Archive for the ‘Pancrase’ Category

Catch Wrestling Rules 67 Kg  Bout 5×2: Naoya Uematsu vs Takahashi Hasegawa

R1 -

Takahashi shoots in but Naoya unds up on top before an escape by Takahshi. Naoya takes the back from standing! drags Takahashi down, scramble, Naoya gets mount. nice transtions by both men. Naoya always coming out on top. Takahasi escapes but slamed down. bell rings.

R2-

Both gents joking for position. Flying Armbar fails for Taka and Naoya on top in mount again.  Near hammerlock and straight armbar by Naoya. Naoya gets the armbar! fast tap.

Winner: Naoya Uematsu

Featherweight Bout 5×2 - Masakazu Takafuji vs Shunpei Ota

R1-

Both men firing kicks but Ota drops and gets an easy td. Ota moves to half guard, fishing for a choke but no dice. Takafuji trinf to get up but Ota takes his back! DEEP neck crank but Takafuji defends well. Takafuji escapes! big knee to Ota’s gut. bell rings.

R2-

Takafuji very alert to Ota’s wrestling now. stuffing everything but Ota gets a lovely single leg. Takafuji trying to hold in full guard but Ota passes, opening up an escape by Takafuji, big knees and punches, Ota is tired! Takafuji landing well. ding ding…how will the judges see it.

Ota takes it!

Winner: Shunpei Ota

Super flyweight Bout 5×2 – Yuki Yasunaga vs Yasutaka Koga

R1-

Both men swinging hard, Yuki is laid out with a hook!! he looks dead…wow

Winner: Yasutaka Koga

Yuki is still out…he’s being stretchered out…

Middleweight Bout 5×2 – Nobumasa Anzai vs Yuji Hisamatsu

R1-

Anzai shoots, gets it no problem. Yuji working butterfly guard but eating good shots. Anzai mauling Yuji, Yuji back up under the ropes, ref restart. smart move there. Anzai is putting on a gnp clinic here, Yuji escapes but taken right back down. bell rings.

R2-

Anzai goes right for the td, Yuji has no answer. more gnp by Anai but Yuji holding him close. Anzai moves to side control, Yuji under the ropes again. Ref Wada yellow cards Yuji. This is about as one-sided as it gets. Anzai breifly gets mount, more gnp. time runs out.

Winner: Nobumasa Anzai

Down to the business end of the card now.

Athena Rules Light-flyweight Bout 5×3 – Emi Fujino vs Amber Brown

R1-

Emi tries to tie up but eats hard knees coming in. Emi working hard on the bodylock td, gets it, working a triangle. Amber escapes, back up. Amber with the bodylock now. ref breaks em. few nice punches by Emi. clinch and trip by Emi into half guard. good gnp by Emi. Amber escapes but eats a flurry. ding!

R2-

Emi drops for a guillotine…doesn’t really have it but she’s really trying. Aber mounts! good punches but Emi sweeps! Amber has full guard, fishing for an armbar! almost but Emi pops out and takes the back. working a tight neck crank, AMBER TAPS! wow, great round.

Winner: Emi Fujino

Bantamweight Bout 5×3 – Shunichi Shimizu vs Yuki Baba

R1-

Baba firing off probing jabs. Shimizu moving very well but no action here. Baba with a td, Shimizu recovers half, looking to sweep. Baba just backs away. both guys working the kicks but nothing solid. oh punch staggers Baba, Shimizu follows, Baba just holding. ding.

R2- Baba just clips Shimizu with a hook, Shimizu shoots, Baba stuffs it. stuffs another. both guys get yellow carded for dancing too much. Baba finding his jab now. another yellow card! they need to step it up. Baba lands hard twice.  liver kick by Shimizu, flying knee and a td by Shimizu. ding.

R3-

Baba needs a finish to win. Shimizu drags him down, takes the back and locks up an armbar! Baba taps.

Winner: Shunichi Shimizu

Bantamweight Bout 5×3 – Motonobu Tezuka vs Taichi Nakajima

R1-

Missed the start of this one but pick up action with  both guys rolling for wild subs, including a head scissor choke before the bell.

R2-

Big slam by Tezuka, into half guard. both guys working hard to advance Tezuka landing good gnp. passes to side control, then mount. Taichi bucks, armbar swapped to a triangle. big scrambles to end R2.

R3-

Tezuka gets a quick td and is all over Taichi, side choke attempt, takes the back. Tezuka riding well. Taichi escapes and gets on top, big punches! going for an armbar but the bell rings.

Winner: Motonobu Tezuka

Pancrase Athena Bantamweight Rules Bout 5×3 – Rin Nakai vs Brenda Gonzale

R1-

Tentative opening seconds. Rin dancing around, Brenda stalking but nothing happening at all. Ref busting out yellow cards, justly so. Brenda throwing more, Rin finding a good jab. Rin td, Brenda back up, Rin gets behind her, powers her down with a suplex, locks in a Sleeper and Brenda taps. wow!

Winner: Rin Nakai

Brenda seems to have hurt her elbow. on the suplex maybe.

Main Event: Welterweight King of Pancraes Title Bout 5×3 – Takenori Sato vs Shingo Suzuki

R1-

Ok the big one up now. Sato fires first with a kick that’s blocked. Shingo sprawls on 2 td’s. Sato times the next and gets it. Shingo rolling but Sato holds on and takes the back. Shingo escapes to his feet sprawls again and rocks Sato hard! Shingo td to mount Sato escapes, headlock hip toss by Sato. round ends.

R2-

Wild td and both men tumble out of the ring! both seem hurt but Sato back in the ring first. Shingo seems to be banged up. Sato says he’s ok. They might call it off. Nope! they will continue! Sato eats a huge knee! wow he shakes it off. Sato with a headlock standing…wild fight! Sato tags Shingo, Shingo tags him back. sato gets a td off a kick, Shingo armbar, Sato escapes, Sato armbar, Shingo escapes, bell rings.

R3-

Shingo gets a td, Sato back up fast. Sato boxing Shingo up, td by Singo, Sato up, slams Shingo, locks in a top wrist lock, Shingo taps!! holy crap!!

Winner: Takenori Sato

This weekend’s Pancrase card will be showcasing two of Japan’s top female talents. One of those talents is Emi Fujino (11-6). While having never competed outside of Japan, Fujino has faced off against a who’s who of fighters in both MMA and Kickboxing. Coming off a loss to Jewels Champion Ayaka Hamasaki last December, in a competitive bout that won fight of the night, Fujino looks to rebound with a victory over her American opponent, Amber Brown. Emi has expressed her desire to fight abroad and a win over Brown will put her one step closer. I had the opportunity to interview Emi, so sit back and enjoy.

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CJ: In your last fight, you fought Ayaka Hamasaki. Even though you lost, it was a very entertaining fight. Can you talk about the fight, what did you think about it?

EF: The fight was a lot of fun. In that fight, I did what I was able to but there was still a lot of stuff I need to improve on, so I am going to get stronger.

Fujino charges Hamasaki

CJ:  In your last fight with Hamasaki, your cardio and punches looked really good. Can you talk about your training? You train with “V.V” Mei a lot, can you talk about that?

EF: I didn’t change up my  training, but a little bit before my Jewels fight, I had a kickboxing match, so I had been training my strikes a lot.

 

CJ: With regards to the strong female fighters in Japan, it seems like their are two teams. Those that train with AACC and those that train with you. What do you think? Am I mistaken?

EF: I don’t know about that but, there are a lot of women at AACC, they have a lot of strong fighters so I am jealous. There aren’t that many female fighters around so I train with V a lot. If there is anyone that wants to train with me, I really want to do it.

V (left) and Fujino (right) at Roppongi Martial Arts

 

CJ: What will a win do for your career?

EJ: She has only fought 2 fights, since my career is so much longer I cannot lose.

 

CJ: In July, some Jewels fighters will be fighting for Invicta. Do you want to fight for Invicta? There are a lot of fighter in your division, is there anyone you want to fight?

EF: I want to fight for Invicta. If I can fight for them, I will fight anybody.

 

CJ: Do you have any hobbies? What do you do in your free time?

EF: I like to read, go shopping and go out to eat with my friends.

 

CJ:  Mizuki and Ayaka will be fighting in July. Who do you think will win their bouts?

EF:  I don’t know who is going to win, but I am excited to see how well the Japanese fighters in my division can fight.

 

CJ: Is there anything that you want to show in your next match?

EF: My punches are a lot stronger than before, I want to show that.

CJ: Rin Nakai will also be fighting at the event. Have you seen her videos, if so what do you think? When it comes to MMA, is self-promotion important?

EF: I have seen them. I couldn’t do that so I think it is amazing. Self-promotion is important. However, if you do it too much you may not remember what is most important.

 

CJ: Is there anything you want to say to the fans?

EF: It is going to be an interesting fight. I am going to prove my strength.

I would like to thank Emi for taking the time to answer our questions!

Be sure to watch her Pancrase debut this weekend on USTREAM

Brenda Gonzels

It seems that this weekend’s Pancrase card is full of promotional debuts. In one of those debuts, professional boxer and MMA fighter Brenda Gonzales (4-0) looks to shake up the Japanese MMA scene. Brenda will be facing off against Pancrase’s female champion, Rin Nakai (13-0-1). While the fight will not be for the title, a win over Nakai will not only put Gonzales on the map in Japan, it will catch the attention of women’s MMA fans all over the world. Due to her success inside the ring and her success in promoting herself, many fans know about Nakai. With the event available outside of Japan on USTREAM, this is without a doubt the biggest MMA fight of Brenda’c career. I had the opportunity to interview “Boom Boom”, so sit back and enjoy!

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CJ: First off, can you tell the readers about yourself? When and how did you get involved with Martial Arts? Did you go into it thinking you would want to be a professional fighter?

BG: My names Brenda Gonzales I’m 31. Born and raised in the small town of Moriarty, New Mexico. I’ve been an athlete since I was 5 years old playing basketball, volleyball, baseball, and track. I always had an interest in martial arts but never knew where to go train. I started dating UFC fighter Tim Means 4 years ago who was already training at FitNhb, I took a class and feel in love with it. From that day I never left. I knew I always wanted to be a professional athlete growing up, but never thought I’d be a fighter.

CJ: Can you describe your style as a fighter? Which of your 4 fights best shows your style and skill set?

BG: I love all styles of mma. I feel comfortable standing or hitting the ground. I feel that in my 4th fight against Elsie Zwicker I got to unleash.

Brenda’s Punching Power on Display

CJ: At 4-0, you are at the beginning of your career. What are your career goals? What do you want to accomplish?

BG: My career goals is to make a comfortable living doing what I love. I would love to add a few more belts to the wall.

 

CJ: Your next fight is against Pancrase fighter, Rin Nakai. Not only will this fight be your first fight outside of the States, you will be fighting heavier than you normally do, with different rules and in a ring instead of a cage. Can you talk about how you plan to deal with these differences? How have you modified your training?

BG: I am very excited for this challenge. I am also a professional boxer so I know how to break down the disciplines. No elbows might be a little tricky but we have adjusted.  My coaches modify every fight for me, we are always prepared.

Brown and Gonzales are Ready

 

CJ: Rin Nakai has become somewhat notorious in the U.S. for her “training videos”. What are your thoughts on these videos? On a broader note, what do you think about fighters like Hyatt and Rousey who excel at self-promotion? Do you think self-promotion is necessary now?

BG: I was a little surprised at some videos at first, but to each is own. Yes I believe self-promotion is important, especially to get help with sponsors. I’ve done alot the last couple years.

 

CJ: Will this be your first time to Japan? Is there anything that you want to do there outside of the fight?

BG: Yes this well be my first time to Japan. Its always been at the top of my list of places I would love to check out. I just hope to be able to explore some.

 

CJ: Do you have any hobbies? What do you do outside of fighting?

BG: I enjoy playing softball, spending time with my family, camping, fishing, just about anything. We don’t have too much time out of fighting with two fighters in the house. We’re always preparing for battle.

 

CJ: Is there anything that you want to say? A message for the fans?

BG: I would love to thank everyone who has supported me throughout the years. I have been blessed! My sponsors have been awesome! I’m exited my fans will be able to watch through USTREAM. I’m ready to go fight my best!!

We would like to thank Brenda for taking the time to answer our questions.

Be sure to watch her fight this weekend on USTREAM

This weekend, there will be two high-level women’s MMA matches going on in Pancrase. In one of those matches, a relatively unknown American, Amber “The Bully” Brown (2-0) will face off against Japanese veteran Emi Fujino (11-6). As far as veterans go, Emi Fujino has faced off against some of the best in her division and has never been finished. A victory over Fujino would definitely put Brown on the map and would certainly be her biggest win to date. As you may recall, Fujino was originally slated to face off against Monica Lovato. An injury forced Lovato from the bout so fellow teammate Brown stepped up to the plate. In preparation for the bouts this weekend, I have interviewed all four of the women involved. So without further adieu, sit back and enjoy our interview with The Bully.

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CJ: Can you tell us about yourself? How did you get involved in Martial Arts? When did you realize you wanted to be a professional fighter?

AB:  I am Amber “The Bully” Brown, 24 years of age, and born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. First walked into FIT-NHB back in 2009 after the birth of my daughter. I just wanted to get in shape & be healthy. Every other month FIT would have amateur boxing/kickboxing matches, so I started to get an itch to get on there and fight. Had my first fight(boxing) in September 2010. Went on being 4-0 as an amateur boxer. It ended up being difficult to find opponents so we decided to turn professional. My pro debut was February 2012, and I came up short with a decision loss. After that, I had my eyes set on MMA. I absolutely fell in love with it! I love everything about it! I trained hard until November 2012, where I had my pro Mma debut. Went home with a unanimous decision win. Found myself right back in the gym ready to get prepared for the next one. My next fight would take place in January 2013, where I got a first round TKO. Again, right back in the gym preparing for the next battle, and now here we are about to leave for Japan! 

CJ: Can you talk about your fight style? What should fans look for in your fights?

AB: My background is boxing, but I am very comfortable wherever the fight happens to go. I want to be very well rounded, so I train everything. 

 
CJ: Your husband is also a Martial Artist, what is that like? Can you talk about it?

AB:  My husband is a boxing trainer at Fit. We are always together. We eat, sleep, and train everyday. He is such a big help and such great motivation, I wouldn’t be where I at today if I didn’t have him by my side!

 
CJ: In your upcoming fight, you will be fighting for Pancrase. How do you feel going into your first international fight? Pancrase is one of the older MMA promotions, what does it feel like fighting for them?

AB: I feel so very honored and excited to fight for one of the oldest, well known promotions, Pancrase. It is such an honor, and I’m so thankful for this opportunity. 

CJ: Your opponent, Emi Fujino, will be your highest profile opponent to date. Can you talk about what this fight means for you? How do you see a fight between you two playing out? What would a win over Fujino do for your career?

AB: Emi Fujino is by far my toughest, highest profile fight to date. She is very strong, but I am so ready to test my skills and see where I am at, and how I can handle a fight this big. A win would be huge, and I hope to get Invicta’s attention. Just expect it to be a WAR!! 

 
CJ: Your currently 2-0, can you talk about your career aspirations. Do you see yourself fighting for Pancrase or would you like to fight for organizations in the U.S like Invicta FC?

AB: I definitely want to be the very best, so I have to fight the best. Pancrase has that and so does Invicta. I hope to get into Invicta, but would love to have another chance to come fight for Pancrase, and hope they have me back!

 
CJ: You fight at 115 lbs. That division is full of talented fighters right now. Is there anyone that you think you match up well against or any fight you want?

AB: My past two fights were at 110. We are shooting for 105 ultimately. My fight w/ Emi will be at 115 so I will be going up a little in weight. I just want to be the best, so I want to keep training and stay ready for whoever they stick in front of me. 

The Bully

CJ: Do you have any hobbies, what do you do in your free time? Are you excited to go to Japan? Is there anything you want to do there? Any plans to stop by some gyms there?

AB: I love being with my family. My daughter and husband are my world, besides training. I am just always with them or in the gym! I eat, sleep, and sweat.

 
CJ: Is there anything you want to say? A message for the fans?
Thanks a lot!

AB: I want to thank Damage Control Mouthguards, Max Muscle Rio Rancho, and my coaches and brothers and sisters at FIT-NHB. I also want to thank Emi Fujino for taking the fight, a huge thanks to Pancrase for this amazing opportunity. And to the fans, I thank each and every one of you for your support, you are all amazing, and get ready for a war!!!!!!

 

We would like to thank Amber for taking the time to answer our questions. Be sure to watch her fight this weekend, live on USTREAM.

Just a friendly reminder, start saving your $9.95 because Pancrase 247 comes to a computer in your lap and/or desk in less than a weeks time.  Pancrase is pulling out all the stops with this one, including an awesome catch wrestling match with Naoya Uematsu and Koji Hasegawa.  The event will also feature Rin Nakai, one of the most popular female fighters in Japan.

Here is the entire fight card, which has been finalized.

PANCRASE 247
Sunday, May 19th, 2013
At Differ Ariake, Tokyo, Japan
Doors Open – 14:00
Fight Starts – 16:30

Confirmed Cards (Subject to Change):

The Main Event – Welterweight King of Pancraes Title Bout 5 min / 3R
Takenori Sato (Japan / TRIBE TOKYO M.M.A.) vs Shingo Suzuki (Japan / ALLIANCE)

Pancrase Athena Bantamweight Rules Bout 5 min / 3R
Rin Nakai (Japan / Pancrase Venus) vs Brenda Gonzales (USA / FIT NHB)

Bantamweight Bout 5 min / 3R
Motonobu Tezuka (Japan / MMA Dojo Cobra-kai) vs Taichi Nakajima (Japan / Parestra Tokyo)

Bantamweight Bout 5 min / 3R
Shunichi Shimizu (Japan / Uruno Dojo) vs Yuki Baba (Japan / Rodeo Style)

Athena Rules Light-flyweight Bout
Emi Fujino (Japan / Wajiutsu Keishukai GODS) vs Amber Brown (USA / FIT NHB)

Middleweight Bout 5 min / 2R
Nobumasa Anzai (Japan / TEAM CLIMB) vs Yuji Hisamatsu (Japan / Yokohama Dojo)

Super-flyweight Bout 5 min / 2R
Yuki Yasunaga (Japan / Tokyo Yellow Man’s) vs Yasutaka Koga (Japan / Lotus Setagaya)

Featherweight Bout 5 min / 2R
Masakazu Takafuji (Japan / Takada Dojo) vs Shunpei Ota (Japan / D-ONE Gym)

Catch Wrestling Rules 67 Kg & Under Bout 5 min / 2R
Naoya Uematsu (Japan / Nexience) vs Koji Hasegawa (Japan / Pancrase Inagaki-gumi)

Neo Blood Tournament – Confirmed Fighters:

Super-flyweight -
Penny Shimizu (Japan / Sakaguchi Dojo)
Haruki Nakayama (Japan / GRABAKA)
Gen Ishida (Japan / Angura)

Lightweight -
Genpei Hayashi (Japan / HEAT)
Kouichiro Takekawa (Japan / Wajiutsu Keishukai Toikatsu Dojo)
Akihito Hara (Japan / Sakaguchi Dojo)

Welterweight -
Let’s Gota (Japan / Cobra-kai)
Toshikazu Suzuki (Japan / GRAKABA)
Yu Kitada (Japan / Wajitsu Keishukai Toyama Branch S.P.O.)