Former K-1 martial arts professional fighter Masaaki Miyamoto has been convicted of drug possession, but avoided prison when the Osaka District Court suspended his sentence.

Miyamoto, 40, was given a two-year term and a 80,000 yen fine for breaking the Cannabis Control Law, but Presiding Judge Eiichi Miyazaki suspended the sentence for three years.

"He couldn't forget what the feeling of drugs were like and bought them on 24 occasions from August last year," Miyazaki said as he handed down the ruling.

Court records said that during May this year, Miyamoto twice bought 5 grams of cannabis for 30,000 yen from his friend Tetsushi Yasuda. Yasuda is also accused of having broken the Cannabis Control Law and is being tried separately.

Miyamoto once fought in the top ranks of the martial arts sport. He battled late K-1 legend Andy Hug in a 1998 match. Miyamoto trained in the Netherlands in the early to mid-1990s and it was there where he acquired his taste for cannabis, being introduced to the drug by another fighter.

Source: mdn.mainichi.jp