While Endo-Ortiz may be a representation of the ugly side to Sustain's international imports, the 154-pound clash between
Shinji Sasaki (Pictures) and France's
Bendy Casimir (Pictures) is the sterling other side of the coin.
As mentioned, lightweights have long been pro Shooto's top export, and
Shinji Sasaki (Pictures) is part of the system's next batch. He has spent time training with the likes of
Shinya Aoki (Pictures),
Masakazu Imanari (Pictures) and
Satoru Kitaoka (Pictures), and it's not hard to see why he's earned such high-profile endorsement. The heavily tattooed Hiroshiman has fabulous finishing skills with a slick and nasty submission game. Although it seemed as if his November 2006 clubbing blowout loss to
Yoshihiro Koyama (Pictures) would preempt his potential, Sasaki has continued to improve and emerge as one of Shooto's brightest up-and-comers.
Relatively undistinguished over the first few years of his career, Casimir enjoyed a breakout year in 2007. He fought eight times and went undefeated, finishing the vast majority of his opponents via first-round submission and emerging as one of Europe's best up-and-coming talents. Casimir's competing on this very card was contingent on his success against the UK's
Andre Winner (Pictures) earlier this month in England, and the 27-year-old Frenchman responded by taking a hard-fought majority decision to earn his way to Japan.
For fans of aggressive grappling, this bout should be highly entertaining. Both Casimir and Sasaki are fighters who get after it on the floor -- look at their records.
However, there are two real problems for Casimir in this case. Firstly, the competition he's feasted on is considerably lesser than that which Sasaki has been tapping on his way up. Secondly, although Casimir may actually have better standup and better takedowns, he will more than likely end up on his back in this match because of how offensive he is.
Casimir's penchant to constantly jump guard for guillotine chokes as well as his reckless diving for leglocks often pays off against fighters with little to no submission defense. Sasaki is the best straight submission grappler that Casimir has faced, though. As a result, Casimir is therefore aggressive to a fault.
If Casimir is able to get on top and work a solid, workmanlike ground-and-pound attack, he could very well surprise and take a decision. However, Casimir has never fought that way, and this likely won't be a new beginning.
Look for Casimir to take control out of the gate until his zealous pursuit of offense gives the sub-savvy Sasaki the opportunity he needs to gain control and parlay that into a submission of his own in the middle of the fight. From there, it's onward and upward for the "Torao Supernova," who will solidify himself as one of pro Shooto's best prospects.
If there is a particularly less-than-enthusing bout on the bill, here she be.
This 143-pound Class B bout, in theory, should move either Usui or Kasuya toward a Class A promotion and aid a relatively anemic 143-pound class. However, neither would provide any real interest even if getting a promotion.
In the last three years, Usui has only lost to former world champs
Takeshi Inoue (Pictures) and
Akitoshi Tamura (Pictures) as well as red-hot up-and-comer
Shintaro Ishiwatari (Pictures). To boot, he's usually pretty damn exciting. But he's also 36 and will be a de facto gatekeeper until the day he retires, meaning that a win here really doesn't orient him toward anything greater but instead merely asks who his next opponent will be.
Kasuya is somewhat opposite. The 25-year-old is an athletic K'z Factory product and a protege of Shooto's icon
Rumina Sato (Pictures). Those credentials alone seemed enough to grab him a sponsorship deal with uber-hip Japanese fighter line Inspirit and a massive push from Shooto promoters.
One problem: Kasuya can't really fight.
Pipe dreams for impending stardom were stomped upon once again in Kasuya's last bout, when unheralded
Takumi Ota (Pictures) stampeded over him in 59 seconds.
The more dynamic if not outright more skilled fighter is Usui. He can do a little bit of everything, as a good Shooto product ought to be able to, and can mix it up on the feet rather effectively. The question at the heart of the fight is if Kasuya can use his one-dimensional wrestling to get takedowns and stop Usui from doing anything.
A draw is totally possible here if the offenseless Kasuya can impose himself. But picking draws is bad karma, so look for Usui to take a close decision after two rounds.
Shooto's most diminutive combatants will jerk the curtain for the evening with the vertically inclined
Katsuya Murofushi (Pictures) meeting fellow 115-pounder Noboru "Shinpei" Tahara.
Since its inception five-plus years ago, pro Shooto's 115-pound division has been particularly anemic with few pro products and fewer divisional bouts. However, last year, Shooto authorities made a concerted effort to stage many more 115-pound bouts, which resulted in a very productive year for the division. The ISC had originally hoped to sanction a 115-pound world title match by the end of '08, and while that mark may not be met, every 115-pound bout en route to that point takes on a particular significance.
Murofushi is the eldest of two brothers, and his younger brother, Shinya, is another Shooto 115-pounder. They share a gangly stature that even on a bloated day makes them look like Tayshaun Prince's Japanese cousins. That body type serves them well as slick and dangerous submission specialists and also affords them some reach, which can mask some of their striking deficiencies.
The comparatively stumpy Tahara is all of 5-foot-2, with perhaps a considerable portion of that being his voluminous coif. He is the owner of some solid takedowns, however, and is a slick guard passer with solid ground-and-pound skills.
With neither being much of a standup guy, this bout is likely destined for the floor, especially given Tahara's takedowns and Murofushi's inability to stop them. It will be a clash between Tahara's control and pounding and Murofushi's submission attack.
Although Murofushi has considerable physical advantages, he's shown little beyond submissions and sweeps, which Tahara likely can negate while staying on top and doing damage. This man's nod goes to Shinpei in a razor-thin decision.
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