Shooto ‘Shootor’s Legacy 1’ Play-by-Play and Results
Jan 10, 2011
Sherdog.com's Tony Loiseleur will report from the legendary
Korakuen Hall in Tokyo at 3:30 a.m. ET with play-by-play and live
results of Shooto “Shootor's Legacy 1,” which is headlined by a
154-pound title bout pitting Shinji
Sasaki against Yoshihiro
Koyama.
Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card.
Click here for quick results.
2011 Shooto 132-Pound Rookie Tournament Opening Round
Hiroshi Nakamura vs. Shinichi Yoshioka
Round 1
The southpaw Yoshioka launches a high kick, Nakamura blocks it, but is pursued into the corner before circling out. Both men firing with punches in the center of the ring, with Nakamura hitting some nice counters. Yoshioka is chasing Nakamura down and winging shots in return however, prompting a Nakamura takedown. Yoshioka isn't down long. Yoshioka on the chase again, racking up punches and kicks to the body. Nakamura gets tagged with a left before dropping again for the takedown, but he's stuffed. Yoshioka continues chasing Nakamura around the ring with punches, and again, Nakamura drops for the takedown. Yoshioka reverses him and takes top in half guard, punching Nakamura's face the whole time. After a repositioning by referee Toshiharu Suzuki, Yoshioka sits in Nakamura's guard where he racks up more punches. Nakamura gets to his feet in the final 10 seconds. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 Yoshioka.
Yoshioka tries to replicate the successes of the first round, but Nakamura fires back with wild punches when put in the corner. Yoshioka lands two knees to Nakamura's face during one of these exchanges, putting him down on all fours. Nakamura goes to his back and Yoshioka starts mashing him up from guard. After Suzuki repositions them, Nakamura pulls Yoshioka down to control distance. Action stalls out, but before Suzuki can stand them up, Nakamura sits up and drives for a leg. Yoshioka stuffs and puts him back down in guard. The longer Yoshioka continues to punish Nakamura before dropping for a kneebar, but Nakamura pulls out the leg and gets to his feet. Nakamura is thoroughly fatigued, but giving his best effort in throwing punches back at Yoshioka. Yoshioka, however, continues to land the harder, cleaner shots before being taken down at the last second. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 Yoshioka, and 20-18 Yoshioka overall.
Official scores: Judges Toshiharu Suzuki, Kosuke Watanabe and Tadashi Yokoyama all score the bout 20-18 for the winner by unanimous decision, Shinichi Yoshioka.
With the win, Yoshioka advances to the 2011 132-pound rookie tournament quarter-finals, where he will meet the winner of tonight's Takuya Ogura-Satoshi Kogure bout later this year.
2011 Shooto 132-Pound Rookie Tournament Opening Round
Takuya Ogura vs. Satoshi Kogure
Round 1
Takuya Ogura absolutely smashed
Satoshi Kogure in round one.
Kogure starts fast with hard kicks to the body, while Ogura lands
stiff low kicks. Kogure's corner urge him to "jab, jab, then
counter." Kogure tries a few jabs, then connects with a lead high
kick that slaps Ogura's jaw. Ogura shakes it off and presses with
more low kicks. Ogura catches a low kick and trips Kogure to the
canvas, but Kogure quickly springs back to his feet. Ogura pursues
the takedown, an in an ensuing scramble, lands a crushing knee to
the face that knocks Kosuge out cold against the ropes. Ogura lands
a good four or five more punches on his unconscious foe, forcing
his drool-covered mouthpiece onto the canvas. Referee Toshiharu
Suzuki steps in for the stop at 2:39 of the first round.
Ogura advances to the quarter-finals of this year's 132-pound Shooto rookie tournament, where he'll take on Shinichi Yoshioka later this year.
2011 Shooto 143-Pound Rookie Tournament Opening Round
Kensuke Nakamura vs. Chuji Kato
Round 1
The longer southpaw Kato is the aggressor early, chasing Nakamura with jabs and high kicks from the opening bell. Nakamura tries in vain to take him to the floor, but failing that, pulls him into the clinch. Kato nails Nakamura with three big knees to the guts and a hard right hook to the chin. Nakamura wings back, but misses. There's a massive mouse over Nakamura's left eye and the ensuing punches open it up. Right after Nakamura botches another takedown, referee Toshiharu Suzuki calls a momentary stop to the bout to get the bloody lump checked out. Upon resuming, they clinch and Kato again unleashes with unforgiving knees to the body. Nakamura chucks him off and dives for the takedown, driving Kato into the opposite corner of the ring. Kato ties up Nakamura's arms to stall the action and eventually, they're stood up. Kato turned orthodox, and targets Nakamura's left eye with right straights. He then clinches up and gets the takedown for the final twenty seconds. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 Kato.
Kato and Nakamura drew but Kato
advanced in the tournament.
Round 2
Nakamura tries for a takedown early, but Kato headlocks him and lands knees to the head and body. Nakamura has no choice but to fall to his knees in defense. Nakamura fights back to his feet and tries some knees of his own in the clinch. Kato looks for a trip, but botches the takedown, giving Nakamura top position. Kato fights to his feet, eating a few punches to the face. Nakamura holds onto a rear waistlock and gets him back down. Nakamura pulls out and gets to his feet, looking to drop bombs from top, missing more than he connects. This goes on for the final minute. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 Kato, for a 20-18 scorecard.
Official scores: Judges Toshiharu Suzuki scores the bout 20-19 for Kato, but judges Kosuke Watanabe and Tadashi Yokoyama see it 19-19, making it a majority draw.
For the purposes of the rookie tournament, all three judges give a "must" vote to determine who advances. Kato takes the must vote 2-1, and advances to the 143-pound tournament quarter-finals, where he will take on Yoshinori Suzuki later this year.
2011 Shooto 123-Pound Rookie Tournament Opening Round
Hiroshi Osato vs. Takeshi Saito
Round 1
Saito wings a high kick off the opening bell. Osato, the southpaw, land some punishing low kicks in response. Saito slips on the mat and Osato grabs a front headlock, driving him into the ropes. Saito works his way free and tries for a proper single-leg takedown this time, putting Osato on his back. Osato works wrist control and spider guard, keeping Saito at enough of a distance that he can't get his tailbone kneed. Eventually, referee Toshiharu Suzuki calls for the stand-up. Osato tries to bang it out with Saito with punches but gets some sharp knees to the body in response. Osato goes for the takedown this time and puts Saito on his back. Saito evades Osato's attack, locking onto the Aomori native so he can't throw punches. Osato breaks free and lands a few punches to the body and face in the last ten seconds. Sherdog.com sees the round even, 10-10.
Round 2
Osato punches into the clinch, where Saito put him on the mat. Osato works in some heel kicks to Saito's liver until Suzuki calls for the break and stands them up. Suzuki calls the break. On the feet, they clash low kicks, and Saito trips, allowing Osato to take top position for a moment. However, Saito kicks Osato off, and they're back standing. Osato presses forward, lobbing punches and uppercuts at Saito and driving him into the corner. Osato tries for the outside trip, but Saito reverses, getting top in guard. Saito looks first to pass, then throw punches from on top, but the shorter Osato stays active from bottom, thwarting these plans while throwing up punches and heel kicks to Saito's liver and kidneys until the round expires 10 seconds later. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 Osato, for a 20-19 Osato scorecard.
Official scores: Judge Kosuke Watanabe scores it 20-18, while Toshiharu Suzuki and Tadashi Yokoyama have it 20-19 for the winner by unanimous decision, Hiroshi Osato.
Osato advances to the quarter-finals of the 2011 Shooto rookie tournament at 123 pounds, where he'll face Isao Yoshida in the coming months.
Daisuke Hoshino vs. Koji Nishioka
Round 1
Amusingly, it appears that Daisuke Hoshino has cannibalized the WEC sponsor tarp of his teammate, former Shooto 143-pound champ, Akitoshi Tamura. All the sponsors have been removed in order to make it a tarp in support of Hoshino and Tsudanuma Dojo, however the top still reads "WEC -- Arco Arena -- WEC."
Hoshino starts with some low kicks. Nishioka doesn't seem to like this, and stuffs Hoshino into the ropes. Nishioka throws a few knees to Hoshino's midsection and tries to wrench him to the floor, but Hoshino maintains his balance and returns the favor with some knees of his own. Referee Toshiharu Suzuki breaks them up after a Nishioka knee lands a little too far south. They resume back at the center, and Nishioka lands a stinging right jab on his fellow southpaw before running him back into the ropes in the clinch. Nishioka gets the takedown, but Hoshino fights back to his feet. In a great feat of strength, Nishioka picks Hoshino up and slams him to all fours. Hoshino gets to his feet and turns into Nishioka in the clinch where they pummel, throwing the occasional knee. Suzuki breaks them again. Hoshino breaks free in the final thirty and he tags Nishioka with some right jabs and low kicks before the bell. Sherdog.com sees it even, 10-10.
Round 2
Having found a comfortable distance, Hoshino works Nishioka over with jabs and low kicks in the first 30 seconds. Nishioka lands a jab of his own. Nishioka evades a Hoshino left and clinches up. Nishioka botches an inside trip, creating a scramble in which he gets the takedown proper. He settles into Hoshino's guard to grind with small punches. Hoshino returns with punches of his own from bottom, arguably racking up more offense than Nishioka on top. Nishioka gets a little busier after failing to pass, landing hammerfists. Hoshino crawls his head out of the bottom rope in the final seconds, prompting Nishioka to pass just before the bell. Sherdog.com scores the nip-tuck round 10-10, for a 20-20 scorecard.
Official scores: Judge Tadashi Yokoyama scores the bout 20-20, but his cohorts Toshiharu Suzuki and Kosuke Watanabe see it 20-19 for the winner by majority decision, Koji Nishioka.
Koji Matsumoto vs. Norio Tokuhisa
Round 1
Both men trade punches and low kicks briefly before locking up in the clinch. Tokuhisa presses Matsumoto into the corner, but Matsumoto gets free and circles out. Tokuhisa lands several low kicks and jabs before clinching up again with Matsumoto. Matsumoto breaks free and grazes Tokuhisa's face with a pair of hooks. They clinch again and Matsumoto wrangles Tokuhisa to the canvas. Tokuhisa prevents Matsumoto from passing while lumping him up with short punches from bottom. Matsumoto manages to land some short punches from on top before the rounds expires. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 Matsumoto.
Round 2
Matsumoto lands a jab then sucks Tokuhisa to the mat. From half guard, the Kuniyoshi Hironaka pupil punches while trying to pass. He's almost out to side control when Tokuhisa bucks and reverses, getting top in Matsumoto's guard. Tokuhisa works a few punches from above before Matsumoto pulls his head down to control the distance. Tokuhisa pulls free and lands a succession of hard punches to Matsumoto's body. Matsumoto shrimps, then turns to his side, briefly giving up his back. Tokuhisa only puts one hook in, allowing Matsumoto to spin out and get to his feet. Both men are still locked in the clinch however, and Matsumoto unleashes a knee to the groin that briefly halts action.
Koji Matsumoto outpunched and
outgrappled Norio Tokuhisa.
Upon resuming, Matsumoto smacks Tokuhisa with a left hook before pressing him into the corner in the clinch. They separate briefly and both men bang it out with Matsumoto getting the better of things. Tokuhisa is stunned for a second, allowing Matsumoto to land more punches before taking him down. Tokuhisa gathers enough of his wits to get back to his knees and drive for his own takedown, but the bell rings. Sherdog.com sees the frame 10-9 Matsumoto, for a 20-18 scorecard.
Official scores: Judge Tadashi Yokoyama scores the bout 20-19, while Toshiharu Suzuki and Kosuke Watanabe see it 20-18 for the winner by unanimous decision, Koji Matsumoto.
Toshimichi Akagi vs. Shinichi Hanawa
Round 1
Hanawa comes out ready to touch gloves, but Akagi does not oblige him. Akagi throws several short hooks that barely miss Hanawa. Hanawa throws a knee, just as Akagi's open right hands pokes his eye. Hanawa is given a few seconds to recover. When they resume, both men brawl in the center of the ring, trading hard right hooks. Hanawa catches a kick to the body and puts a few hard punches on Akagi. Akagi blocks and returns fire. Hanawa counters these punches with sharp jabs and right uppercuts of his own. Akagi puts Hanawa in a corner and attempts to rough him up with hooks to the body. Hanawa spins out and reddens Akagi's nose with counters. Great action so far. Both men continue to shoot it out with hard singles and one-two hook combinations for the final 30 seconds. A riveting round, and 10-9 Hanawa on the Sherdog.com scorecard, if barely.
Round 2
Akagi misses a spinning heel kick. Hanawa returns with an endless stream of punches -- jabs, hooks, uppercuts, the whole gamut -- for easily 15 punches in a row that Akagi shells up and absorbs. Though dictating the second round, Hanawa is still not immune to Akagi's big counter hooks, temporarily stemming his attacks. Akagi working some great hard hooks to the body now, while Hanawa continues to sting with jabs and right hands. A cut opens under Akagi's left eye from these shots and the bout is stopped momentarily to clean it up. Upon resuming, both men continue their brawling game until Akagi shoots in and trips Hanawa to the canvas. Akagi triangles his legs over Hanawa's knees, attaining mount as Hanawa leans against the ropes and eats punches to the back of the head for the final fifteen seconds. Despite the late salvo from Akagi, Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 Hanawa for a 20-18 Hanawa scorecard.
Official scores: Judge Kosuke Watanabe sees the bout 20-19, while Toshiharu Suzuki and Tadashi Yokoyama see it 20-18 for the winner by unanimous decision, Shinichi Hanawa. After a 2-6-1 start to his career -- including a loss to Akagi in October 2006 -- Hanawa is 6-1 in his last seven bouts.
Intermission
During the intermission, it is announced that Shooto 115-pound world champion Rambaa "M-16" Somdet will defend his title against hot up-and-coming challenger Junji "Sarumaru" Ito on March 12 at "Shootor's Legacy 2" at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.
The card will also feature a compliment of 2010's Shooto rookie tournament champions, including Yuta "Uruka" Sasaki and Kosuke "Rambo" Suzuki.
Kotetsu Boku vs. Yukinari Tamura
Round 1
Boku paws with his jab while Tamura gets busy with low kicks. The southpaw Tamura keeps his lead hand extended, lobbing low kicks while Boku circles to get around it. Boku throws a big right and gets sucked into the clinch after Tamura blocks it. Boku spins out and pulls away, blocking a Tamura high kick. Boku grazes with a left hook and eats a low kick. Boku chases Tamura down with punches, and Tamura ducks under them to get a trip takedown. Boku ties Tamura up from bottom, but Tamura gets through with a few short punches to Boku's head and chest. Tamura postures and lands two hard punches before Boku kicks him away and gets to his feet. Tamura tries for another takedown at the end of the round, but Boku stuffs him into a corner and lands two punches to his face at the bell. Sherdog.com sees the round even, 10-10.
Round 2
Tamura shoots in for a single, putting Boku in the corner. Boku defends against the attempt, but gets taken down with the outside trip moments later. The Krazy Bee rep gets to his feet but is taken down yet again by Tamura. Boku traps Tamura's right arm against his head and tries for an inverted armbar, but it's not tight. Tamura frees his hands and punches away. Boku punches from bottom and attempts to stay inside the ring. He shrimps and manages to make enough distance to pop back to his feet. Boku measures distance with his left hand, looking for a big right uppercut. It misses as Tamura lunges for a leg. Boku pancakes and racks up some punches to the side of Tamura's head. Boku lets him stand and tags him with a hard left. Tamura shoots, and again Boku sprawls and punishes him. Tamura gives up bottom in guard at the last 10 seconds, allowing Boku to get in and score a few short punches from above just before the bell rings. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 Boku.
Round 3
Boku sprawled and brawled
to victory against Tamura.
Boku jabs, hoping to set up the coup de grace with his right. Boku
tries with a right uppercut which grazes. Tamura lands a hard kick
to the guts in return. Tamura pushes Boku back against the corner
in the clinch and starts looking for high knees to Boku's body or
face, but none connect with authority. Boku is landing interesting
standing hammerfists, but without much impact. Tamura drops for a
takedown, but as usual, Boku sprawls and steps back. Tamura charges
in, and Boku smashes him with a right hand that puts him on the
mat. Tamura eats several brutal shots on bottom and instinctively
squirms out of the bottom ropes to escape more punishment. Referee
Toshiharu Suzuki pulls Tamura back in, but the moment's pause is
enough for him to gather his wits and control distance. Boku pulls
away and forces Tamura to his feet. Boku stuffs another shot from
Tamura and lands more punches. Tamura drives for a leg in the last
10 seconds, but eats punches the whole way. Sherdog.com sees the
final round 10-9 Boku, and scores the fight 30-28 for the Krazy Bee
fighter.
Official scores: Judge Tadashi Yokoyama reckons it 29-28, Toshiharu Suzuki sees it 30-28, while Kosuke Watanabe has it a wide 30-26, all for the winner by unanimous decision, Kotetsu Boku.
Masakatsu Ueda vs. Ralph Acosta
Round 1
Ueda throws low kicks, until Acosta explodes into a takedown and puts Ueda on his posterior. Ueda nearly reverses him, but Acosta keeps his balance and stays on top. Ueda tries for an inverted armbar from the guard but Acosta quickly frees himself. Ueda tries again for the sweep and gets it, landing in Acosta's guard. The former Shooto champ punches, but Acosta listens to his corner, shrimps, and explodes for another takedown. Ueda gets to his knees, and locks up a brabo choke.
Third time was the charm for
Ueda's brabo choke.
He bases down and finishes the choke, but Acosta
guts it out and survives. With 30 seconds to go, Ueda locks up
another tight brabo choke, cinching it up and forcing Acosta to
conserve his air until the bell saves him. Sherdog.com sees the
thrilling round of grappling 10-8 for Ueda.
Round 2
Ueda lands a low kick and hard right hook. Acosta circles right, despite his corner's requests for him not to. The Bellator vet shoots for the single and is stuffed. Ueda sees the opportunity and the third time is the charm: Ueda slaps on yet another brabo choke, and it's tight. Ueda walks into Acosta's body, taking his oxygen until he's forced to tap at 1:13 of the second round.
Yusuke Endo vs. Daisuke Sugie
Round 1
Sugie drops for the single-leg takedown, and Endo stuffs it, but Sugie remains latched onto his midsection, pushing him into a corner. Toshiharu Suzuki calls for the break. Endo lands a hard left straight to Sugie's body to a round of applause from the crowd. Sugie dives again for a leg and is again stuffed. Sugie stays in tight and breaks Endo down to one knee, but can't put him completely on his back. Endo uses the ring post to get back on both of his feet. Sugie lands a few knees before Suzuki breaks them up again. Endo lunges with a grazing left uppercut just before the bell. A largely non-event of a round, but Endo's few hard punches earn him the first round on the Sherdog.com scorecard, 10-9.
Round 2
Endo looks to work the body with more lefts, and "Amazon" catches him with a short right hook as a result. Undeterred, Endo continues to potshot with right jabs and single left hands to the head and body. Sugie drops for a takedown but is quickly rebuffed. Both men trade lead hooks to the jaw. Sugie puts Endo into the corner and begins fighting for better grips. Realizing this, Endo controls his wrists. Sugie lands some knees to Endo's legs before Suzuki calls another break. Endo lands a hard left to the body followed by three one-twos to Sugie's face. Sugie drops for a single and finally gets it right at the bell. Another lackluster round goes 10-9 to Endo on the Sherdog.com scorecard.
Round 3
Sugie lands a stiff counter that wobbles Endo and puts him on his rear. Sugie charges in and gets top in Endo's guard, but cannot finish. He lays down some short punches but Endo is lucid enough to pull his head down. Endo gets to his knees and eventually his feet. "Amazon" rushes forward, driving to put him back down, but Endo finds support against a ring post. They disengage but once back at the center, Sugie dives again for a leg. Endo tries to lock up a choke, but botches it, giving Sugie top position for a moment. Endo sweeps and Sugie fights back to his feet and reaches down to grab a leg of Endo's. He drives Endo into the ropes. To defend, Endo reaches over and threatens to lock up a kimura from bottom. Before he can pull the arm out, the bell rings. The third round was an awesome life-and-death struggle after two weak rounds to start. Sherdog.com likes the final frame 10-9 Sugie, but gives the fight 29-28 to Yusuke Endo.
Official scores: Judge Tadashi Yokoyama scores the bout a 29-29 draw. However, Toshiharu Suzuki and Kosuke Watanabe have it 29-28 and 30-27 respectively for the winner by majority decision, Yusuke Endo.
Taiki Tsuchiya vs. Tony Hervey
Round 1
Taiki Tsuchiya blasted Tony Hervey.
Hervey explodes with a jumping left kick and a right hand. They graze Tsuchiya, who returns fire with right hands. The Rumina Sato student retaliates with a "Superman" punch, and Hervey responds with a wild capoeira-style half-moon kick. Tsuchiya lands his right hand, cornering Hervey and scoring big. Hervey's corner is screaming for him to get out of the corner as Tsuchiya continues to bomb away. The former KOTC champ escapes, but Tsuchiya gives chase and lands a lunging shot that drops Hervey in the opposite corner. Hervey squirms out of the ring, prompting Toshiharu Suzuki to pull him back in. Tsuchiya stands up in the American's guard and drops blistering punches. Hervey again squirms out the bottom ropes, and once more, Suzuki pulls him back to the center. Tsuchiya has had enough of Hervey's ring escapes and takes matters into his own hands, moving to mount. Tsuchiya blasts away and totally ruins Hervey's day with more heavy punches. Hervey turns belly-down and Tsuchiya smashes away until Suzuki halts the beating at the 4:25 mark.
On the mic, a humble Tsuchiya says to much delight and laughter, "I thought I'd challenge [Shooto world champion Hatsu] Hioki, but I saw his Dec. 30 fight against Marlon Sandro and it makes me think I'm not ready yet. So sorry to everyone expecting me to challenge him."
Vacant Shooto Pacific Rim 154-Pound Championship
Shinji Sasaki vs. Yoshihiro Koyama
Round 1
Koyama and Sasaki stick jabs in each other's faces before Sasaki lands a series of hard low kicks. Koyama's jab is stiff, though, and keeping Sasaki defensive. The Paraestra Matsudo product smashes Sasaki with another clean jab that stuns him, sending him stumbling posterior-first into the corner. Koyama goes into attack mode, lunging into the corner with a torrent of punches. They're connecting, but they don't look particularly damaging. Be that as it may, referee Toshiharu Suzuki dives in for what the early stoppage at 1:20 of the first frame. Yoshihiro Koyama is the new Shooto 154-pound Pacific Rim champion.
An overwhelmed Yoshihiro Koyama, with belt around his waist, takes the to the mic to deliver an emotional thank you to those that supported him in the lead up to this bout.
"If I lost this fight, I thought I would retire. It's like a dream come true for me," says the new champion. "Thanks to everyone, friends, training partners, for supporting me. I didn't say it to anyone yet, but... happy new year!"
Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card.
Advertisement
2011 Shooto 132-Pound Rookie Tournament Opening Round
Hiroshi Nakamura vs. Shinichi Yoshioka
Round 1
The southpaw Yoshioka launches a high kick, Nakamura blocks it, but is pursued into the corner before circling out. Both men firing with punches in the center of the ring, with Nakamura hitting some nice counters. Yoshioka is chasing Nakamura down and winging shots in return however, prompting a Nakamura takedown. Yoshioka isn't down long. Yoshioka on the chase again, racking up punches and kicks to the body. Nakamura gets tagged with a left before dropping again for the takedown, but he's stuffed. Yoshioka continues chasing Nakamura around the ring with punches, and again, Nakamura drops for the takedown. Yoshioka reverses him and takes top in half guard, punching Nakamura's face the whole time. After a repositioning by referee Toshiharu Suzuki, Yoshioka sits in Nakamura's guard where he racks up more punches. Nakamura gets to his feet in the final 10 seconds. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 Yoshioka.
Round 2
Yoshioka tries to replicate the successes of the first round, but Nakamura fires back with wild punches when put in the corner. Yoshioka lands two knees to Nakamura's face during one of these exchanges, putting him down on all fours. Nakamura goes to his back and Yoshioka starts mashing him up from guard. After Suzuki repositions them, Nakamura pulls Yoshioka down to control distance. Action stalls out, but before Suzuki can stand them up, Nakamura sits up and drives for a leg. Yoshioka stuffs and puts him back down in guard. The longer Yoshioka continues to punish Nakamura before dropping for a kneebar, but Nakamura pulls out the leg and gets to his feet. Nakamura is thoroughly fatigued, but giving his best effort in throwing punches back at Yoshioka. Yoshioka, however, continues to land the harder, cleaner shots before being taken down at the last second. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 Yoshioka, and 20-18 Yoshioka overall.
Official scores: Judges Toshiharu Suzuki, Kosuke Watanabe and Tadashi Yokoyama all score the bout 20-18 for the winner by unanimous decision, Shinichi Yoshioka.
With the win, Yoshioka advances to the 2011 132-pound rookie tournament quarter-finals, where he will meet the winner of tonight's Takuya Ogura-Satoshi Kogure bout later this year.
2011 Shooto 132-Pound Rookie Tournament Opening Round
Takuya Ogura vs. Satoshi Kogure
Round 1
Paul Benjamin
Takuya Ogura absolutely smashed
Satoshi Kogure in round one.
Ogura advances to the quarter-finals of this year's 132-pound Shooto rookie tournament, where he'll take on Shinichi Yoshioka later this year.
2011 Shooto 143-Pound Rookie Tournament Opening Round
Kensuke Nakamura vs. Chuji Kato
Round 1
The longer southpaw Kato is the aggressor early, chasing Nakamura with jabs and high kicks from the opening bell. Nakamura tries in vain to take him to the floor, but failing that, pulls him into the clinch. Kato nails Nakamura with three big knees to the guts and a hard right hook to the chin. Nakamura wings back, but misses. There's a massive mouse over Nakamura's left eye and the ensuing punches open it up. Right after Nakamura botches another takedown, referee Toshiharu Suzuki calls a momentary stop to the bout to get the bloody lump checked out. Upon resuming, they clinch and Kato again unleashes with unforgiving knees to the body. Nakamura chucks him off and dives for the takedown, driving Kato into the opposite corner of the ring. Kato ties up Nakamura's arms to stall the action and eventually, they're stood up. Kato turned orthodox, and targets Nakamura's left eye with right straights. He then clinches up and gets the takedown for the final twenty seconds. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 Kato.
P. Benjamin
Kato and Nakamura drew but Kato
advanced in the tournament.
Round 2
Nakamura tries for a takedown early, but Kato headlocks him and lands knees to the head and body. Nakamura has no choice but to fall to his knees in defense. Nakamura fights back to his feet and tries some knees of his own in the clinch. Kato looks for a trip, but botches the takedown, giving Nakamura top position. Kato fights to his feet, eating a few punches to the face. Nakamura holds onto a rear waistlock and gets him back down. Nakamura pulls out and gets to his feet, looking to drop bombs from top, missing more than he connects. This goes on for the final minute. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 Kato, for a 20-18 scorecard.
Official scores: Judges Toshiharu Suzuki scores the bout 20-19 for Kato, but judges Kosuke Watanabe and Tadashi Yokoyama see it 19-19, making it a majority draw.
For the purposes of the rookie tournament, all three judges give a "must" vote to determine who advances. Kato takes the must vote 2-1, and advances to the 143-pound tournament quarter-finals, where he will take on Yoshinori Suzuki later this year.
2011 Shooto 123-Pound Rookie Tournament Opening Round
Hiroshi Osato vs. Takeshi Saito
Round 1
Saito wings a high kick off the opening bell. Osato, the southpaw, land some punishing low kicks in response. Saito slips on the mat and Osato grabs a front headlock, driving him into the ropes. Saito works his way free and tries for a proper single-leg takedown this time, putting Osato on his back. Osato works wrist control and spider guard, keeping Saito at enough of a distance that he can't get his tailbone kneed. Eventually, referee Toshiharu Suzuki calls for the stand-up. Osato tries to bang it out with Saito with punches but gets some sharp knees to the body in response. Osato goes for the takedown this time and puts Saito on his back. Saito evades Osato's attack, locking onto the Aomori native so he can't throw punches. Osato breaks free and lands a few punches to the body and face in the last ten seconds. Sherdog.com sees the round even, 10-10.
Round 2
Osato punches into the clinch, where Saito put him on the mat. Osato works in some heel kicks to Saito's liver until Suzuki calls for the break and stands them up. Suzuki calls the break. On the feet, they clash low kicks, and Saito trips, allowing Osato to take top position for a moment. However, Saito kicks Osato off, and they're back standing. Osato presses forward, lobbing punches and uppercuts at Saito and driving him into the corner. Osato tries for the outside trip, but Saito reverses, getting top in guard. Saito looks first to pass, then throw punches from on top, but the shorter Osato stays active from bottom, thwarting these plans while throwing up punches and heel kicks to Saito's liver and kidneys until the round expires 10 seconds later. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 Osato, for a 20-19 Osato scorecard.
Official scores: Judge Kosuke Watanabe scores it 20-18, while Toshiharu Suzuki and Tadashi Yokoyama have it 20-19 for the winner by unanimous decision, Hiroshi Osato.
Osato advances to the quarter-finals of the 2011 Shooto rookie tournament at 123 pounds, where he'll face Isao Yoshida in the coming months.
Daisuke Hoshino vs. Koji Nishioka
Round 1
Amusingly, it appears that Daisuke Hoshino has cannibalized the WEC sponsor tarp of his teammate, former Shooto 143-pound champ, Akitoshi Tamura. All the sponsors have been removed in order to make it a tarp in support of Hoshino and Tsudanuma Dojo, however the top still reads "WEC -- Arco Arena -- WEC."
Hoshino starts with some low kicks. Nishioka doesn't seem to like this, and stuffs Hoshino into the ropes. Nishioka throws a few knees to Hoshino's midsection and tries to wrench him to the floor, but Hoshino maintains his balance and returns the favor with some knees of his own. Referee Toshiharu Suzuki breaks them up after a Nishioka knee lands a little too far south. They resume back at the center, and Nishioka lands a stinging right jab on his fellow southpaw before running him back into the ropes in the clinch. Nishioka gets the takedown, but Hoshino fights back to his feet. In a great feat of strength, Nishioka picks Hoshino up and slams him to all fours. Hoshino gets to his feet and turns into Nishioka in the clinch where they pummel, throwing the occasional knee. Suzuki breaks them again. Hoshino breaks free in the final thirty and he tags Nishioka with some right jabs and low kicks before the bell. Sherdog.com sees it even, 10-10.
Round 2
Having found a comfortable distance, Hoshino works Nishioka over with jabs and low kicks in the first 30 seconds. Nishioka lands a jab of his own. Nishioka evades a Hoshino left and clinches up. Nishioka botches an inside trip, creating a scramble in which he gets the takedown proper. He settles into Hoshino's guard to grind with small punches. Hoshino returns with punches of his own from bottom, arguably racking up more offense than Nishioka on top. Nishioka gets a little busier after failing to pass, landing hammerfists. Hoshino crawls his head out of the bottom rope in the final seconds, prompting Nishioka to pass just before the bell. Sherdog.com scores the nip-tuck round 10-10, for a 20-20 scorecard.
Official scores: Judge Tadashi Yokoyama scores the bout 20-20, but his cohorts Toshiharu Suzuki and Kosuke Watanabe see it 20-19 for the winner by majority decision, Koji Nishioka.
Koji Matsumoto vs. Norio Tokuhisa
Round 1
Both men trade punches and low kicks briefly before locking up in the clinch. Tokuhisa presses Matsumoto into the corner, but Matsumoto gets free and circles out. Tokuhisa lands several low kicks and jabs before clinching up again with Matsumoto. Matsumoto breaks free and grazes Tokuhisa's face with a pair of hooks. They clinch again and Matsumoto wrangles Tokuhisa to the canvas. Tokuhisa prevents Matsumoto from passing while lumping him up with short punches from bottom. Matsumoto manages to land some short punches from on top before the rounds expires. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 Matsumoto.
Round 2
Matsumoto lands a jab then sucks Tokuhisa to the mat. From half guard, the Kuniyoshi Hironaka pupil punches while trying to pass. He's almost out to side control when Tokuhisa bucks and reverses, getting top in Matsumoto's guard. Tokuhisa works a few punches from above before Matsumoto pulls his head down to control the distance. Tokuhisa pulls free and lands a succession of hard punches to Matsumoto's body. Matsumoto shrimps, then turns to his side, briefly giving up his back. Tokuhisa only puts one hook in, allowing Matsumoto to spin out and get to his feet. Both men are still locked in the clinch however, and Matsumoto unleashes a knee to the groin that briefly halts action.
P. Benjamin
Koji Matsumoto outpunched and
outgrappled Norio Tokuhisa.
Upon resuming, Matsumoto smacks Tokuhisa with a left hook before pressing him into the corner in the clinch. They separate briefly and both men bang it out with Matsumoto getting the better of things. Tokuhisa is stunned for a second, allowing Matsumoto to land more punches before taking him down. Tokuhisa gathers enough of his wits to get back to his knees and drive for his own takedown, but the bell rings. Sherdog.com sees the frame 10-9 Matsumoto, for a 20-18 scorecard.
Official scores: Judge Tadashi Yokoyama scores the bout 20-19, while Toshiharu Suzuki and Kosuke Watanabe see it 20-18 for the winner by unanimous decision, Koji Matsumoto.
Toshimichi Akagi vs. Shinichi Hanawa
Round 1
Hanawa comes out ready to touch gloves, but Akagi does not oblige him. Akagi throws several short hooks that barely miss Hanawa. Hanawa throws a knee, just as Akagi's open right hands pokes his eye. Hanawa is given a few seconds to recover. When they resume, both men brawl in the center of the ring, trading hard right hooks. Hanawa catches a kick to the body and puts a few hard punches on Akagi. Akagi blocks and returns fire. Hanawa counters these punches with sharp jabs and right uppercuts of his own. Akagi puts Hanawa in a corner and attempts to rough him up with hooks to the body. Hanawa spins out and reddens Akagi's nose with counters. Great action so far. Both men continue to shoot it out with hard singles and one-two hook combinations for the final 30 seconds. A riveting round, and 10-9 Hanawa on the Sherdog.com scorecard, if barely.
Round 2
Akagi misses a spinning heel kick. Hanawa returns with an endless stream of punches -- jabs, hooks, uppercuts, the whole gamut -- for easily 15 punches in a row that Akagi shells up and absorbs. Though dictating the second round, Hanawa is still not immune to Akagi's big counter hooks, temporarily stemming his attacks. Akagi working some great hard hooks to the body now, while Hanawa continues to sting with jabs and right hands. A cut opens under Akagi's left eye from these shots and the bout is stopped momentarily to clean it up. Upon resuming, both men continue their brawling game until Akagi shoots in and trips Hanawa to the canvas. Akagi triangles his legs over Hanawa's knees, attaining mount as Hanawa leans against the ropes and eats punches to the back of the head for the final fifteen seconds. Despite the late salvo from Akagi, Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 Hanawa for a 20-18 Hanawa scorecard.
Official scores: Judge Kosuke Watanabe sees the bout 20-19, while Toshiharu Suzuki and Tadashi Yokoyama see it 20-18 for the winner by unanimous decision, Shinichi Hanawa. After a 2-6-1 start to his career -- including a loss to Akagi in October 2006 -- Hanawa is 6-1 in his last seven bouts.
Intermission
During the intermission, it is announced that Shooto 115-pound world champion Rambaa "M-16" Somdet will defend his title against hot up-and-coming challenger Junji "Sarumaru" Ito on March 12 at "Shootor's Legacy 2" at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.
The card will also feature a compliment of 2010's Shooto rookie tournament champions, including Yuta "Uruka" Sasaki and Kosuke "Rambo" Suzuki.
Kotetsu Boku vs. Yukinari Tamura
Round 1
Boku paws with his jab while Tamura gets busy with low kicks. The southpaw Tamura keeps his lead hand extended, lobbing low kicks while Boku circles to get around it. Boku throws a big right and gets sucked into the clinch after Tamura blocks it. Boku spins out and pulls away, blocking a Tamura high kick. Boku grazes with a left hook and eats a low kick. Boku chases Tamura down with punches, and Tamura ducks under them to get a trip takedown. Boku ties Tamura up from bottom, but Tamura gets through with a few short punches to Boku's head and chest. Tamura postures and lands two hard punches before Boku kicks him away and gets to his feet. Tamura tries for another takedown at the end of the round, but Boku stuffs him into a corner and lands two punches to his face at the bell. Sherdog.com sees the round even, 10-10.
Round 2
Tamura shoots in for a single, putting Boku in the corner. Boku defends against the attempt, but gets taken down with the outside trip moments later. The Krazy Bee rep gets to his feet but is taken down yet again by Tamura. Boku traps Tamura's right arm against his head and tries for an inverted armbar, but it's not tight. Tamura frees his hands and punches away. Boku punches from bottom and attempts to stay inside the ring. He shrimps and manages to make enough distance to pop back to his feet. Boku measures distance with his left hand, looking for a big right uppercut. It misses as Tamura lunges for a leg. Boku pancakes and racks up some punches to the side of Tamura's head. Boku lets him stand and tags him with a hard left. Tamura shoots, and again Boku sprawls and punishes him. Tamura gives up bottom in guard at the last 10 seconds, allowing Boku to get in and score a few short punches from above just before the bell rings. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 Boku.
Round 3
P. Benjamin
Boku sprawled and brawled
to victory against Tamura.
Official scores: Judge Tadashi Yokoyama reckons it 29-28, Toshiharu Suzuki sees it 30-28, while Kosuke Watanabe has it a wide 30-26, all for the winner by unanimous decision, Kotetsu Boku.
Masakatsu Ueda vs. Ralph Acosta
Round 1
Ueda throws low kicks, until Acosta explodes into a takedown and puts Ueda on his posterior. Ueda nearly reverses him, but Acosta keeps his balance and stays on top. Ueda tries for an inverted armbar from the guard but Acosta quickly frees himself. Ueda tries again for the sweep and gets it, landing in Acosta's guard. The former Shooto champ punches, but Acosta listens to his corner, shrimps, and explodes for another takedown. Ueda gets to his knees, and locks up a brabo choke.
P. Benjamin
Third time was the charm for
Ueda's brabo choke.
Round 2
Ueda lands a low kick and hard right hook. Acosta circles right, despite his corner's requests for him not to. The Bellator vet shoots for the single and is stuffed. Ueda sees the opportunity and the third time is the charm: Ueda slaps on yet another brabo choke, and it's tight. Ueda walks into Acosta's body, taking his oxygen until he's forced to tap at 1:13 of the second round.
Yusuke Endo vs. Daisuke Sugie
Round 1
Sugie drops for the single-leg takedown, and Endo stuffs it, but Sugie remains latched onto his midsection, pushing him into a corner. Toshiharu Suzuki calls for the break. Endo lands a hard left straight to Sugie's body to a round of applause from the crowd. Sugie dives again for a leg and is again stuffed. Sugie stays in tight and breaks Endo down to one knee, but can't put him completely on his back. Endo uses the ring post to get back on both of his feet. Sugie lands a few knees before Suzuki breaks them up again. Endo lunges with a grazing left uppercut just before the bell. A largely non-event of a round, but Endo's few hard punches earn him the first round on the Sherdog.com scorecard, 10-9.
Round 2
Endo looks to work the body with more lefts, and "Amazon" catches him with a short right hook as a result. Undeterred, Endo continues to potshot with right jabs and single left hands to the head and body. Sugie drops for a takedown but is quickly rebuffed. Both men trade lead hooks to the jaw. Sugie puts Endo into the corner and begins fighting for better grips. Realizing this, Endo controls his wrists. Sugie lands some knees to Endo's legs before Suzuki calls another break. Endo lands a hard left to the body followed by three one-twos to Sugie's face. Sugie drops for a single and finally gets it right at the bell. Another lackluster round goes 10-9 to Endo on the Sherdog.com scorecard.
Round 3
Sugie lands a stiff counter that wobbles Endo and puts him on his rear. Sugie charges in and gets top in Endo's guard, but cannot finish. He lays down some short punches but Endo is lucid enough to pull his head down. Endo gets to his knees and eventually his feet. "Amazon" rushes forward, driving to put him back down, but Endo finds support against a ring post. They disengage but once back at the center, Sugie dives again for a leg. Endo tries to lock up a choke, but botches it, giving Sugie top position for a moment. Endo sweeps and Sugie fights back to his feet and reaches down to grab a leg of Endo's. He drives Endo into the ropes. To defend, Endo reaches over and threatens to lock up a kimura from bottom. Before he can pull the arm out, the bell rings. The third round was an awesome life-and-death struggle after two weak rounds to start. Sherdog.com likes the final frame 10-9 Sugie, but gives the fight 29-28 to Yusuke Endo.
Official scores: Judge Tadashi Yokoyama scores the bout a 29-29 draw. However, Toshiharu Suzuki and Kosuke Watanabe have it 29-28 and 30-27 respectively for the winner by majority decision, Yusuke Endo.
Taiki Tsuchiya vs. Tony Hervey
Round 1
P. Benjamin
Taiki Tsuchiya blasted Tony Hervey.
Hervey explodes with a jumping left kick and a right hand. They graze Tsuchiya, who returns fire with right hands. The Rumina Sato student retaliates with a "Superman" punch, and Hervey responds with a wild capoeira-style half-moon kick. Tsuchiya lands his right hand, cornering Hervey and scoring big. Hervey's corner is screaming for him to get out of the corner as Tsuchiya continues to bomb away. The former KOTC champ escapes, but Tsuchiya gives chase and lands a lunging shot that drops Hervey in the opposite corner. Hervey squirms out of the ring, prompting Toshiharu Suzuki to pull him back in. Tsuchiya stands up in the American's guard and drops blistering punches. Hervey again squirms out the bottom ropes, and once more, Suzuki pulls him back to the center. Tsuchiya has had enough of Hervey's ring escapes and takes matters into his own hands, moving to mount. Tsuchiya blasts away and totally ruins Hervey's day with more heavy punches. Hervey turns belly-down and Tsuchiya smashes away until Suzuki halts the beating at the 4:25 mark.
On the mic, a humble Tsuchiya says to much delight and laughter, "I thought I'd challenge [Shooto world champion Hatsu] Hioki, but I saw his Dec. 30 fight against Marlon Sandro and it makes me think I'm not ready yet. So sorry to everyone expecting me to challenge him."
Vacant Shooto Pacific Rim 154-Pound Championship
Shinji Sasaki vs. Yoshihiro Koyama
Round 1
Koyama and Sasaki stick jabs in each other's faces before Sasaki lands a series of hard low kicks. Koyama's jab is stiff, though, and keeping Sasaki defensive. The Paraestra Matsudo product smashes Sasaki with another clean jab that stuns him, sending him stumbling posterior-first into the corner. Koyama goes into attack mode, lunging into the corner with a torrent of punches. They're connecting, but they don't look particularly damaging. Be that as it may, referee Toshiharu Suzuki dives in for what the early stoppage at 1:20 of the first frame. Yoshihiro Koyama is the new Shooto 154-pound Pacific Rim champion.
An overwhelmed Yoshihiro Koyama, with belt around his waist, takes the to the mic to deliver an emotional thank you to those that supported him in the lead up to this bout.
"If I lost this fight, I thought I would retire. It's like a dream come true for me," says the new champion. "Thanks to everyone, friends, training partners, for supporting me. I didn't say it to anyone yet, but... happy new year!"
Related Articles
