11/29 Shooot Tradition 04 - Warm-Up
Friday 28 November 2008
Shooto is putting on a really good event tomorrow. The mix of stars and talent should make this one of the better Shooto events this year.
If you want to see what a professional thinks of this event, you should read Jordan Breen's preview on this event here. There is no doubt this will be a good event.
Anyway, here is what I expect from the main card at tomorrow's event. I will be there taking pictures, so might be a bit late with the results...
So Tazawa 8-3-2 vs. 5-0-1 Hiromasa Ogikubo
I am really looking forward to watching Hiromasa Ogikubo, he is still undefeated, Training under Ryota Matsune and Hiroshi Tsuruya in Paraestra Matsudo. He will be a force in the Shooto featherweight division. This time he is facing his toughest opponent yet in So Tazawa.
So Tazawa has been in there with the best of them and he still has a good record. I still think Ogikubo will be too strong on the ground.
Predicition: I am sort of bias in this, as Ogikubo is from my gym, so there is no surprise who I am picking in this fight. I see Ogikubo taking the fight to the ground and getting a decision win.
Hiromasa Ogikubo:
vs. Hiroyuki Tanaka
vs. Yasuhiro Kanayama
vs. Kazuya Tamura
So Tazawa:
vs. Masakatsu Ueda Part 1
vs. Masakatsu Ueda Part 2
vs. Masakatsu Ueda Part 3
Takashi Nakakura 10-2-1 vs. 16-4-2 Bendy Casimir
This could very well end up being fight of the night, both these guys are Shooto champions (Nakakura world champion, Casimir european champion) but there is no title on the line. Maybe because I am used to this in Japan, but I dont care. This is a fight I want to see, even if its not a title fight.
Predicition: Be careful not to underestimate Bendy Casimir in this fight. Nakakura is the favorite and I see him getting the decision, but Casimir was very good in his last fight in Japan.
Takashi Nakakura:
vs. Ray Cooper
vs. Yusuke Endo Round 1
vs. Yusuke Endo Round 2
vs. Yusuke Endo Round 3
vs. Ganjo Tentsuku Part 1
vs. Ganjo Tentsuku Part 2
vs. Mizuto Hirota Round 1
vs. Mizuto Hirota Round 2
vs. Mizuto Hirota Round 3
Bendy Casimir:
vs. Juri Ivlev
vs. Ian Jones
vs. Shinji Sasaki Part 1
vs. Shinji Sasaki Part 2
Hatsu Hioki 16-3-2 vs. 24-12-2 Rumina Sato
This is a fight between 2 of them most popular Shooto fighters. This will really get the crowd going and it should be a good fight. Personally, I would like to see Rumina Sato get this win, but I dont think he will.
Rumina Sato took most of 2006 off to start his own gym, since coming back he has a record of 1-2, in his last 5 he is 1-4. Hioki on the other hand is undefeated in his last 5.
Prediction: As much as I want Rumina Sato to win, I cant see it happening. Hioki will take it, but dont count Rumina off completely.
Rumina Sato:
vs. Charles Taylor
vs. Bao Quach
vs. Augusto Frota
vs. Katsuya Toida
vs. Antonio Carvalho
vs. Ali Mihoubi
vs. Rafael Cordeiro
Hatsu Hioki:
vs. Antonio Carvalho Part 1
vs. Antonio Carvalho Part 2
vs. Antonio Carvalho Part 3
vs. Baret Yoshida
vs. Joe Pearson
vs. Hideki Kadowaki
Hideki Kadowaki 13-7-2 vs. 14-3-0 "Lion" Takeshi Inoue
Hideki Kadowaki is the champion, and in some ways he had a sudden rise to the belt. He is a very experienced fighter, but before he pulled out a "Kadowaki Special" on Rumina Sato I was not expecting to see him in a title fight. Then pieces fell his way, he had some luck and got the title shot. He won a deserved victory against Akitoshi Tamura.
Even if Kadowaki is the defending champion coming in, I think he is also viewed as the underdog here. "Lion" Takeshi has only had 3 losses in his career, he lost he last fight though. "Lion" would like to keep this fight standing, Kadowaki wants "Lion" Takeshi on his back.
Prediction: I am really torn on this, I see it either as an exciting fight where "Lion" picks Kadowaki apart standing OR a fight that goes the distance ending in a draw or decision win to Kadowaki. I am leaning towards a decision to Kadowaki, actually changed my mind since I started writing.
Hideki Kadowaki:
vs. Akitoshi Tamura Part 1
vs. Akitoshi Tamura Part 2
vs. Akitoshi Tamura Part 3
vs. Hatsu Hioki
vs. Naoya Miyamoto
vs. "Wicky" Akiyo Nishiura Part 1
vs. "Wicky" Akiyo Nishiura Part 2
"Lion" Takeshi Inoue:
vs. Antonio Carvalho
vs. Navid Yousefi
vs. Katsuya Toida
vs. Akitoshi Tamura Part 1
vs. Akitoshi Tamura Part 2
vs. Savant Young Part 1
vs. Savant Young Part 2
4 comments:
Good things I uploaded those Ogikubo videos. haha.
Very nice article. Good read.
WAAAAR BENDY !!!!
bestrafer7,
Good thing indeed! It was what got me going in this post! Thanks!
I am very excited about the fights today! Kicks off a very busy couple of weeks!
I can't wait for this event and December is stacked for MMA. I'm kind of disappointed in K-1's Dynamite card, but hopefully it will get better.
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