Earlier today I found out that 1UP.com has recently interviewed Takashi Nishiyama.
Whilst the article/interview is titled 'The Man Who Created Street Fighter' as you find out in the interview he also was a big part in the development of quite a few of the major SNK fighting game titles, and personally I consider him as one of the 'Fathers of 2D fighting games'.
You can check out the full interview over on 1UP, it's actually pretty rare for him to give an interview so well worth checking out. I know from my own experience it's even difficult to find much information about him searching through Google.
It's interesting that he notes that Fatal Fury was his Street Fighter II, how different that series might have been if he had not left Capcom to work for SNK.