"Not enough training. I lost because I have something negative. I feel mortified. (pause) My body is fine, but my heart is in pain."
Yoshiro Maeda, at times, broke off short, with tears in his eyes.
The Main Event in his hometown, against a relative rookie who only had three W's in his pro MMA record.
"I am completely ignoring his striking."
The comment made by Maeda prior to this fight explained what this fight is all about. It's Maeda's show.

With his long arm and sharp left straight, D.J. Taiki won this fight in a punching war.

Maeda was in "crushing " mode from the beginning.
D.J. Taiki throws high kick but Maeda quickly closes in, pushes the action to the corner. Maeda, with a leg trip, takes the fight to the ground but Taiki grabs him in a full guard. Maeda then lifts Taiki slamming him to the canvass three consecutive times, droppping hard punches.
Taiki hoever utilizes his long legs, kicking out to get back to the standing position.
Maeda initiates a punching war but Taiki ducks well, starts to land hard lefts to Maeda's face.
Holding on to Maeda's right arm, Taiki jumps up for an armbar but Maeda shakes him off. Landing hard on the canvass Taiki quickly gets up, in the next moment, Maeda shoots in but Taiki sprawls, goes around to take the back.
Maeda is in a turtle position, Taiki dropping hard fists from the back, everyone thought this might be over but the bell has sounded.

Right off the bat, in the second round, Maeda drops both hands, sticks his tongue out and again, engages in a punching war.
But Taiki's precise left keeps landing on Maeda's face.
Finally, Taiki's hard left nails Maeda's chin, his legs wobble, the referee steps in and hugs Maeda, and it is all over.
Maeda seemed conscious, and immediately started to complain to the referee but it was just too late.

(left photo) Yoshiro Maeda master Mr. Inagaki hugged to make him realize that it was all over. (right photo) At the post fight inteview booth, Maeda seemed devastated.

Taiki ran up to the corner raised his hands to signal his victory. Then Maeda on the other corner got up and did the same.
Maeda's master Inagaki pulled him down and hugged Maeda, and finally Maeda realized it was a done deal.

While Osaka fans screams in anger, Taiki grabbed the microphone, "I know people won't take this seriously but I want to fight Remigijus Morkevicius in HERO'S!"
Even backstage, Taiki maintained this candy ass-like attitude, "That was definitely a fluke. He has won so many fights in a row, and I only won three before this fight. I lost completely in terms of the psychological war. He said he wants the rematch in May but I know I would lose that fight for sure so I won't take the fight. Maeda is very good at takedowns too, right? K.I.B.A. is like a circle instead of a gym so it just isn't the type of environment where I can do a serious wrestling practice. If I fight him again, I know I would definitely lose in an armbar. That's why I won't take the fight. Remigijus doesn't shoot in, right? I even prefer a kickboxing bout."

Is he a new hero in Pancrase's featherweight category?
It's very difficult to measure his potential because after all he is now 4-2-2. Last year, he lost to Naoji Fujimoto, a fighter who got dominated by Mike Hominick in TKO this year. But at the same time, he did win four of his last five fights, with his sharp striking skill, and long arms and legs, he could turn into a force.

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