CONDOR FC.9 ~ BLUE SKY RIDE

CONDOR FC. 9 ~ BLUE SKY RIDE
02/10/09
Shinjuku Club Heights
675 fans

Opening Match - Akashi "Tiger" Nakamura [Freestyle - JAPAN] (11-8 Overall, 1-4 CONDOR) ~Versus~ Masanaka Katakura [Kickbxoing - JAPAN] (0-4 Overall, 0-2 CONDOR)

Katakura comes out using his only advantage - speed, to harass Nakamura. Nakamura eats several blows, but ends up pushing Katakura against the ropes. After a short stalemate, Nakamura trips Katakura to the ground and goes to work from the guard. Time runs out before Katakura can take much damage. Nakamura throws a lazy shoot to open round two and eats a strong counter. Nakamura reels from the blow and Katakura unloads with rapid punches, but Nakamura survives the onslaught to see round three. Nakamura recovers for round three and settles into counter punching with Katakura after Katakura stuffs another takedown. It proves to be less then effective for Nakamura as Katakura lands at will to end round three.

Surprising performance by Katakura. He just had too much movement speed for Nakamura to keep up with. And the short turn around between fights couldn't have helped either.

Masanaka Katakura (1-4 Overall, 1-2 CONDOR) defeated Akashi "Tiger" Nakamura (11-9 Overall, 1-5 CONDOR) by unanimous decision.

Second Match - Demitri Prerovsky [Sambo - RUSSIA] (9-2 Overall, 1-0 CONDOR) ~Versus~ Lee Jung Hyun [Tae Kwon Do - KOREA] (1-1 Overall, 1-1 CONDOR)

Prerovsky makes the mistake of coming out to strike with the Tae Kwon Do. Hyun quickly makes Prerovsky regret it with sharp kicks and punches to Prerovsky's body. In desperation, Prerovsky bullies Hyun into the ropes, holding him there until the end of the round. Prerovsky has clear respect for Hyun's striking in round two, as he almost flees from the sight of Hyun throwing anything. Good movement keeps Hyun at bay until Prerovsky can lock him into another body clinch, pushing him against the ropes once more to end the round. Round three is much the same with a tiring Prerovsky pushing Hyun against the ropes. This time Prerovsky adds some dirty boxing on the Korean. All goes as planned, until Hyun, the Tae Kwon Do fighter, suddenly latches on a tight guillotine! Prerovsky gives a short fight before submitting in a shocker!

What a surprising result. Rumor had it that Prerovsky had difficulty in preparation for the fight, but credit to Hyun for pulling out the upset victory.

Lee Jung Hyun (2-1 Overall, 2-1 CONDOR) defeated Dmitri Prerovsky (9-3 Overall, 1-1 CONDOR) with a Guillotine at 2'41 in the First Round.

Third Match - Jacob Loevaas [Kick Boxing - NETHERLANDS] (9-8 Overall, 1-2 CONDOR) ~Versus~ Tokimitsu Hosokawa [Wrestling - JAPAN] (1-1-1 Overall, 0-1-1 CONDOR)

Loevaas comes out looking to kick against Hosokawa which proves to be an outright idiotic move as the wrestler Hosokawa catches a kick and spears Loevaas to the ground. Hosokawa quickly transitions to mount and pounds away on Loevaas. Only Hosokawa's ineffectual G&P and Loevaas's toughness keeps him in the fight as the round expires. Round two opens with Loevaas using speed to tire Hosokawa out, which seems to be working. The gassed wrestler still has enough to drag Loevaas to the ground and easily slice through Loevaas's guard. However, once again, Loevaas is able to weather the storm and make it to round three. Hosokawa is gasping for breath as Loevaas dances in and out, far and away from Hosokawa. Adding to Hosokawa's discomfort is several stinging low kicks. Suddenly, Loevaas explodes with offense and bombards Hosokawa with punches trapping him against the ropes! The referee dives in right as Hosokawa collapses!

Awesome showing by Loevaas. It was clearly his goal to tire out the much stronger wrestler and after two rounds of domination it gave Loevaas his path to victory.

Jacob Loevaas (10-8 Overall, 2-2 CONDOR) defeated Tokimitsu Hosokawa (1-2-1 Overall, 0-2-1 CONDOR) by TKO at 2'52 in the Third Round.

Fourth Match - Naoyuki Fuchida [Freestyle - JAPAN] (18-8 Overall, 2-2 CONDOR) ~Versus~ James Scott [Freestyle Wrestling - USA] (6-3 Overall, 2-2 CONDOR)

Fuchida opens up the fight by shooting on the former Olympic alternate. This proves to be a horrible idea as Scott stuffs, then pushed Fuchida into the ropes where he slowly (slooooowly) works over Fuchida from the clinch with dirty boxing to end the round. Round two is EXACTLY the same with Fuchida trying to shoot in again. Rinse Lather Repeat from Round One. Fuchida opens up round three by, you guessed it, shooting in for the takedown. This time he gets it giving Fuchida a moral victory. Scott clamps down on Fuchida for all he's worth resulting in Fuchida being unable to pass. The round expires.

A stupid gameplan by Fuchida. Had he pulled guard or even allowed Scott to take him down, the fight could have been totally different. However Fuchida decided to play Scott's game. It cost him the fight.

James Scott (7-3 Overall, 3-2 CONDOR) defeated Naoyuki Fuchida (18-9 Overall, 2-3 CONDOR) by unanimous decision.

Semi Final Match - Masanori Ito [Submission Wrestling - JAPAN] (7-3 Overall, 2-1 CONDOR) ~Versus~ Yoshikazu Naito [Karate - JAPAN] (5-1 Overall, 2-0 CONDOR)

Naito opens up with a front kick, which is caught by Ito who uses it to take Naito down to the ground. Naito's ground defense has progressed significantly, as he clamps to Ito for all he's worth to get through the round. Naito opens up round two using his awkward stance and movements to pester Ito with strikes before throwing the same front kick with the same result as round one. Nothing happens from there. Round three shows Naito still hasn't learned his lesson as he tries the front kick once again. Ito spears Naito down, but Naito finally fights back as he kicks off Ito. They scramble, but Ito manages to take Naito's back. Naito spins out of it, but manages to spin right into a knee bar by Ito. Naito kicks Ito off frantically and the fight ends with Naito standing over Ito...

Masanori Ito (8-3 Overall, 3-1 CONDOR) defeated Yoshikazu Naito (5-2 Overall, 2-1 CONDOR) by unanimous decision

FINAL MATCH - Tsubasa Sakuro [Judo - JAPAN] (2-1 Overall, 2-1 CONDOR) ~Versus~ Yuki Uematsu [Freestyle - JAPAN] (17-13 Overall, 2-2 CONDOR)

Neither man is a striking wizard, as they mutually lock up against each other. Sakuro pushes Uematsu against the ropes. After over a minute of this, Uematsu fights back and reverses so that Sakuro's back is against the ropes. Sakuro counters on his own by suddenly locking Uematsu in a TIGHT Guillotine, but the round expires before Uematsu is in too much danger. Sakuro displays his multifaceted game in round two, as he blasts Uematsu with several hard shots to stun the elder statesman, before shooting in for an easy takedown. Uematsu can do nothing to shift the former Olympic Judoka to end round two. Uematsu desperately attempts to keep Sakuro from locking onto him for round three's opening period but eventually can do nothing to avoid being judo thrown. Uematsu scrambles, but Sakuro locks him down on the ground before slipping to his back. Sakuro works diligently for a choke but Uematsu turtles and does his absolute best to avoid the hold as time finally expires.

A dominating if unspectacular victory for the Lion of Oita as he now works his way back into championship contention.

Tsubasa Sakuro (3-1 Overall, 3-1 CONDOR) defeated Yuki Uematsu (17-14 Overall, 2-3 CONDOR) by unanimous decision.

CONDOR FC Odds & Ends - Feburary 2009

CONDOR FC Odds & Ends - Feburary 2009

- Riley Jacobs, 3-4 Overall, announced his retirement from Mixed Martial Arts to enter as a trainer full time at his own gym, Jacobs Combat Experience. This has forced a rebooking of the upcoming CONDOR FC.9 ~ BLUE SKY RIDE event. Fresh off yet another loss, Akashi "Tiger" Nakamura has stepped up to face Masanaka Katakura in what should be a gimme fight for Nakamura.

- A rash of team changes have taken place in the last month as CONDOR FC fighters look to gain competitive advantages.

- Masanaka Katakura has joined the SONIC SPEED Muay Thai team, joining Michiyoshi Takase and Kinshiro Murata.

- The TBF Club gained several new members, as Tsubasa Sakuro, Lee Jung Hyun & Tokimitsu Hosokawa all joined.

- Shinjiro Sonoda and Yoshiro Ito joined Hachiro Fujii's "BLOOD AND GUTS" team.

- P-PARASITAL also was bolstered as Takeshi Yamada and Kinjiro Takeda joined.

- Andrew Brown was invited as a guest to Team Olympiad.

- Yoshikazu Naito joined Tokyo PUREBREED.

What all this means, is that now more then ever, more CONDOR FC fighters are training together making match making difficult for Kazu Kobayashi...


- The upcoming revised CONDOR FC.9 line up is thus:


CONDOR FC. 9 ~ BLUE SKY RIDE
Shinjuku Club Heights (1,000)
02/10/09

1. Akashi "Tiger" Nakamura vs. Masanaka Katakura
2. Dmitri Prerovsky vs. Lee Jung Hyun
3. Jacob Loevaas vs. Tokimitsu Hosokawa
4. Naoyuki Fuchida vs. James Scott
5. Masanori Ito vs. Yoshikazu Naito
6. Tsubasa Sakuro vs. Yuki Uematsu

CONDOR FC.8 ~ HEIGHT OF DESTINY

CONDOR FC. 8 ~ HEIGHT OF DESTINY
01/05/09
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
959 fans

Opening Match - Takeshi Yamada [Kick Boxing - JAPAN] (5-8 Overall, 0-3 CONDOR) ~Versus~ Akira Kitaoka [Freestyle Wrestling - JAPAN] (1-3 Overall, 0-3 CONDOR)

Complete domination by Akira Kitaoka, who may have finally figured out his skills and tactics. Yamada opened up the first stanza with some nice jabs, but could do nothing as Akira Kitaoka shot in with a fierce takedown. From there Kitaoka sliced through Yamada's guard like butter before securing a jujigatame from the mount for the easy submission.

With four straight easy loses, one has to think the kickboxer Yamada is done in CONDOR...

Akira Kitaoka (2-3 Overall, 1-3 CONDOR) defeated Takeshi Yamada (5-9 Overall, 0-4 CONDOR) at 2'39 with a Jujigatame in the First Round.


Second Match - Andrew Brown [MMA - USA] (7-5 Overall, 0-1 CONDOR) ~Versus~ Kinshiro Murata [Muay Thai - JAPAN] (5-6 Overall, 0-1 CONDOR)

Both men attempt to counter punch in round one, with Brown attempting to counter Murata's flurries with singular strong attacks. Round two opens up much of the same before a grappling battle against the ropes begin. Neither man has the wrestling to control the other leading to a sloppy series of reversals against the ropes. Brown once again attempts to wrestle Murata into the ropes. Murata fights back spiritedly but ends up giving his back to Brown. Brown attempts a hilariously sloppy choke before Murata Judo throws him to the ground. Somehow in the ensuing scramble, Brown is able to counter Murata and take HIM down from his back. Fight ends with Brown unable to do anything on top of Murata.

Not the best showing by any means for either man. Should be Brown's decision however.

Andrew Brown (8-5 Overall, 1-1 CONDOR) defeated Kinshiro Murata (5-7 Overall, 0-2 CONDOR) by unanimous decision.

Third Match - Akashi "Tiger" Nakamura [Freestyle - JAPAN] (11-7 Overall, 1-3 CONDOR) ~Versus~ Shinjiro Sonoda [Nanto Seiken - JAPAN] (2-2 Overall, 2-2 CONDOR)

Nakamura fakes out Sonoda with jabs before shooting in, only to have Sonoda counter and take him down. From there, Nakamura uses a neutralizing guard to keep Sonoda from doing much of anything as he (Nakamura) looks for an armbar that's never there. Round two opens up with Sonoda's significant speed advantage coming into play as he pesters Nakamura with jabs before shooting in. Nakamura sprawls, and Sonoda settles for pushing Nakamura against the ropes. This is where they stay for the rest of the round. Sonoda and Nakamura come out swinging to open round three. Neither man lands, but in the ensuing grapple, Nakamura suddenly judo throws Sonoda. Sonoda lands safely and rolls to his feet only to have Nakamura bullrush him into the ropes. Sonoda struggles to get free of Nakamura, but is scooped up and slammed back to the ground to finish the fight and go to the score cards.

Should be a two rounds to one win for Sonoda...

Shinjiro Sonoda (3-2 Overall, 3-2 CONDOR) defeated Akashi Nakamura (11-8 Overall, 1-4 CONDOR) by unanimous decision.

Fourth Match - Hernando Perra [Jiu Jitsu - BRAZIL] (10-3 Overall, 2-1 CONDOR) ~Versus~ Maksim Mielkus [Brawling - LITHUANIA] (6-0 Overall, 1-0 CONDOR)

Unwilling to deal with Mielkus's scorching punching power, Perra immediately spears Mielkus to the ground. From there, Perra easily transitions to mount and blasts Mielkus's face in until Perra is pulled off by the referee. Very impressive showing by "The Dog".

Hernando Perra (11-3 Overall, 3-1 CONDOR) defeated Maksim Mielkus (6-1 Overall, 1-1 CONDOR) at 2'04 in the First Round.

Semi Final Match - Natsuo Nozaki [Freestyle - JAPAN] (5-2 Overall, 2-0 CONDOR] ~Versus~ Yoshiro Ito [Freestyle - JAPAN] (9-3 Overall, 2-2 CONDOR)

Despite being evenly matched on paper, Nozaki gets Ito to the ground off a double leg immediately. Ito does his best to maintain guard, but Nozaki is able to escape to side. However, Ito dutifully fends off Nozaki's attempts to mount resulting in a stalemate...Round two occurs exact opposite of round one as Ito scores the takedown with Nozaki being unable to escape. Nozaki does use a better defensive guard then Ito applied resulting in Ito being locked in Nozaki's guard. Nozaki opens up the final round looking to strike. It costs him, as Ito ducks under to secure what should be the fight winning takedown as Nozaki once again can do nothing to shake Ito's top control.

Both men need to desperately work on their takedown defense and defensive guard to stand a chance at the higher uppermost of CONDOR, but Ito should have done just enough to score a decision.

Yoshiro Ito (10-3 Overall, 3-2 CONDOR) defeated Natsuo Nozaki (5-3 Overall, 2-1 CONDOR) by unanimous decision

FINAL MATCH ~ KING of CONDOR Elimination Bout - Gabriel Morais [Brazilian Jiu Jitsu - BRAZIL] (13-6 Overall, 4-1 CONDOR) ~Versus~ Hachiro Fujii [Boxing - JAPAN] (4-1 Overall, 4-1 CONDOR)

The winner of this match faces Michiyoshi "King of CONDOR" Takase in March. Both Morais and Fujii have previously fought Takase with Takase emerging victorious in both accounts. With personal vengeance and a championship fight hanging over their heads, what can we expect?

Morais opens up with strikes. An odd choice for facing a former professional boxer. It proves to be a ruse as Morais shoots in. Fujii stuffs the takedown resulting in a clinch. Morais pushes Fujii into the ropes, and as Fujii attempts to escape Morais slips behind. Morias drags Fujii to the ground, but Fujii scrambles back to his feet. Morais, realizing the takedown won't work, suddenly throws his legs around for a knee bar. Fujii pulls his leg free, but falls into guard. With ten seconds left, Morais throws up an armbar, but Fujii guts through the pain to survive round one! Fujii lands several strong punches to open round two, enough to convince Morais to shoot in. Fujii stuffs again, but Morais pulls guard. Fujii attempts to escape but Morais holds onto him like a anaconda. Morais attempts a triangle choke, but Fujii fights it off, only to have Morais lock on another armbar. The threat is enough to allow Morais to turn Fujii over and get top position. Fujii scrambles again, but Morais slips behind Fujii but Fujii is once again saved as time runs out. Morais uses his superior grappling to push Fujii into the ropes, hoping to use the ropes against Fujii's takedown defense. Morais manages to slip behind Fujii standing, but this time Fujii holds his composure and doggedly denies Morais the submission that Morais desperately desires. With no submission and no progress, the round runs out sending it the judges.

Unlike all the other JD's on the card, this was an exciting affair. Morais could have ended the fight at any time, but only determination and a fierce defensive style kept Fujii going. However, it should be a decision for Gabriel Morais setting up the rematch.

Gabriel Morais (14-6, 5-1 CONDOR) defeated Hachiro Fujii (4-2 Overall, 4-2 CONDOR) by unanimous decision

CONDOR FC ~ December Rankings & News

The CONDOR FC rankings for December 2008 were released. A new ranking system has been implemented, resulting in a sizable flux in rankings across the board and a significant amount of similar rankings. Despite the new system, Hachiro Fujii and Gabriel Morais remain the #1 and #2 contenders for Michiyoshi Takase's King of CONDOR championship.

KING of CONDOR: Michiyoshi Takase (5,400)

1. Hachiro Fujii (3,800)
2. Gabriel Morais (3,700)
3. Masanori Ito (2,100)
Tsubasa Sakuro (2,100)
5. Yoshikazu Naito (2,000)
Natsuo Nozaki (2,000)
7. Yuki Uematsu (1,800)
Dmitri Prerovsky (1,800)
Viktor Balakirev (1,800)

In addition, the lineups for the next series of CONDOR FC events were released. At Korakuen Hall on January 5th, Hachiro Fujii and Gabriel Morais will clash to decide who will fight Michiyoshi Takase two months later for the KING of CONDOR. Both men have lost to Takase and have to earn the right for revenge.

CONDOR FC ventures outside of Korakuen Hall for the first time for CONDOR FC.9 in February, as they head to Shinjuku Club Heights.

In addition, on both the 8th and 9th CONDOR FC events, fighters will be fighting for their CONDOR FC future. On the 8th, Akira Kitaoka clashes with Takeshi Yamada. On the 9th, Riley Jacobs faces off against Masanaka Katakura. The losers of both these fights will be released from their CONDOR FC contracts.

The 10th CONDOR FC event, DIVE TO FUTURE will see Viktor Balakirev return to the CONDOR FC ring to face off against highly popular Hideo Gomi in what will surely be a special fight. The card only has three fights filled out, the rest will be completed after the January and February events.


CONDOR FC. 8 ~ HEIGHT OF DESTINY
Tokyo Korakuen Hall (2,100)
01/05/09

1. Takeshi Yamada vs. Akira Kitaoka
2. Andrew Brown vs. Kinshiro Murata
3. Akashi "Tiger" Nakamura vs. Shinjiro Sonoda
4. Hernando Perra vs. Maksim Mielkus
5. Natsuo Nozaki vs. Yoshiro Ito
6. KING of CONDOR Eliminator: Gabriel Morais vs. Hachiro Fujii

CONDOR FC. 9 ~ BLUE SKY RIDE
Shinjuku Club Heights (1,000)
02/10/09

1. Riley Jacobs vs. Masanaka Katakura
2. Dmitri Prerovsky vs. Lee Jung Hyun
3. Jacob Loevaas vs. Tokimitsu Hosokawa
4. Naoyuki Fuchida vs. James Scott
5. Masanori Ito vs. Yoshikazu Naito
6. Tsubasa Sakuro vs. Yuki Uematsu

CONDOR FC. 10 ~ DIVE TO FUTURE
Tokyo Korakuen Hall (2,100)
3/27/09

1. Ryojiro Iwamura vs. Kinshiro Takeda
2. Viktor Balakirev vs. Hideo Gomi
3. KING of CONDOR: Michiyoshi Takase (c) vs. Hachiro Fujii/Gabriel Morais

CONDOR FC.7 ~ CATCH THE ROARING KING ~ 11/30/08 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall

THE OPENING MATCH ~ RED CORNER ~ ANDREW BROWN [70 kg / 183 cm / FREE STYLE / UNITED STATES] ~VERSUS~ BLUE CORNER ~ MAKSIM MIELKUS [70 kg / 165 cm / STRIKING / LITHUANIA]

Andrew Brown despite having a sizeable reach advantage over the squat Mielkus, Brown finds himself quickly retreating as Mielkus wings two incredibly strong punches. Brown lands a few good strikes, but Mielkus changes that when he blasts Brown with an uppercut. Brown clinches with Milekus and holds the powerful Lithuanian, but Mielkus breaks free and blasts Brown with a hook that staggers the Californian. Brown shoots in for the takedown, but Mielkus sprawls as the round expires.

Andrew Brown comes out trying everything he can do to keep Mielkus from getting range. Mielkus manages to hit Brown several times, but Brown is able to dodge the blows for the most part. Brown catches Mielkus as he comes in and sweeps him to the ground. Brown lands some ground and pound, but Mielkus does an adequate job at keeping Brown from doing significant damage as the round expires.

Andrew Brown's ability to dodge Mielkus's shots is put to an end temporarily when Mielkus lands a heavy cross that staggers Brown, but Brown regains his composure quickly and uses his ability to avoid damage while clinching Mielkus...but the round expires with nothing much else happening.

Judge 1: Maksim Mielkus (35 to 40)
Judge 2: Maksim Mielkus (43 to 35)
Judge 3: Maksim Mielkus (44 to 38)

THE SECOND MATCH ~ RED CORNER ~ JACOB LOEVAAS [70 kg / 185 cm / KICKBOXING / NETHERLANDS] ~VERSUS~ BLUE CORNER ~ GOMI, HIDEO [70 kg / 173 cm / PANKRATION / JAPAN]

Both men rush out at the start of the round. Gomi lands a hook to start it all off, as Loevaas responds by clinching and then landing an absolutely massive knee to the head of Gomi. Gomi clinches with Loevaas to keep him from landing more, before he grabs Loevaas and slams him to the ground. However, after some ground and pound, Gomi can't keep Loevaas on the ground for long as the kickboxer frees himself and gets back to his feet. Loevaas begins to land at will with combinations. Loevaas targets Gomi's legs and his body with kicks with pinpoint accuracy as the round expires.

Loevaas comes out with lowkicks as the round begins, but leaves himself open and Gomi catches one and takes him to the ground. Gomi begins to beat away on Loevaas with strikes, but the tough Hollander shows little in the way of damage as he fights to try and kick Gomi off. Gomi gets to side control, but can't see to get anything to finish Loevaas off as the round near expiration...For some reason, the referee stands them back up and awards both yellow cards for stalling as the round expires.

Both men come out slowly in round three. Loevaas's speed seems to have drastically fallen due to lack of cardio, while Gomi waits to pick his shots. Loevaas lands several solid strikes, but Gomi shoots in and single legs him to the ground. Instead of trying anything, Gomi is content to land a few pot shots and keep Loevaas on the ground as the time expires.

It really depends on what the judges were looking for. Loevaas landed far more shots on Gomi, but in each round Gomi was able to take the fight to the ground and use Ground and Pound to some good effect.

Judge 1: Hideo Gomi (38 to 35)
Judge 2: Jacob Loevaas (39 to 38)
Judge 3: Hideo Gomi (42 to 39)

THE THIRD MATCH ~ RED CORNER ~ DMITRI PREROVSKY [75 kg / 173 cm / SAMBO / RUSSIA] ~VERSUS~ BLUE CORNER ~ RILEY JACOBS [70 kg / 178 cm / BOXING / UNITED STATES]

Two very different fighters with two very distinct strategies. Riley Jacobs wants to keep the fight standing, while Dmirtry Prerovsky wants to take the fight to the ground. Prerovsky comes out looking for a takedown, but Jacobs is able to hold Prerovsky back while landing some solid punches on the Russian. Prerovsky changes gameplan and pulls guard twice, but both times Jacobs is able to escape before any damage can be done, which only frustrates the Russian as time expires on the round.

Prerovsky comes charging out of the corner at the gong like a bullet, spearing into Jacobs and taking him down to the ground. Prerovsky quickly changes to side control and goes for a keylock. The hold is sunk in deep, but Jacobs shows fantastic courage by refusing to submit, and eventually works himself free and then gets Prerovsky back into his guard. It doesn't last long, however, as Prerovsky isolates one of Jacobs' legs and applies an ankle hold. Jacobs immediately begins to scream in pain, and the referee rushes in save him ending the match by TKO!

THE FOURTH MATCH ~ RED CORNER ~ FUCHIDA, NAOYUKI [70 kg / 178 cm / FREE STYLE / JAPAN] ~VERSUS~ BLUE CORNER ~ SONODA, SHINJIRO [70 kg / 173 cm / NANTO SEIKEN / JAPAN]

Oddly enough despite both Fuchida and Sonoda being well adapted to ground fighting, the opening round turns out like a kickboxing fight. Fuchida is able to get off the blocks quicker then Sonoda in the early portions of the round. He lands nothing game changing, but enough small shots to set the pace. Sonoda gets in a great knee to the midsection that wounds Fuchida visibly, but Sonoda is unable to follow up on it as time expires for the round.

The fight continues in the second round as a stand up bout between the two. Fuchida lands far more often, but Sonoda packs more power behind his shots which causes the two to be roughly on the same standing. Sonoda is the one to pull the trigger on a ground fight and shoots in. Fuchida counters with a Guillotine Choke on the way down, but Sonoda is able to escape. Sonoda seems to be at a loss for what to do on the ground before he gives a halfhearted attempt at a can opener, allowing Fuchida to sweet him and get top control as the round expires.

Neither man can find the range at all as the third round begins. They throw punches and kicks, but are far off the mark. Fuchida scores first with a knee strike, but seconds later Sonoda responds with a high kick to momentarily stun Fuchida. Sonoda shoots in again and takes Fuchida down to the ground, but instead of giving up positioning, he is content to ride out the rest of the round in control hoping to sway the judges.

Hard fight to judge. Sonoda got two takedowns, and landed with good power...but Fuchida got a sweep in round two, and throughout the fight landed more strikes. If I had to, I would give it to Fuchida.

Judge 1: Naoyuki Fuchida (44 to 38)
Judge 2: DRAW (40 to 40)
Judge 3: Naoyuki Fuchida (43 to 42)

THE FIFTH MATCH ~ RED CORNER ~ FUJII, HACHIRO [70 kg / 170 cm / BOXING / JAPAN] ~VERSUS~ BLUE CORNER ~ MURATA, KINSHIRO [66 kg / 163 cm / MUAY THAI / JAPAN]

Kinshiro Murata comes out too aggressive. Murata fires a jab, but Fujii comes over the top and blasts Murata with a hook. Murata stumbles and Fujii fires a volley of punches that send Murata bouncing off the ropes. Murata, to his credit, comes off the ropes with a straight that catches Fujii, but Fujii immediately responds with an uppercut that rocks Murata. Murata gets in a body shot as Fujii suddenly picks up Murata and slams him to the ground to a great reaction from the fans. Murata seems completely caught off guard by this development, as Fujii lands in side control and after a few seconds' fires knees to Murata's midsection with vicious force. Fujii then follows it up with vicious ground and pound as Murata offers no resistance. Fujii switches to north south and fires killer knees to Murata's head until the referee stops the fight!

THE SEMI FINAL ~ RED CORNER ~ VIKTOR BALAKIREV [70 kg / 185 cm / SAMBO / RUSSIA] ~VERSUS~ BLUE CORNER ~ NAKAMURA, AKASHI [70 kg / 180 cm / FREE STYLE / JAPAN]

Viktor Balakirev is the first to get off the block with an uppercut that rattles Nakamura. Nakamura and Balakirev end up tied up, but Viktor forces Nakamura away and nails him as they separate with a straight that drops Nakamura to the ground. Balakirev throws an endless stream of punches from Nakamura's guard, but the talented Nakamura is able to dodge or avoid the blows. The two jockey for position on the ground, with Nakamura trying his best to escape and avoid the brutal shots Balakirev is throwing, but finally a few get through. Nakamura goes slightly limp, and Balakirev finishes the job with brutal strikes as Nakamaura goes out cold, forcing the referee to call an end to the bout!

THE MAIN EVENT ~ KING OF CONDOR ~ RED CORNER ~ THE KING OF CONDOR, TAKASE, MICHIYOSHI [70 kg / 173 cm / MUAY THAI / JAPAN] ~VERSUS~ BLUE CORNER ~ SAKURO, TSUBASA [70 kg / 173 cm / JUDO / JAPAN]

Both men get loud reactions from the fans at Korakuen Hall, with Michiyoshi Takase's being much larger then his Judoka opponent. Both men look absolutely energized as the introductions begin with fire in their eyes. At the gong both men come virtually running to the middle of the ring where Takase lands a low kick. Sakuro uses his power to try and grab onto Takase, but Takase tries to get away athletically but ends up giving his back to Sakuro! Sakuro attempted to put Takase in a rear naked choke, but Takase survives, spins around and blasts Sakuro with an uppercut! The Judoka falls to the ground and Takase pounces. Takase throws shots from Sakuro's ground, but the tough Judoka quickly recovers and attempts to hold Takase in his guard. Realizing what was going on, Takase is quick to stand back up and get out of Sakuro's guard. Sakuro stands back up, but has a huge welt quickly growing on his face. Takase lands a low kick which Sakuro is unable to check. Sakuro fakes a shoot, but Takase immediately responds with a CRUSHING overhand punch right to Sakuro's face! Sakuro collapses into the ropes, and the referee dives between them to save Sakuro from a worse beating.

The Korakuen Hall fans come alive with cheers and small chants of Takase's name as the "Blitz Lightning" Michiyoshi Takase improves to 5-0 in CONDOR and 11-0-0 in MMA. President Kazu Kobayashi presents Michiyoshi Takase with his championship for the second time, as Takase takes a microphone and says that his intent is to fight next month for CONDOR's year ending show and nominates HACHIRO FUJII to face him! The former Boxing champion rises from his seat at ringside and enters the ring. The two shake hands, but Fujii then cuts an appeal saying that earlier in this year, Takase had beaten him which was Fujii's only loss in CONDOR...and said that he would make sure it would not happen again!


CONDOR FC.7 ~ CATCH THE ROARING KING
11/30/08
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1,600 fans

1. Maksim Mielkus defeated Andrew Brown by unanimous decision
2. Hideo Gomi defeated Jacob Loevaas by split decision
3. Dmitri Prerovsky defeated Riley Jacobs at 1'21 in R2 by Referee Stoppage from an Ankle Hold
4. Naoyuki Fuchida defeated Shinjiro Sonoda by majority decision
5. Hachiro Fujii defeated Kinshiro Murata at 1'18 in R1 by TKO from referee stoppage
6. Viktor Balakirev defeated Akashi "Tiger" Nakamura at 1'53 in R1 by TKO from referee stoppage
7. King of CONDOR: Michiyoshi Takase (c) defeated Tsubasa Sakuro at 1'24 in R1 by TKO from an Overhand Right [V.1]

[CONDOR] News, Rankings & 11/30 Show Info

CONDOR FC continues to grow, and a challenge has been laid down by none other then the quickly growing in reputation fighting camp of "Red Triangle" out of Russia...A letter was delivered to Kazu Kobayashi signed from the unbeaten Viktor Balakirev challenging Michiyoshi Takase! While President Kobayashi had to turn down Balakirev's request, the President went into overdrive to sign these three fighters...

Also, by way of James Scott, his training partner Andrew Brown will be joining CONDOR FC soon, bringing even more gaijin power to the front of CONDOR!

Andrew Brown (UNITED STATES) (27) (7-4-0) - Andrew Brown is a young, good looking all around fighter from Venice Beach, California. Sporting a dark tan, Brown brings no overall weaknesses to fighting. However, due to being so overall gifted, he excels at no particular area.

Dmitri Prerovsky (RUSSIA) (30) (8-2-0) - A long time Sambo competitor, Dmitri Prerovski brings incredible skills to bear. While not an elite Sambo fighter, Prerovski's skills translate well to MMA. Incredibly strong, with absolutely murderous grip strength, his submissions are world class. His is fearless in combat, and never gives up no matter what happens to him. If he has one issue, is that he isn't an aggressive as he could be.

Maksim Mielkus (LITHUANIA) (26) (5-0-0) - The youngest member of the "Red Triangle" camp, and also the only non-Russian in the group, Maksim was brought in to help Prerovsky and Balakirev train for heavy hitters. Since then, Maksim has ended up as a member of their troupe. Maksim is a squat man, with incredible strength and punching power. He is also incredibly resistant to damage. A virtual tank who greatly enjoys the act of punching his opponents in the face more then anything else in life, Maksim is incredibly inept at anything that goes beyond punching people, but to get him in a vulnerable position they'll have to overpower him first. Not easily done.

Viktor Balakirev (RUSSIA) (29) (7-0-0) - Balakirev comes into CONDOR with a reputation that precedes him. Balakirev has only lost once in combat Sambo in his entire life since joining the elite ranks. Considered the greatest Sambo fighter at his weight in the entire world, Balakirev is a force to be reckoned with. Balakirev is undefeated in MMA competition, with all his victories coming by way of stoppage. Balakirev is incredibly well rounded, with no glaring obvious weaknesses with several strengths. A fantastic puncher, he is also adept at taking people down and either pounding them or submitting them. His instinct to win fights is unmatched, and legendary. He is the leader of the Red Triangle camp, and may be the most feared 155 pounder in the world.

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Days later, Kazu Kobayashi and King of CONDOR Michiyoshi Takase held a press gathering to reveal the new CONDOR FC rankings with several CONDOR FC fighters sitting behind them...

CONDOR FC RANKINGS

King of CONDOR: Michiyoshi Takase (4,900)

1. Gabriel Morais (3,900) (-)
2. Hachiro Fujii (3,500) (-)
3. Tsubasa Sakuro (2,900) (5)
4. Masanori Ito (2,100) (12)
5. Yoshikazu Naito (2,000) (10)
6. Yuki Uematsu (1,800) (3)
7. Hernando Perra (1,800) (13)
8. Natsuo Nozaki (1,800) (7)
9. Jacob Loevaas (1,700) (19)

The top two are static with both Morais and Fujii winning their fights. Tsubasa Sakuro wins again in dominant fashion getting several bonuses along the way to break the top three. Masanori Ito also makes a huge jump after getting back in the winner's circle by going up eight slots. Yoshikazu Naito after another decision victory shows strong improvement making the top five. Yuki Uematsu falls three spots after being submitted by Gabriel Morais. Hernando Perra's close victory over Yoshiro Ito earned him a spot in the top ten. Natsuo Nozaki would have placed higher had he not racked up two yellow cards in route to winning. Jacob Loevaas has the biggest leap to get to the top ten, going up ten full points after his crushing and brilliant KO over Kong Sheng-Hui.

- The biggest loss in the rankings belongs to James Scott. Not only did he lose, but it was a boring fight on top of that. He falls from #9 to #20.

With that out of the way, President Kazu Kobayashi formally asked Michiyoshi Takase to pick his opponent for the 30th and his championship defense...Michiyoshi Takase went into detail explaining his pick. Takase said that he had beaten both Morais and Fujii, and while both were fantastic fighters he felt it was "too soon" to redo their fight...Takase rose to his feet, pointed and challenged Judoka Tsubasa Sakuro to a shocked reaction!

Tsubasa rose from his seat, and the two posed for pictured before an impromptu press conference was held...Both were asked on their feelings of the other...

Tsubasa Sakuro stated that he was as shocked at anyone, saying that after three fights he would be the CONDOR FC champion...Sakuro said he was a poor match up for Takase, as he excels in everything Takase does not. Sakuro then virtually guaranteed a submission victory in the fight...

Michiyoshi Takase seemed amused by Tsubasa's bravado then anything, saying that he had fought someone as skills as Sakuro on the ground once already, and beaten him (Morais). Takase said that on paper Sakuro should ne able to beat him, but Takase said that he has an ability to forge destiny through his own fists, and would prove that by retaining his championship.

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In other card news, all four new gaijin fighters will make their debuts. American Andrew Brown will take on the heavy handed Maksim Mielkus in a fight that will display both's men's talents.

After that Jacob Loevaas gets a chance to turn his brutal KO victory over Kong Sheng-Hui into a string of them as he takes on tough striker Hideo Gomi. Gomi would appear to have the edge on the ground, but one has to wonder if Gomi will use it to his advantage.

Riley Jacobs gets a chance to turn his fortunes around as he welcomes Russian Dmitri Prerovsky to CONDOR FC. Sambo vs. Boxing. Which will prevail?

Naoyuki Fuchida recently won his fight with Takeshi Yamada, while Shinjiro Sonoda was edged out by Tsubasa Sakuro. These two are both well rounded, but the striking advantage goes to Sonoda, while the grappling advantage goes to Fuchida, but only one can win!

President Kazu Kobayashi was not amused with Kinshiro Murata's illegal blow some time back. Since then, he has been held off shows and now has been given the "opportunity" to face former Boxing champion Hachiro Fujii. Fujii is 3-1 in CONDOR, with his sole loss being to Michiyoshi Takase. Good luck to Murata!

The much hyped Viktor Balakirev will debut in the semi main event of the event, as he takes on the always game Akashi "Tiger" Nakamura. Both men are overall strong, and if Nakamura could win this fight, he'd instantly break the top ten again. For Viktor, it's an opportunity to prove he's more then just hype.

And in the main event, Michiyoshi Takase who is completely undefeated in CONDOR FC, will take on the equally unbeaten Tsubasa Sakuro for the King of CONDOR championship. Sakuro had difficulty with Shinjiro Sonoda's striking and speed but ultimately prevailed, while Takase took on BJJ specialist Gabriel Morais and emerged victorious. Can Sakuro's Judo beat Takase's Muay Thai?

CONDOR FC.7 ~ CATCH THE ROARING KING
11/30/08
Tokyo Korakuen Hall (2,100)

1. Andrew Brown vs. Maksim Mielkus
2. Jacob Loevaas vs. Hideo Gomi
3. Dmitri Prerovsky vs. Riley Jacobs
4. Naoyuki Fuchida vs. Shinjiro Sonoda
5. Hachiro Fujii vs. Kinshiro Murata
6. Viktor Balakirev vs. Akashi "Tiger" Nakamura
7. King of CONDOR: Michiyoshi Takase (c) vs. Tsubasa Sakuro

[CONDOR FC] RIDE ON ROARING SKY ~ 10/14/08 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall

THE OPENING MATCH ~ RED CORNER ~ KINJIRO TAKEDA [70 kg / 170 cm / FREE STYLE / JAPAN] ~VERSUS~ BLUE CORNER ~ HOSOKAWA, TOKIMITSU [70 kg / 172 cm / GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLING / JAPAN]

Neither man wants to make a mistake as the round begins, as both are coming off losses. Takeda lands a few good strikes on Hosokawa, but Hosokawa slams him to the mat. However, Takeda uses his legs to kick Hosokawa off allowing himself to stand back up, only to have Hosokawa slam him back to the mat. However, Takeda is able to scramble out and somehow end up behind Hosokawa as the round expires.

Round two begins with Kinjiro Takeda getting close to Hosokawa and immediately pulling guard. While that may seem like a bad idea, Takeda uses an active guard and the threat of submissions to keep Hosokawa within his guard and keeps him from doing any significant damage to him. Hosokawa stands back up at one point, but when Takeda refuses to stand back up, Hosokawa engaged again on the ground. The gong rings bringing the round to a merciful end.

Takeda again pulls guard as round three begins, making one wonder what his gameplan is. Hosokawa this time is able to find range with his strikes and hits several strong strikes from the guard while Takeda struggles to contain him. Nothing happens at all beyond that.

This may have been the worst fight in CONDOR FC history. Two good fighters fighting like complete idiots with neither wanting to lose the fight. If I had to say, I'd say Hosokawa did enough to win. But as we all know, who knows what the judges were seeing.

Judge 1: Kinjiro Takeda (23 to 21)
Judge 2: Tokimitsu Hosokawa (19 to 16)
Judge 3: DRAW (22 to 22)

Huh. That's new.

THE SECOND MATCH ~ RED CORNER ~ JAMES SCOTT [70 kg / 185 cm / FREESTYLE WRESTLING / UNITED STATES] ~VERSUS~ BLUE CORNER ~ LEE JUNG HYUN [68 kg / 170 cm / TAE KWON DO / KOREA]

Two totally different gameplans here, as Scott wants it on the ground, but Hyun wants to keep it standing. Lee Jung Hyun comes out aggressive, looking to pressure Scott with lowkicks, but leaves himself wide open to an inside uppercut. Hyun's head snaps back and Scott immediately slams him to the ground. Scott easily passes to side control and lands several strong blows on Hyun. However, the Korea does a good job of maneuvering himself and getting Scott back into his guard, which is where Scott ends up staying despite multiple attempts to pass. Lee Jung Hyun survives as the round expires.

Round two begins with Scott eating a few lowkicks from Hyun as he comes forwards, but the wrestler still manages to grab Hyun and slam him to the mat with a takedown. Hyun simply tries to hold Scott in his guard, while Scott shows no eagerness to pass and instead simply begins to grind away at Hyun with punches. The punches aren't in great form, but the power behind them makes up for lack of technique. With just seconds left in the round, the referee stands up the fight, and gives Lee Jung Hyun a yellow card for intentionally stalling on the ground as the round expires.

James Scott comes out visibly confident to begin round three. Scott gets close to Hyun and begins to work inside with short punches, uppercuts, and knees to batter Lee Jung Hyun. Hyun then makes one of the weirdest decisions in CONDOR history as he willingly pulls guard to take Scott to the ground. However, on the way down, Lee Jung Hyun secures Scott's head, and after several seconds of working it, gets full body extension and taps out James Scott to a Guillotine Choke with less then a minute left!

THE THIRD MATCH ~ RED CORNER ~ IWAMURA, RYOJIRO [70 kg / 180 cm / WING TSUN / JAPAN] ~VERSUS~ BLUE CORNER ~ITO, MASANORI [70 kg / 178 cm / SUBMISSION WRESTLING / JAPAN]

Ryojiro Iwamura starts off round one with a bang, as he hits Masanori Ito with a flying knee as the round begins! However, when Ito doesn't fall and gives chase to Iwamura, Iwamura turns around and runs away from Ito...When things calm down, Ito grabs onto Iwamura, picks him up, and slams him to the ground Ito's submission wrestling style comes into play, as he easily passes Iwamura's guard and gets side control. From here, Ito begins to slowly grind away at Iwamura with punches and several keylock and kimura attempts, one of which nearly submits Iwamura...At one point Ito manages to get the full mount and rains down shots on Iwamura, but Iwamura shows his toughness by surviving. Despite the one sided nature of the round, Iwamura manages to live to see round two.

Round two begins with what can only be called inactivity, as neither man seems really excited to be the first to strike. They end up pushed against the ropes for well over a minute until the referee breaks them. Iwamura tries to clinch, or simply get near Ito, and Ito suddenly grabs onto his head and yanks him into a Guillotine Choke. Iwamura tries to fight the hold, but Ito with his crushing strength pulls up violently causing Iwamura to submit!

THE FOURTH MATCH ~ RED CORNER ~ GOMI, HIDEO [70 kg / 173 cm / PANKRATION / JAPAN] ~VERSUS~ BLUE CORNER ~ KATAKURA, MASANAKA [66 kg / 163 cm / KICKBOXING / JAPAN]

Despite what one would think is Hideo Gomi's strength in this battle of grappling, Gomi and Katakura engage in a kickboxing fight in the first round. Neither man can land much more then pot shots on the other for most of the round. However, Gomi lands a vicious uppercut that turns the tide of battle. From there, he lands an uppercut, a punch flurry, a straight, and generally seems to have the former kickboxer reeling as the round expires.

Round two begins with both men throwing punches and kicks like madmen with no concept of defense whatsoever. The two begin to trade viciously back and forth until Katakura collapses. Gomi pounces as Katakura tries to stand back up, and gets the read mount. Gomi slowly works in the hooks while peppering Katakura with blows before trying to secure a rear naked choke. Gomi puts everything he has into it, but Katakura refuses to submit, breaks the choke and then somehow rolls into Gomi and gets top position! However, Gomi is immediately able to push Katakura off and put the fight back on it's feet! The two trade more shots, with Gomi teeing off on the defenseless Katakura, but Katakura shows off his toughness by refusing to leave the pocket and simply fires shots back as the round expires.

Hideo Gomi finally uses his grappling in round three, as he nearly immediately takes Katakura down to the ground. From there, Gomi easily passes to side control and begins to whail away at Katakura. However, the incredibly tough kickboxer refuses to be stopped by these, even with Gomi getting the mount and trying to finish. Gomi shows no interest in submissions, and simply punches away as time expires to go to the judges.

Hideo Gomi fought an incredibly unintelligent fight. Striking with a kickboxer is generally a bad idea, and when it hit the ground finally, he never once went for a submission.

Judge 1: Hideo Gomi (99 to 20)
Judge 2: Hideo Gomi (98 to 18)
Judge 3: Hideo Gomi (94 to 20)

THE SEMI FINAL ~ RED CORNER ~ SAKURO, TSUBASA [70 kg / 173 cm / JUDO / JAPAN] ~VERSUS~ BLUE CORNER ~ SONODA, SHINJIRO [70 kg / 173 cm / NANTO SEIKEN / JAPAN]

Shinjiro Sonoda begins the fight by making a gun motion as if he's about to blow Sakuro away during the intro...Sakuro doesn't seem to like that as he comes out aggressive in his attempts to get Sonoda to the ground, but the talented young man is able to block Sakuro's early takedowns and uses his far mroe developed striking to work Sakuro at angles with variety of strikes on the flat footed almost Sakuro. However, Sonoda is eventually caught as Sakuro takes him down to the ground. The young man shows off sophistication in his guard and keeps Sakuro from doing much damage as the round expires.

Shinjiro Sonoda comes out with the same plan as in round one, teeing off on Sakuro with quick strikes, in particular targeting Sakuro's legs. However, Sakuro catches one of of Sonoda's legs and trips him to the ground. From there, Sonoda uses everything he has to contain Sakuro, but the judoka passes Sonoda's guard and actively looks for a limb to twist in a violent fashion, but Sonoda does a good job protecting from damage. With seconds closing in Sakuro transfers to full mount, but can't do anything as time runs out.

Shinjiro Sonoda comes out again, hitting at will on Sakuro, who simply tries to grab onto Sonoda as the young fleet footed man bounces away. That all changes as Sakuro drops a bomb on Sonoda with an absolutely murderous uppercut after Sonoda misses a hook. Sonoda is clearly rocked and falls to his knees. Instead of simply shooting, Sakuro grabs Sonoda in a headlock and DRIVES his skull into the mat with a takedown, leaving the young man completely scrambled. Sakuro takes his time as Sonoda tries to desperately clear the cobwebs. Sakuro slowly works his way to side control before grabbing Sonoda's arm, and using his brute power applies a crippling keylock forcing Sonoda to tap out instantly!

THE MAIN EVENT ~ RED CORNER ~ GABRIEL MORAIS [70 kg / 183 cm / JIU JITSU / BRAZIL] ~VERSUS~ BLUE CORNER ~ UEMATSU, YUKI  [66 kg / 168 cm / FREE STYLE / JAPAN]

With both men fairly even in terms of skill, Gabriel Morais attempts to forge a different path as he comes out and begins to box Uematsu, landing several strong shots that rattle Uematsu's cage enough that Morias can pick him up and slam him to the ground. Morais slowly works on positioning before applying a ankle hold. Uematsu fights the hold for several seconds before he manages to kick Morais off and then scrambles for top control. Uematsu tries for his own knee bar, but Morais easily escapes but Uematsu scrambles for top control as time runs out for the round.

Gabriel Morais comes out immediately and takes Yuki Uematsu down to begin round two. Uematsu appears to be having problems with the grappling strength of Morais as the Brazilian holds him down on the ground...However, Uematsu sweeps him which sets off a chain reaction of both men waiting until the other does something from the top and then reacts, usually with a sweep. This happens mutliple times before Gabriel Morais catches onto the trend. When Uematsu sweeps him again, Morais in one fluid motion locks Uematsu in a triangle choke! Uematsu attempts to fight the hold, but the sheer power of Morais's submission forces him to submit and give the Brazilian the victory.


CONDOR FC.6 ~ RIDE ON ROARING SKY
10/14/08
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1,300 fans

1. Kinjiro Takeda and Tokimitsu Hosokawa fought to a majority draw
2. Lee Jung Hyun defeated James Scott at 2'20 in R3 by submission with a Guillotine Choke
3. Masanori Ito defeated Ryojiro Iwamura at 2'17 in R2 by submission with a Guillotine Choke
4. Hideo Gomi defeated Masanaka Katakura by unanimous decision
5. Tsubasa Saburo defeated Shinjiro Sonoda at 1'57 in R3 by submission with a keylock
6. Gabriel Morais defeated Yuki Uematsu at 2'55 in R2 by submission with a triangle choke