Prefight video package going now….in terms of editing DREAM’s videos are better but WVR’s are pretty good. They crack me up because they always use the most inexplicable music. At Sengoku 1 the prefight package between Josh Barnett and Yoshida had some really strange Bruce Springsteen sounding music, which if you know anything about Barnett its hilarious since you’d likely never catch him listening to that kind of stuff. He’s a big metalhead and most recently has given shout outs to a couple of my favorite bands including Death and Bolt Thrower. For some reason they’re now playing the “Theme from the Godfather”. Maybe if I could understand Japanese better it would make sense, but since its a matchup between a Japanese fighter and a Brazilian fighter its hard to figure.

Santiago entering the ring first, eschewing the bad techno that seemingly every Brazilian fighter uses for a strange mix that started out with a samba sound and now sounds like 1980’s German rock icon Falco. FWIW, Santiago now lives and fights out of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Sasaki uses a good song for his ring entrance–not that it makes much sense either–as he rolls in to “Changes” by the late, great Tupac Shakur. He’s singing along as he heads to the ring which is pretty cool–a Japanese fighter singing along to ‘pac sure seems to be a good development as far as understanding among different races and national origins. Its definitely not a bad thing. Santiago now fights out of the American Top Team camp, his most impressive achievement to date is probably winning last year’s STRIKEFORCE middleweight tourney. Ref gives the instructions, the fighters touch ‘em up and we’re ready to go:

ROUND ONE:

Fighters circling each other and teasing like they’re going to throw jabs but neither wants to commit. Head to your local boxing gym and make that jab into a weapon, guys. Watch some tape of Nick Diaz’s dominant performance at DREAM.3 if you want the best example possible of how adding some boxing to your repertoire makes you into a much deadlier fighter. Sasaki has thrown a couple of middle kicks that Santiago has partially blocked. Straight right by Santago misses, countered by a high kick by Sasaki that he hangs just short. Santiago goes for a high kick, Sasaki grabs his leg and turns it into a takedown. Almost immediately he takes Santiago’s back and is trying to sink in a rear naked choke. He was in a bad position near the ropes and Santiago uses his position to gain a reversal and finds himself in Sasaki’s guard trying to pass. Santiago trying to get something going from the top, landing some punches every now and then. He can’t score to Sasaki’s head, so he starts throwing in some “ground and pound” body shots that seem to be effective. Wonder why you don’t see more fighters work to the body from that position? Ref stands them up and now its Santiago with a couple of kicks which lands him in the same position they did before–on his back with Sasaki in side control. Tough break for Sasaki as he was transitioning into an arm bar as the bell rings for the end of round 1. Pretty even round, with Sasaki scoring nicely with his takedown and chokes but Santiago keeping things close with his ground and pound. I’ll give it to Sasaki though based on his two takedowns….

ROUND 2:

Round 2 starts from the standup position and is almost a mirror image of the first round as the fighters tentatively tease jabs. Head to the boxing gym, guys and turn those jabs into weapons..wait, I said that already. Still dancing around each other, Santiago finally throws a middle kick that only partially connects. Standup seems to favor Santiago. Middle kick by Sasaki countered by a straight right by Santiago. Takedown by Santiago and now he’s trying to pass guard again. Now he’s doing a strange ground and pound tactic where he keeps leaping over Sasaki’s up kicks trying to land punches. If you’re a fan of old school Memphis wrestling it looks like a classic Jerry Lawler fistdrop. Stomp by Santiago (legal in World Victory Road) scores. Half guard now by Santiago doing his combination body and head ground and pound. Ref stands them back up and we’re back to the striking exchange. Mddle kick by Sasaki and another partially blocked. Jumping knee by Santiago may have partially connected. Nice straight right by Santiago but Sasaki counters with a good looking combination of punches and gets the best of the exchange. Santiago goes to the mat to get out of harms way and now Sasaki tries to capitalize. Kimura attempt by Sasaki, defended well by Santiago. Again, Sasaki is a victim of time as he starts to get his kimura when the bell rings to end the round. Another competitive round, but I’m giving it to Santiago this time.

ROUND 3:

Our Japanese fight culture specialist Lyman Hoyt just dropped me an email to clarify the rules–stomps and knees to the head of a down opponent are legal, soccer kicks and elbows are not. Still trying to get the judging rules, but I guess we’ll find out when the round ends. Straight right by Sasaki scores, and it was the best punch of the fight so far. Looping overhand right a la Chuck Liddell misses. Neither guy really anxious to commit to a standup attack. An exchange of right hands and then another. Santiago looks for the clinch but Sasaki defends. Takedown by Sasaki–out of nowhere Santiago gets the arm bar from the bottom and Sasaki taps.

JORGE SANTIAGO WINS BY SUBMISSION (arm bar)

Santiago was wearing his Oakley shades during his ring walk and he puts them on again immediately after the fight. He’s either got an Oakley sponsorship, is a Corey Hart fan, or else thinks its cool to wear sunglasses indoors. I was about to say before Santiago got the arm bar that Sasaki’s takedowns would likely have been the deciding factor had it stayed even. Santiago addressing the crowd in English, giving props to Sasaki and then giving his love to the Japanese fans. He looks like he’d be kind of a prick with his pastel board shorts and sunglasses but his post fight behavior has been all class. He even takes off his shades to hug Sasaki and shake hands with his corner, the ref and gets a nice reaction from the fans slapping high fives on the way out. Real good showing by both fighters in a bout that was competitive up until the very end…