Bouts Announced for September Shooto
Leading Shooto promoter Sustain has announced that the road to
Shooto's 20th anniversary will continue Sept. 28 when the promotion
brings Shooto Tradition 3 to Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.
In the main event, undefeated Shooto 132-pound world champion Masakatsu Ueda (Pictures) will make the first defense of his throne, battling touted Brazilian Marcos Galvao (Pictures).
The rapidly evolving Ueda was an All-Japan amateur Shooto champion in 2005 and dominated his way to the 132-pound Shooto rookie championship in 2006. With the sudden retirement of former 132-pound king Akitoshi Hokazono (Pictures) in January, Ueda took a win on the cards over Atsushi Yamamoto (Pictures) and earned a crack at the vacant Shooto world championship against Koetsu Okazaki (Pictures) in March. In his encounter with Okazaki, the 30-year-old Ueda dominated from wire-to-wire to become the fifth 132-pound Shooto world champion.
The fortunes of Galvao have been slighter as of late. He was one of the first international standouts to head stateside to fight in the WEC, and he was expected to be an immediate contender for the 135-pound crown. However, in his promotional debut, Galvao, 27, was destroyed by upstart Brian Bowles (Pictures), losing by second-round knockout.
Sustain has also announced two Class A bouts at 123 pounds, pitting the hard-luck Yasuhiro Urushitani (Pictures) against young dynamo Yuki Shoujou (Pictures), and the rugged Takuya Mori (Pictures) against fellow brawler Masaaki Sugawara (Pictures).
Shoujou hasn't seen action since February, when he was outgunned over three rounds by former world champion Mamoru Yamaguchi (Pictures). Urushitani, well known as the unfortunate victim of dubious judging, is coming off of another contentious draw against Ryuichi Miki (Pictures) in May.
Like Shoujou, Sugawara was defeated by Mamoru Yamaguchi (Pictures) in a thrilling slugfest in March. Mori took a points win over Ayumu Shioda (Pictures) in January.
In 2008 Shooto rookie tournament action, Naoki Hirayama and Takuya Sato (Pictures) will meet in a 168-pound tournament semifinal, heavy-hitting tournament favorite Hiroshige Tanaka (Pictures) takes on Atsushi Kobayashi in a 143-pound tournament quarterfinal, KO artist "Akki Kota" Kota Funaki faces Kentato Watanabe in a 123-pound bracket semifinal, and free-swinging "Sarumaru Junji" Junji Ito (Pictures) tangles with Yoshitaka Aki in a 115-pound tournament semifinal.
Muay Thai dynamo Rambaa Somdet (Pictures) will also be on the bill against a yet-to-be-named opponent.
In the main event, undefeated Shooto 132-pound world champion Masakatsu Ueda (Pictures) will make the first defense of his throne, battling touted Brazilian Marcos Galvao (Pictures).
The rapidly evolving Ueda was an All-Japan amateur Shooto champion in 2005 and dominated his way to the 132-pound Shooto rookie championship in 2006. With the sudden retirement of former 132-pound king Akitoshi Hokazono (Pictures) in January, Ueda took a win on the cards over Atsushi Yamamoto (Pictures) and earned a crack at the vacant Shooto world championship against Koetsu Okazaki (Pictures) in March. In his encounter with Okazaki, the 30-year-old Ueda dominated from wire-to-wire to become the fifth 132-pound Shooto world champion.
The fortunes of Galvao have been slighter as of late. He was one of the first international standouts to head stateside to fight in the WEC, and he was expected to be an immediate contender for the 135-pound crown. However, in his promotional debut, Galvao, 27, was destroyed by upstart Brian Bowles (Pictures), losing by second-round knockout.
Sustain has also announced two Class A bouts at 123 pounds, pitting the hard-luck Yasuhiro Urushitani (Pictures) against young dynamo Yuki Shoujou (Pictures), and the rugged Takuya Mori (Pictures) against fellow brawler Masaaki Sugawara (Pictures).
Shoujou hasn't seen action since February, when he was outgunned over three rounds by former world champion Mamoru Yamaguchi (Pictures). Urushitani, well known as the unfortunate victim of dubious judging, is coming off of another contentious draw against Ryuichi Miki (Pictures) in May.
Like Shoujou, Sugawara was defeated by Mamoru Yamaguchi (Pictures) in a thrilling slugfest in March. Mori took a points win over Ayumu Shioda (Pictures) in January.
In 2008 Shooto rookie tournament action, Naoki Hirayama and Takuya Sato (Pictures) will meet in a 168-pound tournament semifinal, heavy-hitting tournament favorite Hiroshige Tanaka (Pictures) takes on Atsushi Kobayashi in a 143-pound tournament quarterfinal, KO artist "Akki Kota" Kota Funaki faces Kentato Watanabe in a 123-pound bracket semifinal, and free-swinging "Sarumaru Junji" Junji Ito (Pictures) tangles with Yoshitaka Aki in a 115-pound tournament semifinal.
Muay Thai dynamo Rambaa Somdet (Pictures) will also be on the bill against a yet-to-be-named opponent.
