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.

------

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.

-----------

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

[CONDOR FC] 9/21/08 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall

THE OPENING MATCH ~ RED CORNER ~ FUCHIDA, NAOYUKI [70 kg / 178 cm / FREE STYLE / JAPAN] ~VERSUS~ BLUE CORNER ~ YAMADA, TAKESHI [70 kg / 173 cm / KICKBOXING / JAPAN]

Both men, knowing their backs are against the wall given their respective careers thus far in CONDOR FC, come out very tentative, with neither man wanting to make a mistake. However, Yamada lands the first decisive blow with a massive hook that staggers Fuchida. Fuchida attempts to take Yamada down, but Yamada manages to block it while delivering some pain with body shots from inside Fuchida's grasp. However, neither man can really do anything of substance as the round expires.

Naoyuki Fuchida comes out aggressive trying to take the fight to the ground, but also manages to land several glancing punches on the way in. Yamada devotes himself entirely to blocking the takedown, with both men pushed against the ropes with neither wanting to make any kind of serious mistake. The round expires with both men pushed against the ropes tied up.

Naoyuki Fuchida again comes out aggressively looking for a takedown, and again Yamada uses all his efforts to defend against it. However, Fuchida wobbles Yamada with a punch long enough to grab Yamada's head and apply a tight Guillotine Choke forcing Yamada to submit immediately!

THE SECOND MATCH ~ RED CORNER ~ NATSUO NOZAKI
[70 kg / 170 cm / FREE STYLE / JAPAN] ~VERSUS~ BLUE CORNER ~ KITAOKA, AKIRA [66 kg / 168 cm / GRECO ROMAN WRESTLING / JAPAN]

Natsuo Nozaki comes out with a jab that Kitaoka easily evades, but Nozaki then throws a barrage of punches that catch Kitaoka flush and knock him down. Nozaki follows him and gets side control. Nozaki attempts ground and pound, and also tries to isolate Kitaoka's arm, but Kitaoka does a great job of fighting to contain Nozaki and gets him back into his guard after trial and error. Neither man does much at this point until the referee stands them up for lack of activity and awards both men a yellow card for stalling. With seconds left in the round, Kitaoka grasps Nozaki and slams him to the ground as the gong rings.

Round two begins with Nozaki attempting the same jab into flurry combination, but Kitaoka evades both and easily takes Nozaki to the ground. Kitaoka shows little interest in passing Nozaki's guard and instead throws punches from within it. Nozaki employs an active guard, looking for submissions but Kitaoka easily powers out of all of Nozaki's attempts. Kitaoka muscles his way into side control but Nozaki latches onto him and keeps him from doing any significant damage. With just a few seconds left, the referee stands them up and once again awards them yellow cards informing them both that if they get one more, they will be disqualified as the round ends...

Round three starts off oddly, as Kitaoka comes out swinging, but Nozaki uses this chance to take Kitaoka down. Nozaki can't seem to do anything to Kitaoka, who uses brute power to keep Nozaki near him and then with little difficulty sweeps him. Kitaoka softens Nozaki up with punches from the guard of Nozaki, as Nozaki simply tries to escape, which allows Kitaoka to pass to side control with the seconds ticking away. The gong rings as Nozaki tries to get Kitaoka back to the guard.

An odd fight. Nozaki nearly KO'd Kitaoka early, but it was really his only true offensive moment. Both men came dangerously close to getting disqualified, while Kitaoka controlled the entire fight almost but did very little damage to Nozaki overall. I'd say Kitaoka just on overall control.

Judge 1: Natsuo Nozaki (21 to 17)
Judge 2: Natsuo Nozaki (17 to 12)
Judge 3: Natsuo Nozaki (14 to 12)

THE THIRD MATCH ~ RED CORNER ~ NAITO, YOSHIKAZU [70 kg / 165 cm / CHITO-RYU KARATE / JAPAN] ~VERSUS~ BLUE CORNER ~ RILEY JACOBS [70 kg / 178 cm / BOXING / UNITED STATES]

Riley Jacobs makes the mistake early to try and engage Naito in a kickboxing match, which results in Naito landing combinations at will on the former boxer...Jacobs seems to be none too pleased with this development as he lands a massive uppercut followed by an absolutely blatant knee to the groin that somehow the referee misses. Naito immediately crumbles to the ground lurched over, and Riley pounces but his lack of knowledge of the ground causes him to let Naito recover and the round expire.

Yoshikazu Naito obviously is still reeling from the low blow in round one, as he comes out and plays a game of cat and mouse with Riley. Naito seems to have lost the spark to his blows, but it's enough to frustrate Riley and keep him at bay with low kicks and the occasional hook as he comes in. Naito finally tries a high kick, but misses and Jacobs somehow winds up behind Naito. Jacobs lands a few punches, but Naito breaks free as the round expires.

Naito comes out far more aggressive in round three, and throws a headkick just seconds into the fight. Jacobs eats the kick, but ignores the effects showing off how tough he is. Naito decides to put that to the test and wallops Jacobs with a punch combination. Jacobs staggers, and Naito comes flying at him with a barrage of kicks, punches, and flurries that all land flush on Jacobs, but Riley Jacobs shows how incredibly tough he is as he refuses to fall as Naito pounds away at will with Jacobs backed into a corner. The round expires with Jacobs holding on for everything he is worth.

This should be an easy victory for Yoshikazu Naito, who avoided Riley Jacob's power and ripped into him with precision striking. One has to wonder if anything will come from that blatant low blow by Jacobs in term of punishment...

Judge 1: Yoshikazu Naito (75 to 45)
Judge 2: Yoshikazu Naito (77 to 49)
Judge 3: Yoshikazu Naito (79 to 48)

THE FOURTH MATCH ~ RED CORNER ~ JACOB LOEVAAS [70 kg / 185 cm / KICKBOXING / NETHERLANDS] ~VERSUS~ BLUE CORNER ~ KONG SHENG-HUI [70 kg / 173 cm / JEET KUNE DO / CHINA]

The Chinese fighter Kong Sheng-Hui is caught off guard as Jacob Loevaas comes flying at him at top speed, and then lands a massive uppercut with all his speed and weight behind it. Sheng-Hui tries to throw punches as Loevaas stalks him, but the kickboxer easily avoids them before landing a murderous overhand right that drops Sheng-Hui to his knees. Loevaas then blasts the kneeling Sheng-Hui with another overhand right causing Sheng-Hui to collapse on his face and the fight to be called!

THE SEMI FINAL ~ RED CORNER~HERNANDO PERRA [70 kg / 183 cm / FREE STYLE / BRAZIL] ~VERSUS~ BLUE CORNER~  ITO, YOSHIRO [70 kg / 175 cm / FREE STYLE / JAPAN]

Hernando Perra surprisingly comes out swinging as round one begins, trying to catch Yoshiro Ito off guard with his striking, however Yoshiro Ito responds with a lightning quick takedown to get Hernando Perra to the ground. From there, Ito seems more then comfortable in Perra's guard as Perra tries to work off his back but Ito simply stays on him like glue. Ito lands a few punches, and does just enough to not get stood up, but nothing of any value as the round expires.

Round two begins with Yoshiro Ito shooting in again. This time Hernando Perra is able to block it, but Ito then sweeps Perra to take the fight to the ground. Within seconds, Ito is able to sweep Perra and get top control. It's a virtual replay of round one, as Ito seems more then comfortable to stay in Perra's guard, although he tries a few passes that don't take. They trade ankle hold attempts, with neither man getting one although Perra comes closer. Ito tries to apply a neck crank from Perra's guard, but the time runs out before he can secure it.

Hernando Perra finally finds his range as round three begins, nailing Ito with a hook that causes Ito to pause in his steps. Perra turns up the intensity as he lands volleys of strikes. Low kicks, body shots, uppercuts, and a variety of strikes. Ito tries a guillotine, but it's half hearted and Perra escapes. Ito looks to be fading from Perra's assault, but he grabs Perra and gives him a nasty leg sweep takedown to take the fight to the ground. Ito uses time to catch his thoughts after Perra's assault. Ito tries to isolate body parts for submissions, but Perra does a fantastic job at avoiding them. Ito simply rides out the time for the decision.

Did Perra throw enough in round three to take the fight? Ito didn't do much offensively, but controlled the fight for the most part. However, the judges don't seem to favor control much so Perra may very well win this decision.

Judge 1: Hernando Perra (46 to 36)
Judge 2: Hernando Perra (47 to 34)
Judge 3: Hernando Perra (49 to 37)

THE MAIN EVENT ~ RED CORNER ~ NAKAMURA, AKASHI [70 kg / 180 cm / FREE STYLE / JAPAN] ~VERSUS~ BLUE CORNER ~ FUJII, HACHIRO [70 kg / 170 cm / BOXING / JAPAN]

Before the fight begins, there's a feeling of a "big fight" atmosphere in the crowd at Korakuen Hall for this one. Both men come out aggressive, but neither can find the correct range on the other. Fujii's the first one to get first blood as he lands one of his trademark hammer-like body shots to Nakamura's side, which immediately causes Nakamura to wince and favor it...From that point on, Fujii targets the ribs with pinpoint accuracy and ferocity, working the injury he's caused. Nakamura takes the blows, and tries to fire back, but none of his punches already look like they have any kind of power behind them, and Fujii simply walks through them. Nakamura changes gameplans and tries to take Fujii down, but time runs out before he can do so.

Akashi "Tiger" Nakamura continues to pursue his new strategy as he attempts to take Fujii to the ground, but Fujii shows off his developed sprawl and refuses to be taken down. As a result, Nakamura begins to be blasted by the body shots again due to being so close to Fujii. Nakamura begins to visibly weaken and begins to protect his body, leaving his head wide open which Fujii capitalizes on with a stunning short uppercut. Nakamura's knees buckle as Fujii launches a second uppercut, nearly beheading Nakamura and sending him crashing to the mat for the spectacular KO!

CONDOR FC.5 ~ ROARING SKY TAKEOFF
9/24/08
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1,500 fans

1. Naoyuki Fuchida defeated Takeshi Yamada at 1'19 in R3 by submission with a Guillotine Choke
2. Natsuo Nozaki defeated Akira Kitaoka by unanimous decision
3. Yoshikazu Naito defeated Riley Jacobs by unanimous decision
4. Jacob Loevaas defeated Kong Sheng-Hui at 0'37 in R1 by KO with an overhand right
5. Hernando Perra defeated Yoshiro Ito by unanimous decision
6. Hachiro Fujii defeated Akashi "Tiger" Nakamura at 2'34 in R2 by KO with an Uppercut

[CONDOR] New Rankings & Show News

As is the custom of CONDOR FC, following the successful CONDOR FC GP finals event, a press gathering was held by President Kazu Kobayashi to announce what was around the corner for CONDOR. With him, was the brand new King of CONDOR champion Michiyoshi Takase who had on a brace around his ankle and walked with a heavy limp.

Kazu Kobayashi announced that starting today there would be a change in protocol. From now on the CONDOR FC rankings will only be released every three months. The reason being that within that three month period, the King of CONDOR; in this case Michiyoshi Takase would be required to face one of the top nine contenders in the promotion as listed on the rankings. With that, Kobayashi pulled out his sheet with the ranks of CONDOR FC...

CONDOR FC RANKINGS (8/30/08)

King of CONDOR: Michiyoshi Takase (4,900)

1. Gabriel Morais (3,000)
2. Hachiro Fujii (2,500)
3. Yuki Uematsu (2,300)
4. Yoshiro Ito (1,800)
5. Tsubasa Saburo (1,800)
6. Akashi "Tiger" Nakamura (1,500)
7. Natsuo Nozaki (1,500)
8. Ryojiro Iwamura (1,500)
9. James Scott (1,500)

Kobayashi said that right now they hadn't decided who Takase's first defense would be against. Michiyoshi Takase spoke, saying that his ankle injury would keep him out of action until November at the earliest. Takase said that he was planning on making his decision early in November based upon what happened in CONDOR up to that point.

Kobayashi spoke again, announcing that the next three events would be linked together. The promotion was being broken down into two parts. The first half of the promotion will face off on September 24th called "ROARING SKY TAKEOFF" will see Akashi "Tiger" Nakamura face off against former boxing champion Hachiro Fujii in the main event. Takase seemed excited about this fight, saying that having faced both he felt Nakamura was the more overall developed fighter, but that Fujii had raw power. He said he'd "love" to fight both again...

The second event in October, named "RIDE ON ROARING SKY" sees a main event of Yuki Uematsu take on Gabriel Morais. Takase called both men "fantastic fighters", and said that he'd never fought anyone as smart as Uematsu, or as determined as Morais. Takase refused to make any predictions, but then turned his attention to the semi main event which sees judo fighter Tsubasa Saburo face off against showboating Shinjiro Sonoda. Takase said he was "interested" in both newcomers. Saburo was the only one of the newcomers to finish his opponent, doing so with ease, while Sonoda survived a blatant uncalled headbutt to win the decision. Takase said he wouldn't mind facing either man...

The final event on the 30th of November will see Michiyoshi Takase make his first defense of the King of CONDOR championship on an event called "CATCH THE ROARING KING".

CONDOR FC.5 ~ ROARING SKY TAKEOFF
9/24/08
Tokyo Korakuen Hall (2,100)

1. Naoyuki Fuchida vs. Takeshi Yamada
2. Natsuo Nozaki vs. Akira Kitaoka
3. Yoshikazu Naito vs. Riley Jacobs
3. Jacob Loevaas vs. Kong Sheng-Hui
5. Hernando Perra vs. Yoshiro Ito
6. Akashi "Tiger" Nakamura vs. Hachiro Fujii

CONDOR FC.6 ~ RIDE ON ROARING SKY
10/14/08
Tokyo Korakuen Hall (2,100)

1. Kinjiro Takeda vs. Tokimitsu Hosokawa
2. James Scott vs. Lee Jung Hyun
3. Ryojiro Iwamura vs. Masanori Ito
4. Hideo Gomi vs. Masanaka Katakura
5. Tsubasa Saburo vs. Shinjiro Sonoda
6. Gabriel Morais vs. Yuki Uematsu

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

1. King of CONDOR: Michiyoshi Takase (c) vs. X