Sengoku Raiden Championship 15 Live Results and Play-by-Play

After a flurry of recent activity, there's a relatively slow weekend for MMA ahead -- but fans in need of a fight fix can get it when HDNet broadcasts Sengoku Raiden Championship 15 live from Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan. As always, BloodyElbow.com will have live results for the entire card, from the bantamweight tournament prelims to the light heavyweight main event between judo convert Hiroshi Izumi and England's James Zikic. So, stay up late or set your alarms for early, and join us at 11 p.m. PT / 2 a.m. ET for the start of the show.

Quick results below; full play-by-play in the extended entry.

Hiroshi Izumi def. James Zikic via split decision (30-29, 29-30, 30-29)
Brian Cobb def. Kazunori Yokota via split decision (28-28, 29-30, 28-28)*
Maximo Blanco def. Kiuma Kunioku via KO (punches) R1, 4:26
Kazuo "Yoshiki" Takahashi def. Chang Seob Lee via submission (armbar) R1, 2:28

SRC Welterweight Grand Prix 2010 Semifinals
Keita "K-Taro" Nakamura def. Takuya Wada via submission (punches) R1, 3:30
Yasubey Enomoto def. Taisuke Okuno via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-25, 30-25)

SRC Asia Bantamweight Tournament 2010 Quarterfinals
Taiyo Nakahara def. Shintaro Ishiwatari via split decision (19-20, 19-19, 20-20)**
Akitoshi Tamura def. Shoko Sato via split decision (19-18, 19-20, 20-19)
Shunichi Shimizu def. Wataru Takahashi via unanimous decision (20-19, 20-18, 20-18)
Manabu Inoue def. Jae Hyun So via unanimous decision (20-19, 20-18, 20-18)

* Two judges scored the bout a draw, with both giving the "must decision" to Cobb, awarding him the win by split decision.
** Two judges scored the bout a draw, with both giving the "must decision" to Nakahara, awarding him the win by split decision.

WVR's Sengoku Raiden Championships 15 coverage

Hiroshi Izumi vs. James Zikic

Round 1: Lots of feinting and half-stepping in the first 60 seconds, but an early one-two from Zikic opens up a cut on the right eyebrow of Izumi. Referee Ryogaku Wada wants the doctor to check it, and they continue after about a minute of conferring. Izumi trying to throw his (apparently now-trademark) overhand right, but it's not landing. He turns his hips and tries to toss Zikic, but gets nothing there either. Zikic repeatedly landing his left hook and jab, bloodying the eye of Izumi again. Two minutes left and ref Wada is looking for a chance to break this up for another cut check. Izumi eats a hard right from Zikic and drags the Brit down with a single-leg. Not much action from Izumi in Zikic's half-guard, just pinning down Zikic's wrist and trying to avoid punches. Izumi stands and delivers a few limp kicks to the midsection of the grounded Zikic as the round ends. 10-9 Zikic.

Round 2: Zikic goes back to plunking Izumi with his jab to open the second. Izumi threatening to shoot, doesn't. Zikic connecting over and over with his left while Izumi just shadowboxes. Finally, Izumi wings an overhand right, wades inside and grabs a waistlock, but Zikic shucks him. Izumi throwing his overhand "harpoon" punch over and over, eating counters from Zikic each time. 10-9 Zikic.

Round 3: Izumi attempts to initiate the clinch, gets blocked by Zikic, who's throwing one-two combinations now as opposed to single shots. Izumi doubles over for the takedown attempt, eats a left hand and wades out. He goes for it again, gets Zikic down, but quickly gets rolled by Zikic. Three minutes left and Izumi needs a miracle to win here. Zikic still pumping the left jab, switches it up with a right leg kick. Izumi ties up and trips Zikic down, finally getting into Zikic's open guard. Zikic giving Izumi equal offense from the bottom, then throws his legs up, perhaps looking to snare the judoka in an armbar. Izumi uses the opening to pass to Zikic's left side with 60 seconds left in the fight. Very short hammerfists from Izumi, while Zikic uses his right hand to punch and knees Izumi in the dome. Izumi tries to mount, but Zikic escapes to the feet, where the fight ends. 10-9 Zikic, and a clean sweep for the former Cage Rage champ on our card.

Hiroshi Izumi def. James Zikic via split decision (30-29, 29-30, 30-29)

 

Kazunori Yokota vs. Brian Cobb

Round 1: Cobb is immediately docked a point on the judges' scorecards for missing weight yesterday. The American grabs a guillotine, but Yokota squirms free. Cobb briefly takes Yokota's back, then it's back to the feet, where Yokota begins working outside leg kicks. Cobb puts Yokota down with a power double-leg, lands a few knees to the head before Yokota stands with Cobb still on his back. Cobb muscles him down again, sinks in one hook, but it swept by Yokota. They restart in center ring and work to their feet, where Yokota starts mixing up his punches to the head and body. Cobb catches a sloppy leg kick and drags Yokota down.Yokota gets back up and trips Cobb down in the waning seconds. Cobb winds up on top after Yokota drops for a leglock. 10-9 Cobb.

Round 2: Slapping leg kicks from Yokota to open up, prompting a takedown from Cobb. They scramble back up, where it's Yokota putting Cobb on his back. Yokota stands and shucks the leg of Cobb, passing to rear side mount. Cobb turtles and easily stands. They battle for the trip takedown, but neither gets it. Cobb goes for a leg kick, but Yokota chops the other leg out from under Cobb and seems to stun him with a left hook. Yokota rushes in, trapping Cobb in the corner. Cobb sweeps for just a second, before Yokota gets back in his guard. Yokota trying to stack his man up and stomp as the round expires. 10-9 Yokota.

Round 3: Chopping leg kick spins Cobb around. Yokota glances a right hand off Cobb's temple that stumbles the wrestler. Yokota looking to string together combos, instead rushes Cobb into the ringpost. Cobb takes his back standing, then drags Yokota to the ground, searching for the rear-naked choke. Just as Yokota seems to be free and gets to his feet, Cobb sinks the choke in. Cobb trying to finish the RNC with one arm, as Yokota has the other trapped underneath them. Cobb gives up the choke and mounts Yokota, and they're restarted in the center of the ring. Cobb hops on Yokota's back again and Yokota slips out the back door. Yokota begins pouring punches on Cobb, prompting Cobb to clinch up. He's on Yokota's back, kneeing to the thighs. Yokota gets loose in the last 20 seconds and tries to punch away, but it's too late. 10-9 Cobb in the final round. After the point deduction, it's a 28-28 draw on our unofficial card.

Brian Cobb def. Kazunori Yokota via split decision (28-28, 29-30, 28-28)
* Two judges scored the bout a draw, with both giving the "must decision" to Cobb, awarding him the win by split decision.

 

Maximo Blanco vs. Kiuma Kunioku

Round 1: Blanco, of course, charges across the ring and leaps at Kunioku with a knee. He tries to whip the Japanese veteran to the mat, but they stay up and go leaning through the middle ropes. Ref Yoshinori Umeki restarts them. Kunioku shoots as Blanco kicks, but Blanco sprawls. Kunioku lifts the wrestler into the air, where Blanco uses his base to stay vertical, then take Kunioku's back standing. Kunioku gets loose and they're back to striking. Blanco with a swarm of punches to the midsection of Kunioku. The Venezuelan eats a head kick without flinching, then a left hook from Kunioku. A pair of hard punches from Blanco have Kunioku clinching up, but Blanco creates space and goes back to bouncing on the feet. Blanco drops Kunioku with a left uppercut, sprawls on the shot, and drops him with the same punch again when Kunioku gets back up. A few more punches on the floor and Kunioku is out cold. Spectacular violence from Blanco once again.

Maximo Blanco def. Kiuma Kunioku via KO (punches) R1, 4:26

 

Kazuo "Yoshiki" Takahashi vs. Chang Seob Lee

Round 1: Takahashi tries to toss Lee, but winds up underneath the Korean. Lee is warned for striking a downed Takahashi to the back of the head -- ironic, since he lost his last fight to Hiroshi Izumi after eating about five punches to the same spot. They restart. Takahashi plows Lee down and gets side control this time. "Yoshiki" puts Lee's left arm between his legs, straightens it out and gets the tap from the scarf hold armbar submission.

Kazuo "Yoshiki" Takahashi def. Chang Seob Lee via submission (scarf hold armlock) R1, 2:28

 

Keita "K-Taro" Nakamura vs. Takuya Wada

Round 1: The southpaw Nakamura circles the perimeter while Wada throws leg kicks from the center of the ring. Wada lobs a few combinations which glance, but he eats hard counter lefts from Nakamura, then a kick to the body. Nakamura clinches up and trips Wada to the floor, quickly passing to side control on Wada's right. Great position for Nakamura, who wraps up Wada's head and arm, punching to Wada's face. Nakamura gets the crucifix now, and the defenseless Wada has nowhere to go with over two minutes remaining in the round. Some 30-40 unanswered shots from Nakamura -- they're not incredibly powerful, but Wada's offering literally nothing back. With no recourse, Wada finally taps, and Nakamura moves on to meet Enomoto for the Sengoku welterweight title.

Keita Nakamura def. Takuya Wada via submission (punches) R1, 3:30

 

Taiyo Nakahara vs. Shintaro Ishiwatari

Round 1: Both men landing some hard punches in the early goings, Ishiwatari getting a little better of the exchanges with his right hook. Nakahara stumbles Ishiwatari with a one-two, but gets reckless coming in and eats a big right hand of his own, sending him down to the mat. Ishiwatari gives chase and tries to pound him out, but Nakahara pulls guard and survives. Back to the feet, another punch drops Nakahara, but again Ishiwatari can't finish on the ground. Nakahara rolls through to a nasty-looking kneebar, but Ishiwatari shakes his head, Nakahara lets go. With 20 seconds left, Nakahara grabs the lock again, but Ishiwatari rides it out. 10-9 Ishiwatari.

Round 2: After a minute of tentative striking, Ishiwatari drills Nakahara with a leaping left hand, then a follow-up right. Nakahara immediately drives forward and takes Ishiwatari down, but Ishiwatari scoots out and wants it back standing. They're trading single shots until Ishiwatari accidentally jabs Nakahara in the eye. Nakahara takes a minute to recover and they restart... whereupon Ishiwatari kicks him square in the groin. It's clearly accidental, but the referee issues him a yellow card nonetheless. Ishiwatari catches Nakahara with a nice knee coming in, then grabs a guillotine as he goes to guard. That's where it ends. 10-9 Ishiwatari, and 20-18 Ishiwatari on our card.

Taiyo Nakahara def. Shintaro Ishiwatari via split decision (20-19, 20-20, 20-20)
** Two judges scored the bout a draw, with both giving the "must decision" to Nakahara, awarding him the win by split decision.

 

Akitoshi Tamura vs. Shoko Sato

Round 1: Apologies for the late start, but play-by-play is underway now after some technical difficulties. Tamura changes levels on a Sato combination and trips him down, with Sato pulling a deep half-guard. Loose guillotine from Tamura as he tries to pass, but it's not much. Tamura squeezing the choke from the topside as Sato struggles to his feet and pushes Tamura off. As they begin exchanging on the feet, the referee breaks the action to have the ringside doctor check on the left eye of Tamura, which has puffed up after a stiff right hand from Sato. There's a mouse under the eye, but it's not too bad, and the action resumes. Tamura tries a single; no luck, but Sato jumps guard. Sato scoots around the ring and lands a few punches before attempting an armbar at the close of the round. 10-9 Tamura.

Round 2: Tamura pulls Sato down with a single-leg, but eats a hard right from Sato on the way in. Almost as soon as they hit the ground, the referee notices a cut on the left eye of Tamura, separate from the mouse of last round. It appears to be on Tamura's left eyelid, and blood is streaming down his face, but the doc cleans it up and they fight on. They're restarted with Tamura in Sato's full guard, trying to stack. Tamura eats an upkick, but passes to half-guard on Sato's left. From the bottom, Sato hunts for an arm and digs heel kicks into Tamura's legs. Two minutes remaining. Tamura is holding Sato down, but not accomplishing much else. Short punches and knees to the body from Tamura, who momentarily passes before being stuffed back to half-guard. Sato trying desperately to squirm out from underneath the "Ironman" in the last minute. He lands a flurry of upkicks that has Tamura reeling, but Tamura rides it out and likely takes the bout. 10-9 Tamura, and 20-18 for the Shooto vet on our unofficial scorecard.

Akitoshi Tamura def. Shoko Sato via split decision (19-18, 19-20, 20-19)