Preview: Sengoku ‘Sixth Battle’

Sengoku Middleweight Tournament Series Semifinal
Kazuhiro Nakamura vs. Yuki Sasaki

WVR exec Takahiro Kokuho said that a Nakamura-Sasaki semifinal was important for Sengoku to create interest for the casual public with an all-Japanese clash and a Japan vs. Gaijin theme for the tournament final. Here's hoping it works, because this fight is certifiably weak sauce.

Nakamura, who finally wised up, gave up the tonkatsu and cut to middleweight, had a mediocre divisional debut in his quarterfinal bout with British banger Paul Cahoon, where he dominated positionally but was hardly spectacular. Meanwhile, Sasaki, whose Sengoku contact exists only because trainer and manager Sanae Kikuta seemingly has dossiers of dirt on WVR execs, notched a slick, unexpected submission of Yuki Kondo. However, while Kondo was a prefight favorite, anyone who has seen Kondo over the last two years can appreciate that submitting the longtime Pancrase poster boy is not the most astonishing of accomplishments.

Worst of all, the fight is a miserable mix of styles. Nakamura is a better striker and should have the ability to control takedowns, but he has nowhere near enough versatility or power to KO a passive, unengaging Sasaki. If Nakamura takes Sasaki down from the clinch, which he is more than capable of, he'll be able to dominate positionally, but Sasaki's ground defense is good enough to avoid a submission. Look for low strike output and guard-humping tedium, as Nakamura clunks into the finals.

Sengoku Middleweight Tournament Series Semifinal
Jorge Santiago vs. Siyar Bahadurzada

With the all-Japan altercation between Nakamura and Sasaki a promotional must-have, Jorge Santiago and Siyar Bahadurzada have been united in their foreignness.

Not just foreign in passport, but in passing into the semifinals. While Santiago, an early tournament favorite, was spectacular in dispatching a game and underrated Logan Clark, Bahadurzada lucked his way into the finals when Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos sustained a fluke elbow dislocation just 22 seconds into their bout, which otherwise would've played out with Cyborg hacking the Shooto world champ's gams apart with leg kicks.

Bahadurzada is not a shoddy fighter, but he is relatively predictable. He's got a decent jab, a hard right cross and a lukewarm submission game. Santiago's shaky cardio and convicted chin do add an element of interest -- the glimmer of hope for an upset -- but he has powerful, versatile striking, and his offensive grappling is among the very best in the division. Unless the "Afghan Killa" lands a sweet right cross while Santiago is daydreaming about acai juice (not to stereotype Brazilians), his awkward stance will allow an easy takedown. On the ground, Santiago's submission skills will shine through again, punching the ATT product's ticket to the finals.

Sengoku Middleweight Tournament Series Reserve
Joe Doerksen vs. Izuru Takeuchi

Izuru Takeuchi is about as welcome on a major MMA card as parasites in my brain. In fact, less so: a compelling case of brain parasites could eventually inspire an episode of “House,” while this fight will only inspire apathy. A spent-but-savvy Doerksen is able to positionally outgrapple the typically tedious Takeuchi. Nothing to see here.