Live in:
Yamaguchi, Shoujou Square Off in Shooto
Shooto bout changes
Shooto Japan is set to send another handful of fighters to
Australia, but maybe not the ones that were expected.
Sherdog.com has learned from a source close to leading Shooto promoter Sustain that the planned Shooto Pacific Rim 132-pound title match between Daniel Lima (Pictures) and Tetsu Suzuki (Pictures) scheduled for March 16 in Perth, Australia, has been cancelled. The source revealed that while both parties initially agreed on the bout, Lima reneged before officially signing the contract, citing that he didn't have enough time to prepare. Therefore the bout has been cancelled.
However, Shooto Japan will still sponsor two fighters to compete on the Perth card, which will feature both pro Shooto and boxing bouts.
Heavy-hitting brawler Taisuke Okuno will meet the stiffest test of his career in undefeated Aussie Xavier Lucas. Okuno is coming off a cut stoppage win over Hirosumi Sugiura (Pictures) in December. Lucas, who boasts a 6-0 mark in MMA, outlasted another tough Class B scrapper in Daisuke Okumiya on the last Perth Shooto card, dropping him several times before stopping him in the second round.
Also making the trek to Australia will be Takumi Ota (Pictures). The Tottori native was ousted in the 143-pound Shooto rookie tournament by eventual champ Kazuhiro Ito (Pictures) last year, but he has won his two bouts since, including a 59-second steamrolling of Rumina Sato (Pictures)'s pupil Sakae Kasuya (Pictures). Across the ring, he'll find BJJ black belt Gustavo Falciroli, who defeated Shooto Japan import Michiyuki Ishibashi (Pictures) via submission on the November Shooto card in Perth.
Mizuno, Kanechika Head Down Under for Warriors Realm
Okuno and Ota aren't the only Japanese competitors heading to Australia.
Preeminent Australian promotion Warriors Realm has announced that its Feb. 29 return to Sydney will feature two native talents taking on two Japanese imports in the double main event. In the headliner, Warriors Realm heavyweight champion Brad Morris will take on Koji Kanechika, and in the other feature bout, Gordon Graff will meet Tatsuya Mizuno (Pictures).
Kanechika is winless in MMA, with an 0-2 mark in his two pro bouts. He did, however, make a decent showing for himself at the ADCC Japan trials last year, when he won two bouts in the super heavyweight category before bowing out due to injury. Morris could perhaps be seen as the third best Australian heavyweight behind Soa Palalei and Jim York, both of whom have stopped him. Morris picked up a stoppage over UFC vet Kristof Midoux (Pictures) in his last bout as part of Bodog Fight's August bouts in Vancouver.
Mizuno opened 2007 with two tough losses. Thiago Silva (Pictures) brutally knocked him out in February before a far more experienced Assuerio Silva (Pictures) punched him out in May. Mizuno rebounded well in November, though, with a dominant performance against Masayuki Kono (Pictures).
Graff dropped a bout in October to journeyman Brian Ebersole (Pictures), but he bounced back on the last Warriors Realm card against Damon McClure, taking a second-round stoppage victory.
Sherdog.com has learned from a source close to leading Shooto promoter Sustain that the planned Shooto Pacific Rim 132-pound title match between Daniel Lima (Pictures) and Tetsu Suzuki (Pictures) scheduled for March 16 in Perth, Australia, has been cancelled. The source revealed that while both parties initially agreed on the bout, Lima reneged before officially signing the contract, citing that he didn't have enough time to prepare. Therefore the bout has been cancelled.
However, Shooto Japan will still sponsor two fighters to compete on the Perth card, which will feature both pro Shooto and boxing bouts.
Heavy-hitting brawler Taisuke Okuno will meet the stiffest test of his career in undefeated Aussie Xavier Lucas. Okuno is coming off a cut stoppage win over Hirosumi Sugiura (Pictures) in December. Lucas, who boasts a 6-0 mark in MMA, outlasted another tough Class B scrapper in Daisuke Okumiya on the last Perth Shooto card, dropping him several times before stopping him in the second round.
Also making the trek to Australia will be Takumi Ota (Pictures). The Tottori native was ousted in the 143-pound Shooto rookie tournament by eventual champ Kazuhiro Ito (Pictures) last year, but he has won his two bouts since, including a 59-second steamrolling of Rumina Sato (Pictures)'s pupil Sakae Kasuya (Pictures). Across the ring, he'll find BJJ black belt Gustavo Falciroli, who defeated Shooto Japan import Michiyuki Ishibashi (Pictures) via submission on the November Shooto card in Perth.
Mizuno, Kanechika Head Down Under for Warriors Realm
Okuno and Ota aren't the only Japanese competitors heading to Australia.
Preeminent Australian promotion Warriors Realm has announced that its Feb. 29 return to Sydney will feature two native talents taking on two Japanese imports in the double main event. In the headliner, Warriors Realm heavyweight champion Brad Morris will take on Koji Kanechika, and in the other feature bout, Gordon Graff will meet Tatsuya Mizuno (Pictures).
Kanechika is winless in MMA, with an 0-2 mark in his two pro bouts. He did, however, make a decent showing for himself at the ADCC Japan trials last year, when he won two bouts in the super heavyweight category before bowing out due to injury. Morris could perhaps be seen as the third best Australian heavyweight behind Soa Palalei and Jim York, both of whom have stopped him. Morris picked up a stoppage over UFC vet Kristof Midoux (Pictures) in his last bout as part of Bodog Fight's August bouts in Vancouver.
Mizuno opened 2007 with two tough losses. Thiago Silva (Pictures) brutally knocked him out in February before a far more experienced Assuerio Silva (Pictures) punched him out in May. Mizuno rebounded well in November, though, with a dominant performance against Masayuki Kono (Pictures).
Graff dropped a bout in October to journeyman Brian Ebersole (Pictures), but he bounced back on the last Warriors Realm card against Damon McClure, taking a second-round stoppage victory.
Related Articles