Sherdog.com Preview: ROTR “Hawaii vs. Japan”
Brandon Wolff vs. Shinpei Sotoyama
Apr 20, 2006
WOLFF: BJJ stylist Brandon Wolff (Pictures) is 3-2 in MMA. He had been
training with Falaniko
Vitale (Pictures), Eddie Yagin (Pictures), Justin Mercado (Pictures), Harvey Nakamura (Pictures), Egan Inoue (Pictures) and the rest of Grappling
Unlimited, but now represents MMAD with Steve Byrnes, Kolo Koka (Pictures), Randy Lueder, Kaipo Miller and Anthony Torres.
Wolff began fighting pro MMA at the Warriors of the New Millennium show, where he stopped David Santiago with strikes. At Super Brawl 25 he lost a decision to Ian Nelms and Brandon didn’t fight again for eight months. When he resurfaced, it was at World Extreme Cagefighting 6 (headlined by the return of Frank Shamrock (Pictures)) and he won a split decision over Hannibal Adofo (Pictures).
After more than two years away from the ring, Wolff returned to
face Jay Carter at the
Rumble on the Rock “Proving Grounds” show where he won a split
decision. His most recent bout was on the same card as the B.J. Penn (Pictures)-Renzo Gracie (Pictures) match. Brandon lost via TKO to
Riki Fukuda (Pictures) on the K-1 World Grand Prix
Hawaii show.
SOTOYAMA: Judoka Shinpei Sotoyama (Pictures) has a professional MMA record of 5-2-2. He trains at the Wajiu-tsu Keishu-kai Tokyo Headquarters with RJW fighter Hideki Tadao (Pictures). Shinpei took second place in the 2002 All-Japan J.T.C. under 82-kg category and was the 2003 Pre-PRIDE 6 tournament champion (amateur bouts).
Sotoyama began fighting in 2003 for the Pancrase fighting circuit. He fought to a draw with Ichiro Kanai in his debut. Shinpei moved over to the GCM: Demolition promotion and fought against Moriyuki Yamamda, defeating him via submission with a Kimura. He lost his next bout to another Pancrase vet but went 3-0-1 in his next four bouts, including a win over Wataru Takahashi (Pictures) and a draw with Akihiro Murayama.
In February ’05 he returned to Pancrase and was knocked out by Daizo Ishige (Pictures). Last March Sotoyama returned to the GCM promotion and won a decision over Kentaro Maeda.
MY PICK: Tough call. Nothing jumps out as a decisive edge in skills for either competitor. Sotoyama has about twice as much experience but the level of competition (as far as skill) appears to be the same. I might give Wolff the edge in training camps but based on experience I’d go with Sotoyama. Sotoyama by decision.
Wolff began fighting pro MMA at the Warriors of the New Millennium show, where he stopped David Santiago with strikes. At Super Brawl 25 he lost a decision to Ian Nelms and Brandon didn’t fight again for eight months. When he resurfaced, it was at World Extreme Cagefighting 6 (headlined by the return of Frank Shamrock (Pictures)) and he won a split decision over Hannibal Adofo (Pictures).
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SOTOYAMA: Judoka Shinpei Sotoyama (Pictures) has a professional MMA record of 5-2-2. He trains at the Wajiu-tsu Keishu-kai Tokyo Headquarters with RJW fighter Hideki Tadao (Pictures). Shinpei took second place in the 2002 All-Japan J.T.C. under 82-kg category and was the 2003 Pre-PRIDE 6 tournament champion (amateur bouts).
Sotoyama began fighting in 2003 for the Pancrase fighting circuit. He fought to a draw with Ichiro Kanai in his debut. Shinpei moved over to the GCM: Demolition promotion and fought against Moriyuki Yamamda, defeating him via submission with a Kimura. He lost his next bout to another Pancrase vet but went 3-0-1 in his next four bouts, including a win over Wataru Takahashi (Pictures) and a draw with Akihiro Murayama.
In February ’05 he returned to Pancrase and was knocked out by Daizo Ishige (Pictures). Last March Sotoyama returned to the GCM promotion and won a decision over Kentaro Maeda.
MY PICK: Tough call. Nothing jumps out as a decisive edge in skills for either competitor. Sotoyama has about twice as much experience but the level of competition (as far as skill) appears to be the same. I might give Wolff the edge in training camps but based on experience I’d go with Sotoyama. Sotoyama by decision.
