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Former PRIDE lightweight champ “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-6) and featherweight “Moon Wolf” Rumina Sato (26-12-2) are confirmed in separate bouts for Vale Tudo Japan ‘09 in Tokyo October 30, Sherdog reported Tuesday.
Gomi will try to further his climb back from his first two consecutive loss slide since 2003. At Shooto Tradition Final in Tokyo last May, he broke the streak with a second round KO of Takashi Nakakura (10-2-1). According to Sherdog, VTJ ‘09 promoter Kazuhiro Sakamoto (12-4) hinted that Gomi could face a UFC fighter in October, revealing Sakamoto has contacted Zuffa, LLC, parent company of the UFC and WEC, about exchanging fighters.
Read More About Takanori Gomi, Sato, Inoue v Nogueira Confirmed for Vale Tudo Japan ‘09…
Regardless who wins the middlweight matchup at UFC 102 in Portland Saturday, Demian Maia (10-0) and “Great” Nate Marquardt (28-8-2) might get a second shot at each other 25-27 September at the Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Fighting World Championships 2009 in Barcelona.
Both UFC title contenders will compete in the -87.9kg division, along with “Toquinho” Rousimar Palhares (11-3). Sengoku judoka Kazuhiro Nakamura (13-9) and DREAM welterweight Andre Galvao (3-0).
UFC welterweight champ “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2) will compete in the -76.9kg division, along with the UFC’s “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-3), Japanese free agent “K-Taro” Keita Nakamura (15-4-2), and Brazilian free agent “Uirapuru” Marcelo Azevedo (3-5).
“Afghan Killa” Siyar Bahadurzada (14-3-1) spoke exclusively with Fighters.com after his controversial victory over “Cyborg” Evangelista Santos (16-12) by TKO due to injury in the first round of Sengoku’s Middleweight Grand Prix.
As a child, Bahadurzada immigrated to the Netherlands from war-torn Afghanistan, but became stuck there without a passport as his fight career took off. In July 2007, he was finally allowed to travel to Japan to fight (and beat) Shiko Yamashita (10-4-3) for the Shooto title.
Fighters.com: Can you describe the difference between your feelings when you first arrived in Holland after leaving Afghanistan, then when you first arrived in Japan to fight after being stuck in Holland? Holland must’ve been both a place of refuge from war-torn Afghanistan, but then like a cage keeping you from furthering your fight career?
Siyar Bahadurzada: When I first came to Holland I felt like I was given a second chance. I just went for it and kept trying to make something out of my life. I learned to speak Dutch in almost six months. I was [studying] very hard and, besides, not to forget, I’m pretty gifted in learning languages. I can speak several languages very well.
But, when I went to Japan, I felt different. Coming to Holland was different because I was saved from the war; but, when I came to Japan, I felt like, “Now it is my time to shine. My 15 minutes of fame is on!” I feel invincible when I’m in Japan. Somehow, the environment in Japan drives me to my limits, motivates me to take one step more and go for my dreams!
Read More About Bahadurzada: “I will beat Misaki. He knows it!”…
While most of the MMA world tuned-in to Las Vegas for UFC 84 last weekend, three of Japan’s noblest promotions put on shows in Osaka, Tokyo, and Sapporo respectively.
Pancrase Results
Pancrase held its fourth iteration of its 2008 Shining tour in Azelea Taisho Hall in Osaka Sunday.
In the main, event, “13″ Daisuke Hanazawa (9-9-5) scored his first “w” of 2008 with a two-round UD over Takefumi Hanai (2-4-2), Hanai’s third consecutive loss.
Featherweight Soyu Tanabe (4-3-1) knocked out Pancrase regular Kenji Takeshige (4-7-1) at 3:44 of the first round.
Middleweight Masahiro Toryu (5-3-3) denied Shuji Morikawa (0-2-1) his first “W” by submitting him in a guillotine choke at 3:36 of round one.
In other fights, Kenji Shimada (4-2) knocked out Takashi Hasegawa (3-6-3) at 1:58 of round one.
“Strasser” Kiichi Kunimoto (5-2) won a two-round UD over “Yuushi Edaori” Yu Shiori (5-1).
Isao Hirose (2-0) also scored a decision unanimously over “Punch” Nobuhiro Yamauchi (4-3).
Read More About 13 Lucky in Osaka, Kitazaki Squeaks By in Tokyo…
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.
“Mach” Hayato Sakurai (32-7-2) will fight former European Shooto Champion David Baron (13-2) of France 5 May at Shooto’s Tokyo event.
Sakurai himself is a former Shooto World Champion and comes off a mauling of Hidetaka Monma (14-8-3) at DREAM.1 last month.
Baron fought last December, submitting Niek Tromp (4-2-2) by guillotine choke in the first round.
The fighters share a common opponent from their past.
Former PRIDE Lightweight Champion “The Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-3) iced Sakurai in the first round of 2005 PRIDE fight.
Gomi tapped Baron by rear naked choke eight-months later, also in PRIDE.
Chapter 8 of Back To Our Roots from Korakuen Hall in Tokyo Thursday night saw a couple of Shooto titles change hands.
At 132-pounds, Masakatsu Ueda (8-0-1) snatched the featherweight title vacated by Akitoshi Hokazono (6-0-2) from Koetsu Okazaki (5-1-1), Hokazono’s training partner, by three-round unanimous decision.
The wrestler Ueda kept the fight on the mat to control Okazaki for the “W” and new jewelry for his waist.
At 143-pounds, Hideki Kadowaki (13-7-2) took “Ironman” Akitoshi Tamura’s (11-6-2) Shooto trinket in an uninteresting majority decision.
Top ten featherweight Hatsu Hioki (15-3-1) finished “The Finisher” Baret Yoshida of Hawaii by TKO at 4:51 of round one.
In a 2008 Lightweight Rookie Tournament match-up, Hiroshige Tanaka (1-0) knocked out Kenichiro Marui (0-1) at 3:01 of round one.
123-pound Shooto veteran Mamoru Yamaguchi (2-4-3) took a unanimous decision over Masaaki Sugawara (6-3).
132-pound “Hadairo” Tetsu Suzuki (6-5-3) also won unanimously on the cards versus Hiroyuki Tanaka (6-4-1).
Finally, 143-pound Hiroshi Nakamura (5-3-3) won a majority decision over Tenkei Fijimiya (7-3-2).
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).