Back in the day, American mixed martial artists often had to travel to Japan in order to face quality opponents and make real money. The sport thrived on the other side of the Pacific Ocean as it struggled on these shores.
These days, the tide has turned. With the industry troubled in the Land of the Rising Sun, Japanese fighters increasingly opt to seek fame and fortune in the United States.
Such was the case at Saturday night’s Strikeforce at the Mansion 2, where a pair of debuting Japanese stars highlighted the card. Former PRIDE Welterweight Grand Prix tournament champion Kazuo Misaki stopped UFC vet Joe “Diesel” Riggs in the second round in a middleweight main event; and lightweight Mitsuhiro Ishida had the night’s best submission with an armbar victory over Justin Wilcox.
“It is a big relief, coming over to America and winning in my first Strikeforce match,” Misaki (21-8-2) said through an interpreter. “I felt a lot of pressure to perform in front of a new audience and I’m glad I came away with a victory.”
Misaki has a reputation as a patient fighter, with nine decisions among his victories, and displayed it early on as Round 1 featured lots of stalking but not much action. The boozed-up Mansion crowd of hipsters and wannabes began to signal its displeasure early in the second round, but Misaki wasn’t fazed.
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks