Tag: Genki Desu Ka

Josh Barnett Pro Wrestling Match, Two Kickboxing Bouts Added to ‘Genki Desu Ka!’

Filed under: News, JapanBefore Josh Barnett takes on Daniel Cormier tentatively in March for the Strikeforce GP title, the former UFC champ will take part in a pro wrestling match on the New Year’s Eve “Genki Desu Ka!!” card in Japan.

On Tuesday, prom…

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Before Josh Barnett takes on Daniel Cormier tentatively in March for the Strikeforce GP title, the former UFC champ will take part in a pro wrestling match on the New Year’s Eve “Genki Desu Ka!!” card in Japan.

On Tuesday, promoters announced that Barnett will face Hideki Suzuki in the IGF pro wrestling portion of the card. Also added Tuesday is a pair of kickboxing bouts. Yuta Kubo will take on Nils Widlund, while Masaaki Noiri meets Kengo Sonoda.


The current “Genki Desu Ka!!” lineup is below.

Main Event (MMA)
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Satoshi Ishii

Dream Lightweight Title Bout
Shinya Aoki vs. Satoru Kitaoka

Dream Featherweight Title Bout
Hiroyuki Takaya vs. Takeshi “Lion” Inoue

Dream Bantamweight World GP
Semifinals: Bibiano Fernandes vs. Rodolfo Marques
Semifinals: Masakazu Imanari vs. Antonio Banuelos
Finals: Winner of Fernandes-Marques vs. Winner of Imanari-Banuelos
Reserve: Hideo Tokoro vs. Yusup Saadulaev

Other MMA Bouts
 Hayato “Mach” Sakurai vs. Ryo Chonan
Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Kazuyuki Miyata

Mixed Rules Bout (Two rounds: R1 kickboxing, R2 MMA)
Yuichiro Nagashima vs. Katsunori Kikuno

IGF Pro Wrestling Matches
Kazushi Sakuraba and Katsuyori Shibata vs. Shinichi Suzukawa and Atsushi Sawada
Kazuyuki Fujita vs. Peter Aerts
Josh Barnett vs. Hideki Suzuki

Kickboxing Bouts
Yuta Kubo vs. Nils Widlund
Masaaki Noiri vs. Kengo Sonoda

 

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Kazushi Sakuraba to Dig Out the Ol’ Orange Wrestling Briefs for DREAM/IGF New Year’s Eve Show

(Human speed-chess: Kazushi Sakuraba and Kiyoshi Tamura put in work at a UWFi show in March 1996. Video via theperfectone)

If you’re a student of Japanese MMA history like we are, you know that legendary fighter Kazushi Sakuraba got his start as a professional wrestler in the 1990s, honing his grappling chops in the UWFi and Kingdom Pro Wrestling leagues. But once he tasted success at the UFC Japan tournament in December 1997, Saku’s career shifted away from worked matches, and he soon became PRIDE’s most beloved native hero.

Now 42 years old and riding a four-fight losing streak — the last three losses by stoppage — Sakuraba has agreed to re-capture some of his lost youth in a tag-team wrestling match at Fight For Japan: Genki Desu Ka Omisoka 2011, the New Year’s Eve show promoted by DREAM and IGF at the Saitama Super Arena. Sakuraba will team up with fellow wrestling/MMA crossover star Katsuyori Shibata, against Shinichi Suzukawa and Atsushi Sawada. (I’ve never heard of the second guy, but Suzukawa is that dude who beat Mark Coleman even though he wasn’t supposed to.)


(Human speed-chess: Kazushi Sakuraba and Kiyoshi Tamura put in work at a UWFi show in March 1996. Video via theperfectone)

If you’re a student of Japanese MMA history like we are, you know that legendary fighter Kazushi Sakuraba got his start as a professional wrestler in the 1990s, honing his grappling chops in the UWFi and Kingdom Pro Wrestling leagues. But once he tasted success at the UFC Japan tournament in December 1997, Saku’s career shifted away from worked matches, and he soon became PRIDE’s most beloved native hero.

Now 42 years old and riding a four-fight losing streak — the last three losses by stoppage — Sakuraba has agreed to re-capture some of his lost youth in a tag-team wrestling match at Fight For Japan: Genki Desu Ka Omisoka 2011, the New Year’s Eve show promoted by DREAM and IGF at the Saitama Super Arena. Sakuraba will team up with fellow wrestling/MMA crossover star Katsuyori Shibata, against Shinichi Suzukawa and Atsushi Sawada. (I’ve never heard of the second guy, but Suzukawa is that dude who beat Mark Coleman even though he wasn’t supposed to.)

Sakuraba hasn’t announced an official retirement from MMA, but we get the feeling that this could be the first step towards a new life that doesn’t involve being choked out or getting his ears ripped off. Maybe that’s just wishful thinking.

Another pro wrestling match between actual fighters Kazuyuki Fujita and Peter Aerts has also been booked for Genki Desu Ka, while MMA bouts featuring Japanese stars Shinya Aoki and Megumi Fujii have been added as well. Check out the current lineup below…

– Fedor Emelianenko vs. Satoshi Ishii (HW)
– Shinya Aoki vs. Satoru Kitaoka (for DREAM lightweight title)
– Hiroyuki Takaya vs. Takeshi Inoue (for DREAM featherweight title)
– Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Kazuyuki Miyata (FW)
– Hayato Sakurai vs. Ryo Chonan (WW)

– DREAM/K-1 Special Rules Bout: Yuichiro Nagashima vs. Katsunori Kikuno

– Megumi Fujii vs. Karla Benitez* (115 pounds)

IGF Rules Bouts
– Kazushi Sakuraba & Katsuyori Shibata vs. Atsushi Sawada & Shinichi Suzukawa
– Kazuyuki Fujita vs. Peter Aerts

Bantamweight Tournament
– Masakazu Imanari vs. Antonio Banuelos
– Bibiano Fernandes vs. Rodolfo Marques
– Hideo Tokoro vs. Yusup Saadulaev (reserve bout)
– Winner of Imanari/Banuelos vs. winner of Fernandes/Marques (final)

* Benitez is 4-0. Cough.

Yuichiro ‘Jienotsu’ Nagashima Set for Mixed Rules Bout at ‘Genki Desu Ka!!’

Filed under: News, JapanYuichiro “Jienotsu” Nagashima, who knocked out Shinya Aoki last New Year’s Eve in a kickboxing/MMA fight, will fight again under the mixed rules format on Dec. 31 at “Genki Desu Ka!!” taking place at the Saitama Super Arena in S…

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Yuichiro “Jienotsu” Nagashima, who knocked out Shinya Aoki last New Year’s Eve in a kickboxing/MMA fight, will fight again under the mixed rules format on Dec. 31 at “Genki Desu Ka!!” taking place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Nagashima, a K-1 MAX fighter known for engaging in school girl cosplay, has been booked to face former DEEP lightweight champion and DREAM veteran Katsunori Kikuno. In this special attraction, one round will be under K-1 kickboxing rules and the other under DREAM mixed martial arts rules.

Nagashima, who fought MMA in 2005-2006 before making the jump full-time to K-1 in 2007, recently made clear his interest in returning to MMA. Following a UFC 137 pre-fight press conference in October, Nagashima introduced himself to UFC president Dana White and asked for an opportunity inside the UFC cage.

At Dynamite!! 2010, Nagashima caught the attention of Japanese MMA fans by scoring a second-round KO over Aoki. And he did so in the MMA round of the fight with a knee four seconds in. Unlike last year, Nagashima will be fighting an MMA fighter who prefers to keep the fight on the feet. Kikuno carries one of the more unusual fighting stances in MMA with his emphasis in Kyokushin Karate. Kikuno also has a judo background but his strength in MMA has been in the standup department. Nine out of his 16 wins have come by way of (T)KO.


The current “Genki Desu Ka!!” lineup is below.

Dream Lightweight Title Bout
Shinya Aoki vs. Satoru Kitaoka

Dream Featherweight Title Bout
Hiroyuki Takaya vs. Takeshi “Lion” Inoue

Dream Bantamweight World GP
Semifinals: Bibiano Fernandes vs. Rodolfo Marques
Semifinals: Masakazu Imanari vs. Antonio Banuelos
Finals: Winner of Fernandes-Marques vs. Winner of Imanari-Banuelos
Reserve: Hideo Tokoro vs. Yusup Saadulaev

Other MMA Bouts
Hayato “Mach” Sakurai vs. Ryo Chonan
Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Kazuyuki Miyata

Mixed Rules Bout
Yuichiro Nagashima vs. Katsunori Kikuno

 

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Aoki vs. Kitaoka, Tokoro vs. Saadulaev Added to ‘Genki Desu Ka!!’

Filed under: News, JapanA lightweight title bout between Shinya Aoki and Satoru Kitaoka and a bantamweight reserve bout between Hideo Tokoro and Yusup Saadulaev are recent additions to the New Year’s Eve “Genki Desu Ka!!” event at the Saitama Super Are…

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A lightweight title bout between Shinya Aoki and Satoru Kitaoka and a bantamweight reserve bout between Hideo Tokoro and Yusup Saadulaev are recent additions to the New Year’s Eve “Genki Desu Ka!!” event at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

DREAM last weekend made official that Aoki will be defending his DREAM belt against former teammate Kitaoka in a five-round affair. On Tuesday, Tokoro and Saadulaev, who were both ousted in quarterfinal bouts in September, were given a second chance at returning to the tournament. The reserve winner could potentially enter the finals in the event an injury replacement is needed.

Aoki (29-5), who will be fighting for the fourth time in 2011, is looking to extend his win streak to seven as well as a successful second title defense. Aoki last fought in September, submitting “Razor” Rob McCullough with a neck crank at DREAM.17. Kitaoka (29-10-9) is a former Sengoku lightweight champion who made his DREAM debut in September, beating Willamy Freire by split decision.

Tokoro (30-24-1) had a four-fight win streak snapped by Antonio Banuelos at DREAM.17. Meanwhile, Saadulaev suffered his first career loss in a unanimous decision loss to Rodolfo Marques.

The current “Genki Desu Ka!!” lineup is below.

Dream Lightweight Title Bout
Shinya Aoki vs. Satoru Kitaoka

Dream Featherweight Title Bout
Hiroyuki Takaya vs. Takeshi “Lion” Inoue

Dream Bantamweight World GP
Semifinals: Bibiano Fernandes vs. Rodolfo Marques
Semifinals: Masakazu Imanari vs. Antonio Banuelos
Finals: Winner of Fernandes-Marques vs. Winner of Imanari-Banuelos
Reserve: Hideo Tokoro vs. Yusup Saadulaev

Other Bouts
Hayato “Mach” Sakurai vs. Ryo Chonan
Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Kazuyuki Miyata

 

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DREAM Bantamweight Semifinals Set for ‘Genki Desu Ka!!’

Filed under: News, JapanTo close out DREAM’s World Bantamweight Grand Prix, Bibiano Fernandes will face Antonio Banuelos, while Masakazu Imanari will fight Rodolfo Marques on the Dec. 31 “Genki Desu Ka!!” (How are you?) card in Saitama, Japan.

Fernan…

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Masakazu Imanari makes his entrance at DREAM.17.To close out DREAM’s World Bantamweight Grand Prix, Bibiano Fernandes will face Antonio Banuelos, while Masakazu Imanari will fight Rodolfo Marques on the Dec. 31 “Genki Desu Ka!!” (How are you?) card in Saitama, Japan.

Fernandes, Baneulos, Imanari and Marques were all victorious in opening round bouts at DREAM.17 in September to advance to the semifinals. The winners of the semifinals will meet the same night on Dec. 31 to determine the Grand Prix champion.

Former DREAM Featherweight GP winner and titleholder Fernandes (9-3) is coming off a win against Takafumi Otsuka via rear-naked choke. Marques (14-1) out of Brazil’s Nova Uniao advanced with a unanimous decision win over Yusup Saadulaev.

Leglock specialist Imanari (24-9-2) has been one of the most active fighters in Japanese MMA in 2011. He’s 3-2 this year with wins over Abel Cullum, Kenji Osawa and Keisuke Fujiwara and loses to Hideo Tokoro and Hiroshi Nakamura. Banuelos (19-7) made his UFC debut in February in a losing effort against Miguel Torres and then bounced back with a win over Hideo Tokoro at DREAM.17.

Event promoters also announced Friday the addition of Hayato “Mach” Sakurai vs. Ryo Chonan to the card.


Sakurai (35-12-2) will be in search of his first win since knocking out Shinya Aoki back at DREAM.8 in April 2009. The former UFC title contender last competed last New Year’s Eve in a loss to Jason High. He was booked to fight at DREAM.17 but bowed out due to injury. Chonan (20-12), best known for a submission win over Anderson Silva, won both his fights in 2011 fighting under the DEEP banner.

The final “Genki Desu Ka!!” card will be a mix of MMA, kickboxing and pro wrestling matches.

Current lineup:

Bibiano Fernandes vs. Rodolfo Marques
Masakazu Imanari vs. Antonio Banuelos
Winner of Fernandes-Marques vs. Winner of Imanari-Banuelos
Hayato “Mach” Sakurai vs. Ryo Chonan
Hiroyuki Takaya vs. Takeshi “Lion” Inoue
Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Kazuyuki Miyata

 

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