Official Shooto Rankings - August 2009

The International Shooto Commission released its current rankings last week.

Here they are, along with notes on who's done/doing what. Let me know if I missed any fights.

Photos by Daniel Herbertson.

Flyweight (-52kg / 114.6 lbs.)

Champion: vacant

1. → Noburo "Shinpei" Tahara (7-3-1 / Japan / Hajimail STF)
2. → Rambaa "M-16" Somdet (6-2 / Thailand / M-16 Muay Thai)
3. ↑ Atsushi "ATCH Anarchy" Takeuchi (7-4-2 / Japan / Paraestra Tokyo)
4. ↓ "Heat" Takeshi Sato (8-7-1 / Japan / Wajyutsu Keisyukai RJW)
5. ↓ Shinya Murofushi (5-2-1 / Japan / Submit Shizuoka)
6. → Hiroyuki Abe (5-1 / Japan / K'z Factory)
7. → Takehiro Harusaki (5-5-1 / Japan / Chokushin Kai)
8. → Hiroaki Yoshioka (5-9-2 / Japan / Paraestra Izumi)

Top flyweight Tahara decisioned Guam's Jesse Taitano (currently the #8 ranked bantamweight) at the first "GIG Saitama" event on August 9th. With Rambaa Somdet set to make his Shooto return at "Revolutionary Exchanges 3" in November, a Shinpei-M16 rematch (possibly for the vacant title?) seems a no-brainer.

- With his win over "Heat" Takeshi at "Revolutionary Exchanges 1" (click here for video), "ATCH Anarchy" moves from #5 to #3, while Sato and Shinya Murofushi each slide down a slot. "Heat" will be back in action at Shooting Disco 10.

- #6 Abe's next fight will be at "Kitazawa Shooto, Vol.2" on September 4th, against Paraestra's Hiroaki Yoshioka.

Bantamweight (-56kg / 123.5 lbs.)

Champion: → Shinichi "BJ" Kojima (10-4-5 / Japan / Katsumura Dojo)
2nd champion - since 10/14/2006 - 2 defenses

1. → Ryuichi Miki (9-2-3 / Japan / Gutsman Shooto Dojo)
2. → Yasuhiro Urushitani (15-4-6 / Japan / Wajyutsu Keisyukai RJW)
3. ↑ Jussier "Formiga" da Silva (3-0 / Brazil / Nova Uniao)
4. ↓ Junji Ikoma (12-10-4 / Japan / Chokushin Kai)
5. ↓ Yuki Shoujou (8-5-2 / Japan / X-One Gym Shonan)
6. ↓ Mamoru Yamaguchi (20-5-3 / Japan / Shooting Gym Yokohama)
7. → Yusei Shimokawa (5-4 / Japan / K'z Factory)
8. → Jesse Taitano (5-4-2 / USA / Ground Fu - Spike22)
9. → Masatoshi Abe (8-2-1 / Japan / Abe Ani Combat Club)
10. ↑ Masaaki Sugawara (8-3-1 / Japan / Wajyutsu Keisyukai Duro)

South American bantamweight ace "Formiga" (Portuguese for "Ant") jumps from #6 to #3 with his non-title victory over word champ Kojima on July 19th (click here for video).

On the same card, former #10 Yasuhiro Akagi was TKO'd in the first round by Masaaki Sugawara (video), who claims his spot in the rankings.

Featherweight (-60kg / 132.3 lbs.)

Champion: → Masakatsu Ueda (10-0-2 / Japan / Paraestra Tokyo)
5th champion - since 3/28/2008 - 2 defenses

1. ↑ Marcos "Louro" Galvao (6-3-1 / Brazil / Nova Uniao)
2. ↑ Hiromasa Ogikubo (6-0-2 / Japan / Paraestra Matsudo)
3. ↓ Eduardo "Dudu" Dantas (7-2 / Brazil / Nova Uniao)
4. → Koetsu Okazaki (5-1-1 / Japan / Cobra Kai MMA Dojo)
5. → Atsushi Yamamoto (12-6-1 / Japan / Krazy Bee)
6. → So Tazawa (8-4-3 / Japan / Gutsman Shooto Dojo)
7. → Junya "Kodo" Kudo (7-2-2 / Japan / Shooting Gym Kobe)
8. → Tetsu "Hadairo" Suzuki (8-7-3 / Japan / Wajyutsu Keisyukai Iwate)
9. → Daniel Lima (8-3-2 / Australia / Five Rings Dojo)
10. → Kenji Osawa (15-8-2 / Japan / Wajyutsu Keisyukai A3)

Featherweight ace Ueda remained unbeaten with his unanimous decision over former #1 Dantas at "Revolutionary Exchanges" (video here). As a result, "Dudu" falls to #3, while his Nova Uniao teammate Galvao - not heard from since his brutal KO loss at the hands of Damacio Page in March - takes the #1 spot.

- The colorful "Hadairo" (#8) faces Teriyuki Matsumoto at "Revolutionary Exchanges 2" on September 22nd.

Lightweight (-65kg / 143.3 lbs.)

Champion: → "Lion" Takeshi Inoue (16-3 / Japan / Shooting Gym Yokohama)
8th champion - since 11/29/2008 - 1 defense

1. → Akitoshi Tamura (14-7-2 / Japan / Tsudanuma Dojo)
2. → Hatsu Hioki (20-3-2 / Japan / Alive)
3. → Hideki Kadowaki (13-9-2 / Japan / Wajyutsu Keisyukai Tokyo)
4. → Savant Young (9-8 / USA / Bodyshop Fitness Team)
5. → Hiroshi "Iron" Nakamura (7-3-4 / Japan / Tokyo Yellow Mans)
6. → Renan Barão (15-1, 1 NC / Brazil / Nova Uniao)
7. ↑ Gustavo Falciroli (6-1-2 / Australia / Mach Dojo)
8. ↓ "Wicky" Akiyo Nishiura (10-5-1 / Japan / STGY)
9. ↓ Rumina Sato (24-14-2 / Japan / roots)
10. ↓ Antonio Carvalho (10-4 / Canada / Franco Martial Arts)

- Gustavo Falciroli enters the rankings at #7 thanks to his win over "Wicky" Akiyo in July (video here). As a result, Nishiura, Rumina Sato and Antonio Carvalho all slide down one, and Sweden's David Lejenas falls off the list.

- The "Iron Man" Tamura (#1) goes against the aforementioned Damacio Page at WEC 43 on September 2nd.

- The recent tribulations of Hatsu Hioki (#2) are well-documented: the "Shooto Child" topped eventual tourney winner Masanori Kanehara in the semifinals of the Sengoku FWGP, but was too injured to continue. One imagine's we'll see him challenging Kanehara again in Sengoku as soon as possible.

- Renan Barão (#6) notched his 15th career victory at Platinum Fight in Brazil just a few weeks ago, TKO'ing the streaking Jurandir Sardinha in the second round.

Welterweight (-70kg / 155.3 lbs.)

Champion: → Takashi Nakakura (11-3-1 / Japan / Shooting Gym Osaka)
9th champion - since 5/3/2008 - 0 defenses

1. → Willamy "Chiquerinho" Chiquerim (13-1 / Brazil / Nocaute Fight)
2. → Yusuke Endo (12-3-2 / Japan / Gokita Gym)
3. → Kenichiro Togashi (9-6-5 / Japan / Paraestra Hiroshima)
4. → Takanori Gomi (30-5, 1 NC / Japan / Rascal Gym)
5. → Bendy Casimir (19-5-2 / France / Haute Tension)
6. → Mizuto Hirota (12-3-1 / Japan / Gutsman Shooto Dojo)
7. → Koutetsu Boku (14-5-2 / Japan / Krazy Bee)
8. → Ganjo Tentsuku (9-4-2 / Japan / Purebred Omiya)
9. → Hamid Corassani (6-2 / Sweden / GBG MMA)
10. → Grzegorz Tredowski (9-4-2 / Poland / Team Beast of the East)

- No changes here this month, but #1 contender and South American champ "Chiquerinho" (#1) is expected to challenge ace this fall, possibly at Vale Tudo Japan '09. In the meantime, the Nova Uniao fighter takes on Holland's Vincent Latoel at Shooto Brazil 13.

- Boku (#7) will rematch Endo (#2) on September 22nd, this time with Endo's Pacific Rim title on the line. These two drew the last time they fought back in January.

- Hirota (#6) is, of course, the new Sengoku lightweight title-holder after his TKO of ex-Pancrase star Satoru Kitaoka at Sengoku IX.

Middleweight (-76kg / 167.5 lbs.)

Champion: → Shinya Aoki (21-4, 1 NC / Japan / Paraestra Tokyo)
8th champion - since 2/17/2006 - 1 defense

1. → David Baron (17-3 / France / Haute Tension)
2. → Xavier Lucas (6-1-1 / Australia / Mach 1)
3. → Wim Deputter (18-4 / Belgium / Exit BJJ)
4. → Niek Tromp (4-3-1 / Netherlands / Team Duncan)
5. → Igor "Chatubinha" Fernandes (7-3 / Brazil / Reconvacao)
6. → Zelim Felican (2-1 / Belgium / Golden Gloves)
7. → Roemer Trumpert (7-6 / Holland / Tatsujin Dojo)
8. → Hernani Perpetuo (8-1 / Brazil / Nova Uniao)
9. → Akihiro Yamazaki (11-2-1 / Japan / Submit Shizuoka)
10. → Tommy Depret (5-2 / Belgium / Golden Glory)

- No change this month.

- Baron (#1), "Chatubinha" (#5) and Perpetuo (#8) and Depret each picked up wins in the past month outside of Shooto.

- "Chatubinha" and Perpetuo will both be in action next weekend at Shooto Brazil 13.

Light Heavyweight (-83kg / 183 lbs.)

Champion: → Siyar Bahadurzada (14-4-1 / Afghanistan / Golden Glory)
5th champion - since 7/15/2007 - 0 defenses

1. → Leandro "Batata" Silva (14-5 / Brazil / Nova Uniao)
2. → Andre "Chatuba" Santos (17-1 / Brazil / Team Nogueira)
3. → Sauli Heilimo (13-3-1 / Finland / Team Scandinavian)
4. → Grazhuydas Smailis (8-4 / Lithuania / L.B.T.)
5. → Nathan Schouteren (14-8-2 / Holland / Vechtsport Center de Groot)
6. → Petras Morkevicius (23-8-3 / Lithuania / Audora Gym)
7. → Rolandas Agrba (4-3 / Lithuania)
8. → Mikkel Guldbaek (7-2-2 / Denmark / Talarek)
9. → Masashi Yozen (5-2-1 / Japan / Shooting Gym Osaka)
10. ↑ D. Lima (? / Brazil / Nova Uniao)

Longtime non-defending ace Bahadurzada will finally put his title on the line against "Batata" (#1) in Brazil on August 27th. It will be the Golden Glory fighter's first time in the ring since losing to Jorge Santiago in the Sengoku MWGP last November.

-  Shiko Yamashita is removed from the rankings due to inactivity; Akihiro Murayama was removed last month.