Former UFC welterweight Kuniyoshi Hironaka (13-6) knocked out Yoshihiro Koyama (10-2-1) at 4:27 of round one to earn the vacant Cage Force lightweight title at Cage Force 12 in Tokyo Saturday. Featherweight Wataru Miki (14-7-3) submitted Tomonori Taniguchi (2-6) in a rear naked choke at 4:36 of round three. Lightweight Yasunori Kanehara (1-4-1) TKO'd “KG Shinto” Hiroki Kuga (1-1) in 55 seconds. ...

Former UFC welterweight Kuniyoshi Hironaka (12-6) and Yoshihiro Koyama (10-1-1) will contest for the Cage Force lightweight title at Cage Force 12 in Tokyo 12 September, Cage Force announced Sunday. Cage Force is Japan's first cage-based MMA promotion and considered a UFC-qualifying promotion for Japanese fighters. Current UFC talents who entered the Octagon after stints in Cage Force include "Thunder" Yushin Okami (23-4), "Outlaw" Dan Hardy (22-6), and "Zenko" Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-3). That trio alone holds a 12-2 record in the Octagon. Hironaka fared less well with a 1-3 UFC record, but is riding a two-fight winning streak into the title fight. He TKO'd puroresu's Katsuhiko Nagata (4-4) at Cage Force 11 in Tokyo 27 June. ...

Background in the Cage In March 2005, as the original season of The Ultimate Fighter wound down winding-up a Stateside appetite for armbars and Superman punches, the first cage was erected in The Land of the Rising Sun. The idea: To simulate the UFC Octagon and America's Unified Rules in an Eastern MMA culture of rings and revolving rules, then send Japan's samurai to America to conquer the big show. That winter night in Tokyo at Greatest Common Multiple's Demolition of Octagon Gear I, Fighters.com's fifth-ranked middleweight "Thunder" Yushin Okami (22-4) submitted American "Tattoo" Brian Foster (9-12) in an arm triangle. A year-and-a-half later, Okami debuted in the UFC and is since 6-1 inside the Octagon, awaiting an anticipated rematch with the world's best middleweight, UFC Champ "Spider" Anderson Silva (21-4). From the D.O.G.'s current identity, Cage Force, another samurai will debut in the Octagon 24 May in Las Vegas when tenth-ranked welterweight "Zenko" Yoshiyuki Yoshida (9-2) battles with TUF alum "War Machine" Jon Koppenhaver (5-1). Yoshida was inked by the UFC in January after winning the Cage Force welterweight tournament, dominating a field that included welterweight King of Pancrase Katsuya Inoue (16-6-3) and former Shooto 167-pound champion Akira Kikuchi (16-4). Yoshida's martial arts foundation is firmly set in judo; but, it'd be unfair to call "Zenko" merely a judoka. Under the guidance of Shooto vet "Kijin" Noboru Asahi (18-6-5), Yoshida has pieced together a 360 degree, if not polished MMA arsenal. Stylistically, he's Okami-like, deliberately lulling his opponents (and often fans) into a slog that allows Yoshida to deceptively crank-up offense versus a sleepy enemy. His throws aren't as slick as "Heat" Karo Parisyan's (18-5), but as effective. However, his scrambles are silky smooth and his adept cage tactics haven't before been seen by North Americans from a Japanese fighter. From his back, "Zenko" works a furious guard in combo with vice-like body locks. From the mount, his G'n'P is as thunderous as Okami's, with big and small elbows and punches, though he can be swept by mat vets. Also Okami-ish, Yoshida is money in the clinch, especially against the cage. Yoshida is most vulnerable standing, but he's not terrible.  He launches targeted strikes one-at-a-time, mixing in a mediocre high kick or better-than-average leg kick. "Zenko" v "War Machine" Versus "War Machine", "Zenko" will be the smaller man in the cage.  In fact, he's undersized as a UFC welter, a problem Okami doesn't have at middleweight. This fight might as well start on the mat, because both fighters will rush to their respective G'n'P specialties. Yoshida's judo will come into play in the clinch, ensuring him the majority of mount time.  Koppenhaver isn't pimp enough to consistently sweep Yoshida, but is beast enough to weather "Zenko's" ground'n'pound. On their feet, it's a 50/50 affair for both fighters, producing a boring exchange of single strikes.  However, Koppenhaver will stalk the patient Japanese fighter, walking through most of Yoshida's standup, but also eating some damaging strikes. Despite being outmaneuvered, Koppenhaver will muscle to the mount as the fight wears on; but, Yoshida's active guard will expose Koppenhaver's propensity to be submitted, probably by armbar. Fighters.com predicts a successful UFC debut for Yoshida by third-round armbar submission over Koppenhaver, but "Zenko's" deliberate style won't propel him into contendership until he bags a few more wins in the Octagon. ...