By Crimson Mask
SENGOKU 9, Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, Japan 08/02/2009
Replay airs 8/7 on HDnet. Again looks going in like a very solid card for Sengoku, who continue to stress steak over sizzle.
Dark fights---Gold Cup (Novice tourney) Finals:
Takeshi Numajiri vs. Ryosuke Komori
Shigeki Osawa vs. Toru Harai
Ikuo Usuda vs. Koji Ando
Yoshihiro Kiss Nakao vs. Mu Bae Choi (HWT)
Choi figures to be too big for Ha Ha Homosessural. This fight in all probability will hoover with great force. Bae beat the dookie outta Dave Herman. Still wondering how that happened. Nakao enters to Pomp & Circumstance. GG Lives.
Nakao is lefty. Poking out some kicks. Now they're stumbling around as expected. Lil rasslin, nada. Nakao kicks, shoots, get the double. Bae rolls himself into NS but then takes back. Nakao knee-runs for the ropes and uses them to stand. Bae throws a few shots. Ref pulls Nakao out of the ropes a little. Break. Bae is so slow Nakao's kicks actually effective. Clinch. Bae gets back again and Nakao runs for the corner again. Ref break. Nakao kicks. TO to repair Bae's glove. Nakao waves his hands in what may be intended as punches. Bae gets a rolling front headlock TD. Back up. Clinch. I'd call that 10-10.
Nakao low kick. Overhand right, shoots, TD. Kinda stacked against the ropes. Passes to side to NS. Up. Down. Knees. Break. Nakao gets another TD. SM. Free shots and takes them. NS and knees. Up. Into the corner again. Bae has back and Nakao has the arm. Ref calls action. Ref break. Bae's nose bloody. Nakao taking over. TD. Ride. Pounds. Knees, NS. Front headlock. Break. Into the corner again. Bae unable to take advantage of having back standing. Another ref break. Bae lunging. Again into the corner. Nakao 10-9. This is about as bad as expected.
Bae lands a right and stuffs a shot. Nakao catches a kick and gets the TD. Passes to side. NS. Front chancery again. Up. Bae drops down but gains nada. Rolls, back into same position. Nakao pokes out some knees. Ref break. Nakao shoots, scores. Bae tries to roll and gives Nakao SM again. Nakao throws a knee amd some soft head punches. Bae doing nothing. Nakao goes for Kimura. Bae rolls himself into the front headlock again. Nakao pokes him in the head with knees again. Break. Nakao 10-9 and 30-28. One judge gave Bae 29. UD anyway. Lousy fight.
Featherweight Grand Prix Semi-Finals:
#1: Hatsu Hioki vs. Masanori Kanehara
Hioki the odds on favorite to win the tourney. Kanehara got this far on a dubious decision win over Jung. Hioki figures to have way too many ways to win, especially once it hits the ground. Hioki much taller and Kanehara not used to that.
Both righty. Both letting their feet go early. Hioki staggers him with a punch. Kanehara replies in kind. Hioki shoots and finishes off the TD. SM but gives it up. Mount. Setting up a gogo or top tri. Nope. Pounding. Full weight body drop. Kanehara rolls himself right into a triangle. Hioki transitions back and forth from the head to the arm. Looks like it's over. But Kanehara somehow escapes. Amazing. Hioki passes to side again. Mounts again and pounds. Hioki 10-8.
Kanehara opens aggressive but missing. Hioki gets the double in the corner. Ties Kanehara in a knot. Passes to side. Drops knees. Mounts again. Leg grapevines. Pounds, tries to set up something off it. Kanehara elevates, Hioki arm bar. Almost. KANEHARA TAKES BACK. ALMOST had the RNC. Upkick lands. Hioki regains SM. Knees, NS. Remounts. Tries for something and loses mount. FG. Backs out and Kanehara lands a kick. Hioki gets back standing. Climbs. Pulls him down. RNC. Kanehara slips the choke. Hioki almost 10-8 again but Kanehara making him work very hard for everything in draining grappling and this may affect the final. Sorta onesided but very good fight so far.
Kanehara actually looks fresher. Kanehara letting his hands and feet go. Hioki low kicking but not much on them. Kanehara lands a right and a knee. Right lead and LHK. Low kick, Hioki lands a good right and a front kick, he's starting to be more accurate. Lands a right which spins Kanehara but can't follow up for the TD. Finally gets it. Guillotine. Pulls guard. And AGAIN Kanehara slips it. HG. Kanehara pounding. Hioki rubber guard. Kanehara pulls out and drops a punch. Back to guard. RG again. Nope. Hioki strikes from the bottom. Triangle but loses it. Kanehara drops some more shots. Kanehara 10-9. GREAT FIGHT. Both flop on their backs, look totally spent. I have Hioki 29-27 but this had to take a lot out of him for the final. Decision... Hioki UD. 29-27, 30-27, 29-28.
GREAT fight. Hioki looks far the worse for wear of the two walking out..
#2: Marlon Sandro vs. Michihiro Omigawa
If either of these guys wins this quick and/or easy (which doesn't figure) he will go into the final with a big advantage. Sandro the other fave and surprised with a quick KO over Nick Denis in the quarters, as his game is BJJ. Omigawa on a roll of upset wins and has tremendous momentum. Sandro the logical pick but... Looks like the whole Yoshida Dojo coming to the ring with Omigawa. Sandro looks a little drained.
Both righty. Sandro drills a right. Two more. Another. Omigawa a little rocky, Clinches. ANOTHER right lands. ANOTHER. Sandro can't miss but Omigawa just staring at him. Omiigawa rushes to a clinch. Sandro stuffs. Ref break. Both guys showing good head movement, feints. Sandro drills another right and eats a good left hook. Omigawa engages again but Sandro stuffs. Neither can get advantage. Break. Sandro landing more, Omigawa maybe harder. Omigawa can't get Sandro off his feet. Sandro 10-9.
Pattern stays the same in the second. Sandro remains more accurate. Omigawa charges headfirst directly into a Guillotine at the end of the round but the ropes maybe save him. Sandro 10-9.
Sandro still more accurate. Omigawa starting to push his punches. Sandro shoots, nada. Knees from Thai Clinch. His punches getting wide too. Omigawa shoots. Clinch. Nada. Sandro still outboxing him. Omigawa lands a right but eats a knee. Clinch. Sandro boxes, Omigawa shoots, Sandro stuffs. Omigawa finally completes the TD. Tries to pound from standing guard. Sandro rolls for a leglock at the bell. Closer but Sandro 10-9.
Decision... Sandro 30-29? 30-30 but 'advantage' (apparently judges must indicate this in a points draw) Omigawa? TWICE?!!? So Omigawa wins split?!!?. BULL SHIT. Worst decision of the year. The Japanese audience boos the decision. Omigawa never stopped coming but Sandro won all three rounds.
Both Omigawa and Hioki enter the final beat up.
Reserve Bout: Chan Sung Jung vs. Matt Jaggers
The very unorthodox but tireless 'Korean Zombie' Jung probably has the edge here. Jaggers showed skills against Sandro but got choked out standing up. Jung has height and reach. Enters to 'Zombie'.
Both righty. Jung opens bombing away but missing. Jaggers goes to his knees and drags Jung into guard. Both punch. Now just stalemated. Ref break. Jaggers warned. He seems confused why. Jung bombs away and tries the Jump Knee From Mars and Jaggers takes him down into FG. Jung doing more damage with small shots from the bottom. Jaggers finally lets a couple go. Jung tries to scramble and gives up back but flops back into HG to FG. 10-10 by me. Maybe Jung by a hair.
Jung HK and Jaggers TD. FG. Jaggers bangs the body. Jung thumps away from the bottom. Jung gets a triangle, arm in. Pulls the head down. Jaggers taps. This guy fights like a loon and then pulls out technical stuff. Fun to watch.
Eiji Mitsuoka vs. Clay French (LW)
Real good matchup between recent Kitaoka victims. Mitsuoka showed very well in the GP. Video indicates both guys coming off injuries, most recently inflicted by Kitaoka in both cases. Mitsuoka enters with an entourage of dozens also including Uno and does the Uno Flop upon entering the ring. Japanese pronunciation of 'Clay French' is almost as good as 'Joshi Barnetu'. 'Cray Frenchi'.
Both lefty. Both a bit tentative early. Clinch. Mitsuoka stomps some feet and gets the TD into guard. French scrambles up, eating a knee. Mitsuoka jumps Guillotine and ends up on top and French taps.
Akihiro Gono vs. Dan Hornbuckle (WW)
Gono back fighting in Japan after his so-so run in the UFC. Hornbuckle on a bit of a win streak since dropping his last Sengoku fight and IMO has a real good shot at pulling the upset. Here comes Gono. Gray suit and black shirt tonight. Two flunkys in drag. Only one dance move in the aisle. Does some kinda schtick on the mic I don't get on his intro. His waistband says something that gets a laugh, too.
Dan is half a head taller and lefty. Cracks a leg kick. Gono starts getting into his rhythm. Circles. Lands a left hook. Low kick. Right lead. Low kick. Evades a body kick. Dan knees the body from clinch. Both missing a lot. Dan puts shots together body and head, does damage with knees from clinch, and just dumps Gono. Hits a stomp, evades a leglock and falls into guard. Thumps the body. Body body head. Might be in HG or mount, can't see. Stands out. Misses an ax kick. Hornbuckle 10-9.
Gono cracks a right. Body kick short. Catches a low kick and spills Dan momentarily. Lands a right. Dan can't find the range. Gono right lead. 1-2. Dan gets a slam double. HG. Dan's corner continually giving him the right advice. Mounts. Stuffs a sweep. Looks to pin an arm. Postures and flurries, not much. Close round. I call 10-10.
Dan low kicks. Checks Gono's kick. Low kicks again. Gono pounds a right. Body shot. Body body head hooks. Clinch. Dan knees the legs. Ref break. Kinda quick, there. Gono lead upper, body shot. Body, body jab. Eats a jab. Kicks, caught. HORNBUCKLE RHK KO! Gono is OUT. Over a minute now, Gono is STILL out. Two minutes. This looks pretty bad. He leaned right into the kick. Gono's eyes start to flutter finally. Can't tell if he's coming to or not. Being stretchered out. Hornbuckle leads the applause for him and cuts the babyface promo. Hope Gono's not hurt bad. His neck landed right on the bottom rope when he fell, too. He should retire after a KO like this at his stage of career.
Intermission. Except for the first fight and the bad judging in the Sandro fight, very good card so far. There is this very hot, very breathy, very giggly Japanese girl at the commentary table for the intermission. I have no idea what she's contributing to the commentary, or if it matters...
... Holy shit. If I'm getting this right, the doctor will not let Hioki fight again tonight. The finals will be Kanehara vs. Omigawa.
Kazuyuki Fujita vs. Blagoi Ivanov (HW)
Old Iron Head, whose Iron Head isn't as iron as it used to be (KOed clean by Travis Room With a Wiuff in his last fight a year ago), vs. The Guy Who Beat Fedor In Combat Sambo. They would have you believe this is Ivanov's MMA debut but it isn't---2 pro fights and about 20 amateur fights in Bulgaria. God Only Knows what jumps off here. Fujita may be at the end of the road. Isshi at the table for this. Ivanov not an imposing physical specimen and Fujita starting to look like Mr. Miyagi.
Ivanov lefty. Don't like how he punches. Arm swings. Head up in the air. He's landing though. He flails but drops Fujita. Fujita grabs a leg and drags him down in desperation. Ivanov has a partial Guillotine. Fujita pulls out and on top in HG. Not much happening. Ref calls action 3X. Fujita stands out. Drops into NS. Ivanov pulls out and they punch out of a clinch. Ivanov 10-9 I guess.
Fujita looking banged up. Both wild. Fuji almost takes back and then gets TD. NS. Ivanov pulls out and flops. Ref standup. Don't like how Ivanov walks around the ring crossing his feet. Fujita a few years ago woulda kilt'm. Both look gassed. Punching at random and seldom. Clinch. Fujita is shot and Ivanov ain't much to begin with. This is awful. Weak punchout. All arm punches, both of them. 10-10.
This looks like a matter of who drops first. Fujita shoots. Ivanov grabs a sloppy front facelock. Ref break. TO to look at Fujita's facial scrapes. Another shot, Ivanov just walks out of it. Ivanov sorta body kick. How did this guy ever beat Fedor at anything, even tiddlywinks? Clinch. Both puffing. Ivanov can't miss but can barely throw. Fujita TD. HG. Weak sweep attempt. Mutual L&P. Feh. Call it a draw and have 'em both retire. Dreadful. Fujita limping. From what? Decision... 30-28 Fujita, 30-27 Ivanov, 29-29 'must' for Ivanov. Crowd boos decision but fight deserved boos regardless of the decision.
Kazuo Misaki vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura (MW)
Okay. This is complicated. Misaki was the designated #1 contender. Jorge Santiago won the tourney, beating Nakamura in the process, and then beat Misaki for the vacant title in what IMO was the FotY so far back in January. Santiago of course was supposed to fight Vitor on the Affliction card, but that fight just died when the card did. So this fight is for the title shot vs. Jorge. Just to complicate matters, Misaki copped a plea after hitting a cop car, and somehow that resulted in him fighting this fight for free with his purse going to charity, and he will be suspended as of the end of the fight (don't ask me, it's Japan). Misaki unless unhinged by all this business should win this, and then Santiago can beat him again when he's unsuspended. I think they have a depth problem in the division. Misaki not bouncing like he usually does coming in.
Both righty. Misaki not as jumpy or mobile as usual. Eats a right, lands a knee. Lands a counter right. Maybe distraction good for Misaki because he's more in range and accurate than usual. Catches another one in the nads, short break. Nails Nakamura coming in with a jump knee KD. Tries to finish it with G&P, no, but catches the Guillotine Sleeper and that's all she wrote. That actually may have been his career best fight.
Featherweight Grand Prix Final: Kanehara vs. Omigawa
Okay. Hioki was disoriented in the back and complaining of numbness and weakness in the limbs, and has been sent to the hospital with a probable concussion, and it IS Kanehara vs. Omigawa in the finals. Omigawa looks pretty beat up coming in with an eye partly closed but seems energized. Kanehara looks less damaged coming in but also had the more draining fight and looks less fresh. Japanese national anthem and the pre title match presentation. Omigawa bouncing and juking in his corner. Kanehara conserving energy. He has the height and reach.
Kanehara catches a kick and takes Omigawa's back standing. Body triangle. Pounds and tries to open the choke. Hits the ground and back up. Omigawa carrying Kanehara's full weight but his eye is closed. Kanehara drops it down. Omigawa stands again. Kanehara rolls him down again. Loses the hooks but has side mount. Omigawa gains guard. Goes for Guillotine. Nope. Kanehara drops shots. Omigawa goes for the choke, lands an upkick, traps the arm and almost has a bar at the bell. Kanehara 10-9. Great round. Kanehara full of surprises tonight.
Kanehara lands punches and kicks. He's dominating the standup. Shoots but stuffed and Omigawa in NS control. Drives for Guillotine and adds a knee shot. Kanehara trapped sitting. Omigawa drives but Kanehara reverses to SM. Dropping knees on the head. Omigawa in trouble. Regains guard and goes for Guillotine again. Kanehara out. Omigawa pounds from bottom and tries the choke again. Kanehara pouunds the body, slips it and mounts. Going for arm triangle. No, but pounds, Omigawa tries to scramble but worsens his position and eats head shots, but regains guard. Scramble to standing. Kanehara lands a right at the bell. Kanehara 10-9. This is an amazing fight.
Omigawa's face is a mess. He attacks, maybe in desperation. They trade. Kanehara shoots. Omigawa grabs the arm in Guillotine and drives to top. Kanehara reverses but Omigawa reverses again. The choke is not sunk. Omigawa releases it and drops short shots. Tries leg lock. They're up. Kanehara landing. Omigawa backfist wild. Kanehara digs a hard body shot. Knees the body. Omigawa drives forward and overbalances Kanehara into HG. Ref seems to reset them in SM, wtf? Kanehara gets to NS, eats a knee, Omigawa again trying Guillotine. More knees. Mounts. Kanehara slips the choke. Omigawa G&Ps. Kanehara punches back from the bottom, actually good exchange. Omigawa takes back. Kanehara stands and escapes. Omigawa 10-9.
Wow. What a fight. FotY maybe. I have Kanehara 29-28. Decision...
... 29-28 Kanehara. 29-29 'must' Omigawa. ...
... 29-28... KANEHARA WINS THE SD AND THE TOURNEY.
Right call and right finish to a great tourney. Cinderella Story. Sandro and Hioki both deserve title shots and Omigawa deserves a rematch. Everybody wins. Possible Card of the Year so far (and I think Sengoku had the other top card with No Ran in January)---if it wasn't for the two lousy heavyweight fights I would say definitely---and there's still the LW title fight to go.
Lightweight Championship (5R): Satoru Kitaoka vs. Mizuto Hirota
Aoki stablemate Kitaoka despite no standup game and pretty much no striking at all has been a juggernaut the past year or so. He's a tireless grappler with great submissions and burned through the GP and then made short work of designated #1 Gomi to win the title, and stayed busy with a quick sub over Sakaguchi Jr. in Pancrase last month. Hirota scored an upset KO over Ishida (who is fighting Melendez in Strikeforce for the interim title in 2 weeks) in DEEP last fight, but doesn't figure to pull off the miracle twice in a row.
Hirota in first sporting some blue and pink hair. Here comes Kitaoka, in short tights for a change, looking as usual like a demented Japanese Little Rascal in about the 12th stage of Betel Nut Trance. National anthem and pre title fight schpiel again. Presentation of the belt to the audience, so on.
Kitaoka lefty. Shoots. Scores. Hirota scrambles up, surprise. Kitaoka stays on the leg. Puts him down again. HG in the corner. Turns into the ring and pounds Hirota's head on the mat. They're up. Kitaoka jumps a choke and nearly gets back but Hirota slips it. Ref break for something. Kitaoka actually lands a punch and shoots. Hirota goes for Guillotine, Kitaoka pulls out and pounds. Grabs his own Guillotine, Hirota pulls out and they're up. This is great action. Hirota giving Kitaoka problems on the ground. Kitaoka lands a kick and a punch, Hirota lands a punch and a HK, much harder. TD Hirota straight to SM. Great round. I think it was a 10-10.
Kitaoka getting weird as Mark Lewin as he kinda Purple Hazes into a shoot, STUFFED. Hirota 2-1. Kitoka swings wild. Hirota right lead, Kitaoka body kick, shoots, STUFFED. Both land bombs. Hirota shoots, stuffed. Kitaoka pulls guard. Hirota stands out. Kitoka counters, spin bf short. Clinch. Break. Hirota right lead. Jab jab. Right. Clinch. Kitaoka pulls guard. Hirota stands out. Hirota low kick. 2-1. Kitaoka wild. Hirota short right, jump knee wild, stuffs a shot. Hirota 10-9.
Both short. Kitaoka shoots, perseveres to the TD. HG. Passes to side, knee on belly, Hirota regains HG. Kitaoka backs up, pounds a couple. FG. Kitaoka pounding small shots. Backs up and goes for a leg. Nada. Tries a flying stomp, nada. FG. Just body-pounds Hirota into the mat. Ref break. Yellow card to Hirota. Boo. HK Hirota. Right lead. Again. Left hook. Right drops Kitaoka who pulls guard. Hirota stands out. Kitaoka 10-9.
I have the fight even right now. This is gonna be about cardio. Kitoaka shoots, stuffed. Hirota right hand. Kitoaka shoots, stuffed. Never seen anybody do this to him. Hirota takes top in HG and pounds small shots. Stands out. Another stuff. Hirota knees the head from NS. SM. Dropping shots. Kitaoka scrambles up. ANOTHER shot stuffed. Hirota front facelock and driving knees to the head. Riding. Pounding, Kitaoka in trouble, Hirota lets him up, KD again. Driving knees to the head. KITAOKA IS OUT! IT'S OVER.
Another great fight and huge upset. That sinks it. Card of the Year IMO.
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