Sengoku: Another Jiu-Jitsu King Tries MMA

Yuki Kondo vs. Yuki Sasaki

In the most putrid of the four middleweight tournament quarterfinals, the chronically slumping Kondo (49-22-6) meets the ever-uninteresting Sasaki (21-14-1); it’s like a punch to the throat, courtesy of our pals at WVR.

Kondo’s inclusion in the tournament was based more on star power than recent accomplishment. Nearly 13 years into his career, the once-outstanding Kondo has compiled a lackluster 7-9-1 record over the last four years. His string of awful in-ring performances includes the fight against anonymous journeyman Ohori that earned him his tournament berth last month.

Apart from Grabaka leader Sanae Kikuta having dirty dossiers on the good folks at WVR, I struggle to think of a rationale for affording Sasaki a tournament spot. Consider the fact that the grand prize of this grand prix will be a match against Sasaki’s own teammate, Kazuo Misaki, to crown Sengoku’s first middleweight champion. Normally, the potential for a teammate-versus-teammate matchup is an obvious red flag. Yet, despite getting his name in the bracket, clearly no one expects Sasaki to do a thing in this tournament.

Sasaki may get a few stints and scrambles on the mat to showcase a bit of his grappling game. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the fight will devolve into a tedious, plodding affair on the feet, where Kondo, however miserable he may look, will land enough with punches and kicks from range to grab a verdict from the seemingly pro-striking Sengoku judges.

Kazuhiro Nakamura vs. Paul Cahoon

While the Kondo-Sasaki groaner may take the cake for the most unappealing quarterfinal, Nakamura’s inevitably triumphant divisional debut is the most lopsided.

Formerly a portly light heavyweight, Nakamura (11-8) has given up the treacherous temptations of tempura and tonkatsu and descended upon the middleweight division. Despite obvious MMA aptitude, Hidehiko Yoshida’s top pupil was never able to clear the hurdles of elite-level light heavyweights. With a winless streak now spanning nearly two years, punctuated by his lackluster UFC run, Nakamura’s move to middleweight comes not a moment too soon.

In opposition, he meets the bulldoggish Cahoon (10-11), who trained in Holland with Golden Glory before opening a branch of the fabled Dutch gym in the UK. After years of simply being a name on the ledger for the likes of Melvin Manhoef and Amar Suloev, Cahoon engineered a recent run of his own. The Brit won five straight until countryman Ian Freeman controlled and pounded on him for 15 minutes at Cage Rage 26 in May.

Cahoon is more dangerous standing, as he has the ability to send his opponent to sleep with a variety of strikes.

However, Nakamura’s underrated boxing skills will be more than sufficient to close the distance, get to the clinch and throw Cahoon. The Brit has little to offer from his back, so Nakamura should have no trouble playing smooth operator on top and getting an easy submission. If Freeman can dominate position against Cahoon, Nakamura should easily ace his first middleweight exam and make Donpen one happy penguin.

Jorge Santiago vs. Logan Clark

A better (figurative) beard could make Santiago a lock to win this tournament. With (literal) beard to spare, can “The Pink Pounder” spoil the Brazilian’s party?

A member of MMA’s facial hair elite, the 23-year-old Clark (11-2) remains largely unknown despite four combined fights in the UFC and WEC. The Eric Schambari screw-job aside, Clark suffered the first legitimate loss of his career this past June, when he was outpointed by promotional ace Misaki. While there’s certainly no shame in a prospect losing to a marked middleweight like Misaki, Clark’s chance for redemption rests in his hands, as winning this tournament would give him a second crack at the “Grabaka Hitman” and Sengoku’s vacant middleweight title.

Santiago (17-7) has multiple chinks in his armor, including suspect cardio and a convicted chin. However, Clark’s lack of dominant offensive capabilities remains his major downfall despite the fact that he’s a big, athletic middleweight with well-rounded versatility. Against legitimate opposition, Clark has proven himself to be more of a grinder than anything, and unless he can land a “Hail Mary” strike on Santiago’s fragile face, he’s faced with the task of consistently gaining top position and putting a real hammer job on the slick and skilled Brazilian; that’s a tall task.

Never count out the chance that Santiago could implode in a fight. However, do consider the more likely outcome here. Santiago -- the harder hitting, slicker grappler -- will be able to land the demonstrative shots standing, and his submission savvy will be enough to threaten and control the bout on the mat. That should earn him a decision.

Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos vs. Siyar Bahadurzada

With Nakamura and Santiago installed as the tournament favorites and Kondo a shell of his former self, “Cyborg” and the “Afghan Killa” will duke it out for the potential to play spoiler in the semifinals two months from now.

Santos (16-11) has settled into a role as a journeyman, albeit a coveted one due to his feral Chute Boxe Academy modus operandi and generally entertaining fights. In fact, at this point, he’s likely not even the most prized fighter in his own household; his wife, Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos, has created quite the buzz for herself in EliteXC. Marital upstaging aside, Santos comes in off of a brutal beating of former Olympic gold medal Judoka Makoto Takimoto at the Sengoku premiere in March. There, he nearly amputated Takimoto with leg kicks before finishing him with a leglock.

The 24-year-old Bahadurzada (13-3-1) was unknown even in European circles but came out of nowhere to bash Shiko Yamashita in July 2007 and capture Shooto’s 183-pound world championship. However, the young Afghan-born, Dutch-bred fighter was unable to find similar success in his return to trip to Japan this past March, as he was easily submitted by Kazuo Misaki in the second round.

The bout could provide an interesting dynamic on the feet, as one of Santos’ major weaknesses has been a fighter who can jab and counterstrike effectively; that’s exactly how Bahadurzada prefers to fight. However, there are two major problems, at least one of which will lead to Bahadurzada’s downfall.

First, he stands flat-footed with his lead leg miles out in front of him, which makes for an excruciatingly easy target for Santos’ best weapon -- leg kicks. Second, Bahadurzada’s wrestling from the clinch is extremely poor, and a halfway decent trip takedown will be all Santos needs. Look for a more controlled but effective “Cyborg” to take a well-earned decision or late stoppage. However, winning the entire tournament may be what he needs to overtake his significant other in the prestige department.