Good Results By SENGOKU Training Players! Victorious Debut For Osawa

The two original SENGOKU Training Players Shigeki Osawa and Makishi (Maximo Blanco) fought at the Pancrase event which took place yesterday in Japan. Osawa made his MMA debut against Hideo Matsui and won by unanimous decision. Makishi fought the experienced and Pancrase number 1 ranked Koji Oishi. The fight ended in a draw after 15 minutes, a very good result and experience for Makishi in only his 5th pro fight.

The SENGOKU Training Players Make Weight! Fighting For A Spot At SENGOKU VIII

DREAM is not the only Japanese MMA event going down tomorrow. Pancrase also has a nice card with a lot fights. SENGOKU training players Makishi (Maximo Blanco) and Shigeki Osawa, who both made weight today, will fight on this card and with a victory they could get a spot in an opening fight at SENGOKU VIII. Makishi is fighting Koji Oishi in what should be a tough test this early in his career while Osawa is fighting someone a little more suited for his experience level in Hideo Matsui. Check Japan-MMA for the full card and fight order.

Makishi and Osawa are two very young and promising amateur wrestlers who have, among other things, received jobs at the Don Quijote store (at least Osawa), fights in smaller organizations and a training place at Yoshida Dojo by WVR.

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

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.

Satoru Kitaoka In Fashion Show! Model Debut

SENGOKU Lightweight champion Satoru Kitaoka made his model debut today at the Tokyo Collection LESSTHAN Fashion Show where he walked on stage. I don’t know what he’s wearing but I like these pictures:

(Photos By: GBRing & WVR)

Takimoto To Welterweight! First Fight Versus Costa

It was officially announced today that Makoto Takimoto will move down to Welterweight. He will be in the race for a spot in the Welterweight title match in January 2010. His SENGOKU VII opponent is Chute Boxe Academy’s Michael Costa, who had a competitive Welterweight fight against Nick Thompson at SENGOKU III.

In other SENGOKU news, Five Ounces of Pain has a new article about James Thompson returning to SENGOKU at SENGOKU IX in August where he wants a rematch against Kazuyuki Fujita.

Update: A Heavyweight, a Light Heavyweight, and an opening fight are planned besides the four FW GP fights and the three single fights already announced.

Update #2: WVR PR Kokuho mentioned Nick Thompson, Mike Pyle, and Fabricio Monteiro when talking about foreign fighters in the Welterweight division. He also made a call out to the Japanese Welterweight fighters who have been fighting overseas (Gono, Chonan, etc.), he wants them to participate in SENGOKU.

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

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
Nam Phan
Michihiro Omigawa
Masanori Kanehara
Ronnie Ushiwaka
Hatsu Hioki
Nick Denis
Chan Sung Jung

Nightmare TV! Xande Training In Las Vegas

Xande Ribeiro, who will face Kei Yamamiya on May 5th, recently trained at Wanderlei Silva’s team in Las Vegas and there is a good video of some of his training with trainer Rafael Alejarra on YouTube.