THE OPENING MATCH ~ CONDOR FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIPS RESERVE FIGHT ~ RED CORNER ~ GOMI, HIDEO [70 kg / 173 cm / PANKRATION / JAPAN] ~ VERSUS~ BLUE CORNER ~ FUJII, HACHIRO [70 kg / 170 cm / BOXING / JAPAN]
Round one begins with Hideo Gomi making a mistake by trying to exchange punches with the former boxing champion Fujii. Fujii lands a solid body shot, sending Gomi backing away. From that point on, Fujii begins to close the distance, keeps Gomi from getting the takedown, and begins to blast away at Gomi's midsection. Gomi fights against Fujii's grip, but can't seem to break free as Fujii lands at will with body shots that clearly begin to take their toil. Gomi breaks free, but is immediately crushed by a right straight by Fujii, sending Gomi crashing to the mat. Fujii follows it up with two shots to Gomi's unmoving body before the referee leaps in, declaring the contest for Fujii
THE SECOND MATCH ~ CONDOR FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIPS GRAND PRIX SEMI FINAL~ RED CORNER ~ ITO, YOSHIRO [70 kg / 175 cm / FREE STYLE / JAPAN] ~VERSUS~ GABRIEL MORAIS [70 kg / 183 cm / JIU JITSU / BRAZIL]
Round one begins with Ito trying to land the jab, but Morais uses good movement to avoid it. Morais attempts to take Ito down, but Ito avoids, only to have Morais pull guard. However, Ito immediately is able to escape and stands back up. Morais attempts to goad Ito into engaging him on the ground, but Ito doesn't bite. They end up against the ropes with both landing nothing shots to the body of the other. They trade submission attempts using guillotines with neither man coming close before Morais suddenly sweeps Ito to the ground with seconds left. Right at the gong, Ito tries to lock Morais in an armbar, but the round expires before it can finish. Morais.
Both men come out tentative in round two with neither trying anything significant...However, out of nowhere, Ito suddenly shoots in and takes Morais down, but then equally as odd Ito immediately stands up and lets Morais up. Morais seems confused, but eventually stands back up before pulling guard to pull Ito back down. Morais almost immediately throws up a Triangle Choke, but Ito escapes only to nearly be armbared but he escapes again and flees to the feet. Ito gets in close, and lands several body shots as the gong rings to signal the end of the round. Ito.
Round Three begins with a bang as Gabriel Morais immediately shoots in and takes Ito down on his back for the first time. Ito seems to be out of his element as Morais easily manages to transition from guard to side mount. Ito tries to defend, but his guard is nowhere good enough to contain Morais. Morais sets up for a keylock, but Ito defends well. Morais suddenly applies incredible strength on Ito's arm, gets the hold, and Ito immediately taps out to the keylock.
THE THIRD MATCH ~ CONDOR FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIPS GRAND PRIX SEMI FINAL ~ RED CORNER ~ TAKASE, MICHIYOSHI [70 kg / 173 cm / MUAY THAI / JAPAN] ~VERSUS~ UEMATSU, YUKI [66 kg / 168 cm / FREE STYLE / JAPAN]
Yuki Uematsu comes out attacking Michiyoshi Takase's legs with low kicks as round one begins. Uematsu lands several low kicks while using good head movement to avoid Takase's punches...Uematsu clinches, but Takase takes advantage with several strong body blows, before pushing Uematsu back and absolutely crushing Uematsu as he steps back with a cross. Uematsu stumbles backwards, but manages to keep from falling as Takase begins to pour on the assault with shots. Uematsu takes them, and attempts several takedowns, but none work as Takase blasts away on Uematsu as the round ends. Takase.
Uematsu comes out with another strategy as the second round begins, retreating the second Takase throws anything, trying to goad Takase into over extending himself. It works, as Takase throws an errant high kick and Uematsu immediately takes him down. However, Uematsu's victory is immediately negated as Takase pushes Uematsu off and reaches his feet. Uematsu continues to use good movement to avoid Takase's power shots, and Takase continues to throw them. Takase lands two solid body shots before the round ends. Uematsu.
Uematsu's strategy once again changes for round three, as he immediately grabs onto Takase and pulls guard, using his guard to keep Takase on the ground. However, the strategy doesn't fully pay off as Takase begins to throw shots from Uematsu's guard with enough power to make Uematsu lessen his guard, and Takase passes to side control. Uematsu holds onto Takase for dear life until the referee stands them up, and awards Uematsu a yellow card for stalling. Uematsu continues to use good movement to avoid Takase's shots, but Takase's glove catches some skin on Uematsu's face and opens up a sizeable gash as the round ends. Takase.
Yuki Uematsu used three different strategies to try and keep Takase at bay, but none of them worked, and the incredibly gifted Takase looks to pick up yet another win.
Judge 1: Michiyoshi Takase (64 to 6)
Judge 2: Michiyoshi Takase (62 to 11)
Judge 3: Michiyoshi Takase (60 to 7)
THE FOURTH MATCH ~ RED CORNER ~ SONODA, SHINJIRO [70 kg / 173 cm / NANTO SEIKEN / JAPAN] ~VERSUS~ BLUE CORNER ~ MURATA, KINSHIRO [66 kg / 163 cm / MUAY THAI / JAPAN]
Both men come out hyper aggressive for round one, with Sonoda scoring first blood with a glancing high kick. From there, the two exchanges a furious assault of kicks and punches, but neither man can score anything or any substance until the round expires with neither man being much worse for wear. Murata.
Sonoda once again comes out strong, but so does Murata and the two continue to wing shots but none hit. Sonoda lands several knees, but is then accidentally headbutted by Murata. Or one would hope it was accidental, as Murata shows no ill effects and immediately blasts the off balance Sonoda with a hook, followed by a flying knee. To the young fighter's credit, he holds on, but Murata pours on the offense, with Sonoda surviving merely on instinct until the round expires. Murata.
Something is clearly wrong with Sonoda in round three, as he seems to be off his mark for the entire round. Murata lands 1-2's at will on Sonoda, with only the occasional return shot as Sonoda's movements are sluggish from the damage. Murata lands several knees to try and drop the young man, but Sonoda holds on once again as the round expires. Murata.
The nature of this fight will be questionable. Murata hit a headbutt that did not seem to effect him, but clearly hurt Sonoda. It's a lesson for the young man. One has to wonder if President Kazu Kobayashi won't do anything about this, if it can be proven that was an intentional headbutt. One has to wonder if the judges saw the headbutt or not as well.
Judge 1: Shinjiro Sonoda (76 to 63)
Judge 2: Shinjiro Sonoda (70 to 63)
Judge 3: Shinjiro Sonoda (72 to 63)
THE FIFTH MATCH ~ RED CORNER ~ NAITO, YOSHIKAZU [70 kg / 165 cm / CHITO-RYU KARATE / JAPAN] ~VERSUS~ BLUE CORNER ~ KINJIRO TAKEDA [70 kg / 170 cm / FREE STYLE / JAPAN]
Both men come out swinging to begin round one, with both connecting with solid shots to the other. However, a strong uppercut convinces Takeda that this isn't the wisest choice as he begins to actively look for a takedown. Naito shows off an impressive sprawl and balance, refusing to be taken down. Takeda pulls guard, getting Naito down to the ground, but the Karate blackbelt is quick to pull himself free, motioning Takeda to stand with him which Takeda is less then excited about. Seconds later after standing up, Takeda shoots in again, but eats a massive knee strike to the face that busts Takeda's face, but Takeda manages to turtle up as the round expires. Naito.
Round two begins with a bang as Takeda practically runs across the ring and nails Naito with a running start with a hook to send Naito scrambling backwards. Takeda's attempts to finish Naito quickly fail, with the two ending up clinched as Naito desperately tries to recover. Naito works well from within, landing solid knees and body shots to try and weaken Takeda, but the round ends with only Takeda landing a significant shot. Takeda.
Naito must be feeling confident in round three, as he clearly is employing a strategy of trying to run the clock down. Takeda would push forward, but Naito would retreat from Takeda, while landing shots and kicks from a distance, then kneeing his way out when Takeda came too close. Takeda finally grapples with Naito and attempts to submit him and take him down with a standing neck crank or headlock, but Naito survives and fights his way free as the round expires. Naito.
Kinjiro Takeda was clearly the aggressor throughout the fight, but Yoshikazu Naito landed far more overall strikes and nearly had Takeda out in round one with a vicious knee. It will be interesting to see how the judges rule the fight.
Judge 1: Yoshikazu Naito (44 to 41)
Judge 2: Yoshikazu Naito (44 to 37)
Judge 3: Yoshikazu Naito (46 to 38)
THE SIXTH MATCH ~ RED CORNER ~ HOSOKAWA, TOKIMITSU [70 kg / 172 cm / GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLING / JAPAN] ~VERSUS~ BLUE CORNER IWAMURA, RYOJIRO[70 kg / 180 cm / WING TSUN / JAPAN]
From the opening gong, Ryojiro Iwamura's odd style gives Tokimitsu Hosokawa problems as Iwamura actually tries to place his own hand on Hosokawa's like they do in traditional Wing Tsun...The plan somewhat works, as Iwamura uses natural balance to avoid takedowns while grabbing Hosokawa and landing many knees and inside punches from the clinch. Iwamura uses good movement to avoid the shots Hosokawa tries, and at range continually retreats and uses evasion to visibly frustrate Hosokawa. Iwamura lands several knees as the round expires. Iwamura.
Round two sees Hosokawa come out more aggressive with the idea of catching the slow burning Iwamura off guard, but Iwamura continues to use evasion and his odd style of "continual contact" to frustrate Hosokawa, leading to Hosokawa visibly headbutting Iwamura's face! The referee gives Hosokawa a yellow card and warns him that if it happens again, he will be disqualified. When the fight restarts, Hosokawa explodes at Iwamura and wrestles him to the ground for the first time. Hosokawa manages to get some separation to land punches, but Iwamura answers by closing his guard tightly, holding Hosokawa to him for the rest of the round. Hosokawa.
Ryojiro Iwamura uses the same gameplan he's used all fight long in the opening few minutes of the round. Getting close to Hosokawa, avoiding the punches and blocking the takedowns while landing solid shots from inside. Hosokawa's left side is visibly red and somewhat raw from Iwamura's body attacks, but that doesn't stop Hosokawa from managing to take Iwamura back down to the ground. Once again, Iwamura's answer is to close his guard, but this doesn't stop Hosokawa from blasting away from inside the guard with several strong punches as the round expires. Hosokawa.
It will be difficult to judge this fight. Iwamura landed far more shots and one could argue that he controlled the fight...but his style of evasion, tactically retreating, and closing in could be seen as odd. On the flipside, Hosokawa did absolutely nothing standing, but did get two takedowns and worked the ground well in round three.
Judge 1: Ryojiro Iwamura (48 to 29)
Judge 2: Ryojiro Iwamura (46 to 28)
Judge 3: Ryojiro Iwamura (49 to 28)
THE SEVENTH MATCH ~ RED CORNER ~ SAKURO, TSUBASA [70 kg / 173 cm / JUDO / JAPAN] ~VERSUS~ BLUE CORNER ~ KATAKURA, MASANAKA [66 kg / 163 cm / KICKBOXING / JAPAN]
As expected, Masanaka Katakura comes out highly aggressive, throwing whirlwind kicks and punches, but the well built Sakuro takes them and simply ignores them. Sakuro catches Katakura's kick and takes him down. Katakura closes his guard, but Sakuro easily passes, grabs onto Katakura's arm and applies a keylock from the half guard. Initially Katakura is in no danger and he fires off punches to try to get Sakuro to let go, but then Sakuro applies a staggering amount of brutal power to Katakura's arm and forces the former kickboxer to submit!
THE FINAL MATCH ~ CONDOR FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIPS GRAND PRIX FINALS ~ RED CORNER ~ GABRIEL MORAIS [70 kg / 183 cm / JIU JITSU / BRAZIL] ~VERSUS~ BLUE CORNER ~ TAKASE, MICHIYOSHI [70 kg / 173 cm / MUAY THAI / JAPAN]
The CONDOR FC GP Finals are here, and both men came in looking well rested. Neither man can find range early on in the fight, and on a takedown attempt Morais's head smashes into Takase's. The referee claims it was a foul by Takase and gives him a yellow card...After a break period, Morais is deemed fine to compete, and he immediately rushes at Takase. After some jockeying, Morais finally succeeds in getting Michiyoshi Takase to the ground for the first time in CONDOR FC! However, Takase latches onto Morais with all his strength as the round expires. Morais.
Round two begins with Morais throwing a bad lowkick, which Takase immediately makes him pay for with a vicious overhand right that staggers Morais. Takase pours on the offense, working the body and the head with clinical technical striking keeping Morais guessing on where he'll hit next. In desperation, Morais latches onto Takase in the final seconds of the round and pulls guard. However, Takase uses his own strength to break free and stand back up motioning for Morais to do the same as the round expires. Takase.
Gabriel Morais makes the same mistake he made in round two as the third stanza begins. Morais throws a hook, but Takase ducks under and then absolutely blasts Morais with a straight to the face. With Morais reeling, Takase lands another overhand right followed by a combination to nearly drop Morais...However, the tough Brazilian shows his guts by not falling and instead catching a kick and taking Takase to the ground! The two jockeys for position on the ground with Takase trying to fight free of Morais's anaconda like grasp...However, Morais suddenly tries for a keylock, but Takase escapes. It proves to be a rouse as Morais suddenly slips below and locks an ankle hold in. Morais wrenches, and pulls with all his power as Takase's is turned in a disgusting angle, but Takase refuses to submit to the hold, after over thirty seconds in the hold, Takase manages to fight free and bound to his feet, obviously favoring his leg. Takase begins to angrily motion for Morais to stand with a look of anger drawn across his brow. Morais tentatively stands up, but is immediately *CRUSHED* by a flurry of punches by Takase! Morais crumbles to the ground and Takase pounces, but Morais now shows his own tenacity by immediately covering up and working to his feet. However, Takase lands a murder of body shot while being behind Morais that makes Morais almost bend over in pain, followed by a second one. Morais begins to defend his body so Takase winds up and blasts Morais from behind with an uppercut to the chin, followed by yet another body blow. Takase finally whiffs on a body blow, and Morais immediately capitalizes with a spinning standing kimura! Morais pulls on Takase's arm, but Takase in his absolute fury breaks free easily. Morais backs away as the furious, injured, and breathing heavy Takase stalks him as the round expires. Takase.
A situation develops in the corners during the break as Morais's corner furiously works on him...suddenly a towel comes flying in from their corner! Michiyoshi Takase immediately climbs to the second rope of his corner and begins to celebrate to the cheers of the crowd as he has become the first ever CONDOR FC Champion!
Kazu Kobayashi came into the ring to present newly crowned champion Michiyoshi Takase with his trophy, and new championship belt. Takase gingerly took both items from Kobayashi, receiving polite applause and cheers for his victory. Gabriel Morais had to be helped out of the ring, apparently having had passed out on the stool between rounds from the beating he had taken...
In his post fight interview, Takase admitted that Morais had severely hurt him...His ribs were hurting from the combined fights tonight, and that he had felt "pops" in his ankle from the ankle lock in round two...but said that at SONIC SPEED, he was trained to be able to ignore pain to get the job done, and had turned the pain into aggression. The interviewer asked Takase who he would want to make his first defense against, but Takase answered that he'd have to see how badly damaged his ankle was first before jokingly saying that he wanted to face President Kazu Kobayashi! Kobayashi at ringside simply smiled at the joke. Takase seriously answered that he didn't know...saying that whenever he was required to defend his championship, he would against anyone. With that, Michiyoshi Takase was announced for the first time as the first ever King of CONDOR to a rousing round of cheers and applause!
CONDOR Fighting Championships
~ CATCH THE FLYING DREAM
August16th, 2008
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1,600 fans
1. CONDOR FC GP Reserve Fight: Hachiro Fujii defeated Hideo Gomi at 2'45 in R1 by KO from a Straight
2. CONDOR FC GP Semi Finals: Gabriel Morais defeated Yoshiro Ito at 1'28 in R3 by submission with a Keylock
3. CONDOR FC GP Semi Finals: Michiyoshi Takase defeated Yuki Uematsu by Unanimous Decision
4. Shinjiro Sonoda defeated Kinshiro Murata by Unanimous Decision
5. Yoshikazu Naito defeats Kinjiro Takeda by unanimous decision
6. Ryojiro Iwamura defeated Tokimitsu Hosokawa by unanimous decision
7. Tsubasa Sakuro defeated Masanaka Katakura at 1'33 in R1 by submission with a keylock
8. CONDOR FC GP Finals: Michiyoshi Takase defeated Gabriel Morais at 3'00 in Rd3 by TKO from corner stoppage to become the first King of CONDOR
Round one begins with Hideo Gomi making a mistake by trying to exchange punches with the former boxing champion Fujii. Fujii lands a solid body shot, sending Gomi backing away. From that point on, Fujii begins to close the distance, keeps Gomi from getting the takedown, and begins to blast away at Gomi's midsection. Gomi fights against Fujii's grip, but can't seem to break free as Fujii lands at will with body shots that clearly begin to take their toil. Gomi breaks free, but is immediately crushed by a right straight by Fujii, sending Gomi crashing to the mat. Fujii follows it up with two shots to Gomi's unmoving body before the referee leaps in, declaring the contest for Fujii
THE SECOND MATCH ~ CONDOR FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIPS GRAND PRIX SEMI FINAL~ RED CORNER ~ ITO, YOSHIRO [70 kg / 175 cm / FREE STYLE / JAPAN] ~VERSUS~ GABRIEL MORAIS [70 kg / 183 cm / JIU JITSU / BRAZIL]
Round one begins with Ito trying to land the jab, but Morais uses good movement to avoid it. Morais attempts to take Ito down, but Ito avoids, only to have Morais pull guard. However, Ito immediately is able to escape and stands back up. Morais attempts to goad Ito into engaging him on the ground, but Ito doesn't bite. They end up against the ropes with both landing nothing shots to the body of the other. They trade submission attempts using guillotines with neither man coming close before Morais suddenly sweeps Ito to the ground with seconds left. Right at the gong, Ito tries to lock Morais in an armbar, but the round expires before it can finish. Morais.
Both men come out tentative in round two with neither trying anything significant...However, out of nowhere, Ito suddenly shoots in and takes Morais down, but then equally as odd Ito immediately stands up and lets Morais up. Morais seems confused, but eventually stands back up before pulling guard to pull Ito back down. Morais almost immediately throws up a Triangle Choke, but Ito escapes only to nearly be armbared but he escapes again and flees to the feet. Ito gets in close, and lands several body shots as the gong rings to signal the end of the round. Ito.
Round Three begins with a bang as Gabriel Morais immediately shoots in and takes Ito down on his back for the first time. Ito seems to be out of his element as Morais easily manages to transition from guard to side mount. Ito tries to defend, but his guard is nowhere good enough to contain Morais. Morais sets up for a keylock, but Ito defends well. Morais suddenly applies incredible strength on Ito's arm, gets the hold, and Ito immediately taps out to the keylock.
THE THIRD MATCH ~ CONDOR FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIPS GRAND PRIX SEMI FINAL ~ RED CORNER ~ TAKASE, MICHIYOSHI [70 kg / 173 cm / MUAY THAI / JAPAN] ~VERSUS~ UEMATSU, YUKI [66 kg / 168 cm / FREE STYLE / JAPAN]
Yuki Uematsu comes out attacking Michiyoshi Takase's legs with low kicks as round one begins. Uematsu lands several low kicks while using good head movement to avoid Takase's punches...Uematsu clinches, but Takase takes advantage with several strong body blows, before pushing Uematsu back and absolutely crushing Uematsu as he steps back with a cross. Uematsu stumbles backwards, but manages to keep from falling as Takase begins to pour on the assault with shots. Uematsu takes them, and attempts several takedowns, but none work as Takase blasts away on Uematsu as the round ends. Takase.
Uematsu comes out with another strategy as the second round begins, retreating the second Takase throws anything, trying to goad Takase into over extending himself. It works, as Takase throws an errant high kick and Uematsu immediately takes him down. However, Uematsu's victory is immediately negated as Takase pushes Uematsu off and reaches his feet. Uematsu continues to use good movement to avoid Takase's power shots, and Takase continues to throw them. Takase lands two solid body shots before the round ends. Uematsu.
Uematsu's strategy once again changes for round three, as he immediately grabs onto Takase and pulls guard, using his guard to keep Takase on the ground. However, the strategy doesn't fully pay off as Takase begins to throw shots from Uematsu's guard with enough power to make Uematsu lessen his guard, and Takase passes to side control. Uematsu holds onto Takase for dear life until the referee stands them up, and awards Uematsu a yellow card for stalling. Uematsu continues to use good movement to avoid Takase's shots, but Takase's glove catches some skin on Uematsu's face and opens up a sizeable gash as the round ends. Takase.
Yuki Uematsu used three different strategies to try and keep Takase at bay, but none of them worked, and the incredibly gifted Takase looks to pick up yet another win.
Judge 1: Michiyoshi Takase (64 to 6)
Judge 2: Michiyoshi Takase (62 to 11)
Judge 3: Michiyoshi Takase (60 to 7)
THE FOURTH MATCH ~ RED CORNER ~ SONODA, SHINJIRO [70 kg / 173 cm / NANTO SEIKEN / JAPAN] ~VERSUS~ BLUE CORNER ~ MURATA, KINSHIRO [66 kg / 163 cm / MUAY THAI / JAPAN]
Both men come out hyper aggressive for round one, with Sonoda scoring first blood with a glancing high kick. From there, the two exchanges a furious assault of kicks and punches, but neither man can score anything or any substance until the round expires with neither man being much worse for wear. Murata.
Sonoda once again comes out strong, but so does Murata and the two continue to wing shots but none hit. Sonoda lands several knees, but is then accidentally headbutted by Murata. Or one would hope it was accidental, as Murata shows no ill effects and immediately blasts the off balance Sonoda with a hook, followed by a flying knee. To the young fighter's credit, he holds on, but Murata pours on the offense, with Sonoda surviving merely on instinct until the round expires. Murata.
Something is clearly wrong with Sonoda in round three, as he seems to be off his mark for the entire round. Murata lands 1-2's at will on Sonoda, with only the occasional return shot as Sonoda's movements are sluggish from the damage. Murata lands several knees to try and drop the young man, but Sonoda holds on once again as the round expires. Murata.
The nature of this fight will be questionable. Murata hit a headbutt that did not seem to effect him, but clearly hurt Sonoda. It's a lesson for the young man. One has to wonder if President Kazu Kobayashi won't do anything about this, if it can be proven that was an intentional headbutt. One has to wonder if the judges saw the headbutt or not as well.
Judge 1: Shinjiro Sonoda (76 to 63)
Judge 2: Shinjiro Sonoda (70 to 63)
Judge 3: Shinjiro Sonoda (72 to 63)
THE FIFTH MATCH ~ RED CORNER ~ NAITO, YOSHIKAZU [70 kg / 165 cm / CHITO-RYU KARATE / JAPAN] ~VERSUS~ BLUE CORNER ~ KINJIRO TAKEDA [70 kg / 170 cm / FREE STYLE / JAPAN]
Both men come out swinging to begin round one, with both connecting with solid shots to the other. However, a strong uppercut convinces Takeda that this isn't the wisest choice as he begins to actively look for a takedown. Naito shows off an impressive sprawl and balance, refusing to be taken down. Takeda pulls guard, getting Naito down to the ground, but the Karate blackbelt is quick to pull himself free, motioning Takeda to stand with him which Takeda is less then excited about. Seconds later after standing up, Takeda shoots in again, but eats a massive knee strike to the face that busts Takeda's face, but Takeda manages to turtle up as the round expires. Naito.
Round two begins with a bang as Takeda practically runs across the ring and nails Naito with a running start with a hook to send Naito scrambling backwards. Takeda's attempts to finish Naito quickly fail, with the two ending up clinched as Naito desperately tries to recover. Naito works well from within, landing solid knees and body shots to try and weaken Takeda, but the round ends with only Takeda landing a significant shot. Takeda.
Naito must be feeling confident in round three, as he clearly is employing a strategy of trying to run the clock down. Takeda would push forward, but Naito would retreat from Takeda, while landing shots and kicks from a distance, then kneeing his way out when Takeda came too close. Takeda finally grapples with Naito and attempts to submit him and take him down with a standing neck crank or headlock, but Naito survives and fights his way free as the round expires. Naito.
Kinjiro Takeda was clearly the aggressor throughout the fight, but Yoshikazu Naito landed far more overall strikes and nearly had Takeda out in round one with a vicious knee. It will be interesting to see how the judges rule the fight.
Judge 1: Yoshikazu Naito (44 to 41)
Judge 2: Yoshikazu Naito (44 to 37)
Judge 3: Yoshikazu Naito (46 to 38)
THE SIXTH MATCH ~ RED CORNER ~ HOSOKAWA, TOKIMITSU [70 kg / 172 cm / GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLING / JAPAN] ~VERSUS~ BLUE CORNER IWAMURA, RYOJIRO[70 kg / 180 cm / WING TSUN / JAPAN]
From the opening gong, Ryojiro Iwamura's odd style gives Tokimitsu Hosokawa problems as Iwamura actually tries to place his own hand on Hosokawa's like they do in traditional Wing Tsun...The plan somewhat works, as Iwamura uses natural balance to avoid takedowns while grabbing Hosokawa and landing many knees and inside punches from the clinch. Iwamura uses good movement to avoid the shots Hosokawa tries, and at range continually retreats and uses evasion to visibly frustrate Hosokawa. Iwamura lands several knees as the round expires. Iwamura.
Round two sees Hosokawa come out more aggressive with the idea of catching the slow burning Iwamura off guard, but Iwamura continues to use evasion and his odd style of "continual contact" to frustrate Hosokawa, leading to Hosokawa visibly headbutting Iwamura's face! The referee gives Hosokawa a yellow card and warns him that if it happens again, he will be disqualified. When the fight restarts, Hosokawa explodes at Iwamura and wrestles him to the ground for the first time. Hosokawa manages to get some separation to land punches, but Iwamura answers by closing his guard tightly, holding Hosokawa to him for the rest of the round. Hosokawa.
Ryojiro Iwamura uses the same gameplan he's used all fight long in the opening few minutes of the round. Getting close to Hosokawa, avoiding the punches and blocking the takedowns while landing solid shots from inside. Hosokawa's left side is visibly red and somewhat raw from Iwamura's body attacks, but that doesn't stop Hosokawa from managing to take Iwamura back down to the ground. Once again, Iwamura's answer is to close his guard, but this doesn't stop Hosokawa from blasting away from inside the guard with several strong punches as the round expires. Hosokawa.
It will be difficult to judge this fight. Iwamura landed far more shots and one could argue that he controlled the fight...but his style of evasion, tactically retreating, and closing in could be seen as odd. On the flipside, Hosokawa did absolutely nothing standing, but did get two takedowns and worked the ground well in round three.
Judge 1: Ryojiro Iwamura (48 to 29)
Judge 2: Ryojiro Iwamura (46 to 28)
Judge 3: Ryojiro Iwamura (49 to 28)
THE SEVENTH MATCH ~ RED CORNER ~ SAKURO, TSUBASA [70 kg / 173 cm / JUDO / JAPAN] ~VERSUS~ BLUE CORNER ~ KATAKURA, MASANAKA [66 kg / 163 cm / KICKBOXING / JAPAN]
As expected, Masanaka Katakura comes out highly aggressive, throwing whirlwind kicks and punches, but the well built Sakuro takes them and simply ignores them. Sakuro catches Katakura's kick and takes him down. Katakura closes his guard, but Sakuro easily passes, grabs onto Katakura's arm and applies a keylock from the half guard. Initially Katakura is in no danger and he fires off punches to try to get Sakuro to let go, but then Sakuro applies a staggering amount of brutal power to Katakura's arm and forces the former kickboxer to submit!
THE FINAL MATCH ~ CONDOR FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIPS GRAND PRIX FINALS ~ RED CORNER ~ GABRIEL MORAIS [70 kg / 183 cm / JIU JITSU / BRAZIL] ~VERSUS~ BLUE CORNER ~ TAKASE, MICHIYOSHI [70 kg / 173 cm / MUAY THAI / JAPAN]
The CONDOR FC GP Finals are here, and both men came in looking well rested. Neither man can find range early on in the fight, and on a takedown attempt Morais's head smashes into Takase's. The referee claims it was a foul by Takase and gives him a yellow card...After a break period, Morais is deemed fine to compete, and he immediately rushes at Takase. After some jockeying, Morais finally succeeds in getting Michiyoshi Takase to the ground for the first time in CONDOR FC! However, Takase latches onto Morais with all his strength as the round expires. Morais.
Round two begins with Morais throwing a bad lowkick, which Takase immediately makes him pay for with a vicious overhand right that staggers Morais. Takase pours on the offense, working the body and the head with clinical technical striking keeping Morais guessing on where he'll hit next. In desperation, Morais latches onto Takase in the final seconds of the round and pulls guard. However, Takase uses his own strength to break free and stand back up motioning for Morais to do the same as the round expires. Takase.
Gabriel Morais makes the same mistake he made in round two as the third stanza begins. Morais throws a hook, but Takase ducks under and then absolutely blasts Morais with a straight to the face. With Morais reeling, Takase lands another overhand right followed by a combination to nearly drop Morais...However, the tough Brazilian shows his guts by not falling and instead catching a kick and taking Takase to the ground! The two jockeys for position on the ground with Takase trying to fight free of Morais's anaconda like grasp...However, Morais suddenly tries for a keylock, but Takase escapes. It proves to be a rouse as Morais suddenly slips below and locks an ankle hold in. Morais wrenches, and pulls with all his power as Takase's is turned in a disgusting angle, but Takase refuses to submit to the hold, after over thirty seconds in the hold, Takase manages to fight free and bound to his feet, obviously favoring his leg. Takase begins to angrily motion for Morais to stand with a look of anger drawn across his brow. Morais tentatively stands up, but is immediately *CRUSHED* by a flurry of punches by Takase! Morais crumbles to the ground and Takase pounces, but Morais now shows his own tenacity by immediately covering up and working to his feet. However, Takase lands a murder of body shot while being behind Morais that makes Morais almost bend over in pain, followed by a second one. Morais begins to defend his body so Takase winds up and blasts Morais from behind with an uppercut to the chin, followed by yet another body blow. Takase finally whiffs on a body blow, and Morais immediately capitalizes with a spinning standing kimura! Morais pulls on Takase's arm, but Takase in his absolute fury breaks free easily. Morais backs away as the furious, injured, and breathing heavy Takase stalks him as the round expires. Takase.
A situation develops in the corners during the break as Morais's corner furiously works on him...suddenly a towel comes flying in from their corner! Michiyoshi Takase immediately climbs to the second rope of his corner and begins to celebrate to the cheers of the crowd as he has become the first ever CONDOR FC Champion!
Kazu Kobayashi came into the ring to present newly crowned champion Michiyoshi Takase with his trophy, and new championship belt. Takase gingerly took both items from Kobayashi, receiving polite applause and cheers for his victory. Gabriel Morais had to be helped out of the ring, apparently having had passed out on the stool between rounds from the beating he had taken...
In his post fight interview, Takase admitted that Morais had severely hurt him...His ribs were hurting from the combined fights tonight, and that he had felt "pops" in his ankle from the ankle lock in round two...but said that at SONIC SPEED, he was trained to be able to ignore pain to get the job done, and had turned the pain into aggression. The interviewer asked Takase who he would want to make his first defense against, but Takase answered that he'd have to see how badly damaged his ankle was first before jokingly saying that he wanted to face President Kazu Kobayashi! Kobayashi at ringside simply smiled at the joke. Takase seriously answered that he didn't know...saying that whenever he was required to defend his championship, he would against anyone. With that, Michiyoshi Takase was announced for the first time as the first ever King of CONDOR to a rousing round of cheers and applause!
CONDOR Fighting Championships
~ CATCH THE FLYING DREAM
August16th, 2008
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1,600 fans
1. CONDOR FC GP Reserve Fight: Hachiro Fujii defeated Hideo Gomi at 2'45 in R1 by KO from a Straight
2. CONDOR FC GP Semi Finals: Gabriel Morais defeated Yoshiro Ito at 1'28 in R3 by submission with a Keylock
3. CONDOR FC GP Semi Finals: Michiyoshi Takase defeated Yuki Uematsu by Unanimous Decision
4. Shinjiro Sonoda defeated Kinshiro Murata by Unanimous Decision
5. Yoshikazu Naito defeats Kinjiro Takeda by unanimous decision
6. Ryojiro Iwamura defeated Tokimitsu Hosokawa by unanimous decision
7. Tsubasa Sakuro defeated Masanaka Katakura at 1'33 in R1 by submission with a keylock
8. CONDOR FC GP Finals: Michiyoshi Takase defeated Gabriel Morais at 3'00 in Rd3 by TKO from corner stoppage to become the first King of CONDOR
