La Prima Pelea
With Sinae Kikuta and TK Kosaka at the commentators booth, Sengoku II got underway with a less stellar cast that in its previous all star show. For the Japanese fans and media the biggest occurrence was undoubtedly the return of a new Gracie prodigy on Japanese shores to take on their own Yuki Kondo, a working star of PANCRASE.

“Submission”
After a nice Japanese introduction of the shows fighters things got under way with some quick submissions which set the standard for most of the night. Although Ian Schaffa is a superb striker and K-1 Max veteran he still has much to learn regarding the art of grappling and defending submissions as he became yet another victim of a submission master from Pancrase named Satoru Kitaoka. Kitaoka was determined as he closed in on the circling Schaffa, clinching and then following up with a souplex like throw with overhooks transitioning into a guillotine. Ian never had a chance to do his thing as he got tangled and the choke tightened up; quite a disappointment for this talented fighter while for Kitaoka it is another step up the ladder.

IFL veteran Mike Pyle from the Couture camp then followed suit with another well-fought submission against fellow American Dan Hornbuckle in a match, which the latter was controlling. Although Hornbuckle came out striking Pyle was able to get the initial takedown, avoiding Hornbuckle’s agile and active ground game and eventually from the guard locked in the triangle after another couple episodes on their feet in which Hornbuckle was the aggressor with knees and all even putting his opponent through the ropes.

In the third bout it would then be Eiji Mitsuoka who would submit Kwang Hee Lee 
in the first with a Mata Leon. In the long awaited match up between Yuki Sasaki and Jorge Santiago, it was the American who was able to finalize as Sasaki tried to secure submissions too late in the previous two rounds.

Return Of Randleman
In the showdown between pro wrestler Kevin Randleman and Pancrase up n comer Ryo Kawamura, the puffy and rubbery American landed the first shot, a left hook similar to what finished Cro Cop, but as Kawamura went down, obviously the damage was minor and the fight then transitioned into a lay n prey affair with the Buckeye working the rasslin' magic and landing strikes from behind when Ryo tried to stand. Kawamura went for a beautiful ankle lock attempt similar to the one slapped on by Shogun, but it was back to the same. Kawamura tried to keep it standing as he became more effective striking as Randleman tired to the point of being warned by the referee for stalling. The second was definitely under the Japanese fighters authority increasingly chasing and landing body shots and strikes to the mug. Although in the third Kevin killed a couple minutes holding Ryo down, the rest resembled the second with Kawamura chasing, striking, trying to defend takedowns with kimura n compresses. Ryo definitely wanted it but Randleman was able to win a judge’s decision in a lukewarm comeback performance. Then again, much to his credit, the humble American veteran was able to endure the attack of a young and hard well-rounded striker, and this after a serious battle with a runaway staph infection. One things for sure, Randleman still has star power in Japan and was polite enough to mention a rematch for his worthy rival. “One more time.”

“Seal It With A Kiss”
It was a much more passionate heavyweight match up between “Big” Jim York and Yoshihiro “Kiss” Nakao. Although York had a larger more solid frame, Nakao built like a wrestlers sporting the wrestling shoes even shook his booty and asked for kicks on the ass trying to taunt the American letting the audience have a laugh as they measured each other in the first exchanging a lot of low leg kicks. It was York who was delivering the most in the first, but in the second Nakao came out like a dynamo going for the single leg take down unbalancing York who turned out and stood but got caught with a left right combination which left him face down over the bottom rope as Nakao jumped in for the quick kill.Unfortunately as the under card provided some true spirited battles which were decided by the pugilists themselves, with exception of the Gracie Kondo co-main event, the two fights surrounding this pure jiu jitsu match left a lot to be desired and perhaps a bit of suspicion in terms of the judges views.

Yawn!
As an MMA writer I can appreciate the mutual respect of fighters towards one another, especially if they have rolled together in the past, but as fan of a supposed fight sport one is less forgiving. Obviously these are two intelligent men who didn’t want to work too hard for a living, exerting a lil’ more energy at the thirty second warning. Perhaps Josh Barnett and Jeff Monson should have had a debate instead as both fighters left a lot to be desired as far as letting it all hang out. French literature or philosophy I’m sure Monson would have won in his ADCC fashion, but if it was “J - Pop Culture” it would surely have been Barnett running away with it. It’s nice to see an exhibition match when you expect it, but by the time this fight was over I couldn’t keep my eyes open and assumed it had gone to the judges. It will be interesting to see if Barnett’s rematch with Pedro Rizzo in the upcoming Adrenaline Banned show will be as cordial. Although Pedro spent the years after the octagon being more of a lover than a fighter, it will be interesting to see if he still has a fight in him. After all he did kayo the former UFC heavyweight champion with a fist and a crack that reverberated in Atlantic City.

Great Expectations

Needles to say, Roger Gracie performed casebook surgical Brazilian Jiu jitsu. Although Roger was undoubtedly the larger man, he was at leas gracious in his manner of victory. The way Roger pressed Kondo toward the ropes controlling the hips had an aura of the days of Rickson. The textbook transitions, from the clinch, to the ground towards finish were indeed impressive, but the only thing gained was the fact that he did not lose. By taking on a smaller fighter Roger had everything to lose and not much to gain, since he is expected to beat a smaller man in the eyes of the masses. Now 2-0 it will be interesting to see how Roger responds to being on the wrong side of the situation.

Sengoku II was not Sengoku I, but it does for the most part leave us expecting yet another follow up to what is a promising Japanese MMA show with international talent.

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