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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

Xande Ribeiro memorialized Helio Gracie on his gi.

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

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

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.

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

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

The Sengoku Featherweight Grand Prix Final Four.

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

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