4/25 ASTRA - Yoshida's Farewell Event - Fighters missing weight

Astra is hosting the final fight in Hidehiko Yoshida's long career. The event will take place in Nippon Budokan, and it should be a perfect setting for this event. Yoshida will face Kazuhiro Nakamura, a team mate and friend in this fight. He also outweights his opponent with almost 20kg going in.

3 fighters missed weight in the weigh-in, but the fights will go as planned. Naoyuki Kotani managed to cut the 0.1kg and make weight on his second attempt, but Jorge Masvidal and Che Mills also missed weight.

Also on this card, Enson Inoue will return to the ring against Antz Nansen.

There are lots of good fights on this card, that can only be seen by the people in attendence or by ordering it on SkyPerfect PPV.

Main-Event - Hidehiko Yoshida Retirement Fight:
11. Open: Hidehiko Yoshida (113.0kg) 9-7-1 vs. 13-10-1 Kazuhiro Nakamura (95.7kg)

10. Feather: Michihiro Omigawa (65.0kg) 9-8-1 vs. 13-3-0 Micah Miller (65.0kg)
9. Light-Heavy: Enson Inoue (92.9kg) 11-8-0 vs. 1-0-0 Antz Nansen (94.5kg)
8. Welter: Ryo Chonan (76.8kg) 17-10-0 vs. 6-5-1 Jung Hwan Cha (76.1kg)
7. Light: Naoyuki Kotani (70.1kg→70.0kg) 20-9-7 vs. 19-5-0 Jorge Masvidal (70.5kg)
6. Light: Daisuke Nakamura (69.3kg) 20-12-0 vs. 9-4-2 Ganjo Tentsuku (69.5kg)
5. Welter: Yuya Shirai (76.9kg) 18-8-0 vs. 8-3-0 Che Mills (77.4kg)
4. Feather: Tatsunao Nagakura (64.8kg) 5-0-0 vs. 8-7-1 Akihiko Mori (64.8kg)

Opening Fight:　
3. Heavy: Seigo Mizuguchi 7-5-0 vs. 0-1-0 Baru Harn
2. Middle: Yusuke Sakashita 6-2-0 vs. 6-10-2 Kenji Nagai
1. Bantam: Ryosuke Komori 4-2-0 vs. 7-11-6 Takumi Murata

Discuss in the FORUM

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4/25 ASTRA - First Fight Announced, Denis Kang Added

J-Rock have announced their first fight for the Astra card on April 25. DEEP champion, Yuya Shirai will take on Che Mills in a welterweight fight.

Also announced as a participant is Denis Kang, who is returning to Japan after his disapointing loss in the Dream middleweight tournament in 2008. Kang will be eager to get back to winning here.

Announced:
Yuya Shirai vs. 8-3-0 Che Mills

Participants:
Hidehiko Yoshida 9-7-1
Makoto Takimoto 6-5-0
Michihiro Omigawa 9-8-1
Kazuhiro Nakamura 13-10-0
Tatsunao Nagakura 5-0-0
Denis Kang 32-12-1

Discuss in the FORUM

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4/25 ASTRA - Yoshida's Farewell Fight

J-Rock have announced that they are holding an event on April 25. This will be Hidehiko Yoshida's last fight, and Yoshida Dojo is coming out in force. The fighters include Omigawa and Takimoto.

It will be interesting to see if this is a one time thing, or if there are bigger plans for "ASTRA". The event will take place in Nippon Budokan, and is priced similar to the Sengoku and Dream events.

Participants:
Hidehiko Yoshida 9-7-1
Makoto Takimoto 6-5-0
Michihiro Omigawa 9-8-1
Kazuhiro Nakamura 13-10-0
Tatsunao Nagakura 5-0-0

Discuss in the FORUM

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8/2 Sengoku 9 - LIVE RESULTS

A very good card in Saitama Superarena today, the Sengoku featherweight GP winner will be crowned and I will give you live updates here! My pick is for Sandro to take this, look for him to take Hioki down and stay on top for the win.

This is the best Sengoku card to date, and they look to be going from strength to strength, with signing of exciting talent and developing new stars as well.

There is a lot of talk on Fedor, and where he will fight. My guess is that we will see him in Sengoku next, but time will tell. It makes sence with all the signings they are doing in the heavyweight division, and the plans of a GP.

Quick results on the bottom, under my comments. Spoilers if you read on.

Opening Fights:
Don Quiote Presents Sengoku G Tournament Finals (2x5min.):
1. Bantam: Ryosuke Komori Def. Takeshi Numajiri by KO Round 1 3:25
2. Feather: Shigeki Osawa Def. Harai by TKO Round 1 4:25
3. Light: Ikuo Usuda Def. Koji Ando by Decision 3-0


Main-Card - Non-Tournament:
4. Heavy: Yoshihiro Nakao 7-2-0 vs. 9-3-0 Chu Mu Bae
Round 1:
Nakao takes Mu Bae down, but is not able to capitalize. Then he shows of his dirty skills as he uses the ropes well to defend while Mu Bae has his back. It does not make for exiciting viewing, but the ref. breaks them up. This will be a close round and I think the judges have it a draw.

Round 2:
Nakao takes Mu Bae down at the start but is unable to keep him there. Mu Bae wants to keep this standing, but Nakao has other plans and this time gets sidecontrol He gets in a few punches and Mu Bae's nose is bleeding now. Mu Bae keeps getting up though. While standing Nakao seeks out a corner and keeps turning, making it difficult for Mu Bae and boring for the fans.

Round 3:
Mu Bae is tiring from all the takedowns, but Nakao is unable to do much damage from the top. With 2 miinutes left Mu Bae is flat on his back with Nakao in side control. Nakao is threatening with an arm-lock, but Mu Bae works his way out again.

Nakao gets the decision 3-0
Nakao got to show of his dirty tricks, but Mu Bae never got to show his chin...


Featherweight GP:
5. Semi-final 1: Hatsu Hioki 19-3-2 vs. 13-5-5 Masanori Kanehara
Roound 1:
Hioki works hard for the takedown early, once he gets it he quickly takes mount. Some awesome gnp, and the fight explodes with some of the best grappling you will see. Hioki being agressive, but Kanehara defends well. The round ends with Hioki in mount annd he gets round 1!

Round 2:
Hioki gets the takedown again, this time in the corner and he gets some knees in from side control. Hioki gets mount again, and the ref pulls them out of the conrner. Hioki looks in control in mount, but Kanehara gets him back in guard. Hioki deceides to stand up, but is hit by an upkick that could have sealed the upset. Hioki is dased, but is able to shoot for another takedown. He gets Kanehara's back, and it looks like he has the hooks in, but Kanehara is able to fight it off.

Round 2 also to Hioki.

Round 3:
Kanehara is the stronger standing, eventually Hioki goes for the takedown and is close to sealing it with a guillotine choke. At this point they are slippery though, and Kanehara ends up on top for the first time in the fight. He is unable to get out of Hiokis guard, but should have won round 3.

An awesome fight to start the featherweight GP!!
Hioki gets the decision 3-0 (30-27, 29-27,29-27)


6. Semi-final 2: Michihiro Omigawa 6-7-1 vs. 14-0-0 Marlon Sandro
Omigawa will try to maintain his awesome run against tournament favorite and undefeated Sandro.

Round 1:
Sandro is dangerous on the feet, Omigawa tries for a takedown, but Saandro shakes it off. Sandro attempts a knee that lets Omigawa try another takedown. It is not sucessful and the ref breaks it up. Omigawa hits with a left that hurt Sandro, he gets double underhooks, but Sandro is still able to keep standing. Round 1 to Sandro.

Round 2:
Sandro is close to getting the win with a guillotine choke in the dying seconds, but the bell rings and he should have the 2nd round in the bag too.

Round 3:
For the first time in the fight Sandro goes for a takedown, Omigawa defends well. Omigawa continues to work for takedowns, but Sandro controls until the last few seconds. Omigawa finally gets it, but does no damage before the bell rings. Sandro should have this, but it was not easy.

Both the fighters in the final had to go the distance. It will be interesting to see who has the

The decision: 30-29 Sandro, 30-30 Draw (choses Omigawa), 30-30 Draw (choses Omigawa) This is UNBELIEVABLE! 2 judges have this a draw, they have to chose a winner and both the Japanese judges, chose the Japanese fighter. Sherdog has ALL rounds to Sandro, and I have to say that I agree...


7. Reserve: Chan Sung Jung 6-1-0 vs. 11-5-0 Matt Jaggers
Round 1:
Jung comes out swinging it goes to the ground and Jaggers is warned for stalling. They stand out and Jung moves forward throwing bombs. Jaggers shoots and gets the takedown. This time he is on top, but again it looks like they might have to stand up. They dont stand up, but nothing happens. A very close round, probably a draw.

I still cant belive the decision in the last fight....

Round 2:
Jaggers gets on top again, but looks like he is unable to do much. Jung works his guard and moves his hips out. He sinks in the triangle and forces the tap Roundd 2 1:25.


Non-Tournament:
8. Light: Eiji Mitsuoka 15-6-2 vs. 17-5-0 Clay French
Round 1:
Mitsuoka gets the fight to the ground quickly, he has been training a bit with the guys at Lotus Paraestra and Yoshida Dojo before this fight, and I am hoping to see some awesome grappling from him. French works his way back to his feet and has to eat a knee on the way. Mitsuoka sinks in a guillotine, and French goes back to the ground, he is forced to tap at 1:51.


9. Welter: Akihiro Gono 29-14-7 vs. 17-2-0 Dan Hornbuckle
Round 1:
Gono enters the ring in a suit, very conservative to be him. Gono returns to Japan after 2 years and 7 months.

Hornbuckle has a reach advantage, and Gono is trying to figure out how to work around it. Hornbuckle uses the Thai clinch and Gono has to take a lot of knees to the body. It goes to the ground with Hornbuckle attempting a stomp on the way there, Gono has guard. Hornbuckle stands up and the round ends standing. Hornbuckle got round 1.

Round 2:
Gono continues to struggle with Hornbuckle's reach, but looks to gain comfidence. Hornbuckle backing up more now. Gono closes the distance and Hornbukle takes it to the ground, trying to pass Gono's guard. Hornbukle moves to mount with very good help from his corner. End of round 2, Hornbuckle still in mount. This round also to the American.

Round 3:
Gono comes out agressive, looks more comfident and moving like he usually does. Gono tries a bodykick, and Hornbuckle grabs in, throwing a high-kick in return. It hits the sweetspot, and Gono is laid out straight. No need to follow up that. The Japanese commentators are a bit worried about Gonos condition, especially since his neck lands on the bottom rope.

Gono is carried out on a strecher I have not seen him move, he has opened his eyes and spoken to the medical staff.


15 minutes break, will they announce Satoshi Ishii's first opponent?

Hioki is out of the final!!! Kanehara takes his spot!! I think it is a leg injury, but not sure I heard that right.

An all star Judo meeting is called, in the ring are:
Hiroshi Izumi - Debuts 9/23!!!
Makoto Takimoto - Fights 9/23
Satoshi Ishii - Will fight in Sengoku, no date set.
Hidehiko Yoshida - Will continue fighting, no date set.

Boxing champion Daisuke Naito enters the ring, without saying much. Will he be fighting in Sengoku, or is he talking about boxing?? He says no fight is deceided yet, but please cheer for me when it is.


10. Heavy: Blagoy Alexandre Ivanov vs. 15-7-0 Kazuyuki Fujita
Ivanov is in the ring for his MMA debut!
Round 1:
The fighters are feeling eachother out before unloading. Some wild punches and Fujita looks to have his iron head back!! Fujita takes Ivanov down and is in half guard. Fujita is not wearing shoes for this fight, but was not able to get his last foot out. Ivanov gets back up and they continue to swing as the bell rings. Round is very close in my book.

Round 2:
They come out swinging again, Fujita showes experience as he takes Ivanov down but he is unable to keep it there. The ref stands them up. Fujita moving forward now and Ivanov looks like his guard is dropping. Ivanov is exhausted!
Pace has slowed and Fujita is taking control now. Ivanov is fighting back with his back to the ropes. The bell rings and I would give this to Fujita.

Round 3:
Fujita is going for a double leg, but Ivanov is heavy. The ref breaks it up, and Fujita needs a doctor check on a cut on his forehead. Ivanov looks like he has caught his breath again, but both these guys are tired. Fujita desperately trying to get it to the ground again. And he does, again he has side control. Fujita tries an arm-triangle, but it doesn't stick. The bell rings, Fujita still in side control, and I think he should get this decision. It is close though, and his iron head saved him in this fight.

1-1-1 (gives it to Ivanov!) Ivanov gets a decision that is as close as it gets!


Non-Tournament - Middleweight next title Challenger
(If Nakamura wins):
11. Kazuo Misaki 21-9-2 vs. 13-9-0 Kazuhiro Nakamura
Misaki's legal problems are displayed, and he will not get a title shot if he wins this. I am not a fan of Misaki, but think legal issues should be handled by the legal system. Japan does not work like that though and he will also be punished by his employer.

Round 1:
Misaki looks energetic and looks good on his feet. Nakamura sends a low kick that can be heard echoing in Saitama SA. Misaki is ok. Misaki is using his reach well, throwing jabs and keeping Nakamura at a distance. Again there is a low blow, but Misaki is ok. Misaki's knee hits the spot and Nakamura goes down, misaki follows. When Nakamura tries to get up Misaki sinks in the guillotine choke. Nakamura does not tap and goes to sleep. Misaki is obviously not happy about being punished by Sengoku, and does not take the mic when offered (and expected to).


Co-Main Event - Featherweight GP (3x5min):
12.Final: Masanori Kanehara vs. Michihiro Omigawa
The featherweight tournament has turned out to be full of surprises, and the final is between 2 fighters that (IMO) lost their semi-finals... Of course, Kanehara is there because of an injury to Hioki. Omigawa arguably due a very controversial decision.

Round 1:
Kanehara quicckly works his way to Omigawa's back, Omigawa standing. Omigawa is defending well and Kanehara is unable to do anything but punch. Of course trying to get the hooks in. Ironically, the ref shouting for action.. Omigawa breaks the bodylock and tries to throw Kanehara off his back. They end up on the ground, Kanahara still in a dominant positino. Omigawa gets guard, Kanehara is still be more aggressive though. As the time runs out, Omigawa has an arm-bar on Kanehara that looks dangerous, but the bell rings. Round should go to Kanehara.

Round 2:
Omigawa comes out swinging, but Kanehara returns fire and comes out on top. Omigawa tries for a takedown. Somehow Kanehara works his way to sidecontrol, and is dropping knees. Omigawa gets guard back, but Kanehara works hard and gets mount. Omigawa is strong and gets him back to half guard. No real damage done, but Kanehara has been the better fighter here too.

Round 3:
Again Omigawa comes out with wild punches, Kanehara eventually gets control and returns fire. Omigawa is on top now and has a guillotine choke that looks tight. Kanehara escapes, but is still on the bottom, with Omigawa in his half guard. He escapes and they standup. Kanehara is better standing, and gets in a good bodypunch. Omigawa takes it down again, Kanehara has half guard, but its soon Omigawa in sidecontrol. Omigawa is all over Kanehara now. Knees on the ground mounted GNP, guillotine attempts, on his back. But Kanehara escapes. Round 3 is for Omigawa.

I would give it to Kanehara, but I am guessing these judges sees it for Omigawa...

29-28 Kanehara, 29-29 (must decision to Omigawa), 29-28 Kanehara
Kanehara gets the decision!!! 2-0-1


UPDATE from Sherdog: Akihiro Gono is in the hospital with a concussion and neck injury, but he is doing well.

Main Event - Lightweight Title Fight (5x5min):
13. Satoru Kitaoka 24-8-9 vs. 11-3-1 Mizuto Hirota
The main-event and a awesome matchup. Both these guys could finish it in seconds. It it goes into 2nd round, it is advantage Hirota.

Round 1:
Kitaoka gets the takedown immediately, but Hirota is able to get up. Kitaoka gets it back down and this is not where Hirota wants to be. They are also in Kitaokas conrner. Kitaoka looks like he will rip Hirota's head off in a guillotine attempt. Kitaoka is not looking to keep this standing and shoots in as soon as he sees an opening. Hirota defended the 1st one, after that its been all Kitaoka. Another guillotine choke and I thought Hirota was out. Again he fights his way out and a right hurts Kitaoka as he is careless when he shoots in. The fight has turned completely! Hirota taking Kitaoka down now.
Round should go to Kitaoka, but a very strong finish by Hirota.

Round 2:
Both fighters careful with the distance here. Kitaoka tries a takedown, but Hirota catches him. They exchange and Hirota goes for the take down. He is not able to complete it, and they continue standing. Kitaoka has not gone for too many takedowns in this round, but Hirota takes him down and stands back up. Kitaoka is throwing wild punches, but nothing is close to the target. With seconds left Kitaoka tries another takedown, but the bell rings. This round is most likely a draw or a close one for Hirota.

Round 3:
*Remeber: this is 5 rounds*
Kitaoka spends a lot of energy on a takedown attempt and makes it stick. Hirota has half-guard. Hirota gets in back into his butterfly guard. Kitaoka remembers that he can go for leg-locks, but Hirota defends well. Kitaoka does not look like his old self, and the ref stands them up. Hirota controls it on the feet, and so far Kitaoka has not looked too dangerous on the ground... This is looking a bit like Kitaokas fight with Katsuya Inoue... The round for Hirota.

Round 4:
The question is, who is more tired? Round 4!
Hirota defends the takedown attempts well in the start of this round, but Kitaoka is really going for them now. The fight goes to the ground, Hirota in Kitaoka's guard. Hirotas GNP is dangerous and Kitaoka stands up! The challenger has hurt him wit knees on the ground. Hirota is teeing off, and Kitaoka tries a desperate takedown. Hirota sprawls and knees to the head of the champion, the ref steps in to save the champion!!

Mizuto Hirota is the new Sengoku Champion!!!!


Quick results:
Main Event - Lightweight Title Fight (5x5min):
13. Mizuto Hirota Def. Satoru Kitaoka by TKO Round 4 2:50

Co-Main Event - Featherweight GP (3x5min):
12.Final: Masanori Kanehara Def. Michihiro Omigawa by Decision 2-0-1 (must decision for Omigawa)

Non-Tournament:
11. Middle: Kazuo Misaki Def. Kazuhiro Nakamura by guillotine choke Round 1

10. Heavy: Blagoy Alexandre Ivanov Def. Kazuyuki Fujita by Decision 1-1-1 (gives it to Ivanov)
9. Welter: Dan Hornbuckle Def. Akihiro Gono by KO Round 3 2:50
8. Light: Eiji Mitsuoka Def. Clay French by guillotine choke Round 1 1:51

Featherweight GP:
7. Reserve: Chan Sung Jung Def. Matt Jaggers by triangle choke Round 2 1:25
6. Semi-final 2: Michihiro Omigawa Def. Marlon Sandro by Decision 0-1-2 (Pick Omigawa as winner)
5. Semi-final 1: Hatsu Hioki Def. Masanori Kanehara by Decision 3-0

Non-Tournament:
4. Heavy: Yoshihiro Nakao Def. Chu Mu Bae by Decision 3-0

Opening Fights:
Don Quiote Presents Sengoku G Tournament Finals (2x5min.):
3. Light: Ikuo Usuda Def. Koji Ando by Decision 3-0
2. Feather: Shigeki Osawa Def. Harai by TKO Round 1 4:25
1. Bantam: Ryosuke Komori Def. Takeshi Numajiri by KO Round 1 3:25

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8/2 Sengoku 9 - Weigh-in

The fighters made weight for this event, no major drama like we saw with the DREAM event. This card is stacked from top to bottom, I disagree with people not being excited about the 1st fight on the main card. "Kiss" Nakao and Chu Mu Bae are both underrated and I think we will see something special here. Mu Bae has a crazy chin, and I think he will take Nakao in the end.

The main event is the lightweight title fight, Satoru Kitaoka will defend against Mizuto Hirota. Hirota is a type of fighter that can cause problems for Kitaoka, but I think Kitaoka will get the submission win, eventually. Hirota has his chances early though, he has to be patient and chose his punches carefully, if he does victory could be his.

Main Event - Lightweight Title Fight (5x5min):
12. Satoru Kitaoka (69.9kg) vs. Mizuto Hirota (70.0kg)

Co-Main Event - Featherweight GP (3x5min):
11.Final: Winner Semi-final 1 vs. Winner Semi-final 2

Middleweight next title Challenger (If Nakamura wins):
10. Kazuo Misaki (83.0kg) vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura (83.0kg)

Non-Tournament:
9. Heavy: Blagoy Alexandre Ivanov (110.0kg) vs. Kazuyuki Fujita (112.5kg)
8. Welter: Akihiro Gono (76.0kg) vs. Dan Hornbuckle (75.3kg)
7. Light: Eiji Mitsuoka (70.0kg) vs. Clay French (69.9kg)

Featherweight GP:
Reserve: Chan Sung Jung (64.8kg) vs. Matt Jaggers (64.6kg)
Semi-final 2: Michihiro Omigawa (64.9kg) vs. Marlon Sandro(64.7kg)
Semi-final 1: Hatsu Hioki (65.0kg) vs. Masanori Kanehara (65.0kg)

Non-Tournament:
Heavy: Yoshihiro Nakao (103.0kg) vs. Chu Mu Bae (109.4kg)



Complete card:
Main Event - Lightweight Title Fight (5x5min):
13. Satoru Kitaoka 24-8-9 vs. 11-3-1 Mizuto Hirota

Co-Main Event - Featherweight GP (3x5min):
12.Final: Winner Semi-final 1 vs. Winner Semi-final 2

Non-Tournament:
Middleweight next title Challenger (If Nakamura wins):
11. Kazuo Misaki 21-9-2 vs. 13-9-0 Kazuhiro Nakamura

10. Heavy: Blagoy Alexandre Ivanov vs. 15-7-0 Kazuyuki Fujita
9. Welter: Akihiro Gono 29-14-7 vs. 17-2-0 Dan Hornbuckle
8. Light: Eiji Mitsuoka 15-6-2 vs. 17-5-0 Clay French

Featherweight GP:
7. Reserve: Chan Sung Jung 6-1-0 vs. 11-5-0 Matt Jaggers
6. Semi-final 2: Michihiro Omigawa 6-7-1 vs. 14-0-0 Marlon Sandro
5. Semi-final 1: Hatsu Hioki 19-3-2 vs. 13-5-5 Masanori Kanehara

Non-Tournament:
4. Heavy: Yoshihiro Nakao 7-2-0 vs. 9-3-0 Chu Mu Bae

Opening Fights:
Don Quiote Presents Sengoku G Tournament Finals (2x5min.):
3. Light: Ikuo Usuda 4-0-0 vs. 2-0-2 Koji Ando
2. Feather: Shigeki Osawa 2-0-0 vs. 6-2-0 Harai
1. Bantam: Takeshi Numajiri vs. Ryosuke Komori

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8/2 Sengoku 9 - Fight Order

While I have a feeling that FEG had problems getting their DREAM 10 card toghether, that is not the case for WVR and Sengoku. Though the card has 12 fights, only 8 of these are on the main-card. But there is so much happening here, and I hope they show the opening fights too.

On this card we will see Satoru Kitaoka defend his lightweight title against the under-rated Mizuto Hirota. Kitaoka's last loss fresh in my mind, I am thinking Mizuto has a chance at an upset here. Of course he needs to keep it standing.

There is also a GP final here, the Sengoku featherweight GP has delivered some very good fights so far and we will have the climax here. I am picking Sandro vs. Hioki in the final (no surprise there), but I think Sandro will take this.

Kazuo Misaki created negaitive publicity for this event by running away from a police officer trying to book him for talking on the phone while driving. While it is stupid, WVR deceided to top that by going out and punishing Misaki further. For those who have not lived in Japan, this might seem strange. But being arrested in Japan can mean losing your job, something to keep in mind... Either way, the fight was supposed to be a title fight eliminator, but Misaki wont get that shot if he wins. So in short, Misaki has nothing but his pride to fight for here.

This event will see the return of Akihiro Gono to Japan, and we will see the MMA debut of Blagoy Alexandre Ivanov, the man who defeated Fedor in Sambo. Will we see a MMA rematch??

There is lots to look forward to on this card!

Main Event - Lightweight Title Fight (5x5min):
12. Satoru Kitaoka 24-8-9 vs. 11-3-1 Mizuto Hirota

Co-Main Event - Featherweight GP (3x5min):
11.Final: Winner Semi-final 1 vs. Winner Semi-final 2

Non-Tournament:
Middleweight next title Challenger (If Nakamura wins):
10. Kazuo Misaki 21-9-2 vs. 13-9-0 Kazuhiro Nakamura

9. Heavy: Blagoy Alexandre Ivanov vs. 15-7-0 Kazuyuki Fujita
8. Welter: Akihiro Gono 29-14-7 vs. 17-2-0 Dan Hornbuckle
7. Light: Eiji Mitsuoka 15-6-2 vs. Clay French

Featherweight GP:
Reserve: Chan Sung Jung 6-1-0 vs. 11-5-0 Matt Jaggers
6. Semi-final 2: Michihiro Omigawa 6-7-1 vs. 14-0-0 Marlon Sandro
5. Semi-final 1: Hatsu Hioki 19-3-2 vs. 13-5-5 Masanori Kanehara

Non-Tournament:
4. Heavy: Yoshihiro Nakao 7-2-0 vs. 9-3-0 Chu Mu Bae

Opening Fights:
Don Quiote Presents Sengoku G Tournament Finals (2x5min.):
3. Light: Ikuo Usuda 4-0-0 vs. 2-0-2 Koji Ando
2. Feather: Shigeki Osawa 2-0-0 vs. 6-2-0 Harai
1. Bantam: Takeshi Numajiri vs. Ryosuke Komori

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8/2 Sengoku 9 - Fights Added

Sengoku have added 3 opening fights to their next event on August 2. These are the finals of the Sengoku Gold Tournament that they have been showing on their weekly show in Japan and there are some very talented fighters in this.

The lightweight final will see the undefeated Ikuo Usada, who was also the Shooto Rookie tournament champion last year. He will face the Cage Force veteran Koji Ando.

The featherweight final will see the Sengoku training fighter and awesome wrestler, Shigeki Osawa take on DEEP veteran Toru Harai. Harai holds wins over fighters such as Isao Terada and Ippo Watanuki.

The bantamweight final will see Takeshi Numajiri take on DEEP veteran Ryosuke Komori.

The Sengoku card looks final, the DREAM card for Monday is not... Hope there are some additions to that soon.

Added:
Don Quiote Presents Sengoku G Tournament Finals:
Bantam: Takeshi Numajiri vs. Ryosuke Komori
Feather: Shigeki Osawa 2-0-0 vs. 6-2-0 Harai
Light: Ikuo Usuda 4-0-0 vs. 2-0-2 Koji Ando

Previously Announced:
Lightweight Title Fight (5x5min):
Satoru Kitaoka 24-8-9 vs. 11-3-1 Mizuto Hirota

Featherweight GP:
Final: Winner Semi-final 1 vs. Winner Semi-final 2

Semi-final 1: Hatsu Hioki 19-3-2 vs. 13-5-5 Masanori Kanehara
Semi-final 2: Michihiro Omigawa 6-7-1 vs. 14-0-0 Marlon Sandro
Reserve: Chan Sung Jung 6-1-0 vs. 11-5-0 Matt Jaggers

Middleweight next title Challenger (If Nakamura wins):
Kazuo Misaki 21-9-2 vs. 13-9-0 Kazuhiro Nakamura

One-Fight:
Heavy: Blagoy Alexandre Ivanov vs. 15-7-0 Kazuyuki Fujita
Heavy: Yoshihiro Nakao 7-2-0 vs. 9-3-0 Chu Mu Bae
Light: Eiji Mitsuoka 15-6-2 vs. Clay French
Akihiro Gono 29-14-7 vs. 17-2-0 Dan Hornbuckle

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8/2 Sengoku 9 - Featherweight Reserve Fight Announced + Another Olympic Medalist Signs

Sengoku have pulled out their checkbook again! This time they have signed another olympic judo medalist, Hiroshi Izumi won silver in the 90kg weight division in the 2004 Athens olympics and he will now join Satoshi Ishii on the Sengoku payroll. No fight is announced for him yet.

Also announced today was the featherweight GP reserve fight. This event will have the semi-finals and finals on the same night, and as we saw last year in the DREAM lightweight GP, these fighters are still in with a chance. The reserve fight will see Chan Sung Jung take on Matt Jaggers.

Sengoku is building a very impressive group of fighters now, and this event is looking very good. Lets just hope the Japanese crowd responds.

Also worth noting is that the Sengoku card for August 2 is looking almost complete, while the DREAM card for July 20 is looking about half-full. There should be more big announcements this week!

Announced:
Featherweight GP Reserve Fight:
Chan Sung Jung 6-1-0 vs. 11-5-0 Matt Jaggers

Previously Announced:
Lightweight Title Fight (5x5min):
Satoru Kitaoka 24-8-9 vs. 11-3-1 Mizuto Hirota

Featherweight GP:
Final: Winner Semi-final 1 vs. Winner Semi-final 2

Semi-final 1: Hatsu Hioki 19-3-2 vs. 13-5-5 Masanori Kanehara
Semi-final 2: Michihiro Omigawa 6-7-1 vs. 14-0-0 Marlon Sandro

Middleweight next title Challenger (If Nakamura wins):
Kazuo Misaki 21-9-2 vs. 13-9-0 Kazuhiro Nakamura

One-Fight:
Heavy: Blagoy Alexandre Ivanov vs. 15-7-0 Kazuyuki Fujita
Heavy: Yoshihiro Nakao 7-2-0 vs. 9-3-0 Chu Mu Bae
Light: Eiji Mitsuoka 15-6-2 vs. Clay French
Akihiro Gono 29-14-7 vs. 17-2-0 Dan Hornbuckle

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8/2 Sengoku 9 - Akihiro Gono's Opponent Announced

Like him or not, Akihiro Gono is one of the biggest stars in Japanese MMA. He was recently dropped by the UFC after 2 straight decision losses. Now he will be back in Japan and will be competeing with "King Mo" for Sengoku's most entertaining enterances. In his debut he will be taking on Dan Hornbuckle and this should be a very good fight! Hornbuckle lost his only Sengoku fight to Mike Pyle in Sengoku 2, and will be looking to revenge that. It wont be easy against the home star.

With this card, and the signing of Ishii, the future is looking bright for Sengoku. Lets see if it is enough to secure a deal to air prime time and again take MMA to the general public in Japan. Either way, this is a great card and Sengoku seems to be going all out. 2 title fights and lots of great fights to back them up!

Announced:
Akihiro Gono 29-14-7 vs. 17-2-0 Dan Hornbuckle

Previously Announced:
Lightweight Title Fight (5x5min):
Satoru Kitaoka 24-8-9 vs. 11-3-1 Mizuto Hirota

Middleweight next title Challenger:
Kazuo Misaki 21-9-2 vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura

Featherweight GP:
Semi-final 1: Hatsu Hioki 19-3-2 vs. 13-5-5 Masanori Kanehara
Semi-final 2: Michihiro Omigawa 6-7-1 vs. 14-0-0 Marlon Sandro

Final: Winner Semi-final 1 vs. Winner Semi-final 2

One-Fight:
Heavy: Blagoy Alexandre Ivanov vs. Kazuyuki Fujita
Heavy: Yoshihiro Nakao 7-2-0 vs. 9-3-0 Chu Mu Bae
Light: Eiji Mitsuoka 15-6-2 vs. Clay French

Read more...

WVR have added a couple of very interesting fights to their card on August 2. The Sengoku cards only seem to be getting better and better.

The two toughest heavyweights in Asia will face off, Chu Mu Bae disposed of Dave Herman in his last Sengoku fight giving Herman his first ever loss. But Yoshihiro Nakao is a fighter that is underrated by many. He has only been finished once, and that was before the fight started. His last fight ended due to a knee injury, and he returns here to take on the dangerous Korean.

The other fight added is the lightweight clash between Eiji Mitsuoka and Clay French. Both these fighters were in the lightweight GP last year, and this should be a very good fight. Mitsuoka has only lost once in his last five fights, defeating Rodrigo Damm and Joachim Hansen in the process. His only loss was to the eventual GP champion, Satoru Kitaoka. Clay French, on the other hand, is on a 3 fight losing streak. He also left the Sengoku GP last year due to Kitaoka's leg-locks and will be very eager to bounce back here.

Announced:
Heavy: Yoshihiro Nakao 7-2-0 vs. 9-3-0 Chu Mu Bae
Light: Eiji Mitsuoka 15-6-2 vs. Clay French

Previously Announced:
Lightweight Title Fight (5x5min)
Satoru Kitaoka 24-8-9 vs. 11-3-1 Mizuto Hirota

Middleweight next title Challenger
Kazuo Misaki 21-9-2 vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura

Featherweight GP:
Semi-final 1: Hatsu Hioki 19-3-2 vs. 13-5-5 Masanori Kanehara
Semi-final 2: Michihiro Omigawa 6-7-1 vs. 14-0-0 Marlon Sandro

Final: Winner Semi-final 1 vs. Winner Semi-final 2

One-Fight:
Heavy: Blagoy Alexandre Ivanov vs. Kazuyuki Fujita

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8/2 Sengoku 9 - Akihiro Gono signs

Sengoku have announced some interesting fighters for Sengoku 9. Akihiro Gono's future in the UFC had been in doubt, and now he has signed for Sengoku. He will participate in Sengoku 9, and I am sure it will give the card a boost with the Japanese fans.

But an even more interesting fighter is also announced, taking on Kazuyuki Fujita will be the Sambo world champion from 2008, Blagoi Alexandre Ivanov. On his way to the title he made a bit of history when he defeated Fedor Emelianenko. Now he is making his MMA debut, and I am sure a fight with Fedor is already in the works.

Also announced as a participant is lightweight standout Eiji Mitsuoka.

This is looking like the best Sengoku card to date, the event will take place in Saitama Super Arena.

Announced:
Kazuyuki Fujita 15-7-0 vs. Blagoi Alexandre Ivanov

Participants:
Akihiro Gono 29-14-7
Eiji Mitsuoka 15-6-2

Previously Announced:
Lightweight Title Fight (5x5min)
Satoru Kitaoka 24-8-9 vs. 11-3-1 Mizuto Hirota

Middleweight next title Challenger
Kazuo Misaki 21-9-2 vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura

Featherweight GP Semi-Finals:
Hatsu Hioki 19-3-2 vs. 13-5-5 Masanori Kanehara
Michihiro Omigawa 6-7-1 vs. 14-0-0 Marlon Sandro

Read more...

8/2 Sengoku 9 - Title Fight and Featherweight GP Semi's Announced

Sengoku have announced the semi-finals in their featherweight GP in addition to a lightweight fight for their next event on August 2 in Saitama Super Arena.

In the lightweight title fight, champion Satoru Kitaoka will take on a very worthy challenger in Mizuto Hirota. Hirota was part of last years GP, but lost to Kazunori Yokota in the 2nd round. He is the Cage Force lightweight champion and in his last fight got a quick TKO win over non other than Mitsuhiro Ishida. The champion needs to get this fight to the ground and I think Kitaoka will jump straight in for a leglock here. Hirota is very good at defending takedowns and it should be a very interesting fight.

Kazuo Misaki and Kazuhiro Nakamura will battle to see who the next challenger to Jorge Santiago's middleweight title will be.

The semi-final match-ups have been announced, and it will be very interesting to see who comes out on top. Personally, I have Marlon Sandro as my favorite but any one of the last four could take it. Sandor will take on the surprise so far in the GP, Michihiro Omigawa.

The other semi-final will be between Shooto veteran Hatsu Hioki and ZST fighter Masanori Kanehara. I feel that Kanehara has hed the easier route to the semi-fianls, and I cant really see him beating Hioki.

The final will be held on the same night, and I predict that it will be Hatsu Hioki against Marlon Sandro. That should be a very good and tactical fight.

Lightweight Title Fight (5x5min)
Satoru Kitaoka 24-8-9 vs. 11-3-1 Mizuto Hirota

Middleweight next title Challenger
Kazuo Misaki 21-9-2 vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura

Featherweight GP Semi-Finals:
Hatsu Hioki 19-3-2 vs. 13-5-5 Masanori Kanehara
Michihiro Omigawa 6-7-1 vs. 14-0-0 Marlon Sandro

Read more...

11/1 Sengoku 6 - LIVE Results

I will do live results today, but remember what happened last time! It should be fixed now, but due to visitors etc. I will only be posting results (might change my mind), maybe some short comments. The fights start at 4PM Japan time (the Japan time shows in the bottom right.

I have had a poll going for both of the GP's and there are some clear results. In the Middleweight GP, the final should be between Nakamura and Santiago. The Lightweight tournament, the winner of Kitaoka and Mitsuoka should be the favorite.

Here is the breakdown of the poll:

Middleweight GP
Jorge Santiago 21 votes
Kazuhiro Nakamura 19 votes
Siyar Bahadurzada 9 votes
Yuki Sasaki 4 votes

Reserves:
Joe Doerkson 4 votes
Izuru Takeuchi 0 votes

Lightweight GP
Eiji Mitsuoka 36 votes
Satoru Kitaoka 21 votes
Mizuto Hirota 13 votes
Kazunori Yokota 1 vote

Reserves:
Jorge Masvidal 3 votes
Bang Seung Hwan 2 votes

To read the results, click "Read More"


Quick Results:
GP Finals:
11. LW Final: Satoru Kitaoka Def. Kazunori Yokota by Decision 3-0
10. MW Final: Jorge Santiago Def. Kazuhiro Nakamura by KO Round 3 0:41

Non-GP Fights
9. LW: Sergey Golyaev Def. Takanori Gomi by decision 2-1
8. LHW: "King Mo" Muhammed Lawal Def. Fabio Silva by TKO Round 3
7. LHW: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira Def. Moise Rimbon by Decision 3-0

GP Semi-Finals (Middle and Lightweight) and Reserve Fights
6. LW GP Res.: Jorge Masvidal Def. Bang Seung Hwan by Decision 3-0
5. MW GP Res.: Joe Doerksen Def. Izuru Takeuchi by TKO Round 3 4:13
4. LW GP: Satoru Kitaoka Def. Eiji Mitsuoka by Heel-Hook Round 1 1:16
3. LW GP: Kazunori Yokota Def. Mizuto Hirota by Decision
2. MW GP: Kazuhiro Nakamura Def. Yuki Sasaki by Decision 3-0
1. MW GP: Jorge Santiago Def. Siyar Bahadurzada by Heel-Hook Round 1 1:10

GP Semi-Finals
Fight order:
1. MW GP: Jorge Santiago 18-7-0 vs. 14-3-1 Siyar Bahadurzada
Round 1
Santiago has Siyar's back. Santiago gets a heel hook, and Siyar taps, a quick submission win. JZ was in Santiago's corner.

2. MW GP: Yuki Sasaki 22-14-1 vs. 12-8-0 Kazuhiro Nakamura
Round 1
Sasaki is dancing around, Nakamura in the middle. Nakamura tries to take Sasaki down, puching him to the ropes. Exchanging some good punches, Nakamura with a slight advantage at the moment. Round 1 has been mostly fighters feeling eachother out, but looks like Nakamura has control. Sasaki is in this though.

Round 2
This is developing into a standing fight. Nakamura is trying to get Sasaki down, but Sasaki's knees are hitting the body in the clinch. Nakamura hits with a good left hand, and goes for the take down. Sasaki is able to turn and Nakamura has his back to the ropes now. Finally, Nakamura gets Sasaki to the ground, he has side control but Sasaki gets guard. The round ends with Nakamura in Sasaki's guard.

Round 3
Sasaki is keeping good distance. Sasaki is puching Nakamura into the corner and trying knees to the body. Not sure how much damage they are doing though. Nakamura gets an easy take down. Nakamura is in Sasaki's guard, attempting GNP, but spends a lot of energy with minimal results. Sasaki is bleeding from the nose, as Nakamura's puches are starting to hit the target. The bell rings and the decision should go to Nakamura.

Nakamura gets the decision 3-0, but he is very tired and has to fight again tonight. Santiago was no more than a minute in the ring...

3. LW GP: Kazunori Yokota 7-1-3 vs. 10-2-0 Mizuto Hirota
Round 1: I have to say I am excited about Hirota, he is a nice guy and I want to see him do well.
Fighters are in the ring. Yokota goes forward behind punches and goes for the takedown, doesnt get it and keeps his distance so far. Hirota is cut over his right eye. Hirota gets Yokotas back and fires of knees to the back of his thighs. Yokota gets a hold of Hirota around the neck and throws him down, for a second it looks like he has a choke, but Hirota is able to get up. Slight advantage to Yokota, he had a good take down and I think it might have gotten him the round.

Round 2
Yokota hit with a good knee to the cup, Hirota fires one back, straight to the cup. Yokota recovers and gets the takedown straight from the restart. Hirota has guard and is able to get up again. Round 2 would go to Yokota as well, I think Hirota needs to pull a KO out of the bag...

Round 3
Yokota is the more agressive and gets a takedown, but Hirota ends up on top. They stand back up and Hirota is swinging. Nothing really hits though... Yokota locks up Hirota's head in the corner and Hirota again with knees to the back of his thighs. Lots of punches back and forth, then Yokota gets the take down and is Hirota's guard. Hirota gets a leg and looks like he might get a heel hook, Yokota is able to turn it, and Hirota is able to get top position. Round ends, and this decision should go to Yokota. Yokota will feel his legs though.

Yokota gets the decision 3-0

4. LW GP: Satoru Kitaoka 21-8-9 vs. 14-5-2 Eiji Mitsuoka
Round 1
Time for what might be fight of the night. Mitsuoka needs to keep this fight standing though.

Kitaoka goes for the take down and gets it! Kitaoka tries a leg lock and with the second attempt gets a heel hook!!! Again, Kitaoka barely breaks a sweat, Mitsuoka has problems getting up though.

An amazing performance by Kitaoka!! Mitsuoka tried to avoid the takedown, but Kitaoka was just too strong.

5. MW GP Res.: Izuru Takeuchi 25-9-6 vs. 40-12-0 Joe Doerksen
Round 1
The fight has started and the fighters come out swining. Takeuchi has his wrestling shoes on and we have seen a lot of leg locks today. Doerksen has guard, but Takeuchi gets side control. Doerksen gets up and looks like he has a guilotine but Takuechi ends up on top agian. Doerksen is able able to turn and looks like he might get a good position, but Takeuchi is very experienced and gets on top again.

a very close round, would probably go to Takeuchi.

Round 2
Doerksen puching Takeuchi to the ropes but is unable to get him down. Takeuchi is pushing Doerkesen back and gets Doerksen down. Takeuchi is in Doerksen's guard, but is not looking comfortable. Doerksen gets in some upkicks, but Takeuchi is able to continue pushing forward. Doerksen gets up. Doerksen lost his mouth guard, but it was another very close round. I would give it to Doerksen, he had the submission attempts, but Takeuchi was on top and the judges might go that way.

Round 3
Takeuchi is finding his range on the feet. Doerksen get Thai clinch and looks like one knee hits the target. But Takeuchi is able to get him down again. So far Takechi's wrestling has been too strong for Doerksen. Doerksen turns in and gets mount. Not able to do much from mount so far, but he is staying on and some punches are hitting the target, 2 min left. Doerksen is able to raise up and Takeuchi gives his back. Takeuchi is turning and its back in Mount. Takeuchi is lookeing very tired and the ref steps in. A string TKO win to Doerksen!! Doerksen was patient and showed experience when he got mount, a good fight.

6. LW GP Res.: Bang Seung Hwan 5-2-0 vs. 14-3-0 Jorge Masvidal
Round 1
Both fighters very careful in the start. Masvidal is pushing forward, but Bang is able to fight back and the fight stays on the feet. Masvidal hits with a good punch! Bang is in serial trouble, but is able to recover. It was a very close call and now Bang looks angry! He does not like being punched. The bell rings and the round would go to Masvidal, he hit with a knee that had Bang in real trouble.

Round 2
Round 2 starts like round 1, both fighters are very careful. It is stand up war now, but hard to say who has the upper hand. Bang might have the upper hand in this round, but the damage done is minimal. It is a very close round, but I would give it to Bang and the fight should be 1-1.

Round 3
Bang is coming out swinging power punches, but dosent seem to hit much. Bang got a take down at the end and I have a close decision to Bang.

The judges score it for Masvidal. I think the knee in the 1st made the difference.

Non-GP Fights
7. LHW: Moise Rimbon 13-7-3 vs. 14-3-0 Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Sick child is making me give up play by play so i will only be posting results :)

Nogueira get the decision 3-0

There is a break: and Kazuo Misaki and Hideki yoshida enteres the ring.

Misaki is saying he will win the fight againt the winner of the GP by KO, he wants the Sengoku belt!

Yoshida is wishing Misaki good luck, and encouraging the crowd to come back for the Sengoku NYE event.

8. LHW: "King Mo" Muhammed Lawal 1-0-0 vs. 11-4-0 Fabio Silva
Round 1: King Mo has the best enterance so far... It might take Genki Sudo to beat him...

King Mo is dominating with GnP so far.

Round 2:
It is really King Mo all over this... He takes Silva down and punishes him. Silva tries to work submission, but is never really close... I am just amazed that Silva is in there, he is showing a lot of heart.

Round 3:
King Mo takes Silva down again, and punishes him. The ref has to step in to save Silva. A very strong TKO win!

9. LW: Takanori Gomi 29-3-0 vs. 10-6-0 Sergey Golyaev
Round 1
Gomi is sitting in his face and going for a Kimura, Golyaev gets out, but Gomi gets mount. Gomi goes for an armbar and the bell rings!! Round 1 Gomi all the way!

Round 2
Golyaev is defending well, but Gomi has the upper hand. Gomi is hitting with his punches and is the beter fighter on the ground. Golyaev is seriously rocked by a counter!!! He is in real trouble and Golyaev does not follw up!! Gomi is recovering, but Golyaev is not following up!

The slow motion showes Gomi folding after a left jab. It is strange that Golyaev didnt follow up! Round 2 to Golyaev, clearly!

Round 3
Gomi was hesitant in the start, but he recovers. He gets mount and is pounding, but I smell a rat... Golyaev had 5 minutes to finish him off... Golyaev didnt punch much at the end of this fight, but he looked like the fresher fighter. He is just jabbing.

Gomi is not happy! He would be lucky to win this...

Golyaev gets the decision!!! 2-1
My faith is restored. It was an impressive performace though! He hit Gomi with a jab and it changed the fight. Now Sengoku has Gomi meeting the GP finalist, but he lost the previous fight... Exactly why I would have liked to see Gomi in the GP...

GP Finals
10. MW Final: Jorge Santiago vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura
Round 1
The finalists are in the ring and the anthems are being played.

Nakamura takes Santiago down and has side control. Lets see if he can do anything with it. Trying an armbar and Santiago gets up. The round ends with the fighters on their feet. Santiago had a good knee in the round. It was a close one, but will probably go to Nakamura.

Round 3
Nakamura gets hit by a HARD right and he goes down. Santiago is following up with good punches on the ground and the ref has to step in. A good win by Santiago!!! My readers were right on with this one!!

The winners reward is 5,000,000 yen. or 50,000 USD. Nakamura is not getting up though, the ref was slow stopping this, Nakamura is carried out on a streacher and its the same ref that has stopped fights early before!!! Good win by Santiago, bad move by the ref...

11. LW Final: Satoru Kitaoka vs. Kazunori Yokota
Round 1
This fight will be awesome! Kitaoka was VERY strong in his semi-final and he comes in fresh, this should be Kitaoka!

Kitaoka looks very intense.

Kitaoka dives in and Yokota is keeping himself up by the ropes. Kitaoka is trying again and has Yokota's back, Yokota tries to use the ropes to escape every time, but this is getting emnbarrasing.

Finally, Kitaoka has Yokota on his back. This is not where Yokota wants to be! Kitaoke is not able to take advantage though and the round runs out.

Round 2
Kitaoka gets control again, Yokota gets up though. This is a fight where Kitaoka is in TOTAL control so far. It is getting frustrating though, Yokota is continuing to use the ropes and gets warned by the ref. Kitaoka is controlling this out, Kitaoka has Yokota in the crusifix now. Kitaoka is going crazy now! Stomps are not legal in Sengoku, but I have seen several fighters do it today. CLEAR round to Kitaoka agian!

Round 3
Yokota is jumping out of the ropes now, thats been his defence so far. Kitaoka tries something different and gets on his back. Yokota has an armlock, but Kitaoka defends well. A Yokota knee is close. But Kitaoka catches it and the ref breaks it. Kitaoka goes for the spinning backfist, but it doesnt hit.

Yokota is spending the fight running for the ropes, and its getting predictable. Yokota is hit and almost KOed. This should be Kitaoka!!! I am very happy! Yokota tried to beat him by using his experience, but today Kitaoka was too good!

Decision Kitaoka 3-0!!!

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11/1 Sengoku - Odds

The Sengoku 6 odds are out, and there are some BIG favoties in this one. If you are looking for good value, Eiji Mitsuoka would be one. He will have a tough fight against Satoru Kitaoka, but deserves better odds than what he has at the moment. Other fights I think there might be good value is Jorge Santiago and Siyar Bahadurzada, I thi it will be tighter than that. The same goes for Jorge Masvidal and Hwan Sung Pang

Otherwise, Gomi and Nogueira are huge favorites (not unexpectedly). Even though I think Moise Rimbon might create an upset here.

Either way, it is only good value if you manage to pick a winner. Tomorrow we will see if there are any upsets.

Middleweight GP
Jorge Santiago -345
Siyar Bahadurzada +275

Kazuhiro Nakamura -345
Yuki Sasaki +275

Izuru Takeuchi +130
Joe Doerksen -160

Lightweight GP
Kazunori Yokota +175
Mizuto Hirota -215

Eiji Mitsuoka +175
Satoru Kitaoka -215

Jorge Masvidal -515
Hwan Sung Pang +365

Non-GP Fights
Sergey Golyaev +600
Takanori Gomi -800

Fabio Silva +215
Muhammed Lawal -275

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira -750
Moise Rimbon +550

Thanks to:
http://combat-hooligans.com/2008/10/30/sengoku-6-odds-and-latest-ufc-lines/
http://www.betwwx.com/ufc-odds/

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11/1 SENGOKU GP Finals - Fight order

This shoule be the best event so far by Sengoku. There are 11 good fights on the card, and the GPs should bring lots of excitement.

Other than the GPs, Antonio Rogerio's return to Japan will be a highlight and his fight with Moise Rimbon should be a good one. It will also be interesting to see if "King Mo" can follow up his impressive debut.

For the GPs, it is very hard to tell who is the favorite. Personally, I think Siyar Bahadurzada should have a good chance in the Middleweight GP, but I am not sure he is back to 100% after his injury.

The lightweights are almost impossible to tell. My personal favorites are Satoru Kitaoka and Mizuto Hirota. But Eiji Mitsuoka is probably the most rounded fighter of the semi-finalists. Kazunori Yokota is also very strong, so this GP I would not write off anyone.

GP Finals:
11. LW Final: Winner Fight 3 vs. Winner Fight 4
10. MW Final: Winner Fight 1 vs. Winner Fight 2

Non-GP Fights
9. LW: Takanori Gomi 29-3-0 vs. 10-6-0 Sergey Golyaev
8. LHW: "King Mo" Muhammed Lawal 1-0-0 vs. 11-4-0 Fabio Silva
7. LHW: Moise Rimbon 13-7-3 vs. 14-3-0 Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

GP Semi-Finals (Middle and Lightweight) and Reserve Fights
6. LW GP Res.: Bang Seung Hwan 5-2-0 vs. 14-3-0 Jorge Masvidal
5. MW GP Res.: Izuru Takeuchi 25-9-6 vs. 40-12-0 Joe Doerksen
4. LW GP: Satoru Kitaoka 21-8-9 vs. 14-5-2 Eiji Mitsuoka
3. LW GP: Kazunori Yokota 7-1-3 vs. 10-2-0 Mizuto Hirota
2. MW GP: Yuki Sasaki 22-14-1 vs. 12-8-0 Kazuhiro Nakamura
1. MW GP: Jorge Santiago 18-7-0 vs. 14-3-1 Siyar Bahadurzada

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11/1 Sengoku - Nogueira Signing Confirmed

Sengoku have announced the last fight on their November 1 card today, and it is "Minotoro" Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Moise Rimbon.

This should be a huge signing for Sengoku! Also a good addition to this card.

It looks as though Josh Barnett will not participate though, I am a little dissapointed about that. Still a very good card.

Added:
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira "Minotoro" 14-3-0 vs. 13-7-3 Moise Rimbon

The complete card:
Middleweight GP:
Final: Winner Sasaki/Nakamura vs. Winner Santiago/Bahadurzada

Semi-Finals:
Yuki Sasaki 22-14-1 vs. 12-8-0 Kazuhiro Nakamura
Jorge Santiago 18-7-0 vs. 14-3-1 Siyar Bahadurzada
Reserve Fight: Izuru Takeuchi 25-9-6 vs. 40-12-0 Joe Doerksen

Lightweight GP:
Final: Winner Kitaoka/Mitsuoka vs. Winner Yokota/Hirota

Semi-Finals
Satoru Kitaoka 21-8-9 vs. 14-5-2 Eiji Mitsuoka
Kazunori Yokota 7-1-3 vs. 10-2-0 Mizuto Hirota
Reserve Fight: Bang Seung Hwan 5-2-0 vs. 14-3-0 Jorge Masvidal

Non-GP Fights:
Takanori Gomi 29-3-0 vs. 10-6-0 Sergey Golyaev
"King Mo" Muhammed Lawal 1-0-0 vs. 11-4-0 Fabio Silva
Moise Rimbon 13-7-3 vs. 14-3-0 Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

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11/1 Sengoku - Secret Fight Revealed?

Nothing official yet, but Nightmare of Battle has a scoop from Brazil. Is Lil-Nog on his way back to Japan? It certainly looks like it, Portal do Vale Tudo is saying its on. He will be fighting Moise Rimbon and that should complete the card.

With the FEG press-conference tomorrow, I would not be surpriced if the fight is confirmed tomorrow. Either way, I am expecting a Sengoku announcement tomorrow.

IF this is the fight, the card will look like this:

Middleweight GP:
Final: Winner Sasaki/Nakamura vs. Winner Santiago/Bahadurzada

Semi-Finals:
Yuki Sasaki 22-14-1 vs. 12-8-0 Kazuhiro Nakamura
Jorge Santiago 18-7-0 vs. 14-3-1 Siyar Bahadurzada
Reserve Fight: Izuru Takeuchi 25-9-6 vs. 40-12-0 Joe Doerksen

Lightweight GP:
Final: Winner Kitaoka/Mitsuoka vs. Winner Yokota/Hirota

Semi-Finals
Satoru Kitaoka 21-8-9 vs. 14-5-2 Eiji Mitsuoka
Kazunori Yokota 7-1-3 vs. 10-2-0 Mizuto Hirota
Reserve Fight: Bang Seung Hwan 5-2-0 vs. 14-3-0 Jorge Masvidal

Non-GP Fights:
Takanori Gomi 29-3-0 vs. 10-6-0 Sergey Golyaev
"King Mo" Muhammed Lawal 1-0-0 vs. 11-4-0 Fabio Silva
Moise Rimbon 13-7-3 vs. 14-3-0 Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

Read more...

11/1 Sengoku - Gomi Fighting!

It has been said that Gomi needed to be on this card in order to fill Saitama Super Arena, that might very well be true. Today it was announced that he is fighting, he is facing Sergey Golyaev, a new name for me (even though he fought Hellboy in 2004) and a guy that has not fought since December 2006 (according to Sherdog's fight finder). Most of his fights are in M-1 and it will be interesting to see if he poses a threat to Gomi. He was the Russian Muay Thai champion in 2000/2001 according to the Sengoku information.

Fabio Silva is returning to the ring, he is probably best known (depending on who you ask) as a Wanderlei Silva look alike, but he is a good fighter and against King Mo I would say that anything can happen. Silva has the experience, but the question is if that's enough... I would have favored Wiuff for the same reason... Silva is also giving away a bit of size in this one.

This event is looking very strong, and there is the possibility of an 11th fight. NoB is saying someone familiar to Japan and hasn't fought here (in Japan) for about 2years... There are lots of fighters that fall into that category and I don't want to speculate but there are a few names that stick out from the last couple of Pride events.

Announced today:
Takanori Gomi 29-3-0 vs. 10-6-0 Sergey Golyaev
Middleweight GP Reserve Fight: Izuru Takeuchi 25-9-6 vs. 40-12-0 Joe Doerksen
King Mo 1-0-0 vs. 11-4-0 Fabio Silva

That makes the card look like this:

Middleweight GP:
Final: Winner Sasaki/Nakamura vs. Winner Santiago/Bahadurzada

Semi-Finals:
Yuki Sasaki 22-14-1 vs. 12-8-0 Kazuhiro Nakamura
Jorge Santiago 18-7-0 vs. 14-3-1 Siyar Bahadurzada
Reserve Fight: Izuru Takeuchi 25-9-6 vs. 40-12-0 Joe Doerksen

Lightweight GP:
Final: Winner Kitaoka/Mitsuoka vs. Winner Yokota/Hirota

Semi-Finals
Satoru Kitaoka 21-8-9 vs. 14-5-2 Eiji Mitsuoka
Kazunori Yokota 7-1-3 vs. 10-2-0 Mizuto Hirota
Reserve Fight: Bang Seung Hwan 5-2-0 vs. 14-3-0 Jorge Masvidal

Non-GP Fights:
Takanori Gomi 29-3-0 vs. 10-6-0 Sergey Golyaev
"King Mo" Muhammed Lawal 1-0-0 vs. 11-4-0 Fabio Silva

Yesterday NoB posted some interesting rumors. I have not seen them confirmed anywhere, but would it would be interesting if they were true. KJ Noons vs. Nick Diaz in Japan… NoB is speculating that it will be in Sengoku, I would agree… DREAM would probably put Diaz against Sakurai, as they were intending first. But let’s see.

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11/1 Sengoku - Fights added (Middleweight Semi's Announced)

Sengoku have confirmed the Middleweight matchups today. Not a huge surprise that the 2 Japanese fighters will face off in the semi-final, but this is going to be an interesting event. The lightweight semi's were already announced, but this is a very good card.

In addition to the Light- and Middleweight GP finals, we will have a Lightweight Tournament Reserve fight between Bang Seung Hwan, who was just stripped of his DEEP belt and Jorge Masvidal.

King Mo is confirmed as a participant, Josh Barnett has said earlier that he would be on this card and there should also be a middleweight reserve fight. Joe Doerksen is reported to be heading to Japan, and he should be facing Pancrase veteran Izuru Takeuchi in the Middleweight GP Reserve fight. I saw Joe Doerksen in his last fight in Japan, an easy win in DEEP 29 and look forward to seeing him again. Takeuchi is on a 5 fight winning streak and it should be a good fight.

Anyway, this looks like a strong card and I am really looking forward to this event! This event will also have the final in BOTH the GPs.

Confirmed today:

Middleweight Semi-Finals:
Yuki Sasaki 22-14-1 vs. 12-8-0 Kazuhiro Nakamura
Jorge Santiago 18-7-0 vs. 14-3-1 Siyar Bahadurzada

Lightweight Reserve Fight:
Bang Seung Hwan 5-2-0 vs. 14-3-0 Jorge Masvidal

Participating:
"King Mo" Muhammed Lawal 1-0-0

Previously announced:
Satoru Kitaoka 21-8-9 vs. 14-5-2 Eiji Mitsuoka
Kazunori Yokota 7-1-3 vs. 10-2-0 Mizuto Hirota

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9/28 Sengoku - Results

I am having issues with my connetion and I will see if it gets going... For now, I am not able to watch the event! Sorry...

I'll do a double header this weekend. Dont know if I will do a PBP, but most likely. Either way, the results will be here LIVE!

Should be a good event, and there are some interesting fights on the card. Xande Ribeiro makes his MMA debut, so does King Mo as a late replacement for Roger Gracie.

Kazuhiro Nakamura is back in Japan after an unsuccessful stay in the UFC. He is still the odds favorite against Paul Cahoon, who I think might be underestimated here. Should be a good event, and there is potential for some very good fights.

It starts at 3PM Japan time (Japan time is showing on top right)

1. Jorge Masvidal Def. Ryan Schultz by TKO Round 1 1:57
2. Kiuma Kunioku Def. A Sol Kwon by decision 3-0
3. Siyar Bahadurzada Def. Evangelista Santos "Cyborg" TKO Round 1 0:22 (Cyborg dislocated elbow)
4. Jorge Santiago Def. Logan Clark by arm-triangle Round 2 3:35
5. Kazuhiro Nakamura Def. Paul Cahoon by decision 3-0
6. Yuki Sasaki Def. Yuki Kondo by rear-naked choke Round 2 1:08
7. King Mo Def. Travis Wiuff by TKO Round 1 2:11
8. Xande Ribeiro Def. Takashi Sugiura by TKO Round 3 4:18

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