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Sengoku VIII in Pictures

I always dig the event photos that Sportsnavi, GBRing, and Kamipro (plus Sengoku's official photographers) take at the Japanese shows, and as I've got a slow afternoon before the big fight tonight, I figured I'd lay out a little chronological spread of the event last night with my favorite flicks from all the sites.

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In the evening's first untelevised match, Pancrase topped ZST as Hirotoshi Saito armbarred Yoshitaka Abe in under three minutes.

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Top featherweight prospect and Don Quijote employee Shigeki Osawa took home his second MMA victory in as many tries with a unanimous decision over the still winless Kota Ishibashi. His first came less than a month ago in Pancrase.

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Maximo Blanco spoiled what would have been a huge KO victory over Akihiko Mori by landing an illegal soccer kick. Mori got the win on a DQ.

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After repeatedly striking Travis Wiuff in the junk during the first round to the tune of two red cards, Bulgarian Stanislav Nedkov stayed undefeated and TKO'd Wiuff in the third.

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Nedkov celebrated his victory with countryman Kaloyan Mahlyanov, aka Kotooshu, the first European sumo to win an Emperor's Cup.

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Makoto Takimoto took out Chute Boxe's Michael Costa with a first round heel hook. Afterward, Costa gave him a Bible.

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Nick Denis' night did not go as planned.

The good news is that "The Ninja of Love" may be back as an alternate for the FWGP final round.

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"The Korean Zombie," Chan Sung Jung reacts to the reading of a unanimous decision verdict in his tight affair with Masanori Kanehara.

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Xande Ribeiro memorialized Helio Gracie on his gi.

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In the end, Ribeiro was just too much for GRABAKA's Kei Yamamiya.

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Kazunori Yokota beat down the much-hyped Leo Santos for three rounds but took home only a split decision.

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Lightweight champion Satoru Kitaoka watched his next likely challenger walk by his ringside seat. I still don't get why Ryo Kawamura is constantly wearing American flag clothing.

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Nam Phan had a short night, with no answers for the angry underdog Michihiro Omigawa.

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Trapped in a triangle, Ronnie Mann was helpless to defend against Hatsu Hioki's punishment.

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The Sengoku Featherweight Grand Prix Final Four.

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It wasn't hard to tell who got the better of the Hoki-Mann encounter.

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Lastly, Omigawa laid an additional fashion smackdown on Phan at the press conference.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

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