Since the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami, former Shooto heavyweight champion and Pride veteran Enson Inoue has been tireless in his charity efforts, repeatedly traveling to northeast Japan to directly help those in need.
Inoue’s work has helped countless people and brought much needed light to the situation in Fukushima and the areas affected by the disasters. This work has been costly though, Inoue sacrificing a gym, his pets and spending an incredible amount of money and time in the process.
On his last trip, Enson Inoue possibly made the greatest sacrifice of all – he risked his life by traveling to one of the most dangerous places on earth.
Speaking exclusively with MMA Fighting, Enson Inoue describes his journey directly into the highly radioactive Fukushima evacuation zone and his covert visit to the the heavily damaged Fukushima power plants.
MMA Fighting: How many times have you been to the Tohoku region now?
Enson Inoue: Nine times. Nine times already.
How have you seen things progress since you’ve been up working up there? What is happening with the people in the evacuation centers?
The last time I went to Fukushima prefecture and everyone was starting to move into the temporary housing. They are given these temporary houses and allowed to stay there for up to two years. They are free but the problem is that the moment they leave the evacuation centers, they are being cut off from most of the aid. A lot of people need support though so basically, they don’t want to leave.
The evacuation centers are short staffed though and they need to get the people out of there so they are doing things to make it less comfortable – turning the lights out super early for example. That caused a lot of big fights of course, so now people are just leaving.
Are evacuees given assistance in moving or setting up their new homes?
In Fukushima, they are given 30,000 yen (approximately $390 US) by the government or TEPCO, they are basically the same thing, for bills – water, electricity or whatever and they are also given five items: a refrigerator, washing machine, TV, rice cooker and a microwave. In other places, like Iwate, they are just given a 10-pound bag of rice.
Most of these people lost their cars and businesses or jobs so it’s really hard for them to get back on their feet. What I’m doing now is going to the people in these temporary houses and giving them things they need to get set up. Soap, you know, basic things you need to buy when you move into a house.
What are these temporary houses like?
They are actually pretty nice, I guess. They are adequate, but they are temporary. A lot of people in these temporary houses will never be able to return to their real homes because of the radiation. They are talking about not being able to live in some places in Fukushima for at least a century.
What I’ve heard lately is that some of the older people are committing suicide. They think that even if they have these places to live for two years, they can’t pay the bills. They can’t support themselves now. They are too old to get jobs and so they just commit suicide. There’s a lot of suicides.
What do they need? How do you think they can be helped?
The last time I was there, the people were really cold. I don’t know why. I guess I haven’t met a lot of these people before so they are wary of me. I try to help them but they just say they are OK. You know they aren’t OK. They are hurting. They lost everything. I think it’ll just be a matter of time until they are comfortable with me, until I get to know them.
You’ve also been making trips into the Fukushima evacuation zone to feed abandoned pets. This last time though, you went right into the Fukushima power plant?
The last time I was up in Fukushima I met one of my friends for drinks. He’s a contractor who works inside the evacuation zone. We were sitting at a bar and he told me, “Enson, if you want to go in, this is the time.”
I said, “What do you mean?”
He said, “The security. All the security is really going down. We can get you in easy.”
I was with another friend so I asked if he could get him in too. He said OK, but because he isn’t Japanese, he has to hide under blankets.
Why did you want to go in there though? It’s one of the most dangerous places on earth right now.
I felt like it was an opportunity. No one can go in there. My mother asked me why too. She said, ‘Why do you want to go in there? You want to go in just feed dogs?! Why?!’
No one can go in there, and I don’t know if I’ll ever get the opportunity to go in there again. It wasn’t about the dogs. I mean, while I was in there I brought more food for the dogs, but it was just being able to go in there and not turning this opportunity down.
She never could understand that. I just told her to drop the conversation. I told her, ‘One – You’re in Hawaii and you’re not here. Two – you don’t consider Japan your home.’ So I told her, ‘You are not here in my shoes. The bottom line is you’re there, I’m here. We are coming from completely different places.’ She never completely understood that.
What did you want to do inside evacuation zone though? Was it just curiosity?
I wanted to go in for two reasons.
One was to feed the animals, and I also wanted to see what the radiation was really like and see how far I could get towards the plant. It was out of curiosity but also to let people know what I found there. I had bought two radiation meters, they were both geiger counters and dosimeters, and I wanted to put one inside of my suit and one outside of my suit.
What kind of suit?
Those white radiation suits you see on TV. They are thin, almost like paper. The contractors have a whole bunch of them. Masks and everything. We were completely sealed off. They have to burn them after every time they go in so they had a bunch of them.
So what did you find out?
Well those suits aren’t working. They do nothing. If the meter on the outside of my suit was reading 19 micro seiverts or whatever, the one on the inside was reading around 17. The suits don’t do jack s***. They aren’t protecting those workers. I don’t understand how those people are allowed to go in. They have a false sense of security.
Did you tell the contractors about this?
Yeah I showed my friend the meters, and he kind of freaked out, and said it was his last week working there. You don’t feel anything, you get a real false sense of security. We weren’t really supposed to be there though so we didn’t talk to anybody else.
Once you were in there though, you went right up to the power plant?
Yeah, we just kept driving further and further in and there was no security or anything. We got to the plant and there was a checkpoint, but we just kind of waved our way through with these fake IDs and my other friend hid under some blankets.
What did you do in there?
We got out to take a few pictures, or whatever, but then our driver got really freaked out. We were right there, you know? We were standing right next to one of these reactors and it was completely blown up (pictured above). Our driver jammed the car into reverse and raced out of there so we had to go too. We were never checked or monitored or anything.
What did you feel in there? No fear at any point?
It’s hard to fear radiation because you can’t feel anything. I was talking to a former marine nuclear expert and he told me everything I needed to know. I was watching the meters, and I knew what levels were safe. I felt educated so I felt safe. It is kind of scary in a way though. It’s so bad for you, but you can’t feel a thing.
Do the contractors hired to work in there have the same amount of information as you?
No, they don’t know anything. They take off their masks all the time, and they don’t have meters or anything. All the workers are like that. When they first started going in they were freaking out over every little thing, but as time goes by, because you don’t feel it or see it, you get careless.
You know what was crazy though? There is no one checking you as you leave either. We could have gone to a restaurant or something before cleaning and radiated all those other people. No one is really checking that. I was thinking about going to the doctor actually, just to check.
What was the rest of Fukushima evacuation zone like?
Like a ghost town. Convenience stores cleaned out, no one around. The animals that are still alive are walking all through the towns. There are some real hot spots of radiation in there but some places, I guess because of the mountains and valleys or something, have almost nothing. I don’t understand why the people who live there can’t be allowed to go in and retrieve their things. They aren’t allowed to make that choice.
What do you learn from an experience like this?
There are three kinds of things in your life. Three circles I guess. The circle of things that annoy you, the circle of things you don’t care about and the circle of things you appreciate and enjoy.
Before I went to jail, the circle of things that annoyed me was pretty big. (Note: Inoue was jailed in 2008 for possession of marijuana. Inoue spent 30 days in prison and is currently serving a three-year probation.)
You know, sitting in traffic used to p*** me off, having to do chores or whatever, people that get to you. That circle was pretty big in my life. Your every day things like eating breakfast, going for a run, showering – they were in the circle of things I didn’t care about. Going out and meeting friends, eating a really good meal – they were the things that I enjoyed.
When you go to jail though, your values change. Having miso soup for breakfast is all of a sudden something you really enjoy. You look forward to taking a shower. You become much more patient so traffic doesn’t p*** you off. The circle of things that annoyed me shrank and the circle of things that I enjoyed grew. It really made me a lot happier and a more relaxed person.
After jail, I did the pilgrimage and that helped me enjoy and appreciate things more. (Note: after his release from prison, Inoue completed a 30-day 750-mile pilgrimage on foot, visiting 108 temples in Shikoku.)
Just getting a bottle of water from someone was amazing! When I was in jail I knew what it was like to have nothing and on the pilgrimage I had nothing there too. Before I would say thank you and forget about it. But now, I’m so appreciative! I still haven’t forgotten the people that helped me!
Appreciation is what drives me to go up north. I can understand what they are going through, to some extent. I can’t compare going to jail to what the tsunami victims and people from Fukushima are going through, but I know what it’s like to have everything taken away from you. I know how good the small things can feel.
Going into the Fukushima power plant is part of me appreciating my freedom. Yeah it’s dangerous, but when I was in jail, I had no opportunities to make any choices – even dangerous ones. They told me when and how to do everything. Enjoying my freedom and making the most of all the opportunities I get in my life – doing the pilgrimage, going into Fukushima, spending all my time helping the people up north – it allows me to shrink that circle of annoyance even more. It makes me a more appreciative and happy person.
Since the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami, former Shooto heavyweight champion and Pride veteran Enson Inoue has been tireless in his charity efforts, repeatedly traveling to northeast Japan to directly help those in need.
Inoue’s work has helped countless people and brought much needed light to the situation in Fukushima and the areas affected by the disasters. This work has been costly though, Inoue sacrificing a gym, his pets and spending an incredible amount of money and time in the process.
On his last trip, Enson Inoue possibly made the greatest sacrifice of all – he risked his life by traveling to one of the most dangerous places on earth.
Speaking exclusively with MMA Fighting, Enson Inoue describes his journey directly into the highly radioactive Fukushima evacuation zone and his covert visit to the the heavily damaged Fukushima power plants.
MMA Fighting: How many times have you been to the Tohoku region now?
Enson Inoue: Nine times. Nine times already.
How have you seen things progress since you’ve been up working up there? What is happening with the people in the evacuation centers?
The last time I went to Fukushima prefecture and everyone was starting to move into the temporary housing. They are given these temporary houses and allowed to stay there for up to two years. They are free but the problem is that the moment they leave the evacuation centers, they are being cut off from most of the aid. A lot of people need support though so basically, they don’t want to leave.
The evacuation centers are short staffed though and they need to get the people out of there so they are doing things to make it less comfortable – turning the lights out super early for example. That caused a lot of big fights of course, so now people are just leaving.
Are evacuees given assistance in moving or setting up their new homes?
In Fukushima, they are given 30,000 yen (approximately $390 US) by the government or TEPCO, they are basically the same thing, for bills – water, electricity or whatever and they are also given five items: a refrigerator, washing machine, TV, rice cooker and a microwave. In other places, like Iwate, they are just given a 10-pound bag of rice.
Most of these people lost their cars and businesses or jobs so it’s really hard for them to get back on their feet. What I’m doing now is going to the people in these temporary houses and giving them things they need to get set up. Soap, you know, basic things you need to buy when you move into a house.
What are these temporary houses like?
They are actually pretty nice, I guess. They are adequate, but they are temporary. A lot of people in these temporary houses will never be able to return to their real homes because of the radiation. They are talking about not being able to live in some places in Fukushima for at least a century.
What I’ve heard lately is that some of the older people are committing suicide. They think that even if they have these places to live for two years, they can’t pay the bills. They can’t support themselves now. They are too old to get jobs and so they just commit suicide. There’s a lot of suicides.
What do they need? How do you think they can be helped?
The last time I was there, the people were really cold. I don’t know why. I guess I haven’t met a lot of these people before so they are wary of me. I try to help them but they just say they are OK. You know they aren’t OK. They are hurting. They lost everything. I think it’ll just be a matter of time until they are comfortable with me, until I get to know them.
You’ve also been making trips into the Fukushima evacuation zone to feed abandoned pets. This last time though, you went right into the Fukushima power plant?
The last time I was up in Fukushima I met one of my friends for drinks. He’s a contractor who works inside the evacuation zone. We were sitting at a bar and he told me, “Enson, if you want to go in, this is the time.”
I said, “What do you mean?”
He said, “The security. All the security is really going down. We can get you in easy.”
I was with another friend so I asked if he could get him in too. He said OK, but because he isn’t Japanese, he has to hide under blankets.
Why did you want to go in there though? It’s one of the most dangerous places on earth right now.
I felt like it was an opportunity. No one can go in there. My mother asked me why too. She said, ‘Why do you want to go in there? You want to go in just feed dogs?! Why?!’
No one can go in there, and I don’t know if I’ll ever get the opportunity to go in there again. It wasn’t about the dogs. I mean, while I was in there I brought more food for the dogs, but it was just being able to go in there and not turning this opportunity down.
She never could understand that. I just told her to drop the conversation. I told her, ‘One – You’re in Hawaii and you’re not here. Two – you don’t consider Japan your home.’ So I told her, ‘You are not here in my shoes. The bottom line is you’re there, I’m here. We are coming from completely different places.’ She never completely understood that.
What did you want to do inside evacuation zone though? Was it just curiosity?
I wanted to go in for two reasons.
One was to feed the animals, and I also wanted to see what the radiation was really like and see how far I could get towards the plant. It was out of curiosity but also to let people know what I found there. I had bought two radiation meters, they were both geiger counters and dosimeters, and I wanted to put one inside of my suit and one outside of my suit.
What kind of suit?
Those white radiation suits you see on TV. They are thin, almost like paper. The contractors have a whole bunch of them. Masks and everything. We were completely sealed off. They have to burn them after every time they go in so they had a bunch of them.
So what did you find out?
Well those suits aren’t working. They do nothing. If the meter on the outside of my suit was reading 19 micro seiverts or whatever, the one on the inside was reading around 17. The suits don’t do jack s***. They aren’t protecting those workers. I don’t understand how those people are allowed to go in. They have a false sense of security.
Did you tell the contractors about this?
Yeah I showed my friend the meters, and he kind of freaked out, and said it was his last week working there. You don’t feel anything, you get a real false sense of security. We weren’t really supposed to be there though so we didn’t talk to anybody else.
Once you were in there though, you went right up to the power plant?
Yeah, we just kept driving further and further in and there was no security or anything. We got to the plant and there was a checkpoint, but we just kind of waved our way through with these fake IDs and my other friend hid under some blankets.
What did you do in there?
We got out to take a few pictures, or whatever, but then our driver got really freaked out. We were right there, you know? We were standing right next to one of these reactors and it was completely blown up (pictured above). Our driver jammed the car into reverse and raced out of there so we had to go too. We were never checked or monitored or anything.
What did you feel in there? No fear at any point?
It’s hard to fear radiation because you can’t feel anything. I was talking to a former marine nuclear expert and he told me everything I needed to know. I was watching the meters, and I knew what levels were safe. I felt educated so I felt safe. It is kind of scary in a way though. It’s so bad for you, but you can’t feel a thing.
Do the contractors hired to work in there have the same amount of information as you?
No, they don’t know anything. They take off their masks all the time, and they don’t have meters or anything. All the workers are like that. When they first started going in they were freaking out over every little thing, but as time goes by, because you don’t feel it or see it, you get careless.
You know what was crazy though? There is no one checking you as you leave either. We could have gone to a restaurant or something before cleaning and radiated all those other people. No one is really checking that. I was thinking about going to the doctor actually, just to check.
What was the rest of Fukushima evacuation zone like?
Like a ghost town. Convenience stores cleaned out, no one around. The animals that are still alive are walking all through the towns. There are some real hot spots of radiation in there but some places, I guess because of the mountains and valleys or something, have almost nothing. I don’t understand why the people who live there can’t be allowed to go in and retrieve their things. They aren’t allowed to make that choice.
What do you learn from an experience like this?
There are three kinds of things in your life. Three circles I guess. The circle of things that annoy you, the circle of things you don’t care about and the circle of things you appreciate and enjoy.
Before I went to jail, the circle of things that annoyed me was pretty big. (Note: Inoue was jailed in 2008 for possession of marijuana. Inoue spent 30 days in prison and is currently serving a three-year probation.)
You know, sitting in traffic used to p*** me off, having to do chores or whatever, people that get to you. That circle was pretty big in my life. Your every day things like eating breakfast, going for a run, showering – they were in the circle of things I didn’t care about. Going out and meeting friends, eating a really good meal – they were the things that I enjoyed.
When you go to jail though, your values change. Having miso soup for breakfast is all of a sudden something you really enjoy. You look forward to taking a shower. You become much more patient so traffic doesn’t p*** you off. The circle of things that annoyed me shrank and the circle of things that I enjoyed grew. It really made me a lot happier and a more relaxed person.
After jail, I did the pilgrimage and that helped me enjoy and appreciate things more. (Note: after his release from prison, Inoue completed a 30-day 750-mile pilgrimage on foot, visiting 108 temples in Shikoku.)
Just getting a bottle of water from someone was amazing! When I was in jail I knew what it was like to have nothing and on the pilgrimage I had nothing there too. Before I would say thank you and forget about it. But now, I’m so appreciative! I still haven’t forgotten the people that helped me!
Appreciation is what drives me to go up north. I can understand what they are going through, to some extent. I can’t compare going to jail to what the tsunami victims and people from Fukushima are going through, but I know what it’s like to have everything taken away from you. I know how good the small things can feel.
Going into the Fukushima power plant is part of me appreciating my freedom. Yeah it’s dangerous, but when I was in jail, I had no opportunities to make any choices – even dangerous ones. They told me when and how to do everything. Enjoying my freedom and making the most of all the opportunities I get in my life – doing the pilgrimage, going into Fukushima, spending all my time helping the people up north – it allows me to shrink that circle of annoyance even more. It makes me a more appreciative and happy person.
After three consecutive losses as a middleweight, Japanese UFC judoka Yoshihiro Akiyama is finally moving to welterweight.
Akiyama, who is 1-3 in the UFC and 14-4 with two no contests overall, considered retirement after getting knocked out by Vitor Belfort last month, but now instead intends to drop down 15 lbs and ideally seek the guidance of divisional king Georges St. Pierre.
Speaking to Japanese outlet Sponichi, the 2006 K-1 Heros Light Heavyweight GP champ also stated he would like to debut as a welterweight at the UFC’s return to Japan in February 2012. Before his move to the UFC, Akiyama was the biggest draw in Japan and he would certainly be an asset to any event in the East.
Due to financial problems surrounding a former manager, Akiyama was forced to close his highly regarded Cloud Dojo prior to his meeting with Belfort at UFC 133 and with his move to welterweight, Akiyama stated that he would like to make the move to the champion’s gym to become St. Pierre’s “apprentice”.
The move to welterweight was a long time coming for Akiyama – although he has put on three “fight of the night” performances and was successful in his UFC debut against Alan Belcher, the Japanese fighter was widely considered to be too small to compete in the upper echelons at middleweight in Western promotions.
Filed under: Results, ONE FCThis is the ONE FC 1: Champion vs Champion live blog for A Sol Kwon vs. Eduard Folayang and Phil Baroni vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida, the headliners of the debut event for the upstart promotion from the Singapore Indoor Stadium in …
This is the ONE FC 1: Champion vs Champion live blog for A Sol Kwon vs. Eduard Folayang and Phil Baroni vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida, the headliners of the debut event for the upstart promotion from the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore.
Korea’s A Sol Kwon will look for his ninth straight victory against 9-1 Filipino Eduard Folayang, and Phil Baroni will look for his second consecutive win post-UFC against fellow UFC veteran Yoshiyuki Yoshida.
The first bout is scheduled to begin at around 8 a.m. ET/5 a.m. PT.
A Sol Kwon vs. Eduard Folayang
Round 1: A cautious start with Kwon watching carefully as Folayang edges forward and makes his way in with strikes. A jab and right hand from Kwon snaps Folayang’s head back – the best blows so far. Folayang hammers the body a kick and Kwon counters with a hook that briefly buckles Folayang. Kwon is landing well here although not throwing a huge number of strikes. Folayang lands another hard kick to the body and then a blow to the leg that seems to damage the lead knee of Kwon. Folayang rushes forward with strikes and Kwon reacts badly – moving straight backwards.
Round 2: Folayang’s nose looks to be crooked as we start the second period. Folayang is aggressive but gets caught with a blow that opens up a cut that sends blood streaming down his face. The cut is just off to the side of the eye and should be OK. We stop for a doctor check. We have had a couple head clashes in this third round, the cut may have be a result of that.
We restart and Folayang turns it up a notch, his footwork excellent as he covers a massive amount of distance to deliver kicks to a retreating Kwon. Referee Matt Hume warns Kwon for a lack of action. Folayang continues to blast Kwon with kicks to the body and legs, the Korean relatively inactive although landing well with punches when he does launch them.
Round 3: Folayang is again the aggressor but an errant kick catches Kwon low. After a short break we restart and Kwon clinches, looking for a takedown. An outside trip is violently reversed by Folayang, Kwon getting thrown to the mat. They get back to their feet after Kwon lands a throw of his own and Folayang catches Kwon with punches while moving straight backwards. Folayang looking badly damaged here despite landing much better. Kwon again gets caught with punches while moving backwards – the third time this has happened during the bout. Folayang lands punches that rock Kwon’s head back and bloodies his nose. As the round ends Folayang again drives Kwon straight backwards.
Folayang’s work rate should lead to him easily taking the decision here. In the post fight interview we see the extent of the damage Kwon did – Folayang has a broken nose, mouse under one eye and a cut about the other.
Winner: Eduard Folayang by Unaimous Decision
Phil Baroni vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
Round 1: Baroni stalks Yoshida, looking for an quick finish. After the first swing from his opponent, Yoshida clinches and uses his judo to throw to side control. Yoshida taking his time, Baroni looking for weak hammerfists from his back and eventually shrimping and escaping to his feet. Yoshida instantly gets the takedown again though, pinning Baroni against the cage and landing blows to the ribs. Yoshida advances to half guard before passing again to side control, dominating the round although not causing a lot of damage. Baroni works his away back to his feet only to be kicked in the head before round ends.
Round 2: We start the second stanza and Baroni shakes his arms and bounces up and down, attempting to regain some energy. Yoshida is relaxed but only just avoiding Baroni’s looping hooks. Baroni looks to be tired and is not keeping his hands up at all between exchanges. Yoshida shoots a double leg but Baroni easily sprawls on it and finds himself on top in half guard. Yoshida is able to stand quickly and then tries again for the high double, getting the takedown this time against the cage. Yoshida controlling the action, pounding from Baroni’s open guard and then moving to get his opponent’s back. Baroni escapes and attempts to rough up Yoshida with punches but there is little heat behind them at this point.
Round 3: Yoshida has a winning gameplan here and drives for the takedown as soon as we start the round. Baroni stands but looks exhausted, Yoshida tireless in his takedowns. Baroni looks for the Hail Mary guillotine choke from half guard but nothing happening. Yoshida passes through into mount and grapevines the legs of Baroni, taking away his ability to shrimp out. Yoshida retains mount, throwing in just enough punches to keep the bout from being stood up. Baroni is visibly exhausted and ask referee Yuji Shimada for the time. Yoshida looks for the finish in the closing seconds, attempting to get a kesa gatame choke but not getting the tap.
We go to the final bell and Baroni ignores Yoshida’s attempt to embrace. The Japanese fighter easily takes the decision. Totally one-sided fight.
Winner: Yoshiyuki Yoshida via Unanimous Decision
Mitch Chilson vs. Eric Kelly
Round 1: Kelly an impression early, driving his foot through Chilson’s face with a front kick. Wanting no more of that Chilson takes the bout to the ground where he lands some elbows, but Kelly’s guard is good. Kelly attempts to stand and after a brief scramble, manages to get it back to the feet.
As the fighters stand we see a large cut over Chilson’s eye. The doctor’s check the cut and he is fit to continue.
Both fighters have a sense of urgency as the bout restarts, haymakers threatening to take out the ring lights. Chilson gives up his neck as he overreaches for a takedown and Kelly slaps on a standing rear naked choke. Chilson drops unconscious to the mat seconds later, handed the first loss of his career. Referee Yuji Shimada stops the bout as Chilson wakes up from his slumber and attempts to put Kelly in a clinch, unaware that he was asleep only moments prior.
Post fight Kelly says he wants to represent the Philippines in the UFC.
Winner: Eric Kelly via Technical Submission (Rear Naked Choke) – Round 1, 3.10
Gregor Gracie vs. Seok Mo Kim
Round 1: No Gracie Train as Gregor Gracie makes his way to the round cage. I’m disappointed. Bout starts and Gracie jumps back, apparently not ready to start. After moment he comes back in with a pair of punches that bring Kim’s hands up, opening up the possibility for a shot. Gracie gets the easy takedown into mount. Gracie picks his punches from mount, taking his time and edging his way up into a high mount. Gracie looks for a triangle, rolls to guard to finish it but Kim easily pulls out. Back on the feet, Kim lands a low kick that hits Gracie square in the cup.
After a break, they restart and Kim comes to life, landing punches, knees and a high kick that has Gracie on rubber legs. The round ends as Gracie recovers.
Round 2: Kim has confidence after his efforts in the late in the last round, his strikes have Gracie intimidated. Punches and a knee slip through for the Korean before Gracie shoots a power double and immediately looks for the head-arm triangle on the mat. The choke looks good but Kim waves it off and Gracie is unable to finish. Gracie squeezes again for the finish but it just isn’t there. Gracie gives it up and moves to mount. Gracie picks his shots in mount but is not able to get much through. The round finishes with Gracie sitting on his opponent.
Round 3: They are tentative on the feet, Gracie wary of striking, Kim wary of the ground. One minute in Kim lands another low kick to the groin and Gracie takes a break. They restart and Kim lands a hard knee as Gracie drives his opponent into the cage. Gracie turns the corner and again gets the bout to the canvas, again into mount.
Gracie ignores submissions this time, instead opting to retain position and attempt to pound his opponent. After a minute of Kim defending strikes, Gracie looks for another head-arm triangle but again Kim can escape. Gracie recovers mount and retains it until the final bell.
Gracie should take an easy decision here. Remember, we are scoring the bout as a whole rather than round by round.
Winner: Gregor Gracie via Unanimous Decision
Andy Wang vs. Zorobabel Moreira Note: Even after requesting that the bout moved from 155 lbs to 159 lbs, Andy Wang still missed weight, coming in at 163.1. Wang forfeits a percentage of his purse.
Round 1: Quite scrappy as the bout starts, both fighters seeming a little jittery. Moreira reaches out for a clinch but Wang takes a finger to the eye. Fight is stopped and Wang seems to be concerned about his eye. Worth noting that Wang’s last outing in 2010 was ruled a no contest due to an eye poke.
After approximately five minutes, Wang decides he is good to go and referee Yuji Shimada restarts the bout.
Moreira takes the center of the cage, looking for the clinch and knees. An awkward rhythm to the standup, Moreira leaving his lengthy hands extended after throwing punches. Wang gets an eye poke again but this time the bout doesn’t pause. Moreira turns on the flash, looking for a spinning elbow and downward elbows against the cage. Moreira’s reach is giving Wang trouble but aside from the eye poke, he doesn’t seem to be causing much damage.
Round 2: Wang is game, staying in the pocket against the much taller Moreira. Moreira looks for a high kick and Wang steps under it, taking the bout to the ground. They stand quickly and Moreira clinches again to throw his superb elbows. A right elbow devastates Wang, cuts him and sends him into the turtle position on the canvas. Moreira delivers undefended skyscraper knees to the body, appealing to Yuji Shimada to stop the bout. Wang doing nothing to defend himself. Some more knees and Shimada finally stops the fight. Both fighters look at Shimada in amazement – an awfully late stoppage.
Winner: Zorobabel Moreira via TKO (Knees) – Round 2, 1.49
Eddie Ng vs. Yuan Chun Bo
Round 1: Ng, clearly more muscled, starts quickly with a beautiful shot to get the bout to the canvas immediately. Bo, a sanda stylist, responds with a very slick armbar attempt, seemingly close to getting the finish. Ng is good enough to pull his way out and he delivers a punch from guard that knocks Bo out. Subsequent punches from Ng wake Bo up enough for him to protest the fair stoppage by Matt Hume.
Winner: Eddie Ng via KO (Punches) – Round 1, 0.45
Radeem Rahman vs. Susovan Ghosh Round 1: A straight left catches Indian karate stylist Ghosh as he moves backwards, causing him to fall to the canvas. Hometown favorite Rahman pouncing in and pours on the pain. Ghosh attempts to recover with a takedown against the cage but has absolutely to offer here. They stand and Rahman lands crisp punches while Ghosh swings wildly. Ghosh falls again to the canvas and Rahman takes mount where he lands punches until referee Matt Hume calls a stop to the bout.
A brutal one-sided beating.
Winner: Radeem Rahman via TKO (Punches) – Round 1, 3.18
Vuyisile Colossa vs. Ma Xing Yu
Round 1: Colossa, who came in 5.5 pounds heavier than his opponent, has a clear power advantage as he blasts Yu’s head back with a jab only seconds in. Colossa lands a hard knee and looks for the knockout with elbows while Yu scrambles to survive. Colossa steps back and lands a short left hook that sends Yu to the canvas and so referee Matt Hume stops the bout. One sided beating. Post fight, Colossa appeals for a title shot. Amusing, considering that there are no titles in ONE FC yet.
Winner: Vuyisile Colossa via TKO (Punch) – Round 1, 0.49
Daniel Mashamaite vs. Yodsanan Sor Nanthachai Round 1: Yodsanan, a former WBA boxing champ, puts out his hand to touch gloves only to pull it back and try to catch Mashamaite off guard with a dirty hook. Mashamaite clinches and gets the takedown but sits back for a sloppy leg lock. Yodsanan easily avoids it and gets into Masamaite’s guard where he looks to throw some punches before standing and throwing kicks to the legs.
Mashamaite shoots a double from halfway across the cage, Yodsanan easily avoids it and delivers a hard knee as punishment. Yodsanan obviously superior on the feet is relaxed, stalking his opponent around the cage. A right hand rip to the body from the southpaw Thai hurts Mashamaite and has him leaning aginast the cage. Yodsanan continues to take his time, stalking his opponent as the round ends. Round 2: Yodsanan comes out with a pawing jab and Mashamaite responds by bending over for a weak takedown attempt. Yodsanan has clinches and throws a knee that seems to miss his opponent. Mashamaite freezes up for a second and then falls back, referee Yuji Shimada stopping the bout. The replay seems to confirm that the knee missed although commentary claiming that the blow hit Mashamaite’s nose. Strange happenings indeed.
Winner: Yodsanan Sor Nanthachai via TKO (Knee) – Round 2, 0:14.
Soo Chul Kim vs. Leandro Issa
Round 1: Issa opens up with an inside low kick, Kim responding with a superman punch, only to be caught with another low kick – directly to the groin.
Referee Yuji Shimada stops the bout to give Kim a chance to recover.
Bout restarts after minute, Issa fires out a left jab, catching Kim in the eye. A high kick misses for the Brazilian and Kim looks to clinch. With no action in the clinch the pair break and Issa is picking Kim apart early on the feet. Hard jabs knock Kim’s head back and a front kick knocks the Korean to the canvas. The fighters clinch again and Issa, a world champion BJJ practitioner, secures a takedown and quickly moves into side control. Kim seems to have a lack of escape options off his back and finds himself eating knees and elbows.
Kim makes his way back to his feet and he starts to get his striking game going, firing in lowkicks. Issa not reacting well to the kicks and again looks for the takedown. With only seconds left, Issa rains in elbows from side control. The bell sounds as Kim gets back to his feet.
Round 2: ?The second round starts and Issa again looks better with his hands and Kim looking sharper with his kicks. Kim leaps in with a flying knee attempt, not landing. Kim is light on his feet, circling back from Issa. A hard right hand smacks Issa across the face. Issa seemingly getting frustrated with Kim circling away. Issa lands a kick to the body which backs Kim up. Issa gets the takedown off the cage and easily moves into mount, Kim scrambling to get gives up his back before recovering to half guard. Issa looking for the finish with punches but is far from it. The bell brings an end to round two.
Round 3: Final round and Issa throws a heavy kick to the body but is countered with a stiff fist to the face. Kim gets poked in the eye again and appeals to the referee for a minute to clear his vision.
Fight restarts and Kim has a mouse under his eye. Kim comes in with a one-two and knee to the face, one of the few combinations thrown in the bout. Another leg kick lands for Kim. Issa misses with a sloppy takedown attempt but is able to recover and his second shot gets the bout to the canvas. Issa gets Korean’s back and wails away with punches but Kim is good enough to stand.
Kim rushes in with strikes and Issa flops to his back, getting Kim into his guard where he looks for a guillotine and kimura before getting the sweep into mount. After only a second, Kim rolls back into guard where he stands to throw kicks to the legs. Kim needs to finish here but makes a mistake and jumps into Issa’s guard where he is tied up for the rest of the bout.
We go to the judges – note that ONE FC scores the bout as a whole, not by round. MMA Fighting scores the bout for Issa.
Filed under: News, ONE FCWith one exception, all fighters were on weight for ONE Fighting Championship’s inaugural event including UFC veterans Phil Baroni, Yoshiyuki Yoshida and former WBA World super featherweight champion Yodsanan Sor Nanthachai.
With one exception, all fighters were on weight for ONE Fighting Championship‘s inaugural event including UFC veterans Phil Baroni, Yoshiyuki Yoshida and former WBA World super featherweight champion Yodsanan Sor Nanthachai.
The Ultimate Fighter season five contestant Andy Wang was the sole fighter to have trouble on the scales, coming in at 163.1 lbs – 4.1 lbs over the 159-pound weight limit. It is assumed at this stage that Wang’s opponent, Carlos Gracie, Jr. Brazlian Jiu Jitsu blackbelt Zorobabel Moreira, will take 15 percent of Wang’s purse and the bout will be contested at a catchweight. The bout was initially set at 155 lbs but it is believed that Wang requested the bout be moved to 159 lbs in the weeks leading up to the fight.
The first event for the Singapore-based ONE FC is set to take place at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore and will be broadcast on ESPN StarSports through Asia and streamed online to the rest of the world. The full weigh-in results are after the break.
ONE FC 1: Champion vs. Champion. Sept. 3 at Singapore Indoor Stadium, Singapore
A Sol Kwon (155 lbs) vs. Eduard Folayang (155.9 lbs)
Phil Baroni (175.3 lbs) vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (174.8 lbs)
Mitch Chilson (145.5 lbs) vs. Eric Kelly (142.4 lbs)
Gregor Gracie (169.37 lbs) vs. Seok Mo Kim (169.7 lbs)
Andy Wang (163.1 lbs) vs. Zorobabel Moreira (158.9 lbs)
Eddie Ng (159.6 lbs) vs. Yuan Chun Bo (154.3 lbs)
Radeem Rahman (125.2) vs. Susovan Ghosh (125.2 lbs)
Vuyisile Colossa (160.7 lbs) vs. Ma Xing Yu (155.2 lbs)
Daniel Mashamaite (136 lbs) vs. Yodsanan Sor Nanthachai (135.1 lbs)
Soo Chul Kim (135.5) vs. Leandro Issa (136.5)
Filed under: MMA Fighting Exclusive, News, interview, JapanSince Pride shut its doors in 2007, the MMA world has been dominated by American promotions. With leading Japanese promotion DREAM struggling to stay afloat, the focus of the MMA world has shif…
Since Pride shut its doors in 2007, the MMA world has been dominated by American promotions. With leading Japanese promotion DREAM struggling to stay afloat, the focus of the MMA world has shifted to the West and Asia, the world’s most populated continent and the birthplace of martial arts.
After spending the last 15 years organizing events such as the X-Games, the Olympics, PGA Tour and World Cup Indoor Soccer, Cui now shifts his focus to MMA and with ONE FC aims to create,”the king of MMA in Asia.”
With the PGA Tour, Canadian Golf Open, LPGA Canadian Women’s Open, 2000 Olympics and the X-Games on his lengthy resume, Victor Cui is no newcomer to promotion – and that resume includes MMA.
While working at ESPN Star Sports in 2010, Cui put together the Martial Combat series to gauge interest for MMA in Asia. Although Martial Combat pilot was much smaller in scale than the forthcoming ONE FC, it was still ambitious as Cui promoted 12 events in six months with two shows on consecutive nights every month.
Promoting Martial Combat proved to be a valuable experience as the pilot promotion allowed the ONE FC staff to become acquainted with the MMA business in a very short time. The incredible schedule ensured that a tight ship was being run and it also enabled Cui to convince “some high-powered friends with deep pockets” to support ONE FC.
“The small test pilot project (Martial Combat) that I did while working for ESPN StarSports last year, it was exactly that – a small test pilot project to test the waters and to gauge interest levels for MMA in Asia,” says Cui. “It was a small experiment held in a hotel ballroom whereas ONE Fighting Championship is the real deal. ONE Fighting Championship is the Asian major leagues.”
The first ONE FC event is set to take place at the 12,000-seat Singapore Indoor Stadium on Sept. 3. Cageside and VIP tickets sold out in hours and demand was so high that the ticketing service server reportedly crashed. The event will be broadcast on network TV in Singapore, shown in 500 million homes in Asia on ESPN StarSports and will be streamed free online to the rest of the world.
An MMA event of this scale has never been held in Singapore before, but a look through the inaugural card for such a highly hyped event is somewhat confusing as only a handful of fighters on the card have any significant MMA experience. Names such as Yodsanan Sityodtong, Vuyisile Colossa and Ma Xing Yu are unknown to many Western fans, but that is not the case for Asian audiences.
“Fans want to see the best of the best compete against one another. For that very reason, ONE Fighting Championship has signed practically every Asian world champion or national champion in martial arts to compete under MMA rules. Most of our fighters are already household names in Asia.”
As Cui implies, a significant number of these household names and champions are not actually famous due to their MMA accomplishments. Many draw from the locally established sports of Muay Thai, karate, boxing, sanda and wushu or are from Brazilian jiu-jitsu. In many ways it feels like a throwback to the early 90’s era of style versus style. But getting these big names from other combat sports is part of the plan to appeal to mainstream fans in developing markets.
“Take a guy like Yodsanan Sityodtong,” says Cui. “WBA boxing world champion with a 58-3 record with 48 KOs…he’s a national hero in Thailand…he’s been a national hero for the last 10 years. The guy gets mobbed by fans in Thailand. Our entire roster is made up of heroes like him, but for each Asian country.”
History has shown that hedging your bets on stars from other fight sports is risky and for ONE FC to compete in the modern MMA world, they will need a more stable source of athletes.
“For MMA to succeed in Asia, you essentially need an MMA ecosystem,” explains Cui. “MMA gyms, MMA promotions, MMA sponsors, media broadcasters, etc. Historically, Japan was the only place in Asia that had an MMA ecosystem. And sadly, MMA in Japan has always had historical ties to the mafia. Well, times have changed.”
Although Japanese MMA has been on the decline since the demise of Pride, until now Japan has still undoubtedly had the best gyms in Asia. That has the potential to change though with camps like Singapore’s Evolve MMA leading the way. The 12,000-square foot Evolve MMA has facilities and a coaching staff that are unheard of in Japan. DREAM lightweight champion Shinya Aoki recently signing on with the gym is a testament to the potential shift in Asia.
“The Asian MMA ecosystem is exploding everywhere in Asia, especially high quality MMA gyms and quality promotions,” Cui explains. “And with our capital, our media reach, our sponsors, our Asian world champions, etc., ONE Fighting Championship is happy to lead the way for the creation of a legitimate and thriving Asian MMA ecosystem. There are MMA gyms in every country in Asia right now and the numbers are growing rapidly. Of course, it is not like the US yet, but there is definitely an ecosystem developing.”
As Cui acknowledges, a few high quality gyms and a solid promotion to support them is only the beginning of the growth of the sport in Asia. Looking at how the American market blew up though, Cui sees the potential.
“MMA has skyrocketed with 30x growth in the last 10 years and it’s barely scratched the surface of its potential, especially for Asia,” says Cui. “For example, less than 1 percent of the 3.9 billion people in Asia have heard of or watched MMA. And yet, everyone here in Asia practices or knows about martial arts. Asia has been the home of martial arts for the last 5,000 years. Muay Thai in Thailand, Silat in Indonesia, Kung Fu in China, Karate in Japan, etc. And I believe that MMA has a real chance of becoming the largest sport in the world … yes, even bigger than soccer.”
For MMA, or ONE FC, to have a shot at becoming bigger than soccer, Cui will first need to find a way to introduce the sport to the 48 countries of wildly different economic status and culture that make up Asia. The marketing plan starts in Singapore and it is, in a word: aggressive.
“We have to market very aggressively since we are essentially introducing the sport to a mainstream audience for the first time,” Cui says. “For example, for our inaugural show, we have TV commercials through our broadcast partners. Actually we have tied up with the major movie theaters here in Singapore to show our TV commercials during the previews, we have tie-ins with the movie Killer Elite with Robert de Niro and Jason Statham. We have full body-wrap ads on taxis, on subways, we have TV commercials playing on large outdoor TV screens on Orchard Road (the main shopping district in Singapore). We have ads in magazines, newspapers, etc. We have partnered with all the major associations, we have online ads … in a nutshell, the marketing program is a 360-degree effort to blanket the entire Singapore.”
For such a wide-reaching marketing campaign, ONE FC needs strong backers. Given Cui’s corporate history, he has been able to bring some major names on board.
“I prefer to let my actions speak for themselves. You can read between the lines though … the fact that ESPN StarSports and MediaCorp and a few other broadcasters jumped on board without a single event … or our sponsors like Energizer, Schick, Holiday Inn, etc. They all came on board without any product to show them,” says Cui. “Well, put it this way, they have all seen our plans and know how much capital we are investing … you guys will just have to wait and see. All I can say is that we are the real deal and it’s a first for Asia. ONE Fighting Championship marks the first time in Asian MMA history that a legitimate sports media industry veteran has led an MMA organization. It’s never happened before and so the access to capital, media, sponsors, etc. is unprecedented.”
ONE Fighting Championship, by any measure, is an extremely ambitious undertaking. For Cui though, the biggest challenge will be simply be the fights themselves.
“The biggest challenge is always to put on exciting fights that fans want to see. If we can put on explosive and entertaining fights between the best martial artists in Asia, then everything else will fall into place. Asians understand martial arts – we’ve been doing it for the last 5,000 years.”
Filed under: News, JapanTOKYO – After suffering of one of the most sickening injuries in the history of the MMA, former Sengoku lightweight champion Mizuto Hirota successfully returned from a 20-month absence on Friday night to best defending Deep ligh…
Sporting a six-inch scar on his tricep and a four-inch scar on his bicep – evidence of the extensive surgeries required to repair the damage inflicted by DREAM lightweight champion Shinya Aoki‘s hammerlock – Hirota showed no signs of ring rust, out-striking Kikuno through the three-round bout to steal the champion’s strap.
Also at the sold-out Korakuen Hall, Deep featherweight champion Koichiro Matsumoto won a two-round war with rugby-convert Tatsunao Nagakura before announcing his retirement and movement into comedy, and Georgian judo player Levan Razmadze brutalized defending Deep Megaton champ Kazuhisa Tazawa before submitting him with a keylock after one and a half minutes.
As he did in his last outing in DREAM against Daisuke Nakamura, defending lightweight champion Katsunori Kikuno employed a questionable game plan in his bout with Mizuto Hirota – offering no traditional defense, keeping his hands by his side and attempting to press forward in a squared stance while looking to counter with straight punches to the jaw.
When Kikuno first used his unusual new style, he narrowly edged out a decision over a grappler. Against a striker the caliber of Hirota, the style cost him his title.
Hirota had the champion figured out as soon as the opening gong sounded, rushing Kikuno with strikes and forcing him into the clinch. Kikuno’s stubborn determination to counter-strike from defenseless stance took away any ability he had to circle away and maintain distance. Through the three rounds, Hirota rushed in with punches, controlled the fight in the clinch and dictated the pace.
Hirota, maintaining an impressive pace given his layoff, rocked Kikuno in the first and second rounds and dominated with knees in the clinch in the last stanza. Although he did occasionally take counter shots, Hirota’s forward momentum took the steam off the blows.
After three rounds, the five judges employed for a Deep title bout had no issues awarding Mizuto Hirota the win and the Deep lightweight title.
The win over one of Japan’s best lightweights was a satisfying one for Hirota, having gone through several setbacks in the recovery from his gruesome injury, changing gyms and watching Sengoku (where he was the last lightweight champion) go under during his time away from the sport.
The Katsunori Kikuno that gave top five lightweight Eddie Alvarez fits seems to be only a distant memory.
Reigning Deep featherweight ace Koichiro Matsumoto (13-3-0) left the MMA world on Friday night but he left his mark on Yoshida Dojo’s Tatsunao Nagakura before saying goodbye.
In a thrilling two-round battle, Matsumoto found himself rocked early by the powerful Nagakura, stumbling around the ring in an attempt to avoid the one-shot that would have finished him. The champion’s slick evasive skills proved good though and after his rough start, Matsumoto was able to compose himself and start to time Nagakura’s movements and land devastating counter strikes.
Nagakura kept the pressure on in the second but the damage from Matsumoto’s consistent jolting counters started to add up and slowly his feet seemed less sure. As Nagakura’s footwork deteriorated, Matsumoto’s accuracy improved and by midway through the second round Nagakura was unable to avoid any of the strikes and was becoming a bloody mess.
Dojo boss Kazuhiro Nakamura had seen enough after 2.48 and threw the towel in to save his student – Koichiro Matsumoto making a successful defense in his final outing.
Matsumoto retires from MMA at the tender age of 25 to follow his gym owner, the hugely popular Koji Imada, into a career in comedy.
Georgian judoka Levan Razmadze moved to a perfect 4-0, claiming the Deep Megaton title and smashing Kazuhisa Tazawa before keylocking him after 1.29 in the first round.
Razmadze’s power advantage was ridiculous, his huge fists clubbing Tazawa around the ring, forming an egg on his forehead only seconds in. A simple single leg while Tazawa was covering up saw the Georgian take side control where he pounded away before applying the fight-ending keylock.
Despite only having fought since January of this year, while tipping the scales at a solid 273 lbs it is unlikely that Razmadze will find any serious opposition in Japan. The judo player’s striking is still lacking refinement but future opponents in the East should only prove to be stepping stones.
Former Deep middleweight ace Ryuta Sakurai and Kazushi Sakuraba teammate Katsuyori Shibata put on a beautiful display of violence before Shibata fell to punches midway through round two.
Shibata was able to use his reach to get the advantage on the feet, causing a mouse under the eye of Sakurai early. Shibata’s non-existent takedown defense thwarted his offense efforts though and Sakurai was able to put him on his back and open up a bad cut about Shibata’s eye with ease.
After three doctor checks for the injuries in round one, Sakurai pressed forward with strikes on the feet in round two, rocking a valiant Shibata and sending him to the mat where he was pounded out.
With the loss Shibata, a popular figure on the local pro-wrestling circuit, slips to 4-11-1. Sakurai (22-16-6) has now put together two straight wins since his incredible TKO loss to UFC acquisition Riki Fukuda.
The fluffy-mohawked Tatsumitsu Wada put on an fearless striking dispkay in his majority decision victory over K-1 and DREAM veteran Daiki “DJ.Taiki” Hata.
Wada sent the message early, cracking Hata’s leg with a low kick in the opening exchanges. Not intimidated by Hata’s K-1 experience, Wada went after Hata and got results, coming close to finishing his foe early with punches. Hata’s experience showed though as he was narrowly able to avoid defeat, utilizing his wrestling to keep him in the bout.
Hata moved past his disastrous start to mount some solid offense of his own, scoring with mean knees from the clinch in the final round, but it was too little, too late. Although one judge scored the bout a draw, the other two sided with Wada.
Hata, once considered one of the top featherweights on the regional scene, is now on a four-fight slide and drops to 11-9-3.
Deep 55 – Sept. 26, 2007 at Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan.
Mizuto Hirota def. Katsunori Kikuno by Unanimous Decision
Koichiro Matsumoto def. Tatsunao Nagakura by TKO (Corner Stoppage) – Round 2, 2:48
Levan Razmadze def. Kazuhisa Tazawa by Submission (Keylock) – Round 1, 1:29
Ryuta Sakurai def. Katsuyori Shibata by TKO (Punches) – Round 2, 3:04
Tatsumitsu Wada def. Daiki Hata by Majority Decision
Ryuta Noji def. Shuji Morikawa by TKO (Corner Stoppage) – Round 1, 2:56
Motoki Miyazawa def. Yasushi Kitazaki by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) – Round 2, 3:36
Yuki Niimura def. Shunsuke Inoue by KO (Punch) – Round 1, 0:27
Makoto Kamaya def. Tomohiko Hori by Majority Decision
Amanda Lucas def. Hikaru Shinohara by Technical Submission (Armbar) – Round 1, 4:37
Since the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami, former Shooto heavyweight champion and Pride veteran Enson Inoue has been tireless in his charity efforts, repeatedly traveling to northeast Japan to directly help those in need.
The last time I was up in Fukushima I met one of my friends for drinks. He’s a contractor who works inside the evacuation zone. We were sitting at a bar and he told me, “Enson, if you want to go in, this is the time.” 
After three consecutive losses as a middleweight, Japanese 
This is the ONE FC 1: Champion vs Champion live blog for A Sol Kwon vs. Eduard Folayang and 
With one exception, all fighters were on weight for 
Since Pride shut its doors in 2007, the 
TOKYO – After