Tag: Tatsuya Kawajiri

Tatsuya Kawajiri Isn’t Training in Cage for Strikeforce Title Fight

Filed under: Strikeforce, NewsTop 10 lightweight Tatsuya Kawajiri, who has been accustomed to fighting inside a ring the past 11 years in Japan, hasn’t made adjustments for his first-ever fight inside a cage.

As he heads into his title shot this Satur…

Filed under: ,

Top 10 lightweight Tatsuya Kawajiri, who has been accustomed to fighting inside a ring the past 11 years in Japan, hasn’t made adjustments for his first-ever fight inside a cage.

As he heads into his title shot this Saturday against Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez in San Diego, Kawajiri apparently doesn’t think the fighting surface will be a major factor in the fight.

“He’s been training as usual and no specific training geared towards a fight in a cage,” Kawajiri’s translator Ryo Ishibashi said on a recent Strikeforce conference call.

Nippon Weekly: Fighters OK After Massive Quake; Sengoku’s Future Grim

Filed under: Sengoku, News, JapanGiven the circumstances in Japan, it’s not really possible for me to write. The power is going to be switched off periodically in Tokyo I’m told, Internet is sketchy, there are reports now of trace amounts of radiation …

Filed under: , ,

Given the circumstances in Japan, it’s not really possible for me to write. The power is going to be switched off periodically in Tokyo I’m told, Internet is sketchy, there are reports now of trace amounts of radiation in Tokyo and I am ready to get out on a moment’s notice.

No fighters that I am aware of have been reported missing. The vast majority of fighters are in Tokyo and that area was not hit as bad as places to the north.

Notably, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Mitsuhiro Ishida, Kazuyuki Miyata and Hayato “Mach” Sakurai are all up North in the Saitama and Ibaraki prefectures, but they are fine.

Strikeforce: Nick Diaz vs. Paul Daley Fight Card

Filed under: StrikeforceThe Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley fight card on April 9 in San Diego won’t feature the next pair of heavyweight tournament quarterfinal bouts as initially planned, but fans are in for an arguably more intriguing lineup.

In the m…

Filed under:

The Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley fight card on April 9 in San Diego won’t feature the next pair of heavyweight tournament quarterfinal bouts as initially planned, but fans are in for an arguably more intriguing lineup.

In the main event, top-ranked Nick Diaz (24-7-1) will make his third defense of the Strikeforce welterweight title against heavy-handed British striker Paul Daley (27-9-2). Diaz has built a reputation on fighting his opponent’s style, but will he continue the trend against someone who coming off two devastating first-round knockout wins?

Diaz’s teammate Gilbert Melendez (19-2) is back in action after renewing a deal with Strikeforce and he’ll welcome top Japanese lightweight Tatsuya Kawajiri (27-6-2) to the U.S. The fight will be Melendez’s second title defense since unifying the Strikeforce titles in December 2009.

The current Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley card from the Valley View Casino Center is below.

Diaz vs. Daley, Melendez vs. Kawajiri Title Bouts Set for April 9 Strikeforce

Filed under: Strikeforce, NewsStrikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz and lightweight titleholder Gilbert Melendez will put their titles on the line against Paul Daley and Tatsuya Kawajiri, respectively, on the April 9 Strikeforce card in San Diego…

Filed under: ,

Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz and lightweight titleholder Gilbert Melendez will put their titles on the line against Paul Daley and Tatsuya Kawajiri, respectively, on the April 9 Strikeforce card in San Diego, Calif.

Additionally, the card at the Valley View Casino Center will feature a 205-pound showdown between DREAM light heavyweight champ Gegard Mousasi and American Kickboxing Academy product Mike Kyle.

Strikeforce announced the bouts Wednesday alongside the postponement of the heavyweight tournament from April 9 to June 18.

MMA Top 10 Lightweights: 2011 Starts With a Bang

Filed under: DREAM, UFC, Strikeforce, Rankings, LightweightsThe UFC might not have a better main event all year than it had in its first main event of the year, as Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard fought for 25 furious minutes and showed why they’re the …

Filed under: , , , ,

The UFC might not have a better main event all year than it had in its first main event of the year, as Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard fought for 25 furious minutes and showed why they’re the two best lightweights in the world.

Is it disappointing that Edgar-Maynard ended up a draw? In a sense, it’s always disappointing, in any competition, not to see a definitive winner. But this time the draw was the right decision (I scored it 47-47) Fortunately, the UFC made the right decision and said after the fight that Edgar and Maynard will get it on one more time to determine who’s No. 1.

At the moment, Edgar and Maynard are 1-2 on my list and just about everyone else’s. Take a look at how the rest of the lightweight rankings stack up below.

Josh Thomson vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri Signed for Dynamite!!

Filed under: DREAM, Strikeforce, FanHouse Exclusive, NewsFans won’t get a chance to see Gilbert Melendez vs. Shinya Aoki at Dynamite!!, but there will be an important lightweight DREAM vs. Strikeforce fight on the card after all.

Josh Thomson vs. Tats…

Filed under: , , ,

Fans won’t get a chance to see Gilbert Melendez vs. Shinya Aoki at Dynamite!!, but there will be an important lightweight DREAM vs. Strikeforce fight on the card after all.

Josh Thomson vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri has been signed for the Dec. 31 event, MMA Fighting has learned from sources. The bout will take place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.