MMA FanHouse

MMA Top 10 Featherweights: Jose Aldo Moves to the Top

Michael David Smith — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:52:00 EST

Filed under: DREAM, WEC, Sengoku, Rankings, Featherweights

Wednesday night's Jose Aldo vs. Mike Brown fight shook up the featherweight division in mixed martial arts. When I interviewed Brown last week it looked like he was close to clearing out the featherweight division, but now that Aldo is the World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight champion, the division is a lot more interesting.

Who will get the first shot at Aldo's title? I think it'll be the winner of the WEC 46 bout between Urijah Faber and Rafael Assuncao, and I think Manny Gamburyan's win over Leonard Garcia on Wednesday night makes him a player in the featherweight division, too.

My featherweight rankings are below.

Top 10 featherweights in MMA
1. Jose Aldo
2. Mike Brown
3. Urijah Faber
4. Hatsu Hioki
5. Rafael Assuncao
6. Yuji Hoshino
7. Marlon Sandro
8. Manny Gamburyan
9. Josh Grispi
10. Leonard Garcia

MMA Top 10 Featherweights: Jose Aldo Moves to the Top originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMA Top 10 Middleweights: An Odd Month for the Division

Michael David Smith — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:44:00 EST

Filed under: UFC, Strikeforce, Sengoku, Rankings, Middleweights

November has been an odd month for middleweights.

The UFC's middleweight division is basically taking the month off, with the undisputed No. 1 middleweight in the world, UFC champion Anderson Silva, nursing an elbow injury and hinting that he doesn't think any of the UFC's other top middleweights are worthy opponents.

Meanwhile, two big middleweight fights happened in other promotions, but they didn't quite go according to plan: Jake Shields beat Jason "Mayhem" Miller to win the Strikeforce middleweight title in a fight that left the crowd booing, while Mamed Khalidov shocked Sengoku middleweight champion Jorge Santiago.

And the guy who's probably the best middleweight after Silva -- Dan Henderson -- doesn't have a contract at the moment and isn't sure if he'll be fighting for the UFC or Strikeforce in 2010. So my list of the Top 10 middleweights in MMA shows a division in flux.

Top 10 Middleweights in MMA
1. Anderson Silva
2. Dan Henderson
3. Nate Marquardt
4. Vitor Belfort
5. Jake Shields
6. Demian Maia
7. Chael Sonnen
8. Yoshihiro Akiyama
9. Yushin Okami
10. Mamed Khalidov

MMA Top 10 Middleweights: An Odd Month for the Division originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMA Top 10 Lightweights: B.J. Penn by Far the Best

Michael David Smith — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:27:00 EST

Filed under: DREAM, Strikeforce, Sengoku, Bellator, Rankings, Lightweights

The lightweight division in mixed martial arts consists of B.J. Penn and everyone else.

We all know that Penn, the UFC champion, has established himself as the top lightweight in the sport. But after Penn, there are about a dozen guys who are practically interchangeable. That list includes UFC fighters like Penn's next opponent (Diego Sanchez), his last opponent (Kenny Florian), and some past and future UFC opponents like Gray Maynard, Frank Edgar and Sean Sherk.
And the list of lightweights who could make a case for being at or near No. 2 in the lightweight division also includes Dream champion Shinya Aoki, Bellator champion Eddie Alvarez, Sengoku champion Mizuto Hirota and Strikeforce champion Josh Thomson. So my list of the 10 best lightweights in MMA is basically B.J. Penn and a toss-up among everyone else.

Top 10 Lightweights in MMA
1. B.J. Penn
2. Kenny Florian
3. Shinya Aoki
4. Eddie Alvarez
5. Diego Sanchez
6. Gray Maynard
7. Frank Edgar
8. Sean Sherk
9. Joachim Hansen
10. Mizuto Hirota

MMA Top 10 Lightweights: B.J. Penn by Far the Best originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:27:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kazuo Misaki Is a Freelance 'Hitman'

Ray Hui — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:53:00 EST

Filed under: Sengoku

Don't call him the "Grabaka Hitman."

2006 PRIDE GP champion Kazuo Misaki announced Monday that he has left his camp of nine years, the Grabaka Gym based out of Nakano, Tokyo.

Misaki, who holds wins over Dan Henderson and Denis Kang, is arguably the most successful product out of the Grabaka Gym, a team founded by former Pancrase champion Sanae Kikuta that houses Sengoku competitors the likes of Kei Yamamiya, Kazuori Yokota and Akihiro Gono. Another notable name is the retired Genki Sudo, who trained with Grabaka when he was active.

No word on where Misaki will move his camps to next, but the move was under good terms and for Misaki to make a fresh start.

Misaki last fought in August, rendering Kazuhiro Nakamura unconscious with a guillotine choke in a fight that would have earned him a shot at the Sengoku middleweight title had Misaki not been arrested for fleeing the police after being pulled over for talking on the cell phone while driving.

Kazuo Misaki Is a Freelance 'Hitman' originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Michihiro Omigawa Beats Hatsu Hioki in Bad Decision at Sengoku 11

Michael David Smith — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:45:00 EST

Filed under: Sengoku

In a big upset and a bad decision, Michihiro Omigawa defeated Hatsu Hioki by split decision Saturday at Sengoku 11 in Tokyo.

Hioki clearly controlled the pace of the fight, especially in the first and second round. Omigawa wouldn't quit and had his best round in the third, but it's very surprising that two of the three judges awarded him the fight.

HDNet announcer Guy Mezger referred to it as "highway robbery." I might not go quite that far, but it was a bad decision. According to the translator working the fight on HDNet, Omigawa himself acknowledged afterward that he didn't think he had won.

For Hioki, who entered the fight widely regarded as a Top 5 featherweight and the best featherweight outside the WEC, this is a major disappointment. It's his first loss in more than two years and will certainly cause him to drop in the featherweight rankings, even if few observers think the decision was correct.

For Omigawa, it's another major upset that no one saw coming. When Omigawa entered the Sengoku featherweight tournament at the start of this year, many MMA fans thought he was the worst fighter in the draw. As it turned out, he fought very well in the tournament and made it to the finals, where he lost a split decision to Masanori Kanehara, who was an injury replacement for Hioki.

Omigawa has shown this year that he's a much better fighter than his 8-8-1 record would suggest. But he didn't show on Saturday that he's a better fighter than Hioki. No matter what the judges say, Hioki was the better fighter in that ring.

Michihiro Omigawa Beats Hatsu Hioki in Bad Decision at Sengoku 11 originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mamed Khalidov TKOs Jorge Santiago in Sengoku Upset

Michael David Smith — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:04:00 EST

Filed under: Sengoku

In a major MMA upset, Mamed Khalidov defeated Jorge Santiago by first-round TKO Saturday at Sengoku 11.

The Polish Khalidov came out aggressively, trying and missing a spinning back kick in the early going before Santiago took him down. On the ground, Khalidov stunned Santiago with a punch to the jaw, and as soon as he smelled blood he pounced, unleashing a series of hard strikes to the head that had Santiago dazed and hurting. The referee stepped in and stopped it at the 2:45 mark of the first round.

"I always had a dream to come to Japan," Khalidov said after the fight. That dream turned out to be a nightmare for Santiago, who was on a nine-fight winning streak and was widely regarded as one of the world's 10 best middleweights. Now Santiago falls to 21-8.

For Khalidov, who improves his record to 20-3-1, this is a career-changing performance. Khalidov had been fighting in the Polish promotion KSW, and until now was best known to American fans (to the extent that he was known to American fans at all) for beating Jason Guida in a ShoXC fight last year.

Now Khalidov has a much, much bigger win on his record than that. He's an exciting, well-rounded fighter who can be expected to do big things in the future. By beating Santiago, he's already done something big.

Mamed Khalidov TKOs Jorge Santiago in Sengoku Upset originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sengoku 11 Weigh-In Results

Ray Hui — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:58:00 EST

Filed under: Sengoku

Sengoku middleweight champion Jorge Santiago and top contenders in the promotion's featherweight and lightweight divisions are set for action on Saturday at Sengoku 11 at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan.

Sengoku 11 is World Victory Road's final show before it changes its name on New Year's Eve to "Sengoku Raiden Championship," tacking on a word meaning thunder (rai) and lightning (den). Below are the results from Friday's weigh-ins and the final lineup in reverse order .

Hatsu Hioki (143.1) vs. Michihiro Omigawa (143.1)
Jorge Santiago (183) vs. Mamed Khalidov (181.7)
Satoru Kitaoka (154.3) vs. Jorge Masvidal (154.3)
Kazunori Yokota (153.7) vs. Eiji Mitsuoka (154.3)
Kevin Randleman (203) vs. Stanislav Nedkov (203.9)
Akihiro Gono (167.6) vs. Yoon Young Kim (167.1)
Marlon Sandro (143.3) vs. Yuji Hoshino (143.3)
Dave Herman (239.6) vs. Jim York (256.4)
Shigeki Osawa (142.9 vs. Ronnie Mann (142.4)
Yuichiro Yajima (125.2) vs. Ryota Uozomi (124.8)
Hirokazu "Bull" Konno (142.9) vs. Tomoaki Ueyama (142.6)

Sengoku 11 Weigh-In Results originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMA Top 10 Middleweights: Chael Sonnen Rises, Yushin Okami Falls

Michael David Smith — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: UFC, Strikeforce, Sengoku, Middleweights

I've been banging the drum for a couple years saying the UFC needs to give Yushin Okami a shot at middleweight champion Anderson Silva. You won't be hearing that from me anymore.

After Chael Sonnen thoroughly dominated Okami with a unanimous decision win on Saturday night at UFC 104, Okami took a tumble in my rankings of the top 10 middleweights in mixed martial arts. So how far did Okami fall, and what does the middleweight picture look like now? My rankings are below.

Top 10 middleweights in MMA
1. Anderson Silva: The sport's undisputed best middleweight is expected to defend his title against Vitor Belfort at UFC 108.

2. Dan Henderson: He's currently a free agent who wants a lot of money to fight Silva. If he's going to return to the UFC, he'll have to settle for a lot less money than he wants, and for at least one fight before he gets another title shot.

3. Nate Marquardt: Currently waiting around to see what happens with Henderson, Marquardt says it doesn't make sense that Belfort is getting a title shot.

4. Vitor Belfort: What Marquardt doesn't understand is that UFC title fights are less about giving a shot to the guy who has earned No. 1 contender status than they are about selling the fans on compelling match-ups. The fans have already seen Silva beat Henderson and Marquardt, and now they want to see what happens when Belfort gets his chance.

5. Jake Shields: Shields will give Jason "Mayhem" Miller a beatdown and win the Strikeforce middleweight belt on November 7.

6. Jorge Santiago: The Sengoku champ will fight Mamed Khalidov on November 7 -- a big day in MMA, both here and in Japan.

7. Demian Maia: He was knocked senseless by Marquardt, but he still has the best pure submission skills in the sport.

8. Chael Sonnen: I'm hoping he'll take on the winner of the UFC 105 bout between Michael Bisping and Denis Kang. That would be a great fight.

9. Yoshihiro Akiyama: After winning his UFC debut at UFC 100, he's taking on Wanderlei Silva in Australia in February.

10. Yushin Okami: Okami shouldn't be totally dismissed after his loss to Sonnen -- he's still 7-2 in his UFC career -- but we can forget about ever hearing him mentioned as a title contender.

MMA Top 10 Middleweights: Chael Sonnen Rises, Yushin Okami Falls originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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10 Participants Revealed for Sengoku 12

Ray Hui — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:58:00 EST

Filed under: Sengoku

World Victory Road has named 10 participants for its New Year's Eve Sengoku Raiden Championships 12 event at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo.

Sengoku will be rebranded as Sengoku Raiden Championship beginning Dec. 31 and the event will go head-to-head against FEG's Dynamite!! 2009, happening at the Saitama Super Arena.

While the only bout announced so far is Hidehiko Yoshida vs. Satoshi Ishii, the other participants revealed Wednesday were Mizuto Hirota, Masanori Kanehara, Satoru Kitaoka, Hatsu Hioki, Michihiro Omigawa, Kazunori Yokota, Eiji Mitsuoka, Makoto Takimoto, Hiroshi Izumi and Kazuhiro Nakamura.

Also, two more bouts were added for Sengoku 11 on Nov. 7 in Tokyo, Japan.

Akihiro Gono, who is coming off losses to Dan Hardy, Jon Fitch and Dan Hornbuckle, will met SpiritMC veteran Yoon Young "Shin Ramen" Kim (12-4). Kim is 22 years old and already holds eight wins by submission.

Two struggling DEEP featherweights, HIrokazu "Bull" Konno (1-3) and Tomoaki Ueyama (2-3), will meet in a "Fight of the Soul" intermission attraction.

Sengoku 11 Fight Card:

Michihiro Omigawa vs. Hatsu Hioki
Yuji Hoshino vs. Marlon Sandro
Shigeki Osawa vs. Ronnie Ushiwaka
Eiji Mitsuoka vs. Kazunori Yokota
Satoru Kitaoka vs. Jorge Masvidal
"Big" Jim York vs. Dave Herman
Jorge Santiago vs. Mamed Khalidov
Kevin Randleman vs. Stanislav Nedkov
Akihiro Gono vs. Yoon Young "Shin Ramen" Kim
Bull vs. Tomoaki Ueyama

10 Participants Revealed for Sengoku 12 originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Santiago-Khalidov, Randleman-Nedkov Added to Sengoku 11

Ray Hui — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:29:00 EST

Filed under: Sengoku

Sengoku middleweight champ Jorge Santiago will face Mamed Khalidov in a non-title fight and Kevin Randleman will take on Stanislav Nedkov at Sengoku 11 on Nov. 7 in Tokyo, World Victory Road announced today.

Santiago (21-7), who last fought in January when he captured the Sengoku title over Kazuo Misaki, has been on a tear the past two years after leaving the UFC late 2006 on two knockout losses. Since, the American Top Team fighter has won Strikeforce and Sengoku tournaments and would have looked to extend his win streak to ten in August against Vitor Belfort until the cancellation of the Affliction "Trilogy" event.

Khalidov (19-3-1), who won 16 straight bouts with the exception of a draw, is a striker with an exciting style that was on display to an American audience when he stopped Jason Guida at a ShoXC event one year ago. In May, the Polish fighter followed up the Showtime-televised win with a first-round knockout over PRIDE Bushido veteran Daniel Acacio at a KSW event in Poland.

In a light heavyweight bout, Randleman (17-13), coming off a decision loss to Mike Whitehead in June at Strikeforce, faces Nedkov (7-0), an undefeated fighter out of Bulgaria who won his Sengoku debut in May by stopping UFC veteran Travis Wiuff.

Sengoku 11 Fight Card:

- Michihiro Omigawa vs. Hatsu Hioki
- Yuji Hoshino vs. Marlon Sandro
- Shigeki Osawa vs. Ronnie Ushiwaka
- Eiji Mitsuoka vs. Kazunori Yokota
- Satoru Kitaoka vs. Jorge Masvidal
- "Big" Jim York vs. Dave Herman
- Jorge Santiago vs. Mamed Khalidov
- Kevin Randleman vs. Stanislav Nedkov

Santiago-Khalidov, Randleman-Nedkov Added to Sengoku 11 originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monte Cox Believes Tim Sylvia's Next Fight Will Be for DREAM or Sengoku

Ariel Helwani — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:16:00 EST

Filed under: DREAM, Sengoku

Tim Sylvia got back on the winning track in September, defeating the over-matched Jason Riley at Adrenaline MMA 4. "The Maine-iac" broke his hand early in the fight, but according to his agent Monte Cox, the former UFC heavyweight champion got his cast removed on Thursday and will be ready to fight again in December.

In fact, Cox said he has been involved in serious negotiations with both DREAM and Sengoku, and believes Sylvia will fight next on New Year's Eve for either organization.

"I feel pretty confident that he is going to fight there," Cox said on Thursday.

Cox added that Alistair Overeem and Hong Man Choi have been discussed as potential opponents for Sylvia, but nothing has been finalized just yet. A fight against either man would take place in a DREAM ring because they are both under contract with that organization.

Sylvia was rumored to be scheduled to make his DREAM debut on Oct. 25, but his recent injury delayed those plans. Regardless, a high-profile victory on Dec. 31 could be just what the doctor ordered for Sylvia, who prior to the win over Riley, lost four of his last fight bouts, including an embarrassing nine-second loss to Ray Mercer.

Below is a look at Sylvia's recent victory over Riley.

Monte Cox Believes Tim Sylvia's Next Fight Will Be for DREAM or Sengoku originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:16:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joe Doerksen Injures Hands, Hopes for Return on New Year's Eve

Ray Hui — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST

Filed under: FanHouse Exclusive, Sengoku

Fifteen months ago, Joe Doerksen was handed his walking papers from the UFC, but since he's racked up four straight victories and has become a top player in Sengoku's middleweight division.

Doerksen spoke with FanHouse on Friday about his TKO win over Takenori Sato at Sengoku 10 and updates us on his injured hands that will count him out of middleweight title fight against Jorge Santiago in November.

Ray Hui: Congratulations on the win. What was your game plan coming into Takenori Sato?

Joe Doerksen: Just basically when we were training to make sure I was in really good shape and be able to go hard for the full three rounds for 100 miles per hour and working a lot on my footwork. He was left-handed so we were always working to step over to the left-hand side and throw a lot of right hands and a lot of right legs. And of course when we hit the floor, I was pretty comfortable and confident there as well. Everything kind of went according to plan. You never really know exactly how it's going to go but it turned out to be a really good fight. We traded a little bit on the feet, we hit the floor, then we got back up on the feet. That happened a few times so I was really happy with the fight altogether.

You must have been especially happy with your hands. You dropped him, you can say three times in the entire fight.

Yeah, I mean I think that's the best my hands have ever looked. I've been working hard on it the last few years, but the last year or so my confidence level has gone up. I don't know if I've gotten that much better but my confidence has come up. I've been more confident throwing and obviously the more you land the more confident you get and you throw even more. It was good. I wasn't throwing any wild punches. I wasn't flailing, I was finding my mark when I was throwing. It felt good and hopefully I get to do a little more of that every time I fight.

A couple times he took you down, you reversed it rather smoothly. Was that something you worked on specifically against Sato?

Not specifically for him, just lately, the same we've been working on my hands, we've been working on my wrestling as well. Typically I've always been a jiu-jitsu guy, hanging on my back and looking for the submission. I'm getting real tired of that. I want to be more aggressive and fight a little bit harder to get on top. The last year we've been working a lot on my wrestling, and takedown defense, and basically changing my mindset rather than being comfortable on my back.

One minute left the referee stood you up even though you had just practically taken full mount. What did he say to you and what exactly happened there?

What he said to me I honestly don't remember. I'm not even sure I understood him at the time. They are pretty clear on the rules that if there's no action the referee will call for action and I heard him say action twice which means the third time he's going to stand us up no matter what. I just really think from the angle that he was watching from where he was standing - I progressed, I moved forward with my position - I just really don't think he saw my left leg go over Sato's leg. I don't think he saw me take the mount. I wasn't too upset about it. I knew that probably he just didn't see what happened and he's just doing his job the best he could, and I was so comfortable in that fight, I didn't care if we were standing or on the floor. I knew that if he stood us up it probably wasn't going to be the worst thing for me. Sure enough, right after that happened, I landed a few big shots and ended the fight.

Unfortunately you hit him so hard that you messed up both your hands. How are your hands and what's the recovery time?

I was convinced they were both broken just from the amount of pain I was in, but we x-rayed both hands and the doctor called me this morning and said there was no broken bones, there's no fractures. And I was really surprised cause my hands are still hurting pretty good. The right one is getting better, but the left is still pretty bad. He said most likely we're looking at -- the ligaments that connect the bones are probably partially torn -- he said recovery time was about the same. Six weeks for them to grow back together. If I'm still having a lot of pain after six weeks then we're looking at surgery to put the ligaments back together. I think that if I'm careful and I take care of myself I probably won't need surgery. I should be able to take the time to heal up and not get back too soon, I should be able to train in four to six weeks. Right now I'm going to take a couple weeks to relax, hang out with my family and maybe go on vacation, and we'll see where we are at in about a month.

Once you're ready, are you looking to get on the New Year's Eve card?

It's really up to the staff of Sengoku to decide when I fight next. I know it's probably going to be either December or February. My personal preference would be New Year's Eve. I just think that would be the coolest thing in the world. For me that would be a lot of fun. As soon as I'm healthy, I'll fight whenever they want. If they left it up to me, yeah, I'd ask for December 31st. I've always wanted to fight in Japan on New Year's Eve. That's about as good as it gets.

Is there a chance you'll be Jorge Santiago for the Sengoku middleweight title?

That was talked about before the fight and he's fighting Nov. 7, and that's really not flexible. He's fighting on Nov. 7 no matter what. Probably because of the injury with my hand -- I don't think I'll be ready for the 7th. Had I not been injured it probably would have been me, possibly. I know he's definitely fighting on the 7th, and they are probably going to find him someone else to fight, and if my contract gets renewed, then possibly we'll face off sometime next year.

So you have no fights left right now under your current Sengoku contract?

No, I have one fight left. It's probably going to be done December or February and I doubt very much that Santiago will defend his title on two shows that close together.

You're goal had been to compile some wins to get back in the UFC. Now that you've won four in a row, are you still looking at that or would you rather stay with Sengoku?

I've always been treated well by the UFC. I have no problems going back there in the future. But right now fighting in Japan is seemingly working out really well for me. I'm in no hurry to leave Japan. I think I'd like to stay there for a little while and see where it takes me. The fans seems to really like me and I really enjoy it there. I could probably see myself going back there another time, but for now I'm happy with where I'm at. But again, this business is unpredictable. You never know. I say I'm not going back there anytime soon and next thing you know, two weeks later I'm back there. You just don't know.

You've been putting the extra effort in by studying Japanese.

Yeah, I've taken some Japanese lessons a few months leading to this fight and I'm really enjoying it and having a lot of fun with it. Definitely different than English and sometimes difficult but always interesting and sometimes a lot of fun, so I'm going to keep going with that and as long as I keep fighting in Japan, I'm going to keep studying that and see if I can get a little better at it. In North America we expect the athletes to come here from another country to learn to speak English. We just expect it without even thinking about it, so I try to have that same attitude going to Japan. I'm fighting for a Japanese audience, I think it's important for me to learn to speak a little bit of their language to connect with their fans a little better and so far it seems to be working.

Joe Doerksen Injures Hands, Hopes for Return on New Year's Eve originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Sun, 04 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sengoku Notes: Sengoku vs. Dynamite!!; Omigawa-Hioki Set for Nov. 7

Ray Hui — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 07:47:00 EST

Filed under: Sengoku

World Victory Road announced Wednesday during Sengoku 10 that it's New Year event this year will happen on New Year's Eve -- directly against its No. 1 competitor FEG's event, "Dynamite!! 2009."

The promotion had been deciding between New Year's Eve or Jan. 3, and last year avoided going head-to-head against Dynamite!! by booking "Sengoku No Ran" on Sunday, Jan. 4. Perhaps the big name signing of 2008 Olympic judo gold medalist Satoshi Ishii has given the promotion the confidence to run a show on the most important television date of the year in Japan. Ishii will make his MMA debut at the event against 1994 gold medalist Hidehiko Yoshida.

Also announced during Sengoku 10 is a featherweight bout between GP finalist Michihiro Omigawa and Hatsu Hioki for Sengoku 11 on Nov. 7 at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan. Hioki qualified for the Featherweight GP Final at Sengoku 9 by beating Masanori Kanehara but suffered a concussion, creating an opening for Kanehara to return and beat Omigawa to win the championship. This leaves Marlon Sandro likely to face the newly-signed Cage Force champion Yuji Hoshino at the event. One of the winners will face Kanehara for the Sengoku belt on New Year's Eve.

Sengoku will change its name to "Sengoku Raiden Championship," which tacks on the a word meaning thunder (rai) and lightning (den).

Sengoku middleweight champion Jorge Santiago and Akihiro Gono confirmed their participation at Nov. 7. Strikeforce light heavyweight Kevin Randleman was not present but was previously announced to fight.

Sengoku 11:

Hatsu Hioki vs. Michihiro Omigawa
Marlon Sandro vs. TBA
Yuji Hoshino vs. TBA
Jorge Santiago vs. TBA
Kevin Randleman vs. TBA
Akihiro Gono vs. TBA

Sengoku on New Year's Eve:

Satoshi Ishii vs. Hidehiko Yoshida

Sengoku Notes: Sengoku vs. Dynamite!!; Omigawa-Hioki Set for Nov. 7 originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 07:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sengoku 10 Results: Japan's Olympic Judo Star Gets Knocked Out

Michael David Smith — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 06:28:00 EST

Filed under: Sengoku

Japan's Sengoku mixed martial arts organization thought it had a star in the making in Hiroshi Izumi, a 2004 Olympic silver medalist in judo who's a popular athlete in one of his country's most popular Olympic sports. But Izumi's debut did not go well: He was knocked out in the first round by a kickboxer from New Zealand named Antz Nansen.

Nansen, like Izumi, was making his professional MMA debut. But while Izumi looked slow and tentative, Nansen looked like a man who knew how to fight. It was a devastating right hand that sent Izumi flat on his back, and although Izumi tried to keep fighting (and the referee tried to prolong the inevitable) it was only a matter of time before Nansen knocked Izumi cold, which he finally did with a 1-2 punch combination.

The fight was a great showing by Nansen, and a disappointing one for Izumi.

In Sengoku's co-main event, the former EliteXC heavyweight champion Antonio Silva, who is banished to fighting in Japan after failing a steroid test in the United States, finished Jim York by first-round triangle choke. Silva has suggested that he might return to the U.S. if the athletic commissions allow him to, and there is talk that he might sign with Strikeforce. But Silva said in the ring afterward that he plans to keep fighting in Sengoku, and a battle with Josh Barnett -- also banned in the U.S. for failing a steroid test -- could be around the corner.

Other Sengoku results:
Makoto Takimoto beat Jae Sun Lee by unanimous decision
Kazunori Yokota beat Ryan Schultz by first-round KO (punch)
Fabio Silva beat Ryo Kawamura by second-round TKO (punches)
Dan Hornbuckle beat Nick Thompson by second-round TKO (punches)
Joe Doerksen beat Takenori Sato by first-round KO (punches)
Maximo Blanco beat Tetsuya Yamada by second-round TKO (punches)

Sengoku 10 Results: Japan's Olympic Judo Star Gets Knocked Out originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 06:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dan Hornbuckle TKOs Nick Thompson at Sengoku X, MMA Star Is Rising

Michael David Smith — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 04:45:00 EST

Filed under: Sengoku

Dan Hornbuckle is a fighter from Mahomet, Illinois, who's currently known to only the most hard-core of MMA fans. But after finishing yet another fight in spectacular fashion in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, he's a star on the rise in the sport.

Hornbuckle took on Nick Thompson -- who's well known for being a lawyer who took the bar exam two days after fighting Jake Shields on CBS -- at Sengoku 10 in Saitama, Japan, and he won the fight by second-round TKO with a beautiful flurry of strikes on his feet. Hornbuckle landed a straight left hand to Thompson's chin, followed by a right hook to Thompson's ear that sent Thompson reeling, and then Hornbuckle erupted with a leg kick, more punches and a knee to the chin to finish it. The win improved Hornbuckle's professional MMA record to 19-2.

HDNet announcer Michael Schiavello referred to Hornbuckle as one of the most underrated welterweights in MMA, and I'd have to agree. Last month he produced one of the MMA knockouts of the year when he defeated Akihiro Gono with a brutal kick to the head, and Wednesday morning he was back at it again. There aren't many fighters who have given us more exciting finishes this year than Dan Hornbuckle.

Dan Hornbuckle TKOs Nick Thompson at Sengoku X, MMA Star Is Rising originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 04:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sengoku 10 Weigh-In Results

Ray Hui — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:32:00 EST

Filed under: Sengoku

The competitors for Sengoku 10 weighed-in Tuesday to make official their respective bouts happening Wednesday at the Saitama Super Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

In the main event, 2004 Olympic judo silver medalist Hiroshi Izumi will make his MMA debut against kickboxer Antz Nansen in a light heavyweight bout.

Former EliteXC heavyweight champ Antonio Silva will fight "Big" Jim York in a match that should set the winner up in a title bout at Sengoku's New Year's event.

Keep an eye on Midwesterner Dan Hornbuckle, who at the last Sengoku event knocked out Akihiro Gono with a brutal head kick. Fighting for Sengoku, he accepts another step up in competition against Nick "The Goat" Thompson.

The final IFL lightweight champion Ryan Schultz will look to end back-to-back losses when he faces Kazunori Yokota. The Team Quest fighter dominated the IFL 155-pound division 2007 through 2008 but has been stopped in his two Sengoku bouts against Mizuto Hirota and Jorge Masvidal.

Here are the weigh-in results converted to pounds.

Fight Card:

Hiroshi Izumi (205) vs. Antz Nansen (204.2)
Antonio Silva (267) vs. "Big" Jim York (253.1)
Makoto Takimoto (166) vs. Jae Sun Lee (167.6)
Ryan Schultz (153.2) vs. Kazunori Yokota (153.9)
Ryo Kawamura (203.7) vs. Fabio Silva (202)
Dan Hornbuckle (165.13) vs. Nick Thompson (167.3)
Takenori Sato (183) vs. Joe Doerksen (182.3)
Maximo Blanco (154.3) vs. Tetsuya Yamada (154.1)

Sengoku 10 Weigh-In Results originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jorge Santiago, Kevin Randleman, Michihiro Omigawa Set for Sengoku 11

Ray Hui — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 09:23:00 EST

Filed under: Sengoku

Sengoku middleweight champion Jorge Santiago, featherweight GP finalist Michihiro Omigawa and Strikeforce light heavyweight Kevin Randleman will compete on the Sengoku 11 card on Nov. 7 at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan.

World Victory Road announced the initial details for Sengoku 11 at a small conference Friday at the J-ROCK workout studio in Tokyo, where Omigawa was also present to conduct a workout for the media.

Santiago (22-7) has not fought since winning the Sengoku strap against Kazuo Misaki in January. He was scheduled to face Vitor Belfort at Affliction 3 in August but the cancellation of the entire has pushed back Santiago's in-ring return to November. His opponent would have been Misaki but the 2006 PRIDE GP winner is currently under suspension for an evading and reckless driving incident. Instead, Santiago's challenger could be the winner of the upcoming Joe Doerksen vs. Takeshi Sato fight at Sengoku 10 on Sept. 23.

In his only Sengoku appearance, Randleman (17-13) won a unanimous decision against Ryo Kawamura at Sengoku 2 in May. Randleman is coming off a loss to Mike Whitehead at a Strikeforce event in June. Sherdog.com reported Thursday that discussions are in place for Randleman to fight Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal at the event as long as Strikeforce signs off on allowing Randleman to fight elsewhere.

Showing that his poor record is a result of being thrown into the wolves early in his career, Omigawa (7-8) turned his career around in 2009 with wins over LC Davis, Nam Phan and Marlon Sandro. The judoka recently lost a split decision to Masanori Kanehara at the Sengoku Featherweight GP Finals but is still in the mix for a title shot along with Hatsu Hioki and Sandro.

World Victory Road also revealed that the MMA debut of 2008 Olympic judo gold medalist Satoshi Ishii has been pushed back to Sengoku's New Year's Eve or early 2010 card, depending on the finalized date.

Jorge Santiago, Kevin Randleman, Michihiro Omigawa Set for Sengoku 11 originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 09:23:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sengoku 10 Opponents Set for Antonio Silva, Hiroshi Izumi

Ray Hui — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 08:09:00 EST

Filed under: Sengoku

World Victory Road has selected two New Zealanders as opponents against former EliteXC heavyweight champion Antonio Silva and 2004 Olympic judo silver medalist Hiroshi Izumi for Sengoku 10 on Sept. 23 in Tokyo, Japan.

Silva (12-1) will face "Big" Jim York (11-2) in a heavyweight bout that should earn the winner a title shot later this year. Silva is making his second appearance in Japan since ignoring his steroids suspension following his EliteXC title win against the late Justin Eilers in July 2008. In his promotional debut for World Victory Road in January, Silva won early in the first round when his opponent Yoshihiro "Kiss" Nakao injured his knee from a leg kick. York is coming off a knockout win over James Thompson in Sengoku 7 and holds claim to never going to a decision in his 13-fight career.

Izumi, one of two Olympic judokas signed by Sengoku in 2009, will be making his MMA debut against another newcomer, kickboxing titleholder Antz Nansen.

Main Card

Hiroshi Izumi vs. Antz Nansen
Antonio Silva vs. "Big" Jim York
Makoto Takimoto vs. Lee Jae Sun
Kazunori Yokota vs. Ryan Schultz
Maximo Blanco vs. Tetsuya Yamada
Joe Doerksen vs. Takenori Sato
Nick Thompson vs. Dan Hornbuckle
Ryo Kawamura vs. Fabio Silva

Prelims

Ikuo Usuda vs. Baek Woo Hyun
Shigeki Osawa vs. Kim Ki Hyun
Ryosuke Komori vs. So Jee Hyun

Sengoku 10 Opponents Set for Antonio Silva, Hiroshi Izumi originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 08:09:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nick Thompson vs. Dan Hornbuckle Announced for Sengoku 10

Ray Hui — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 09:31:00 EST

Filed under: Sengoku

World Victory Road held a news conference Tuesday to announce three additional bouts for its Sengoku 10 card on Sept. 23 in Tokyo, Japan.

Dan Hornbuckle (18-2), who at the last Sengoku spoiled Akihiro Gono's return to Japan by way of a devastating head kick knockout, will take on Nick "The Goat" Thompson (38-11-1) in a welterweight bout. Thompson is returning to Sengoku off a loss as a middleweight to Tim Kennedy at Strikeforce Challenger Series in June.

Also announced is middleweight Joe Doerksen (42-12) facing Sengoku newcomer Takenori Sato (9-6-4) out of Kazushi Sakuraba's Laughter 7 gym. Doerksen won his Sengoku debut last November, stopping Pancrase veteran Izuru Takeuchi, whom Sato earlier this month fought to a draw.

In light heavyweight action, King of Pancrase Ryo Kawamura (10-4-2) will look to avenge the first loss of his career to Fabio Silva (11-5) of Chute Boxe. Silva's knockout win over Kawamura at a Pancrase event in May 2007 is the only time Kawamura has been finished in a fight.

With the announcement, eight bouts are now official for Sengoku 10.

Main Card

Kazunori Yokota vs. Ryan Schultz
Maximo Blanco vs. Tetsuya Yamada
Joe Doerksen vs. Takenori Sato
Nick Thompson vs. Dan Hornbuckle
Ryo Kawamura vs. Fabio Silva
Hiroshi Izumi vs. TBA
Antonio Silva vs. TBA
Makoto Takimoto vs. TBA

Prelims

Ikuo Usuda vs. Baek Woo Hyun
Shigeki Osawa vs. Kim Ki Hyun
Ryosuke Komori vs. So Jee Hyun

Nick Thompson vs. Dan Hornbuckle Announced for Sengoku 10 originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Tue, 18 Aug 2009 09:31:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Olympic Silver Medalist Hiroshi Izumi Slated to Headline Sengoku 10

Ray Hui — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:35:00 EST

Filed under: Sengoku

Olympic silver medalist Hiroshi Izumi's MMA debut will take top billing at Sengoku 10 on Sept. 23 in Tokyo, Japan, World Victory Road said Wednesday.

The 27-year-old is World Victory Road's second major Olympic medalist judoka acquisition this year. 2008 gold medalist Satoshi Ishii signed in June and Izumi followed suit a month after. Ishii is expected to make his MMA debut at Sengoku 11 on Nov. 7.

In addition to his medal at the 2004 Summer Games in Athens, Izumi has also collected gold medals at the 2005 World Judo Championship Games, the 2007 East Asian Judo Championships and the 2008 Asian Judo Championships.

Izumi's opponent for his debut is to be announced.

Izumi's placement on the card is above Antonio Silva, which means Josh Barnett can essentially be ruled out as Silva's yet to be announced opponent on Sept. 23. Barnett, who expressed interest this past weekend in a return to Pancrase to defend his King of Pancrase open-weight title, has a contract with Sengoku and could still be a potential opponent for Silva later in December.

Also announced Wednesday are four additional bouts for Sengoku 10. Tetsuya Yamada (3-1) will be moving up from featherweight in a fight against Lightweight King of Pancrase Maximo Blanco (3-2-1) and three opening bouts will match winners from the Sengoku Japan and South Korea Gold Cup tournaments.

Here is how the card is shaping up for Sengoku 10:

Main Card

Kazunori Yokota vs. Ryan Schultz
Maximo Blanco vs. Tetsuya Yamada
Hiroshi Izumi vs. TBA
Antonio Silva vs. TBA
Joe Doerksen vs. TBA
Makoto Takimoto vs. TBA

Prelims

Ikuo Usuda vs. Baek Woo Hyun
Shigeki Osawa vs. Kim Ki Hyun
Ryosuke Komori vs. So Jee Hyun

Olympic Silver Medalist Hiroshi Izumi Slated to Headline Sengoku 10 originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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