GP Fights Announced! Hioki Vs. Ushiwaka

The 2nd round GP fight of SENGOKU were officially announced today. Favorite Hatsu Hioki will take on Ronnie Ushiwaka, as reported Nam Phan will fight on Michihiro Omigawa, “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung will face ZST’s Masanori Kanehara, and Featherweight King Of Pancrase Marlon Sandro will battle hard-hitting Nick Denis.

Update: Depending on their result at Pancrase on April 5th, SENGOKU training players Shigeki Osawa and/or Maximo Blanco (The True Knight, Makishi) might participate in the opening fight of SENGOKU VIII.

Update #2: Chan Sung Jung wants revenge for Kim Jong Man and made a KO declaration. Kanehara said that it won’t be that easy. Omigawa thinks that the striking and jiu-jitsu of Nam Phan are strong but he is confident from his last fight with Davis.

SENGOKU VIII
Date: May 2nd, 2009
Place: National Yoyogi Stadium 2nd Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan

Featherweight GP 2nd Round Fights:
Hatsu Hioki vs. Ronnie Ushiwaka
Nam Phan vs. Michihiro Omigawa
Marlon Sandro vs. Nick Denis
Chan Sung Jung vs. Masanori Kanehara

Lightweight Fight:
Kazunori Yokota vs. Leonardo Santos

Light Heavyweight Fight:
Xande Ribeiro vs. Kei Yamamiya

Welterweight Fight:
Makoto Takimoto vs. Michael Costa

Ivanov Signs Two-Year Contract With SK Absolute! Pro Debut In SENGOKU Or DREAM?

It was announced at a press conference today that Tenshin Matsumoto of SK Absolute has signed a two-year contract with Blagoi Ivanov, the man who beat Fedor in Combat Sambo, for his activities in Japan.

Matsumoto saw Ivanov in Ferbuary in South Korea where he trained for three months and where he has a four-year contract with the South Korean Sambo League for his pro activities in Asia.

Matsumoto says that the intentions of Ivanov right now is to fight as a pro in Japan. He is interested in DREAM & SENGOKU and Matsumoto is already negotiating with those two organizations. If he were to fight in the U.S. he is more interested in the event where Fedor fights, Affliction, than the UFC. Matsumoto wants him to debut in summer at the latest.

He is of course being pushed as the man who brought down Fedor in Japanese media.

Update: SK Absolute is not a South Korean camp. He signed with the South Korean Sambo League for his pro activities in Asia before and recently signed with SK Absolute for his activities in Japan.

Phan Vs. Omigawa! Tomorrow Is Announcement Day

It has been announced at Nam Phan’s website that he will face Michihiro Omigawa in the second round of SENGOKU’s Featherweight GP on May 2nd. All second round fights will officially be announced tomorrow.

SENGOKU VIII
Date: May 2nd, 2009
Place: National Yoyogi Stadium 2nd Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan

Featherweight GP 2nd Round Fights:
Nam Phan vs. Michihiro Omigawa

Lightweight Fight:
Kazunori Yokota vs. Leonardo Santos

Light Heavyweight Fight:
Xande Ribeiro vs. Kei Yamamiya

Welterweight Fight:
Makoto Takimoto vs. Michael Costa

Featherweight GP 2nd Round Participants:
Marlon Sandro
Masanori Kanehara
Ronnie Ushiwaka
Hatsu Hioki
Nick Denis
Chan Sung Jung

Miyata Returns! DEEP Debut

Miyata is back. - GBRing.com

DREAM Lightweight GP participant Kazuyuki Miyata will finally return to the MMA ring on April 16th at DEEP 41 IMPACT as he takes on recently-turned 20 year old Korean So Ji-Hyon(?) in a 67 kg fight.

Miyata is looking at 65 kg as his future weight class and this is the first step toward that. The Korean is a BJJ player who according to DEEP’s Saeki has won many BJJ medals in South Korea.

Kawajiri Vs. J.Z.Calvan?! The Card Of Returning Fighters?

Sherdog.com reports that J.Z.Calvan has agreed to face Tatsuya Kawajiri at DREAM.9 on May 26th. The DREAM.9 card could mark the returns of fighters such as KID, Calvan, and Jacare which is not surprising due to the event being the first primetime tv-slot event of the year for DREAM.

HEIWA DREAM.9 Featherweight GP 2009 2nd Round
Date: May 26th, 2009
Place:

Featherweight GP Quarterfinalists:
Norifumi “KID” Yamamoto
Masakazu Imanari
Bibiano Fernandes
Joe Warren
Yoshiro Maeda
Hiroyuki Takaya
Abel Cullum
Hideo Tokoro/DJ.taiki

Possible Fights:
Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. J.Z.Calvan
Gegard Mousasi vs. Sokoudjou
Ronaldo Jacare vs. TBA

The Aftermath! K-1 World GP 2009 In Yokohama

Videos:

8. Alistair Overeem vs. Remy Bonjasky
7. Manhoef/Maeda vs. Spong/Saki
6. Peter Aerts vs. Errol Zimmerman
5. Junichi Sawayashiki vs. Glaube Feitosa
4. Ewerton Teixeira vs. Jerome Le Banner
3. Semmy Schilt vs. Hesdy Gerges
2. Tyrone Spong vs. Gokhan Saki
1. Melvin Manhoef vs. Keijiro Maeda
-1. Mitsugu Noda vs. Yoo Yang Rae

Post-Fight:

There is a good article at the K-1 site to read for an event recap, pictures, and some post-fight comments.

Ratings:

11.1%. World Cup Qualifier on TV Asahi between Japan and Bahrain ended around 10 minutes after K-1 started. TV Asahi and Nippon TV both got higher ratings with airings of TV series at the same time as K-1.

Jacare To Return At DREAM.9?!

Tatame reports that DREAM Middleweight GP runner-up Ronaldo Jacare will return to the DREAM ring for DREAM.9 on May 26th. Jacare has been training with fellow DREAM fighter Andre Galvao in preparation for his DREAM debut.

HEIWA DREAM.9 Featherweight GP 2009 2nd Round
Date: May 25th/26th, 2009
Place:

Featherweight GP Quarterfinalists:
Norifumi “KID” Yamamoto
Masakazu Imanari
Bibiano Fernandes
Joe Warren
Yoshiro Maeda
Hiroyuki Takaya
Abel Cullum
Hideo Tokoro/DJ.taiki

Possible Fights:
Gegard Mousasi vs. Sokoudjou

Possible Fighters:
Ronaldo Jacare

Torn ACL! Out For 3 Months?

According to Five Ounces of Pain King Mo has a torn ACL and will have surgery done next week. King Mo expects 3 months until he recovers from the surgery. Hopefully we see him back in a big fight on SENGOKU’s August event.

SENGOKU FW GP 2nd Round Match-Ups! TBA On Tuesday

The 2nd round fights of the SENGOKU Featherweight GP will be announced next Tuesday. As was said at one of the last press conferences, the three Japanese fighters and Marlon Sandro will probably be matched up against the other four foreigners.

Mousasi Vs. Sokoudjou At DREAM.9?!

Five Ounces of Pain reports that DREAM Middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi will return at DREAM.9 where he will make his Light Heavyweight debut against fellow PRIDE veteran Sokoudjou. The article mentions that the event will take place on May 25th.

HEIWA DREAM.9 Featherweight GP 2009 2nd Round
Date: May 25th/26th, 2009
Place:

Featherweight GP Quarterfinalists:
Norifumi “KID” Yamamoto
Masakazu Imanari
Bibiano Fernandes
Joe Warren
Yoshiro Maeda
Hiroyuki Takaya
Abel Cullum
Hideo Tokoro/DJ.taiki

Possible Fights:
Gegard Mousasi vs. Sokoudjou