akiyama is still hoping to do his best for the fans.

"It's totally his (Bisping's) place," Akiyama says, "but I believe I have supporters there, so I want to fight for them."

Make sure to check back with us the day of the event for free, live, round-by-round coverage of UFC 120 right here at FiveKnuckles.com! Join expert analyst Mike Williams as he takes you through the entire fight card blow-by-blow and then keep it right here for all the post-fight news and notes you can handle!