The Weekly Wrap: Jan. 3 – Jan. 9

The Weekly Wrap walks readers through the last seven days in MMA, recapping and putting into context the week's top story, important news and notable quotes.

Top Story

The first major mixed martial arts card of 2009 -- Sengoku “No Ran 2009” on Jan. 4 from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan -- saw the minting of two champions in fights where native favorites were defeated, a former EliteXC champion officially calling the bluff of a stateside athletic commission and a loss by the promotion’s top star to a past-his-prime opponent. The card was the promotion’s first live offering on TV-Tokyo, one of Japan’s lower-profile networks. It was reported that 18,000 fans were in attendance, the same amount claimed by Fighting and Entertainment Group for its “Dynamite” show held in the same building four nights earlier.

Satoru Kitaoka, the Pancrase-bred victor of Sengoku’s 16-man lightweight tournament last year, was crowned champion after he defeated former Pride superstar Takanori Gomi with a straight ankle lock just 1:41 into the fight. Kitaoka, an animated grappler and teammate of Shinya Aoki, tried to secure a kimura on Gomi, but the move led to a waist lock takedown and attempt at taking the back. Kitaoka maneuvered into the leg lock and switched his grip several times before forcing the tap from a dejected Gomi. It was the second consecutive loss for “The Fireball Kid,” a fixture in the lightweight top 10 rankings for years. The man who beat Gomi last, the relatively unknown Sergey Golyaev, also lost at “No Ran 2009,” as he succumbed to an armbar submission against Eiji Mitsuoka. During a post-fight press conference, Gomi indicated he was looking to take six to 12 months off in order to revamp his training. Despite winning, Kitaoka pushed for a rematch because Gomi, the biggest lightweight star in Japan, would draw the most attention to the fight.

Elsewhere, American Top Team veteran Jorge Santiago became Sengoku middleweight champion by defeating Kazuo Misaki, a Japanese favorite riding a wave of fan support for the beating he handed the hated Yoshihiro Akiyama on New Year’s Eve in 2007. Santiago scored a rare fifth-round submission win using an arm choke. The title win marks a true renaissance for Santiago, who lost two of three fights in the UFC in 2006. Santiago has won nine straight since, including a one-night, four-man tournament for Strikeforce in 2007.

Sengoku “No Ran 2009” also saw Olympic gold medalist Hidehiko Yoshida drop a decision to Sanae Kikuta, a fighter in the twilight of his career who has only fought three times in the past five years. Yoshida, considered the group’s top star, has had the highest-profile fights of anyone on the Sengoku roster. The 1992 judo gold medalist did not look in peak form, as he went gi-less and struggled to get any significant offense going in decision loss.

Former EliteXC heavyweight champion Antonio Silva defied a California State Athletic Commission suspension for a failed steroid test by fighting Yoshihiro Nakao. The fight ended uneventfully in the first round after Nakao suffered an apparent knee injury. By fighting while under suspension, Silva risked being deemed unable to fight anywhere in North America, even past the end of his current suspension in July. Silva, who maintained his innocence throughout the California proceedings, will face the music at a Feb. 10 commission meeting. Silva’s manager, Alex Davis, was suspended by the California commission and fined $2,500 for negotiating the fight that violated Silva’s suspension, according to wrestlingobserver.com.

Two American fighters made news with their showings.

Dave Herman struggled for gas in the second round after battering the tough Mu Bae Choi in the first. “Pee Wee” suffered his first career loss by technical knockout when Choi caught up to the Indiana native with slugging punches. Herman (13-1) had only gone past the first round once before. Meanwhile, the charismatic Muhammed Lawal successfully defended his undefeated record, as the decorated collegiate wrestler used nothing but punches to topple Yukiya Naito in the first round.

Finally, Satoshi Ishii, the 2008 Olympic judo gold medalist, made a notable appearance at the event. Ishii garnered big buzz in Japan with his appearance at UFC 92 and statements that he wants to break into the sport in the United States. Ishii, who reportedly turned down multi-million dollar offers to fight on native soil, did a somewhat-awkward in-ring interview at the Jan. 4 show and observed the proceedings from ringside while wearing a UFC T-shirt.