Leading Shooto promoter Sustain is back at it, big ballin' and Korakuen Hallin' this Friday, with the third edition of the BACK TO OUR ROOTS series. If you didn't check the first two, shame on you. Nonetheless, you get three strikes, so read this preview and act like you know.

As always, rookie action tops the bill, with a 143-pound rookie tournament quarterfinal between Yoshiki Noguchi (Pictures) and Naohiro Mizuno jerking the curtain. One-hundred-fifty-four-pounds is Shooto's calling card, and two rookie tournament semifinals berths are at stake when Hidekazu Asakura meets amateur champion Koichi Taguchi, and "Aroi" Michiyuki Ishibashi (Pictures) and Kunio Nakajima square off.

Masashi Yozen (Pictures) was once seen as a spark to help ignite Shooto's stagnant 183-pound division, but recent setbacks have thrown him off course. Attempting to get back on track, the Osaka product meets elder statesman Akihiko Adachi (Pictures). Meanwhile, 115-pounds has a definite spark in the form of 2006 rookie champion Shinya Murofushi (Pictures), who is in hot pursuit of a Class A promotion. In order to become the third flyweight to upgrade his pro license, Murofushi must go through Kenichi Sawada (Pictures).

Perhaps somewhat anonymous in the 143-pound division, Eiji Murayama (Pictures) and Hayate Usui (Pictures) are known better for their defeats than their successes. Now, they'll square off, with both fighters needing a crucial win to move towards relevance in Shooto's lightweight class.

Starting off the Class A portion of the card, it will be time to show and prove for Shooto veteran Masatoshi Abe (Pictures) and Brazilian upstart Daniel Otero. On a two-fight winning streak since his return to Shooto, a win for Abe would move him into a position to challenge for "BJ" Shinichi Kojima (Pictures)'s bantamweight crown, while the BJJ world champ Otero has the opportunity to burst into upper echelon of the division with a win in his first bout outside of Brazil.

It wasn't long ago that Shooto's 132-pound division looked dead in the water. Now, a sudden infusion of talent has the featherweight class firing on all cylinders. In two key contender bouts, Atsushi Yamamoto (Pictures) will look to further stake his claim both in the weight class, and in pro Shooto against Koetsu Okazaki, while Kenji Osawa (Pictures) and "Louro" Marcos Galvao (Pictures) will do battle, with a chance for redemption against Shooto world champion Akitoshi Hokazono (Pictures) up for grabs.

The evening's two big ticket bouts will prominently display Shooto's 143-pound division. In what will almost assuredly determine the next contender to challenge for the Shooto world lightweight championship, Canadian Antonio Carvalho (Pictures), now living in Tokyo, will meet native Nagoyan Hatsu Hioki (Pictures), who already sports Canadian-based promotion TKO's top prize at 145 pounds.

In the main event, gatekeeper-turned-contender Akitoshi Tamura (Pictures) will square off with reigning Shooto world lightweight champion "Lion" Takeshi Inoue (Pictures), who is making his first title defense. Tamura and Lion are no strangers, having already fought in a gritty 15-minute battle in Nov. 2005., and with Tamura coming off of consecutive wins over Lion's teammates and friends "Wicky" Akiyo Nishiura (Pictures) and Tenkei Fujimiya (Pictures).