WVR Names Opponents for Nakamura, Santiago, and Ribeiro

World Victory Road announced on Thursday the opponents for Kazuhiro Nakamura (11-8), Jorge Santiago (17-7), and “Xande” Alexandre Ribeiro (0-0) for the upcoming Sengoku 5 event in Tokyo, 28 September.

Paul Cahoon (10-11) will participate in the Middleweight Grand Prix versus Nakamura, as will “Pink Pounder” Logan Clark (11-2) versus Santiago.  Takashi Sugiura (1-2) will face Ribeiro in a light heavyweight match-up.

Cahoon is coming off a unanimous decision loss to “Machine” Ian Freeman (19-7-1), who took his light heavyweight belt, at Cage Rage in May.  It was his first loss in six fights.

Nakamura lost his last fight to Fighters.com’s eighth-ranked light heavyweight “African Assassin” Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (5-2) due to a leg injury, at UFC 84 in May.

Clark’s last fight was a unanimous decision loss to Fighters.com’s eighth-ranked middleweight “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2) at Sengoku 3 in June.

Santiago won his last fight over Yuki Sasaki (21-14-1) via armbar at Sengoku 2 in May.

Sugiura, a former PRIDE fighter, last fought in April 2006 when he was KO’d in round one by Ryuta Noji (7-3).

Ribeiro, a multiple-time BJJ world champion, will be making his MMA debut.