2008 Olympic Gold Medalist Satoshi Ishii to Make MMA Debut in DREAM

by Kid Nate on Oct 29, 2008 10:39 AM EDT in News Comment 12 comments

Sports Nippon newspaper in Japan is reporting that 100 kg Olympic judoka Satoshi Ishii will make his ring debut in MMA on 12/31 at K-1’s Dynamite event at Saitama Super Arena. The newspaper further claims that Ishii will make the full-time MMA conversion in Spring of 2009 (after he graduates from college).

This would seem to contradict earlier speculation that Ishii would be making his MMA debut against SENGOKU star (and fellow olympic gold medalist) Hidehiko Yoshida.

No word as yet on Ishii's opponent. It's too much to hope that they'll let him start his MMA career with a relatively easy fight. Fortunately Fedor has other plans.

Nightmare of Battle compiled some great anecdotes from various people who have been training jiu jitsu with Ishii recently including ADCC competitor Denis Roberts. Roberts hints that Ishii will be going to Seattle to train MMA:

Also as for the team he joins… He said something about training in Seattle. Who is in Seattle? I dunno. I’ll have to find out what he’s planning.

Who's in Seattle? A certain Matt Hume. Ishii could certainly do worse than that.

Ishii fighting on the NYE Dynamite card seems like the kind of thing that will draw major ratings in Japan. And unlike previous olympic judokas who have entered MMA, Ishii is young and is getting into the sport with plenty of time to build a well-rounded skill set.

To say that I expect big things from Ishii is an understatement. This kid has the potential to not only revive the Japanese MMA scene as a draw but also has the potential to become a champion in the sport.

UPDATE: Nightmare of Battle has an updated report:

In a new article at the Sponichi website it says that it became clear on the 28th that Satoshi Ishii will enter DREAM and that he will greet the fans in the ring at Dynamite!! on NYE. Apparently he has already contacted DREAM in absolute secrecy. There is a celebration party by his support group/fan club on November 3rd in Osaka where people are predicting that Ishii might comment on this.

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My curiousity is peaked but.....

most of us who follow this closely know that Judokas don’t do real well if they have no previous boxing or BJJ training. Unfortunately for him, he is being rushed into it to soon to fail. He should take off a year and just train with a proper camp. He will get the traditional soft japanese matchups for a while, but the first real fighter he gets will turn him inside-out.

by Nick Travaglini on Oct 29, 2008 10:59 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Or possibly piqued. :-P

Don't believe a word I say, I don't train BJJ. -- TangleBones

by jemaleddin on Oct 29, 2008 1:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

According to Nightmare of Battle he will just be saying hello to his adoring public. I think FightOpinion got a bum translation from google, he will probably be making the appearance to announce his foray into MMA

In a new article at the Sponichi website it says that it became clear on the 28th that Satoshi Ishii will enter DREAM and that he will greet the fans in the ring at Dynamite!! on NYE.

by nidge on Oct 29, 2008 11:01 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

thanks!

correction posted.

by Kid Nate on Oct 29, 2008 11:06 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

How is it that Fedor gets away with calling out a guy with no MMA experience

by drano1 on Oct 29, 2008 11:46 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Other way around.

Ishii actually called Fedor out after winning his medal and Fedor said that he would have no problems fighting him.

Fedor + gold medal judoka + NYE = potentially huge ratings.

Of course, this was before the next Affliction card came about.

Hopefully FEG doesn’t treat him like some of the other judo stars and throw him against a guy that would destroy him.

by Tonley on Oct 29, 2008 12:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I did not know that I thought Fedor called him out at a dream show

by drano1 on Oct 29, 2008 1:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

This kid has the potential to not only revive the Japanese MMA scene as a draw but also has the potential to become a champion in the sport.

Shenanigans. Calling it.

A big draw? Perhaps. Revive the scene? Maybe. But that’s marketing. Claiming that he has what it takes to be champ – or rather, that you can tell from the available evidence that he does – is a bit of a stretch. Translating judo to MMA isn’t terribly easy, and this guy has never been in a no-gi situation, let alone had somebody punching him in the face.

And besides: 5’11" 240? Paging Jeff Monson….

Don't believe a word I say, I don't train BJJ. -- TangleBones

by jemaleddin on Oct 29, 2008 1:33 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Here's my response to that

1) The guy has the innate athletic ability to rise to the top of his sport, both in Japan and world-wide. Judo is the japanese national sport and draws some of their most talented athletes.

2) Judo is a solid base for MMA — giving a headstart in takedowns and ground fighting. IMO wrestlers start out ahead of judokas in the former and BJJ guys in the latter BUT a judoka won’t have the bad habits and blind spots vis a vis submissions that a wrestler has and will certainly start out with a better takedown game than pure BJJ players.

3) Ishii is MUCH MUCH younger than other top judokas who have entered MMA. Yoshida, Naoya Ogawa, and Pawel Nastula had all completed their judo careers and began MMA in their 30s. The difference between a 21 year old starting MMA and a 31 year old is immense.

4) Karo Parisyan has shown that many judo techniques can be quite effective in MMA without the gi. But I don’t think Ishii has to employ judo per se as a huge part of his game to be successful.

by Kid Nate on Oct 29, 2008 2:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

1) Innate athletic ability is great, but it doesn’t make you a fighter.

2) Judo is a great base for MMA – or at least it should be. But where are all the judokas, you know? Considering how many more people world-wide start out in Judo, it’s terribly under-represented in MMA.

3) True – he’s starting young but still: he’s not getting any taller. Can he cut down to 205? And do we have any idea what his reach is? The last thing the world needs is a heavyweight with Sean Sherk’s reach.

4) Karo does great no-gi judo. And yet, only Karo seems to have figured out how to really use his Judo in the cage. Most others judokas seem to do very little actual judo in MMA.

Don't believe a word I say, I don't train BJJ. -- TangleBones

by jemaleddin on Oct 29, 2008 3:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

1) there’s no better indicator of MMA potential than athleticism and success in a combat sport (judo, wrestling, bjj, boxing, kickboxing).

2) Judokas are outnumbering shootwrestlers in japanese MMA these days.

3) You’ve got a good point about the height.

4) I’ve blogged and blogged about this but you might want to ask Carlos Condit if fighters other than Karo can apply judo in MMA. He spent much of his last title defense flying through the air. Miura sure applied some judo in that one. We’re seeing more judo technique working in MMA with every event. It’s not the be all and end all but is a nice complement to wrestling takedowns. And I believe Ricardo Arona and Little Nog will tell you that Judokas can be quite successful in MMA without using much judo.

by Kid Nate on Oct 29, 2008 3:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

See, now we’ve got enough caveats that I’m still wondering. But regardless: stoked to see him fighting in MMA, hope he makes his way to the UFC (call me a fanboy, but everybody knows how I feel about regulation and steroid-testing).

And REALLY hoping that sho’ty can make it to LHW.

Don't believe a word I say, I don't train BJJ. -- TangleBones

by jemaleddin on Oct 30, 2008 12:14 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs