Nobuhiko Takada and Mike Bernardo's New Year's Eve match was most famously played on December 31, 2001 at INOKI BOM-BA-YE 2001. The event was a New Year's Eve martial arts event produced by Antonio Inoki and was a lavish event that brought together professional wrestlers, mixed martial artists, and K-1 fighters.<br /><br />This match was high-profile and it was a special match for Nobuhiko Takada, who was to retire. Takada has already fought on the mixed martial arts stage at "PRIDE" and other events, and he chose K-1 powerhouse kickboxer Mike Bernardo as his opponent for his retirement match. Bernardo was a fighter who made a name for himself with his strikes, and his striking was a key point in this fight as well.<br /><br />This match was Nobuhiko Takada's last fight in the martial arts world and the culmination of his years of fighting. On the other hand, Mike Bernardo moved from K-1 to the mixed martial arts stage, which also helped to further increase his fame.<br /><br />INOKI BOM-BA-YE 2001 was the catalyst for establishing a tradition as a New Year's Eve martial arts event, with many other high-profile cards.
