Archive for the ‘Sengoku’ Category

Report: Sengoku Raiden Championsip canceled for Dec. 31

Thursday, November 12th, 2009

Reports surfaced late yesterday indicating that World Victory Road’s “Sengoku Raiden Championship” New Year’s Eve supershow at Tokyo’s Ariake Coliseum has been canceled for Dec. 31.

Despite awaiting official confirmation, the news of the event’s peril was first reported by BloodyElbow.com after a turbulent turn of events this week has seemingly put the fight card in jeopardy.

The news comes on the heel of WVR’s decision to call off a press conference regarding the NYE event. The announcements regarding the highly anticipated television contract that WVR has been working to secure to broadcast the event would have been the highlight of the conference.

No details have been released, thus stoking the suspicion that WVR may have been unable to land the broadcast deal.

Besides the headlining bout between two former judo Olympic gold medalists, Hidehiko Yoshida and Satoshi Ishii, several title bouts have been rumored for the event. With the plan for the mega-event scheduled for the prime television slot of the year imperiled, WVR may now join forces with rival Japanese promoter Fighting and Entertainment Group to stage one big, MMA/K-1 fight card.

The putative collaboration between WVR and FEG has been reported in Japan by Tokyo Sports — note that, given the newspaper’s known predilection for tabloid-style sensationalism, its report must be taken with a grain of salt.

According to the paper, the merged fight card will take place at Saitama Super Arena and air on TBS, as the regular DREAM and K-1 events do. The combined card may include cross-promotional bouts pitting fighters under the WVR and DREAM/FEG banners.

Furthermore, Tokyo Sports reports that the president of Don Quijote, WVR’s main sponsor, and FEG president, Sadaharu Tanikawa, have been meeting privately since last month. After a series of meetings, they have reached the co-promotion deal for the NYE event earlier this month.

Tanikawa, DREAM event producer, Keiichi Sasahara and WVR PR director, Takahiro Kokuho have refused to comment on the Tokyo Sports report.

Expect a major press conference in the coming weeks to reveal the details of the co-promoted fight card.

Tags:
Posted in MMA, Sengoku | No Comments »

‘SRC Spirit’ previews Sengoku 12 supershow for Dec. 31 event

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

SRC

The countdown to World Victory Road’s  monumental New Year’s Eve event has begun.

Sengoku Gold, a weekly half-hour digest that features fighter interviews, behind-the-scene footage, and event recaps, has been re-branded as the “SRC (Sengoku Raiden Championship) Spirit,” starting Oct. 4.

In anticipation of the event that will rechristen Sengoku as the Sengoku Raiden Chapionship, “SRC Spirit” offers glimpses into the personal lives and training of the fighters who will grace the ring.

The event is slated to feature at least three title bouts and culminate with the main event pitting two judo golden boys: 1992 Olympic gold medalist and Japanese MMA icon, Hidehiko Yoshida, and the 2008 Olympic gold medalist and prodigiously hyped MMA debutant, Satoshi Ishii.

In the four, documentary-style episodes that have aired thus far, Yoshida and Ishii have shared their thoughts and training footage as the clock ticks for their epic showdown.

A tireless road warrior, Ishii has traveled to South Florida, Brazilian Amazon, and various gyms in Japan in preparation for his MMA debut. He is now itching to showcase his transformation from a judo Olympic gold medalist to full-fledged MMA fighter.

Ishii states that Yoshida, whom he has always admired as a fellow judoka, is a stepping stone to bigger and better things in his career. As evidenced by his initial UFC venture, he already possesses an outsized ambition to make his mark in the MMA world.

Yoshida, on the other hand, puts his pride and veteran credential on the line against Ishii. He seeks to show Ishii the challenge and rigor of MMA, as someone who has traveled the road that Ishii has just begun to toe.

Other highlights from the “SRC Spirit” episodes:

• Also featured are the Sengoku featherweight and lightweight contenders who head into the upcoming Sengoku 11 for high-stake battles to earn their shot at the title on NYE: Hatsu Hioki, Michihiro Omigawa (in the upcoming episode), Eiji Mitsuoka, Kazunori Yokota, and Satoru Kitaoka.

• Hatsu Hioki, who defeated Masanori Kanehara in the semi-final bout of the Sengoku Featherweight Grand Prix, was forced to withdraw from the final due to concussion. He states that the deflating experience of watching Kanehara move on to the final and steal the tournament crown is in the past: He is focused on his bout with Michihiro Omigawa for a chance to earn his belt on NYE.

• Eiji Mitsuoka, seen working with his personal trainer at Gold’s Gym, speaks about his newly developed power that has accentuated his wrestling and striking.

• Kazunori Yokota, on the other hand, prides himself on his speed that he hopes will help him edge Mitsuoka and earn him a rematch with Mizuto Hirota for the lightweight title on NYE.

• Satoru Kitaoka faces American Top Team prospect, Jorge Masvidal at Sengoku 11. He speaks about his disorienting encounter with fame in the wake of becoming the Sengoku lightweight champion, decision to retire after his loss to Hirota, and newfound vigor for his fighting career.

• Akihiro Gono discusses his current three-fight skid and the highs and lows he has experienced over the course of his fifteen-year career: He appears refreshingly content, even when reflecting upon the tribulations. The 35 year-old Gono states that his professional and personal lives have never been more fulfilling than they are now.

• The Oct. 25 episode shows a scene from the celebration held to mark the founding of Japan Martial Arts Games Association. The new organization unites the committees responsible for oversight of various martial arts/combat sports, including MMA under its wing. The notable figures in attendance at the celebration, such as former boxing world champions, Yoko Gushiken and Koichi Wajima, and Sumo wrestler, Asashoryu, voice their excitement about the Yoshida-Ishii bout on NYE.

Check out the “SRC Spirit” episodes below, or to access the playlist and select individual episodes, click here.

Keep it locked in to MMAmania.com for more on SRC Spirit and the upcoming Sengoku New Year’s Eve event.

Tags:
Posted in MMA, Sengoku | No Comments »

Sengoku 10 exclusive photo gallery and pics for “Tenth Battle” on Sept. 23

Thursday, September 24th, 2009

Check out more exclusive pics from Sengoku: “Tenth Battle” after the jump.

Jimmy Viola is an MMAmania.com staff contributor and correspondent for the Japanese fight scene. For more on his exploits in “The Land of the Rising Sun,” check him out at jimmyviola.blogspot.com or by clicking here.

Tags:
Posted in MMA, Sengoku, Sengoku 10 | No Comments »

News and notes from Sengoku 10 post fight press conference

Thursday, September 24th, 2009

On Thursday, the winners at Sengoku 10 gathered at a hotel in Tokyo for post-fight press conference to discuss the Sept. 23 “Tenth Battle” in Saitama.

After a night full of highlight reel-worthy finishes, the fighters joined the World Victory Road (WVR) officials to reflect upon their performance and share their plans for immediate future. The WVR officials, including the PR director, Takahiro Kokuho, elaborated on the New Years’ Eve show and the name change for the promotion that were unveiled during the course of Sengoku 10 on Wednesday.

According to promotion officials, Sengoku will be rechristened as “Sengoku Raiden Championship.” The New Year’s Eve show, which will be held at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo, will inaugurate the new promotional banner.

Kokuho explained that the new name has been inspired by Raiden, a legendary sumo wrestler from approximately 220 years ago.  The reference reflects the ongoing Japanese feudal motif: “Sengoku” is derived from an era in Japanese history from the 15th to 17th century that was characterized by nearly constant military conflict.

No start time has been booked yet for the NYE show, but Kokuho stated that the show could start in the evening and run into 2010. Rumors have circulated lately that Sengoku has been negotiating for a new television deal with one of the major terrestrial broadcasting network.

Asked about the possible head-to-head competition with Fighting and Entertainment Group’s K-1 “Dynamite” event, Kokuho explained that WVR is not concerned about the competition. New Year’s Eve constitutes a prime television slot in Japan, as people across the nation tune in for special end-of-the-year events such as concerts and comedy shows.

Memorable comment delivered from the fighters in attendance:

Maximo Blanco: “Hi, this is Maxi.  I ate too much after my fight last night and am suffering from nasty stomachache. I am willing to fight anybody, and will not cut myself any slack during fight preparation, regardless of who I face. I wish to become an even better fighter for my next opponent.”

Dan Hornbuckle: “If I am going to fight for a title, I want to do it during a big event, like the New Years show — I am willing to sacrifice my birthday and Christmas in order to prepare for the event.”

Sengoku 11 continues to take shape:

Current Featherweight King of Pancrase and Sengoku Featherweight Grand Prix semi-finalist, Marlon Sandro (14-1) has been added to the line-up for Sengoku 11, which is scheduled to take place on Nov. 7 at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo. WVR has confirmed Sandro’s squaring off against the Cage Force Featherweight title holder, Yuji Hoshino (16-7-7).

Sandro last fought at Sengoku 9 against Michihiro Omigawa in the semi-final round of the Featherweight tourney. After three rounds of action, Sandro appeared the likely victor in the eyes of many; however, he managed to sway only one of the three judges, while the other two ruled the bout a draw. Pressed to choose the winner who would advance to the final round of the tournament, the two judges gave the nod to Omigawa. Consequently, Sandro suffered a split decision loss that punctuated his perfect record.

He hopes to bounce back from the first loss of his career against Pancrase/DEEP/Cage Force veteran, Yuji Hoshino. A product of Wajyutsu Keishukai, the current/former home to numerous standouts such as Caol Uno, Yushin Okami, Eiji Mitsuoka, and Hideki Kadowaki, Hoshino brings a wealth of experience competing in multiple weight classes. He holds a record of one win and a draw against the former Sengoku Lightweight champion, Satoru Kitaoka.

Before settling in the featherweight division, he has fought tough competition in higher weight classes against the likes of Kitaoka, Nate Marquardt, Shonie Carter, and Chris Lytle. Currently on an eleven-fight undefeated streak, Hoshino captured the Cage Force Featherweight crown last year, upon winning the promotion’s Featherweight tournament: He defeated current DREAM featherweight, Akiyo Nishiura, and highly touted Shooto veteran, Antonio Carvalho, en route to the championship.

Big Foot coming to America?

In an exclusive interview with the Brazilian MMA site, Brasil Combate, Antonio “Big Foot” Silva disclosed that his agents/managers have been negotiating with UFC. With regards to his suspension by California Athletic Commission and the status of his license to compete in the US, Silva stated that his penalty officially came to an end on July 26. He had not incurred any additional punishment during the month-long period following July 26, and thus ready to negotiate with any American organization.

Silva explained that nothing specific has been fleshed out with regard to the proposal from UFC. For now, he wants to honor his current contract with Sengoku and then carefully ponder the best option available.

Discussing the state of UFC’s heavyweight division, Silva expressed his dislike for Brock Lesnar and mocked him as a “clown.”  He described Lesnar as a one-dimensional fighter whose only weapon is takedown, complemented by ground-and-pound. Asked who would win between Lesnar and Fedor Emelianenko, Silva guffawed and spurned Lesnar’s chance of victory.

A member of the famed American Top Team, Silva credits his teammates and trainers for his improvement in grappling. Though rightfully focused on MMA, he is open to competing in boxing, jiu jitsu, and/or submission grappling, as he believes the experience will ultimately benefit his MMA career.

In the wake of his victory over “Big Jim York” at Sengoku 10, he stated that he is willing to fight anyone Sengoku chooses, as long as he fights for the promotion. At the same time, he mentioned that he would like to face Josh Barnett, if possible.

For our complete recap of “Tenth Battle,” click here.

Tags:
Posted in MMA, Sengoku, Sengoku 10 | No Comments »

Sengoku ‘Tenth Battle’ results and recap

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009

sengoku10

Sengoku 10, from the Saitama Community Arena in Saitama, Japan, on September 23, is officially in the books.

“Tenth Battle” may have lacked marquee names in the fight card but suffered no shortage of electrifying action.  Out of the eight televised fights, only one went the distance; elsewhere, explosive knockouts proliferated throughout the card that had the Aussie HDNet Fight commentator, Mike Schiavello exclaiming, “Good night, Irene!!” to match Mike Goldberg’s “and it’s all over!!”

Maximo Blanco and Tetsuya Yamada kicked off the night of action with abrupt, second-round stoppage.  In the one and half round duration of the fight, Blanco did not quite display his trademark explosiveness, and remained content to pepper Yamada with punches from his foe’s guard.

Yamada showed flashes of his submission savvy, threatening Blanco with attempts at rear naked choke, arm bar, and heel hook.  In the second round, Blanco landed a hard punch and knee from Yamada’s guard.  As Yamada turned his back, Blanco blasted off with a knee kick to the thigh/butt region and several punches to the rib.

Joe Doerksen and Takenori Sato showcased fast-paced ground battle, vigorously vying for position during the first round.  After Doerksen dropped Sato to snap the feeling-out process, a fast-paced grappling action ensued.  They traded top and bottom positions on the ground – Doerksen threatened with several submission attempts and Sato answered with throws from the clinch and reversal from the bottom.  Doerksen prevailed in the second round, dropping Sato once again with punches and scoring a TKO victory.

Dan “The Handler” Hornbuckle’s stock continues its meteoric rise: Coming off a brutal KO of Akihiro Gono at Sengoku 9, he handled the Nick “The goat” Thompson to further his climb up the welterweight ladder.  He pushed the pace from the beginning and engaged in a brisk action on the feet and on the mat.  He effectively used his reach and off-kilter timing to land crisp punches and kicks on Thompson.

Thompson started finding targets with his punches in the second round; however, about a minute into the round, Hornbuckle beat him to the punch with a straight left to the jaw.  Hornbuckle followed up with a right hook to the temple that staggered the “goat.”  The “handler” went for the kill with a kick, flurry of punches, and a knee until the referee halted the fight.

Fabio Silva brutally dismantled Ryo Kawamura in their rematch with his Chute Boxe-bred blitzkrieg of punches and knees.  The fight ended in a similar fashion as their first encounter in Pancrase in 2007, as Silva swarmed Kawamura with short hooks from the close-quarter and knees from Thai plum.

It took just one punch for Kazunori Yokota to snap a nagging streak of decision victories.  After tentatively trying to close the distance, Yokota leaped forward with an overhand right that caught Ryan Schultz flush on the chin.

He followed up with a left hook and another right, shutting Schultz’s light out.  With the dynamite victory, Yokota silenced the critics who carped on his fighting style and made a convincing case for a lightweight title shot that had eluded him last time around.

In the lone three-round bout of the night, 2000 Olympic judo gold medalist, Makoto Takimoto and Spirit MC veteran, Jae Sun Lee rode the momentum of the night to showcase technical ground battle.  Takimoto displayed exquisite judo throws while Lee kept busy with constant guard passing and strategic positioning on the ground.  In the end, Takimoto edged Lee out with a unanimous decision victory.

Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva made a triumphant return to Sengoku’s ring with a first-round submission victory over “Big” Jim York.  After a slow start, the fight hit the mat where Silva made quick work of York, locking in arm triangle choke.  Scoring the second victory of his career under the Sengoku banner, Silva displayed his versatility and positioned himself for a potential showdown with Josh Barnett in near future.

In the main event of the night, MMA debutantes Hiroshi Izumi and Antz “Notorious” Nansen lit up firework from the get-go.  As he declared in the pre-fight interviews, 2004 Olympic judo silver medalist, Izumi dove head first into the hostile territory of the rugged kickboxer, Nansen.  Despite his imprudence, Izumi displayed a valiant effort, slipping several punches and returning fire.

At one point, he succeeded in cornering Nansen and securing a clinch; however, he failed to capitalize on the opportunity to impose his judo prowess on Nansen.  For all his fighting spirit, Izumi ultimately fell short against the two-division WKBF champ via knockout in the first round.  Nansen took the mic immediately after his victory and threw down the gauntlet to the soon-to-debut Satoshi Ishii.

Elsewhere, Michihiro Omigawa, Jorge Santiago, and Akihiro Gono stepped into the ring to deliver brief messages to the crowd during the intermission.  Hatsu Hioki vs. Michihiro Omigawa was announced for Sengoku 11 to determine the challenger for the featherweight title, and Omigawa vocalized his excitement about the bout.  No opponent for Santiago and Gono has been confirmed for Sengoku 11 yet.

The stars of the highly anticipated New Year show also followed suit to the ring: Former judo Olympic gold medalists, Satoshi Ishii and Hidehiko Yoshida, took the mic to hype up the event, which is now scheduled to take place on New Year’s Eve at Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo.

Here are the Sengoku “Tenth Battle” complete results:

Main card:
Antz Nansen def. Hiroshi Izumi via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 2:56
Antonio Silva def. Jim York via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 1, 3:51
Makoto Takimoto def. Jae Sun Lee via unanimous decision
Kazunori Yokota def. Ryan Schultz via first-round KO (punch) – Round 1, 2:31
Fabio Silva def. Ryo Kawamura via second-round TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 2:28
Dan Hornbuckle def. Nick Thompson via second-round TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 1:30
Joe Doerksen def. Takenori Sato via first-round TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 4:27
Maximo Blanco def. Tetsuya Yamada via second-round TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 1:12

Sengoku Gold Cup Lightweight bout:
Ikuo Usuda def. Woo Hyon Baek via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 4:59

Sengoku Gold Cup Featherweight bout:
Shigeki Osawa def. Ki Hyun Kim via unanimous decision

Sengoku Gold Cup Bantamweight bout:
Jae Hyun So def. Ryosuke Komori via unanimous decision

Tags:
Posted in MMA, Sengoku, Sengoku 10 | No Comments »

Sengoku ‘Tenth Battle’ results and recap

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009

sengoku10

Sengoku 10, from the Saitama Community Arena in Saitama, Japan, on September 23, is officially in the books.

“Tenth Battle” may have lacked marquee names in the fight card but suffered no shortage of electrifying action.  Out of the eight televised fights, only one went the distance; elsewhere, explosive knockouts proliferated throughout the card that had the Aussie HDNet Fight commentator, Mike Schiavello exclaiming, “Good night, Irene!!” to match Mike Goldberg’s “and it’s all over!!”

Maximo Blanco and Tetsuya Yamada kicked off the night of action with abrupt, second-round stoppage.  In the one and half round duration of the fight, Blanco did not quite display his trademark explosiveness, and remained content to pepper Yamada with punches from his foe’s guard.

Yamada showed flashes of his submission savvy, threatening Blanco with attempts at rear naked choke, arm bar, and heel hook.  In the second round, Blanco landed a hard punch and knee from Yamada’s guard.  As Yamada turned his back, Blanco blasted off with a knee kick to the thigh/butt region and several punches to the rib.

Joe Doerksen and Takenori Sato showcased fast-paced ground battle, vigorously vying for position during the first round.  After Doerksen dropped Sato to snap the feeling-out process, a fast-paced grappling action ensued.  They traded top and bottom positions on the ground – Doerksen threatened with several submission attempts and Sato answered with throws from the clinch and reversal from the bottom.  Doerksen prevailed in the second round, dropping Sato once again with punches and scoring a TKO victory.

Dan “The Handler” Hornbuckle’s stock continues its meteoric rise: Coming off a brutal KO of Akihiro Gono at Sengoku 9, he handled the Nick “The goat” Thompson to further his climb up the welterweight ladder.  He pushed the pace from the beginning and engaged in a brisk action on the feet and on the mat.  He effectively used his reach and off-kilter timing to land crisp punches and kicks on Thompson.

Thompson started finding targets with his punches in the second round; however, about a minute into the round, Hornbuckle beat him to the punch with a straight left to the jaw.  Hornbuckle followed up with a right hook to the temple that staggered the “goat.”  The “handler” went for the kill with a kick, flurry of punches, and a knee until the referee halted the fight.

Fabio Silva brutally dismantled Ryo Kawamura in their rematch with his Chute Boxe-bred blitzkrieg of punches and knees.  The fight ended in a similar fashion as their first encounter in Pancrase in 2007, as Silva swarmed Kawamura with short hooks from the close-quarter and knees from Thai plum.

It took just one punch for Kazunori Yokota to snap a nagging streak of decision victories.  After tentatively trying to close the distance, Yokota leaped forward with an overhand right that caught Ryan Schultz flush on the chin.

He followed up with a left hook and another right, shutting Schultz’s light out.  With the dynamite victory, Yokota silenced the critics who carped on his fighting style and made a convincing case for a lightweight title shot that had eluded him last time around.

In the lone three-round bout of the night, 2000 Olympic judo gold medalist, Makoto Takimoto and Spirit MC veteran, Jae Sun Lee rode the momentum of the night to showcase technical ground battle.  Takimoto displayed exquisite judo throws while Lee kept busy with constant guard passing and strategic positioning on the ground.  In the end, Takimoto edged Lee out with a unanimous decision victory.

Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva made a triumphant return to Sengoku’s ring with a first-round submission victory over “Big” Jim York.  After a slow start, the fight hit the mat where Silva made quick work of York, locking in arm triangle choke.  Scoring the second victory of his career under the Sengoku banner, Silva displayed his versatility and positioned himself for a potential showdown with Josh Barnett in near future.

In the main event of the night, MMA debutantes Hiroshi Izumi and Antz “Notorious” Nansen lit up firework from the get-go.  As he declared in the pre-fight interviews, 2004 Olympic judo silver medalist, Izumi dove head first into the hostile territory of the rugged kickboxer, Nansen.  Despite his imprudence, Izumi displayed a valiant effort, slipping several punches and returning fire.

At one point, he succeeded in cornering Nansen and securing a clinch; however, he failed to capitalize on the opportunity to impose his judo prowess on Nansen.  For all his fighting spirit, Izumi ultimately fell short against the two-division WKBF champ via knockout in the first round.  Nansen took the mic immediately after his victory and threw down the gauntlet to the soon-to-debut Satoshi Ishii.

Elsewhere, Michihiro Omigawa, Jorge Santiago, and Akihiro Gono stepped into the ring to deliver brief messages to the crowd during the intermission.  Hatsu Hioki vs. Michihiro Omigawa was announced for Sengoku 11 to determine the challenger for the featherweight title, and Omigawa vocalized his excitement about the bout.  No opponent for Santiago and Gono has been confirmed for Sengoku 11 yet.

The stars of the highly anticipated New Year show also followed suit to the ring: Former judo Olympic gold medalists, Satoshi Ishii and Hidehiko Yoshida, took the mic to hype up the event, which is now scheduled to take place on New Year’s Eve at Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo.

Here are the Sengoku “Tenth Battle” complete results:

Main card:
Antz Nansen def. Hiroshi Izumi via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 2:56
Antonio Silva def. Jim York via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 1, 3:51
Makoto Takimoto def. Jae Sun Lee via unanimous decision
Kazunori Yokota def. Ryan Schultz via first-round KO (punch) – Round 1, 2:31
Fabio Silva def. Ryo Kawamura via second-round TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 2:28
Dan Hornbuckle def. Nick Thompson via second-round TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 1:30
Joe Doerksen def. Takenori Sato via first-round TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 4:27
Maximo Blanco def. Tetsuya Yamada via second-round TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 1:12

Sengoku Gold Cup Lightweight bout:
Ikuo Usuda def. Woo Hyon Baek via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 4:59

Sengoku Gold Cup Featherweight bout:
Shigeki Osawa def. Ki Hyun Kim via unanimous decision

Sengoku Gold Cup Bantamweight bout:
Jae Hyun So def. Ryosuke Komori via unanimous decision

Tags:
Posted in MMA, Sengoku, Sengoku 10 | No Comments »

Sengoku 10 weigh-in results

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

Sengoku 10

World Victory Road (WVR) held the official weigh in event earlier today for Sengoku 10, which takes place on September 23 from the Saitama Community Arena in Saitama, Japan.

The stacked mixed martial arts event will air LIVE in North America on Sept. 23 at 3:00 AM ET (tonight into tomorrow) courtesy of HDNet. For all the sleepyheads and chislers who won’t shell out the few extra clams for a DVR, the event will be replayed at 4:00 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 25.

“Tenth Battle” will feature the first (and last) Elite XC heavyweight champion Antonio “Junior” Silva, as he takes on New Zealand’s “Big” Jim York. In the main event, 2004 Olympic Judo silver medalist Hiroshi Izumi will make his mixed martial arts debut opposite veteran kickboxer Antz Nansen.

Here are the complete Sengoku 10 weigh in results:

Main card:
205 lbs.: Hiroshi Izumi (93 kg/205 lb) vs. Antz Nansen (92.6 kg/204.1 lb)
265 lbs.: Antonio “Junior” Silva (121.1 kg/270 lb) vs. “Big” Jim York (114.8 kg/253.1 lb)
155 lbs.: Ryan “The Lion” Schultz (69.5 kg/153.2 lb) vs. Kazunori Yokota (69.8 kg/153.9 lb)
185 lbs.: Joe “El Dirte” Doerksen (82.7 kg/182.3 lb) vs. Takenori Sato (83kg/183 lb)
170 lbs.: Jae Sun Lee (76 kg/167.6 lb) vs. Makoto Takimoto (75.3 kg/166 lb)
170 lbs.: Maximo “Makishi” Blanco (70 kg/154.3 lb) vs. Tetsuya Yamada (69.9 kg/154.1 lb)
170 lbs.: Dan Hornbuckle (74.9 kg/165.1 lb) vs. Nick “The Goat” Thompson (75.9 kg/167.3 lb)
205 lbs.: Ryo Kawamura (92.4 kg/203.7 lb) vs. Fabio “Fabinho” Silva (91.6 kg/201.9 lb)

Sengoku Gold Cup Lightweight bout:
Baek Woo Hyun (69.8 kg/153.9 lb) vs. Ikuo Usuda (69.8 kg/153.9 lb)

Sengoku Gold Cup Featherweight bout:
Shigeki Osawa (64.9 kg/143.1 lb) vs. Kim Ki Hyun (64.8 kg/142.9 lb)

Sengoku Gold Cup Bantamweight bout:
So Jee Hyun (60kg/132.3 lb) vs. Ryosuke Komori (59.9 kg/132.1 lb)

For our Sengoku “Tenth Battle” preview click here.

Tags:
Posted in MMA, Sengoku, Sengoku 10, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) | No Comments »

Sengoku 10 weigh-in results

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

Sengoku 10

World Victory Road (WVR) held the official weigh in event earlier today for Sengoku 10, which takes place on September 23 from the Saitama Community Arena in Saitama, Japan.

The stacked mixed martial arts event will air LIVE in North America on Sept. 23 at 3:00 AM ET (tonight into tomorrow) courtesy of HDNet. For all the sleepyheads and chislers who won’t shell out the few extra clams for a DVR, the event will be replayed at 4:00 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 25.

“Tenth Battle” will feature the first (and last) Elite XC heavyweight champion Antonio “Junior” Silva, as he takes on New Zealand’s “Big” Jim York. In the main event, 2004 Olympic Judo silver medalist Hiroshi Izumi will make his mixed martial arts debut opposite veteran kickboxer Antz Nansen.

Here are the complete Sengoku 10 weigh in results:

Main card:
205 lbs.: Hiroshi Izumi (93 kg/205 lb) vs. Antz Nansen (92.6 kg/204.1 lb)
265 lbs.: Antonio “Junior” Silva (121.1 kg/270 lb) vs. “Big” Jim York (114.8 kg/253.1 lb)
155 lbs.: Ryan “The Lion” Schultz (69.5 kg/153.2 lb) vs. Kazunori Yokota (69.8 kg/153.9 lb)
185 lbs.: Joe “El Dirte” Doerksen (82.7 kg/182.3 lb) vs. Takenori Sato (83kg/183 lb)
170 lbs.: Jae Sun Lee (76 kg/167.6 lb) vs. Makoto Takimoto (75.3 kg/166 lb)
170 lbs.: Maximo “Makishi” Blanco (70 kg/154.3 lb) vs. Tetsuya Yamada (82.7 kg/182.3 lb)
170 lbs.: Dan Hornbuckle (74.9 kg/165.1 lb) vs. Nick “The Goat” Thompson (75.9 kg/167.3 lb)
205 lbs.: Ryo Kawamura (92.4 kg/203.7 lb) vs. Fabio “Fabinho” Silva (91.6 kg/201.9 lb)

Sengoku Gold Cup Lightweight bout:
Baek Woo Hyun (69.8 kg/153.9 lb) vs. Ikuo Usuda (69.8 kg/153.9 lb)

Sengoku Gold Cup Featherweight bout:
Shigeki Osawa (64.9 kg/143.1 lb) vs. Kim Ki Hyun (64.8 kg/142.9 lb)

Sengoku Gold Cup Bantamweight bout:
So Jee Hyun (60kg/132.3 lb) vs. Ryosuke Komori (59.9 kg/132.1 lb)

For our Sengoku “Tenth Battle” preview click here.

Tags:
Posted in MMA, Sengoku, Sengoku 10, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) | No Comments »

Sengoku ‘Tenth Battle’ preview for Sept. 23 HDNet event

Monday, September 21st, 2009

Sengoku 10

World Victory Road returns with its decennial event, “Tenth Battle” at the Saitama Community Arena in Saitama, Japan on Sept. 23, airing live stateside at 3:00 AM ET on HDNet. Featuring numerous rising prospects as well as a pair of MMA debutantes, the “Tenth Battle” offers a glimpse into Sengoku’s ever-expanding talent pool.

In the light heavyweight showdown between two MMA newcomers, 2004 Olympic judo silver medalist, Hiroshi Izumi (0-0) squares off with WKBF two-division champ, Antz “Notorious” Nansen (0-0). A gritty street fighter turned kickboxer from New Zealand, Nansen looks to school his opponent in the art of slugfest.

Izumi, on the other hand, has cited Wanderlei Silva as one of his favorite fighters, and voiced the intent to mold his fighting style around striking. His seeming eagerness to oblige Nansen in a hostile realm is a risky proposition, but it will be interesting to see how he reacts when he gets hit and utilizes other weapons in his arsenal. Keep your eyes peeled as a world class judoka and hard scrabble kickboxers venture into an unfamiliar territory.

Antonio “The artist formerly known as Bigfoot” Silva (12-1) returns to the ring after an eight-month layoff to take on Jim York (11-2). “Junior,” a former EliteXC heavyweight champion, last fought in Sengoku’s New Year show.  Fighting Yoshihiro “Kiss” Nakao, Silva saw the bout come to an anticlimactic end when Nakao injured his knees less than two minutes into the first round.

Barring another freak accident, Silva will enjoy tough challenge against an aggressive New Zealander, York.  “Big” comes off a KO victory over James Thompson in March and has never gone the distance in his 13-fight career. If he can time and unload his counter-punch on the button, he may hand Silva the second loss of his career.

A 2000 Olympic judo gold medalist, Makoto Takimoto (5-5) makes his second welterweight appearance against the Spirit MC veteran, Jae Sun Lee (5-4). Prior to his last bout against Michael Costa, Takimoto hinted at retirement in the case of defeat. Alas, he made a successful drop to welterweight and earned a submission victory over Costa via heel hook.

Despite his less-than-stellar record, Takimoto has proven his durability by going the distance against Kiyoshi Tamura, Sanae Kikuta, Murilo Bustamante, and Frank Trigg in PRIDE and Sengoku. Now fighting in an appropriate weight class, he seeks to build on the tenacity and fight acumen that have earned him a split-decision victory over Murilo Bustamante and come-from-behind submission victory over Zelg Galesic.

Light heavyweight King of Pancrase, Ryo Kawamura (10-4-2) looks to avenge his loss to Fabio Silva (11-5) in a rematch. The two last met in Pancrase in 2007 and Silva scored a KO victory, snapping Kawamura’s undefeated streak. Both fighters have recently fell victim to the meteoric rise of Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal in Sengoku.

To eradicate the bitter memory of his first professional loss, Kawamura will have to crack Silva’s Chute Boxe-bred arsenal of destructive punches and knees. He is a competent striker who can piece together crisp combinations with strikes to up-and downstairs. Also, given Silva’s porous takedown defense, he may sneak a takedown or two without eating knee strikes to work some ground-and-pound.

A fast-rising talent under Sengoku’s fighter development program, Maximo Blanco (3-2-1), comes fresh off his victorious run at lightweight King of Pancrase as he takes on a young MMA upstart, Tetsuya Yamada (3-1). Blanco, a Venezuelan expat who trains at Yoshida dojo, has represented his home country in international freestyle wrestling tournaments.

After an erratic start to his MMA career that blemished his record with a no-contest, draw, and loss via DQ, he made a quantum leap with his most recent victory over Katsuya Inoue: A TKO win over Inoue, who has defeated the former Sengoku lightweight champion, Satoru Kitaoka, twice and fought the newly minted champ, Mizuto Hirota to a draw, has launched Blanco into a list of possible title contenders.

Yamada entered Sengoku’s featherweight grand prix in March a few weeks after his high school graduation. He fought valiantly against a far more experienced opponent, Ronnie Mann, in an action-packed, three-round tussle. He now makes his return at a higher but more suitable weight class as a lightweight. Thus far in his nascent career, he has two submission and one TKO victories.

Yamada has displayed the potential to develop into legitimate talent, but taking on Blanco will be a stiff challenge for the eighteen year-old. Unless he can display his submission prowess to catch Blanco off guard, it will be a matter of time before his underdeveloped game proves fragile under Blanco’s explosive assault.

Lightweights Kazunori Yokota (9-2-3) and Ryan Schultz (20-11-1) square off to make their case for title contention. Yokota, a Grabaka prospect, has quietly built a quality resume. He possesses a heavy hip and powerful throws thanks to his judo background, as well as solid striking that has earned him respectable wins in shoot boxing bouts.

Most recently, he edged out Brazilian Jiu Jitsu phenom, Leonardo Santos, at Sengoku 8. Against Santos, he obliged his opponent in a ground battle; despite giving up his back to a long-limbed BJJ expert at one point, he fought his way to a split decision victory.

Also, in the semifinal of Lightweight Grand Prix last year, he outworked Mizuto Hirota, with crisp combinations on the feet and takedowns from the clinch. For his accomplishment and versatility, however, recognition and title shot have eluded Yokota due to his inability to finish fights (seven of his nine career victories via decision). Now, the pressure is on to earn a decisive finish and stake his claim to the next title shot.

Former IFL lightweight champion, Ryan Schultz, is on a two-fight skid with consecutive TKO losses to Mizuto Hirota and Jorge Masvidal. A Team Quest prototype, Schultz is a big, strong wrestler with solid takedown, ground-and-pound, and effective clinch work.

Though he possesses some power in his hands and strikes effectively from clinch, he has been susceptible to knock out when his opponents find their rhythm and distance: Like Masvidal said, “his chin ain’t suspect; it’s a convicted criminal.” With both fighters under pressure to earn an emphatic victory, Schultz and Yokota may deliver a fight-of-the-night caliber action — we can only hope that they will not stall while vying for a takedown.

Two American welterweight stalwarts will meet more than 8,000 miles away from their home states of Minnesota and Illinois. In a division devoid of talent, Sengoku offers a real treat with Nick Thompson (38-11-1) vs. Dan Hornbuckle (18-2). Thompson returns to Sengoku for the first time in more than a year.

During his time away, he has fallen short against Jake Shields and Tim Kennedy but successfully defeated British bruiser, Paul Daley, and passed his bar exam. Hornbuckle, on the other hand, has reeled off a brutal head kick victory over Akihiro Gono at Sengoku 9; the victory has successfully vaulted him from the regional circuits to the world stage. A win over Thompson will consummate his climb into the Top 15-20 ranking.

Both Thompson and Hornbuckle are aggressive finishers who boast numerous wins via (T)KO and submission. Given that they stand at 6′1″ and 6′2″ respectively, their usual reach advantage will likely be a non-factor in this fight. Expect a fast-paced, back-and-forth tussle on the feet and on the ground between two evenly matched fighters.

While Thompson has only gone to the decision six times in his 50-fight career, Hornbuckle has fought past the second round only twice. Thompson’s training with Minnesota Martial Arts Academy should equip him with top notch conditioning, and if he can push the pace non-stop, he may be able to outlast Hornbuckle en route to victory via decision or late stoppage.

In the sole middleweight contest of the card, Canadian MMA veteran, Joe Doerksen (42-12) takes on Kazushi Sakuraba protege, Takenori Sato (9-6-4). This will be Doerksen’s second appearance in Sengoku after scoring a hard-fought TKO victory over Izuru Takeuchi at Sengoku 6.

After suffering three consecutive TKO losses to Paulo Filho, Ed Herman, and Jason MacDonald in WEC and UFC, “El Dirte” is back on a winning track, currently riding a three-fight winning streak. With over 50 fights in his career, he has a clear advantage in experience over his younger foe. Sato has cut his teeth in the indie circuits such as Pancrase, DEEP, and Cage Force.

While his sub-par defense in stand-up has made him susceptible to knockouts, he does his best work from the clinch — he utilizes his judo and sumo background to execute throws while nullifying the offense of his opponent. In his recent bout, he fought a tough veteran, Izuru Takeuchi to a draw. Against Doerksen, however, he is overmatched. Doerksen should have no trouble controlling the stand-up and assuming dominant position on the ground.

Here is the Sengoku “Tenth Battle” complete line up:

Main card:
205 lbs.: Hiroshi Izumi (0-0) vs. Antz Nansen (0-0)
265 lbs.: Antonio “Junior” Silva (12-1) vs. “Big” Jim York (11-2)
155 lbs.: Ryan “The Lion” Schultz (20-11-1) vs. Kazunori Yokota (9-2-3)
185 lbs.: Joe “El Dirte” Doerksen (42-12) vs. Takenori Sato (9-6-4)
185 lbs.: Makoto Takimoto (5-5) vs. Jae Sun Lee (5-4)
170 lbs.: Maximo “Makishi” Blanco (3-2-1) vs. Tetsuya Yamada (3-1)
170 lbs.: Nick “The Goat” Thompson (38-11-1) vs. Dan Hornbuckle (18-2)
205 lbs.: Ryo Kawamura (10-4-2) vs. Fabio “Fabinho” Silva (11-5)

Sengoku Gold Cup Lightweight bout:
Ikuo Usuda (5-0) vs. Woo Hyun Baek (1-0)

Sengoku Gold Cup Featherweight bout:
Shigeki Osawa (3-0) vs. Ki Hyun Kim (2-0)

Sengoku Gold Cup Bantamweight bout:
Ryosuke Komori (4-1) vs. Jae Hyun So (2-6)

For more on the upcoming “Tenth Battle” check out our archive here.

Tags:
Posted in DREAM, HDNet, MMA, Sengoku, Sengoku 10 | No Comments »

Sengoku announces Satoshi Ishii vs Hidehiko Yoshida for upcoming New Year event

Monday, September 14th, 2009

ishii-yoshida

2008 Olympic judo gold medalist and prized MMA convert, Satoshi Ishii (0-0), will make his  highly anticipated mixed martial arts debut at Sengoku’s New Year event.

To compound the ripple effect of this electrifying news, Hidehiko Yoshida (8-7-1), a Japanese MMA mainstay and 1992 Olympic judo gold medalist, has been nominated as his opponent.

In the press conference held today in Tokyo, World Victory Road announced the heavyweight showdown between two former Olympic golden boys. The New Year’s event is expected to take place on December 31 or January 3rd, depending on whether WVR chooses to counter-program DREAM/K-1’s annual New Years Eve “Dynamite!” show.

The location of the event has yet to be announced.

A highly decorated judoka who’s captured the All-Japan Judo Championships twice, Ishii punctuated his judo career on a high note, earning a gold medal in the 100+ kg category in 2008 Olympic Game in Beijing, China. He subsequently expressed his wish to retire from judo at the ripe old age of 21 and transition to mixed martial arts, much to the dismay of the Japanese Judo Federation.

Aiming for the apex from the outset, he declined an initial overture from Fighting and Entertainment Group to fight in DREAM and instead set his sight on the UFC. Dana White greeted him with open arms while he trained with elite camps and fighters such as American Top Team, building serious hype for his UOctagon debut.

In the end, Ishii’s UFC career did not materialize, as he officially joined World Victory Road at a public signing event on June 1, 2009.

Following the self-described “ronin” approach to training, Ishii has been trotting through various gyms in Japan and abroad to hone his wrestling, jiu jitsu and all-around MMA game. He hopes to showcase the fruit of his labor against Hidehiko Yoshida.

Citing his respect for Yoshida, he said, “I have admired Yoshida since I was young, and am happy to fight him. It would be great to nail him in the chin with my punch, so I would like to put on an exciting fight.”

Yoshida, who turned 40 earlier this month, last suffered a hard-fought split decision loss against Sanae Kikuta in WVR’s New Year show. Come fight time, he will have been away from the ring for a year. During the press conference, he hinted at his status as the veteran judoka-turned-MMA fighter as he expressed the intent to “show the challenge of fighting in MMA” to his younger counterpart, Ishii.

Elsewhere in the press conference, WVR’s PR director Takahiro Kokuho, announced that Sengoku could undergo a name change beginning with the New Year show. There has been ongoing rumor regarding Sengoku’s possible deal with big time Japanese networks such as Fuji TV.

Currently, Sengoku has a soon-to-expire contract with TV Tokyo, the smallest of the Tokyo stations. Perhaps the highly noteworthy bout between Ishii and Yoshida will mark a new beginning for WVR with bigger and better things on horizon, including a lucrative TV contract.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more news on Sengoku’s New Year’s Eve event as it becomes available.

Tags:
Posted in MMA, Satoshi Ishii, Sengoku | No Comments »