DEEP is the promotion that always emphasized the aspect of "story". From he road to the titles, grudges between fighters, rivalries between teams, to challenging pro-wrestlers, the promotion always kept its own "color" and for about the last half decade DEEP was sort of like the minor league, or perhaps gateway to PRIDE. Now this show founded by Shigeru Saeki is one of the most recognizable MMA shows in Japan. However since PRIDE disappeared from the market, DEEP lost its myth as the stage fighters get recruited from into the big time show. For about the past year or so, fighters and managers and trainers and of course, the fans were wondering what the new direction of this promotion was going to be. Then there is the foundation of DREAM. And Saeki was there, at the press conference and that made everything back to where it was. Now DEEP is where fighters get discovered. This is the show that will feed a new breed of fighters to DREAM especially when it comes to Japanese and Korean fighters. Well, no one said it officially but at least that is what it looks like - at least for now.

Ryuta Sakurai came close to finishing Riki Fukdau with this armbar in the second round.

Therefore, all eight fighters that competed in this DEEP middleweight tournament have got to be thinking, this is the opportunity to step up to the big show. For veterans like Ryuta Sakurai and Daijiro Matsui this can be a chance get into that big stage broadcasted by Japan's popular national television. And for fighters like former King of Pancrase Yuichi Nakanishi and Strikeforce veteran Riki Fukuda, this could lead to DREAM. Of course, no one said it officially. Out of eight fighters in this tournament, in fact, no one even talked about DREAM. However since DREAM is the only major show on national television and it seems like Saeki is with DREAM so fighters must be hoping - if I become a DEEP champion I might be able to fight in DREAM.

The first round match-ups of hits DEEP middleweight tournament were decided on the day of the show and Fukuda vs. Sakurai became the fistfight of the tournament.

Fukuda initiated the first move. He shot in, took Sakurai down, and then after dropping a series of fists moved to the side mount. Fukuda was aggressive in the second round as well. From the clinch, he unleashed a solid uppercut and left knee to Sakurai's chin. But later in the round, off the ropes, Sakurai took Fukuda down and snapped on an armbar. This was tight but it wasn't quite deep enough. Fukuda escaped and back on their feet he scored more points landing hard left knees and left kicks to the body. Fukuda's knee attack continued in the third. Fukuda then tripped Sakurai down with a leg, moved to the side mount then to the mount position. Fukuda basically controlled not only the standing battle but also the ground war, and all three judges gave it to Fukuda probably for creating more opportunities to finish the fight.

Nakanishi faced GRABAKA veteran Eiji Ishikawa. Only in the beginning of the first round Ishikawa was able to score a takedown but once Nakanishi countered with a kimura later in the round, from that point on, it was all Nakanishi. Nakanishi comfortably got the mount positions, and even after Ishikawa escaped, he was constantly on Ishikawa's back. Even from his back, Nakanishi landed sharp up kicks, eventually slicing Ishikawa's cheek. Nakanishi just didn't give any opportunity to Ishikawa.

Matsui once again showed the fans in Korakuen Hall that he can indeed be a tough son of a gun that can take heavy punishment. Matsui was controlling the fight in the first round. From his back, he attempted a few arm locks and armbar. However in the second round, after Matsui shot in, everything changed. RYO sprawled out quickly spun around to Matsui's back slid the arm for a Mata Leon choke. It took a while but Matsui somehow escaped. Standing again however RYO's right hook landed squarely on Matsui's nose. His nose was destroyed and blood was covering his entire face. After the doctor check, however, Matsui came back. He landed a straight right that dropped RYO. But RYO came back in the third. He took Matsui down, landed a solid soccer kick to the head followed by a series of hard punches. Overall this fight could have gone either way. RYO was ahead in terms of damages but two of the three judges felt that Matsui had an edge for controlling the first two rounds.

Satoko Shinashi with this armbar finished SACHI from Zendo-kai.

A veteran Yuya Shirai from Team M.A.D. controlled a young grappler from SK Absolute Sojiru Orui in the other first round bout and advanced to the semi-final, which will be held on May 19th. Just like the first round, the match-ups of the semi-final will be decided on the day of the show with a draw. Both semi and final bouts will be held on the same day so DEEP will crown its new middleweight champ on the same day and this might mean that someone would secure his place in DREAM later in the year.

The other tournament held on the same day was a four-woman flyweight (45 kg & under) tournament to decide the DEEP champion at this category. The other way to look at it is that this a stage to give or create a "story" to one of the commodities of DEEP Satoko Shinashi. Everyone knows that DEEP has a womens division but it doesn't look like the promotion is thinking about establishing champions on each weight class to really promote womens MMA. Instead, its sort of apparent that the "story" surrounding key fighters is what DEEP is emphasizing. And that means it is all about Shinashi, Hisae Watanabe and the current lightweight (48 kg & under) champions MIKU. But on this date, a new champion was crowned at the newly established flyweight class, and of course, Shinashi took the title at the end of the night. In the first round bout against Fukuko Hamada of MMA Dojo Cobra-kai, Shinashi did allow Fukuda to take her back that almost ended in a rear naked choke but after escaping Shinashi just took over. Constantly attempting arm locks and leg locks throughout the fight she dominated all the way till the end. In the final bout against SACHI from Zendo-kai, Shinashi was even more dominating. Shinash shot in and SACHI sprawling out got on the back went for the rear naked choke. It was the same situation Shinashi was in the first round bout against Fukuda. However this time, Shinashi escaped very quickly and went for an armbar and it was all over. Overall, it was more than obvious that Shinashi was ahead of the other three girls in the tournament and this was the tournament to give Shinashi a title that would create reason for her to shoot for revenge fight against Hisae.

Ever since Shiniashi was KO'd by Hisae on June 2006, Shinashi needed a "story" to get back into the mix. Although its a lighter weight class, having the flyweight title would help to start talking about winning the title at two weight classes. In fact right after the fight Shinashi grabbed the microphone and told the fans, "I want to train hard to get the other belt!" Since Shinashi already has a Smack Girl flyweight title, and of course with the DEEP title at the same weight class, the only "other title" out there, in the Japanese women’s MMA, is nothing but the DEEP lightweight title held by MIKU. And in order for Shinashi to get to the challenger's sport for this title, naturally defeating former lightweight champ Hisae who is also looking to get the lightweight title back from MIKU becomes absolutely necessary. Now the story is set and Shinashi, with the title, now has a reason to ask Hisae for her chance at redemption. This is the kind of "story" that DEEP has been utilizing for the past seven years to be successful in the Japanese market.

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