Fighters.com's seventh-ranked lightweight "Mach" Hayato Sakurai (32-8-2) succumbed to a guillotine choke submission in the arms of former European Shooto king David Baron (15-2) in Tokyo Saturday. Baron sank the death blow as "Mach" shot for a takedown.  The final tap touched the mat at 4:50 of the first round. The "L" is Sakurai's first since getting KO'd by third-ranked "The Fireball Kid" Takanori Gomi (28-3) in 2005. Baron hasn't lost since 2006, ironically to Gomi by rear naked choke submission. The Shooto Tradition event also featured a 154-pound title fight between Takashi Nakakura (10-2-1) and Ganjo Tentsuku (9-3-2). It was a hard-fought slog for both Japanese warriors, but the judges saw the fight 30-28, 30-29, 20-39 for Nakakura. "Ironman" Akitoshi Tamura (12-6-2) ended a 143-pound war with Shooto vet "Moon Wolf" Rumina Sato (24-12-2) at 2:37 of round three with a north/south choke submission. "Savant" Trenell Young (9-7), recently of the IFL, upset "Lion" Takeshi Inoue (14-3) by two-round UD scored 19-18 all around. Fighters.com will post an interview with Young about his surprising Shooto debut this week. 123-pound Yasuhiro Urushitani (14-3-6) and Ryuichi Miki (6-2-3) fought to a majority draw, Urushitani's second consecutive draw, and third draw in his last four fights. Top 155-pound contender Yusuke Endo (11-2-1) submitted debuting vince Ortiz (0-1) in 3:34 of round one. Frenchman Bendy Casimir (14-4-2) won a unanimous decision over "Torao Supernova" Shinji Sasaki (6-2) in another 155-pound contest. Hayate Usui (9-6-1) won a majority decision over Sakae Kasuya (3-3-3). "Shinpei" Noboru Tahara (4-2) cut Katsuya Murofushi (3-3), causing a stoppage by TKO :46 of round two. ...

Blink and you may have missed a duo of Shooto fight cards in Tokyo and Hiroshima respectively. On 21 March Shooto rumbled into Kitazawa Town Hall featuring a pair of 2008 Rookie Tournament middleweight bouts. Nipponese Naoki Hirayama (1-0) began the night and his pro MMA career with a unanimous decision over Shin Kochiwa(0-1); and, Yoishiro Sato (1-0) tied Hirayama with a UD over pitiful Toru Ishinaka (0-4-2). In the evening's main event, 65-kilo Yuji Inoue (4-3-1) broke a two-fight losing streak with a UD over Kyotaro Nakao (5-7-2). In a 2008 Rookie Tournament welterweight scrap, Kazuya Satomoto improved to 4-1 with a triangle armbar submission of Mach Dojo's "KG Kokoroto" Hiroki Kuga (0-1). At 56 kilos, Hiroharu Matsufuji (2-4) submitted pathetic Katsuhisa Akasaki (2-14-1) in a Kimura at 3:04 of round deuce. In the same weight class, Shinichi Hanawa (4-6-1) outlasted Joji Shimada (1-4) to a unanimous decision victory. Finally, 52-kilo Katsuya Murofushi (3-2) wrapped Kenichi Sawada (3-8-2) in a triangle choke for the first round finish. Two moons forward in Hiroshima, 56-kilo Takeshi Okada (4-3-2) and debuting Mike Hayakawa (0-0-1) fought to an even clip for a majority draw scored 19-19 twice and 19-20 for Hayakawa. In a 2008 Rookie Tournament lightweight bout, Makoto Akazawa (5-1) submitted Katayoshi Ono (0-1) in a rear naked choke. Finally, Kentaro Watanabe (1-0) won his debut unanimously in a decision over Jun Nagasoe (0-1). ...