Ryo Chonan Returns to DEEP Against Jutaro Nakao

by Chris Nelson on Jul 22, 2009 3:02 PM EDT

DEEP President Shigeru Saeki held a press conference at the DEEP Official Gym today in order to announce a handful of bouts for DEEP 43rd Impact on August 23rd. It's shaping up to be a big show for the promotion - which is closing in on its 10th anniversary - as some major stars return home from the larger shows like UFC and DREAM.

Previously announced were title bouts between bantamweight champ Masakazu Imanari (16-7-1) and 2009 DEEP Protect Cup winner Tomohiko Hori (10-4-3); plus featherweight ace Dokonjonosuke Mishima (19-6-2) defending against AACC's Takafumi Otsuka (8-4-1). Today, it was revealed that Ryo Chonan's (15-10) first opponent back in Japan will be fellow UFC veteran and former DEEP welterweight champion Jutaro Nakao (22-14-4). Chonan seemed to brush off questions about going back to a larger promotion, saying that he is focused on reclaiming his DEEP title for now (and also expecting his second child in September).

On the same show, popular personality Bernard Ackah (2-3) will square off against legendary Pancrase vet Ryushi Yanagisawa (24-23-9), who makes only his second MMA apperance since 2001, when he lost to Fedor Emelianenko in RINGS. His return comes as a bit of a surprise, to say the least - I believe he's been doing some kickboxing and pro wrestling with ZERO1 in the meantime - but a crafty veteran like Ryushi should still be able to pull out a win at the age of 37 if he can withstand the power of Ackah.

One fight on the undercard that I'm particularly interested in is "The Outsider" prospect Tomoya Kato (4-0) taking on R-Blood's Yasuhiro Kawasaki (2-1-1). Kato is a very tough guy, a 23-year-old former drag racer turned bodyguard who now fights alongside fellow BONDS security workers Riki Fukuda and "ISE" Iseno; he won his June DEEP debut in 90 seconds via TKO, the same way he won all three of his Outsider bouts.

Photos via Kamipro and GBRing.

The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Bloody Elbow readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Bloody Elbow editors or staff.

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glad to see Chonan back in action

I thought he got a pretty weak deal from the UFC. They threw him in at the deep end and then dropped him quick. His performances weren’t that exciting, but I think he should have gotten to face some greener competition to get a feel for the cage.
Starting out against a top 10 welter like Karo was a huge step up for him IMO.

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by Kid Nate on Jul 22, 2009 4:02 PM EDT reply actions

Word.

"I see him beating Anderson Silva. I see him picking him apart. Him at a 131 years old...(trails off)." - Tito Ortiz on Vitor Belfort at Affliction:DOR

by Rundownloser on Jul 22, 2009 4:34 PM EDT up reply actions

The dude had already fought Henderson, Sakurai, Silva, Newton, Filho and Almeida. Karo was pretty hot when he fought Chonan but it wasn’t like Chonan was unprepared for anything Karo had to give him.

He was given chances against unheralded fighters like Blackburn and Grant and came up short with only a middling performance against a really disappointing Carneiro to make up for it.

DEEP is a good place for him, but it’s a shame he missed out on the DREAM WWGP.

by George Lucas on Jul 22, 2009 4:39 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

this is a fair point

but I still think that cutting down to a new weight class he should’ve started with the grants and the blackburns.

Follow me on Twitter @KidNate

by Kid Nate on Jul 22, 2009 4:48 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah it was a fairly raw deal, but not everyone can fight Matt Arroyo or Kyle Bradley.

"Japan panics about the rise of "grass-eating men," who shun sex, don’t spend money, and like taking walks."

Did they all get married?

- Ubernoober

by Sam Cupitt on Jul 23, 2009 2:33 AM EDT up reply actions

Does Chonan still live in America or did he move back to Japan when the UFC dropped him?

by George Lucas on Jul 22, 2009 4:39 PM EDT reply actions

I’m not sure where his training camps will be, but he did move back to Japan after he was cut by the UFC.

He had a “Team Quest Japan” shirt on at the presser.

by Chris Nelson on Jul 22, 2009 5:18 PM EDT up reply actions

Yanagisawa had a long career

But my chief impression of him will always be how startled he looks during his first fight with Rutten. People have that look in a lot of old MMA events (and you still see it from time to time in amateur and regional events today), but he just looked so earnestly shocked.

It ends in an armbar or a strangle regardless.

by capital L on Jul 22, 2009 6:35 PM EDT reply actions

haha

Yeah, pretty sure that was Bas’ first fight in Japan? Yanagisawa was highly ranked at the time, probably didn’t have much of an idea of what was coming at him.

by Chris Nelson on Jul 22, 2009 7:27 PM EDT up reply actions