Final Preparations! Vale Tudo Japan 09

#5: A Look Back

SKILL MMA – Look back Vale Tudo Japan with 5 fights
Bloody Elbow – Top 10 Moments From Vale Tudo Japan

#4: Fighters Gathered

Fighters gathered - GBRing.com

#3: Champion Vs. Champion

Alexandre Franca Nogueira had a tough time making weight today. He didn’t appear in the first weigh-in and was absent from the press conference. He made the weight when he weighed-in alone after the weigh-ins/interviews.

Lion said that he’s looking forward to the fight. He says himself that he doesn’t know who will win and thinks that discussing the fight is also interesting. He has a lot of respect for Nogueira: “(Before) I thought I couldn’t become champion since Pequeno was around. I’m grateful for this chance to fight him in a big event like Vale Tudo Japan, if I don’t defeat Pequeno I can’t be called a champion.”

Lion will fight while being very cautious of Nogueira’s guillotine choke. He is so cautious of it that he thinks that he won’t be able to get out of it if Nogueira locks it in. However, he thinks that if he exhibits his own skills, the outcome will naturally come forth.

About the VTJ rules Lion says that anything is OK. Him and Pequeno fighting is what’s important. No matter the rules, if you win, you win, and if you lose, you lose.

“Right now I’m the world champion but I haven’t defeated Pequeno so I intend to fight as the challenger and beat Pequeno to become the true champion.”

Nogueira, who is happy to be back in Japan, says that the trouble to make weight today won’t influence the fight. About the height of Lion, Nogueira says that he has fought many tall people like him and he has also trained with many similar fighters in Brazil. He wants to get close and take the fight to the ground. Of course he will also try his strongest weapon, the guillotine choke, in the fight.

#2: Gomi Surprise

Gomi X Hervey - GBRing.com

Gomi (71kg) and Hervey (70.9kg) both made weight today. Hervey was very humble, saying that Gomi is a wonderful fighter. However, he also said that he doesn’t think Gomi knows anything about him. Though to this Gomi said: “I have carefully studied him.”

Gomi also left an advance notice: “I want to win tomorrow and, in the ring, say something which will please/delight everyone.”

Does it have something to do with him previously saying that this might be his last fight in Japan?

#1: Fight Order Announced

Vale Tudo Japan 09
Date: October 30th, 2009
Place: JCB Hall in Tokyo, Japan

VTJ Rules, 71kg, 5×5 mins:
8. Takanori Gomi vs. Tony Hervey

VTJ Rules, 65kg, 5×5 mins:
7. Lion Takeshi vs. Alexandre Franca Nogueira

VTJ Rules, 63kg, 3×5 mins:
6. Rumina Sato vs. Corey Grant

VTJ Rules, 67kg, 3×5 mins:
5. Tenkei Fujimiya vs. Tito Jones

Shooto Welterweight Title Fight, 3×5 mins:
4. Willamy “Chiquerinho” Chiquerim vs. Kenichiro Togashi

Shooto Bantamweight Fight, 3×5 mins:
3. Mamoru Yamaguchi vs. Jesse Taitano

Shooto Middleweight Fight, 2×5 mins:
2. Yoichiro Sato vs. Jung Ming Kang

Shooto 62kg Fight, 2×5 mins:
1. Kosuke “Jukucho” Eda vs. Masato Sannai