Expect fireworks tonight as World Victory Road’s Sengoku 4 kicks off from the Saitama Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Takanori "The Fireball Kid" Gomi makes his much anticipated return after a nearly 18 month hiatus to face Seung Hwan Bang, the Deep lightweight champion with 5 back to back victories.

Favorites Ryan "The Lion" Schultz, Rodrigo Damm, and Clay French will do battle in round one of the Lightweight GP for an eventual shot at Gomi for the vacant Sengoku lightweight crown. Other highlighted bouts feature Frank Trigg, Pawel Nastula, and Alistair Overeem’s brother, Valentijn Overeem.

RedSweat.com will be bringing you all of the action live including quick results and up-to-the-minute play-by-play commentary for the entire fight card starting at 3am ET early Sunday morning.

Please bookmark this post for easy access to Sengoku 4 results and subscribe to my feed for live results of all major upcoming mixed martial arts events in the future.

Also feel free to stick around after the fights for a discussion. Leave as many comments as you like and tell us what you thought about the fights.

Hit F5 or (Cmnd + R) on your keyboard to refresh often.

Important news, announcements and interesting moments during Sengoku 4

• 15 minute intermission underway. During the intermission, Xavier Ribeiro is announced as a Sengoku fighter. He will make his debut at Sengoku 5.

Sengoku 4 Quick Results:

• Kazuo Takahashi vs Valentijn Overeem (Overeem wins via KO (Flying Knee) at 2:42 in 1st)
• Peter Graham vs Moise Rimbon (Rimbon wins via Rear Naked Choke at 0:42 in the 2nd)
• Pawel Nastula vs Dong Yi Yang (Yang wins via TKO (Ref Stoppage) at 2:15 in the 2nd round)
• Mizuto Hirota vs Ryan Schultz (Mizuto Hirota wins via KO (Punch) at 4:25 in the 2nd) GP
• Kazunori Yokota vs Bojan Kosednar (Yokota wins via Unanimous Decision after 3) GP
• Eiji Mitsuoka vs Rodrigo Damm (Mitsuoka wins via Rear Naked Choke at 3:13 in the 1st) GP
• Satoru Kitaoka vs Clay French (Kitaoka wins via Achilles Lock at 0:31 in the 1st round) GP
• Makoto Takimoto vs Frank Trigg (Trigg wins via Unanimous Decision after 3 rounds)
• Takanori Gomi vs Seung Hwan Bang (Gomi wins via Unanimous Decision after 3 rounds)

Kazuo Takahashi vs Valentijn Overeem (Heavyweight Bout)

• Round 1: Takahashi scores a nice takedown to start out the round. Overeem attempts a guillotine but Takahashi escapes and ends up in Overeem’s half guard. Valentijn gets to his feet and starts to work some stand up. He’s getting the better of Takahashi with strikes. Overeem lands a huge flying knee and knocks out Takahashi. Fight over.
• Round 2:
• Round 3:
• Final Result: Overeem wins via KO (Flying Knee) at 2:42 in the 1st round.

Peter Graham vs Moise Rimbon (Heavyweight Bout)

• Round 1: Graham strikes first and Moise attempts a takedown. Graham stuffs the takedown and they continue the stand up. Peter comes forward with punches but Rimbon avoids nicely backing up. Rimbon misses with a takedown but eventually gets Graham to the mat. He mounts Peter easily but time runs out before he can take advantage of the position.
• Round 2: Rimbon comes out and lands a big overhand punch that drops Graham. Rimbon tee’s off on the ground with strikes. Peter gives up his back and Moise sinks in the choke. Graham can’t escape and is forced to tap.
• Round 3:
• Final Result: Moise Rimbon wins via Rear Naked Choke at 0:42 in the 2nd round.

Pawel Nastula vs Dong Yi Yang (Heavyweight Bout)

• Round 1: Nastula shoots in for a takedown but Yang avoids it. Both fighters are being very cautious.Yang comes in and Nastula goes for another takedown. Yang catches Nastula in the family jewels and the action is paused. The first kick that lands is a low blow. The action resumes and Yang goes right to the groin again, this time with a knee. Yang gets a yellow card. Once again the action resumes. Yang swings away with wild slapping punches. but nothing lands. Nastula ties him up and they clinch before the round comes to an end.
• Round 2: After a slow start Yang comes in with punches and gets Nastula to the mat. Nastula goes for a leg lock but eats some punches in the process. They continue to trade and Yang gets the takedown. Yang lands some small punches from the guard. Nastula sinks in an armbar but Yang pulls his arm out. Nastula kneels down in pain possibly from earlier groin shots and the ref waves it off. Yang goes crazy and celebrates his victory. Strange ending to the fight. Nastula throws up his arms wondering what just happened but he clearly was out of the fight.
• Round 3:
• Final Result: Dong Yi Yang wins via TKO (Ref Stoppage) at 2:15 in the 2nd round.

Mizuto Hirota vs Ryan Schultz (Lightweight GP Round 1 Bout)

• Round 1: Hirota comes out aggressive but Shultz isn’t backing down. Hirota is coming forward but Ryan is more in control. Hirota fires a low kick but Schultz returns the favor with twice the power. Hirota lands a nice punch but Schultz recovers. Schultz is starting to hurt Hirota with his powerful kicks. It ends up on the ground with Ryan in Hirota’s guard. Hirota fires an up kick and gets to his feet. Schultz in trouble, takes Hirota back to the mat and the round comes to an end.
• Round 2: Schultz comes right out with a takedown but Hirota easily gets back to his feet. Schultz has some great kicks but wants the fight on the ground. They trade punches with neither landing anything significant. Schultz continues to go for a takedown but Hirota is defending well. They are letting the punches go. Schultz shoots in for a takedown but ends up outside of the ring. They are back to their feet and Hirota lands a big right hand that drops Ryan "The Lion" and the fight is over. KO for Hirota who advances in the tournament. A big upset over Ryan Schultz who was the favorite.
• Round 3:
• Final Result: Mizuto Hirota wins via KO (Punch) at 4:25 in the 2nd round.

Kazunori Yokota vs Bojan Kosednar (Lightweight GP Round 1 Bout)

• Round 1: Bojan comes out with a takedown and Yokota returns with a plethora of small punches. Yokota follows his barrage with a takedown but Bojan gets back to his feet. It’s back to the striking game. Bojan goes for another takedown but in the process Yokota takes his back. His isn’t able to take advantage and they are back to their feet. Both fighters scramble for a takedown but Yokota comes up with it. He ends up in Bojan’s half guard but is unable to get anything going as Bojan controls his head. Time runs out and the round ends.
• Round 2: Round two is underway and Yokota is looking good with his stand up. Bojan is coming forward and being aggressive. He lands a good right hand and shoots for a takedown. Bojan lands a low blow inside the clinch and the action is temporarily paused. The fight resumes and Bojan secures a takedown. He almost takes Yokota’s back but Yokota spins and lands in Bojan’s guard. He is unable to take advantage in the guard. He works a little ground and pound but doesn’t connect with anything solid. The ref stands them up. Bojan is given a yellow card for inactivity. Yokota scores another takedown and takes Bojan’s back. Bojan spins out, ends up in mount but the round comes to a close.
• Round 3: Yokota comes out with the takedown. Bojan sinks in a deep guillotine and works the choke. The ref breaks them up and gives Yokota a yellow card which probably saved him. The action resumes and Yokota lands some good punches. Yokota catches Bojan with a nasty low blow that leaves Bojan in some serious pain. This could be it. It appears that Bojan is going to continue, still in pain. Yokota receives his second yellow card. Bojan gets a takedown and moves into mount. Yokota takes Bojan’s back but Bojan’s stands right up. Yokota just misses with a knee and looks like the fresher fighter now. Could have something to do with that giant groin strike. Yokota scores another takedown and Bojan is looking fatigued. The round finishes out on the ground.
• Final Result: Kazunori Yokota wins via Unanimous Decision after 3 rounds.

Eiji Mitsuoka vs Rodrigo Damm (Lightweight GP Round 1 Bout)

• Round 1: The fighters measure each other up. Damm comes with a low kick and Eiji fires back with punches. They start to exchange and Eiji misses with a takedown. Damm gets Eiji to the mat and Eiji looks for a triangle. He lands a couple of hammer fists to the head of Damm. Eiji has Damm’s head caught in a scissor between his legs but Damm escapes and comes down with a kick. The ref stands Eiji up and they start to trade. Damm lands some nice shots but gets caught with a solid punch that drops him to the mat. Eiji pounces and sinks in a rear naked choke. Damm is forced to tap. An impressive performance from Eiji who begins his celebration.
• Round 2:
• Round 3:
• Final Result: Eiji Mitsuoka wins via Rear Naked Choke at 3:13 in the 1st round.

Satoru Kitaoka vs Clay French (Lightweight GP Round 1 Bout)

• Round 1: Kitaoka has an evil stare in the stare down. Kitaoka shoots in for a beautiful shot. French defends well but Kitaoka has a leg and won’t let go. He quickly drops back for a leg lock and immediately taps French with an achilles lock. Damn that was impressive. French immediately storms out of the arena disappointed with his debut. Kitaoka steam rolled through the Matt Hughes protege in 31 seconds flat. Kitaoka does some crowd pleasing kung fu stances.
• Round 2:
• Round 3:
• Final Result: Satoru Kitaoka wins via Achilles Lock at 0:31 in the 1st round.

Makoto Takimoto vs Frank Trigg (Middleweight Bout)

• Round 1: "Twinkle Toes" returns. Trigg lands a kick but eats a left hand for his troubles. They tie up and Takimoto gets the takedown. Trigg starts to work his rubber guard. Trigg misses with some up kicks and gets back to his feet. He fires off some good punches and they tie up. Trigg follows with a solid punch and a good kick. They are going at it. Takimoto drags Trigg down into his guard not liking the stand up from Trigg. Makoto is keeping Trigg tied up. Trigg breaks free and start to reign down some blows. He passes to side control and lands a knee. Trigg moves into full mount but Takimoto escapes and goes for a leg. Trigg unloads with body punches but Takimoto scoots out of the ring to avoid damage. They start to bang it out and Trigg gets the takedown. Trigg stands up and comes down with a nice shot. Takimoto goes for the leg again but Frank denies. Excellent round from Trigg.
• Round 2: Trigg comes right in but Takimoto fires right back. They start to slug it out and Takimoto comes with a high kick. Great exchange. The end up on the mat with Trigg in side control. Trigg makes his way to mount but Makoto regains half guard. Frank stands up and comes down with some hay makers, landing back in full guard. He lands a big body shot. He follows with a few nice punches to the head. He passes to side control. Trigg is dominating. He unloads in the corner but Takimoto gets to his feet. They exchange and its back to the mat where Makoto sinks in a kimura. He has it but he going out of the ropes. Trigg starts to wail away at the body. Frank gets out and unloads with some big shots. He lands a couple of knees to the body and the round ends.
• Round 3: They trade kicks. Makoto comes in but Trigg gets the takedown. He immediately mounts. Takimoto regains half guard and eventually full guard. Trigg stands up and passes to half. Once again Makoto regains full guard. Trigg spins and almost takes his back but Makoto goes for a leg. He is close but eats a few punches and lets go. Frank isn’t doing much in guard now. The ref stands them up. They start to trade and Makoto looks fresher. Trigg is getting exhausted now. Takimoto lands some big shots that stun Trigg. Frank gets a takedown to recover and isn’t doing much with it. He lands a couple of short elbows. A few more weak shots and the round ends. Takimoto made a comeback but Trigg should have the decision.
• Final Result: Frank Trigg wins via Unanimous Decision after 3 rounds.

Takanori Gomi vs Seung Hwan Bang (Lightweight Main Event)

• Round 1: The fighters start to measure each other up being very cautious. Gomi strikes first with a low kick. Followed by another. Bang comes in with a combo. Gomi comes back with a leg kick. Gomi lands another low kick. He follows with a left. Both guys are still very tentative. Gomi lands a left. He starts to get busy a little and lands a good body punch. Gomi with another leg kick. Gomi lands a stiff right and they start to get a little more busy with strikes. Gomi eats a right before the bell but taunts Bang saying it was nothing.
• Round 2: They get busy with punches right away. They trade jabs. Gomi is sticking and jabbing. Gomi lands a leg kick. Bang misses with a high kick and they tie up for a second. They continue to trade but neither fighter is committing to anything significant. This isn’t the same Gomi we’re use to seeing. Gomi lands another low kick but he doesn’t have much on his kicks. It goes to the mat and Gomi starts to unload finally. He easily mounts Bang, takes his back but Bang escapes instantly. Gomi fires off a couple of shots. He almost connects with a flying knee to the body in the corner before the round closes out.
• Round 3: Both guys are still a little tentative to engage. Gomi lands a left jab followed by a low kick. Bang fires away with a nice combo that lands. Neither one of the guys is trying to finish the fight. They have a nice exchange. Gomi swings and misses. They both swing and miss. Bang is starting to look tired. Gomi lands a left followed by some shots inside. Bang, now exhausted lands a nice punch but Gomi is of course getting the better of the stand up. He lands a low kick. Bang comes in and misses with a combo. Gomi comes back with a nice front body kick. Gomi is finally starting to tee off a little now that the rounds almost over. A few more exchanges and the round ends. Not very impressive from Gomi but enough to take the decision.
• Final Result: Takanori Gomi wins via Unanimous Decision after 3 rounds.

(Fireball background courtesy of Digital Expressionism)

Takanori Gomi, Seung Hwan Bang and sixteen other fighters stepped up to the scales today in preparation for tomorrow’s Sengoku IV event in Saitama, Japan.

Everyone made weight without any issues including "The Fireball Kid" who actually came in a little under the required 154lb limit, weighing in at 153.8 pounds. His opponent, Seung Hwan Bang, was right on the mark checking in at 154lbs.

The rest of the Lightweight Grand Prix participants weighed in just under the 154lb mark excluding Satoru Kitaoka who was right at 154lbs.

The Lightweight Grand Prix features some stiff competition including former IFL champion Ryan "The Lion" Schultz who brought Chris Horodecki’s 11-0 run to a screeching halt. It also features former Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion Rodrigo Damm and the "Hit Squads" Clay French who hasn’t faced defeat since losing to Shinya Aoki in 2006.

The winner of the Lightweight Grand Prix will get a shot at Gomi for the vacant Sengoku lightweight crown. Bouts featuring Frank Trigg, Pawel Nastula, and Valentijn Overeem round out this action packed card.

Sengoku IV Official Weigh-in Results:

• Takanori Gomi (153.8) vs. Seung Hwan Bang (154)
• Frank Trigg (182.4) vs. Makoto Takimoto (180.4)
• Pawel Nastula (223.5) vs. Yang Dong Yi (220.2)
• Moise Rimbon (211) vs. Peter Graham (244.4)
• Valentijn Overeem (238) vs. Kazuo Takahashi (207.9)

Sengoku Lightweight Grand Prix

• Clay French (153.8) vs. Satoru Kitaoka (154)
• Eiji Mitsuoka (153.8) vs. Rodrigo Damm (153.8)
• Kazunori Yokota (153.8) vs. Bojan Kosednar (153.3)
• Ryan Schultz (153.6) vs. Mizuto Hirota (153.8)

You can watch the official Sengoku IV weigh-ins video at Sherdog.com.

RedSweat.com will be bringing you all of the live action for Sengoku IV including quick results and up-to-the-minute play-by-play commentary for the entire card beginning at 3am ET.

World Victory Road’s Sengoku II takes place this morning, May 18, at the Ariake Colosseum in Tokyo, Japan.

Headlining the show will be "The Babyface Assassin" Josh Barnett taking on "The Snowman" Jeff Monson in a heavyweight match up. This event also marks the long awaited return of Roger Gracie and Kevin Randleman who have both been away from MMA competition for over 16 months.

RedSweat.com will be bringing you all of the action live including quick results and play by play commentary starting at 3am ET.

Please bookmark this post for easy access to Sengoku 2 results and subscribe to my feed for live results of all major upcoming mixed martial arts events in the future.

Also feel free to stick around after the fights for a discussion. Leave as many comments as you like and tell us what you thought about the fights.

Hit F5 or (Cmnd + R) on your keyboard to refresh often.

Important news, announcements and interesting moments during Sengoku 2

• Opening ceremonies are currently under way. They are introducing all of the fighters. Kitaoka vs Schaffa is up first.
• It is currently intermission. They just showed a replay of all the fights so far.
• Kazuo Misaki, Hidehiko Yoshida and Takanori Gomi all came to the ring for a special event announcement. The commentary is in Japanese so I don’t know the details.
• Kawamura vs Randleman is up next.
• Gracie vs Kondo is up next.
• Yoshida enters the ring and gives Roger Gracie a big bouquet of flowers and I have no idea why. Maybe it signifies a future match between the two.
• It is time for the main event between Barnett and Monson.
• See everyone next Saturday for UFC 84 Live Results and Play by Play!

Sengoku 2 Quick Results

• Satoru Kitaoka vs Ian Schaffa (Satoru Kitaoka wins via Guillotine Choke in the 1st round)
• Mike Pyle vs Dan Hornbuckle (Mike Pyle wins via Triangle Choke in the 1st round)
• Eiji Mitsuoka vs Kwang Hee Lee (Mitsuoka wins via Rear Naked Choke in the 1st round)
• Yuki Sasaki vs Jorge Santiago (Jorge Santiago wins via Armbar in the 3rd round)
• Yoshiro Nakao vs Jim York (Yoshiro Nakao wins via KO (Punch) in the 2nd round)
• Ryo Kawamura vs Kevin Randleman (Randleman wins via Unanimous Decision after 3)
• Yuki Kondo vs Roger Gracie (Roger Gracie wins via Rear Naked Choke in the 1st round)
• Josh Barnett vs Jeff Monson (Josh Barnett wins via Unanimous Decision after 3 rounds)

Sengoku 2 Main Card Play by Play Commentary

Satoru Kitaoka vs Ian Schaffa (Lightweight Bout)

• Round 1: Kitaoka goes right in for a shot and throws Ian to the mat. Ian attempts to reverse but gets caught in a guillotine choke. He tries to escape but is forced to tap.
• Round 2:
• Round 3:
• Final Result: Satoru Kitaoka wins via Guillotine Choke in the 1st round.

Mike Pyle vs Dan Hornbuckle (Welterweight Bout)

• Round 1: Dan strikes first with a low kick. They tie up against the ropes and Pyle gets the takedown into full guard. Dan starts to work the rubber guard but Mike postures up and out of danger. Pyle comes down with a punch and almost gets caught in a triangle. Mike takes Dan’s back. They scramble and Hornbuckle gets the takedown this time. Pyle starts to work his rubber guard. The fighters are brought to their feet by the ref. They tie each other up against the ropes. Pyle gets a couple of small shots in and the ref breaks them up. Pyle goes in for a takedown but is denied. Mike throws a good combo and starts to work his muay thai clinch throwing some knees. Pyle lands a good right. Hornbuckle gets the takedown but falls right into a beautiful triangle and Dan is forced to tap.
• Round 2:
• Round 3:
• Final Result: Mike Pyle wins via Triangle Choke in the 1st round.

Eiji Mitsuoka vs Kwang Hee Lee (Lightweight Bout)

• Round 1: After some feeling out Lee connects first with a leg kick. Lee just misses with a quick head kick. A lot of respect is being shown by both fighters. Eiji shoots in for a takedown and they clinch against the ropes. They separate and are back to the center of the ring. Eiji gets the takedown and ends up in half guard. Eiji almost passes to full mount but goes back to full guard. This time he secures the mount and Lee immediately gives up his back. After a few quick strikes to soften Kwang up, Mitsuoka sinks in the rear naked choke and Lee is forced to tap.
• Round 2:
• Round 3:
• Final Result: Eiji Mitsuoka wins via Rear Naked Choke in the 1st round.

Yuki Sasaki vs Jorge Santiago

• Round 1: They feel each other out for a long time until finally they trade leg kicks. Yuki lands his second nice body kick. Jorge misses with a big punch. Jorge throws a leg kick and Yuki quickly takes his back. He sinks in the rear naked choke and starts to work it in. Santiago escapes danger and ends up in the guard of Sasaki. He lands a couple of vicious body shots from full guard. After some small hammer fists, Jorge unloads with some big left hands. He follows with another group of left hands. The ref stands them up and Jorge throws a nice head kick. He misses with another and slips allowing Yuki to gain top control. Sasaki secures an armbar right at the bell. It might have been over if time wouldn’t have ran out.
• Round 2: Yuki gets things going with a body kick. Jorge is stalking Yuki but not throwing anything. After a small exchange Jorge lands a solid leg kick. Santiago ties up Sasaki and they clinch. Yuki tries to take Jorge down but falls to his back. Jorge starts to come down with punches. He lands a big foot stomp to the chest of Sasaki. He falls into the guard of Yuki who works for a submission. Santiago starts to work some short ground and pound while Yuki keeps him tied up for the most part. The ref stands them up. Jorge lands a good kick. He goes for a flying knee followed by a good punch. They start to bang it out with Yuki getting the better of the punches. Yuki takes Jorge’s back. Jorge flips over and gets caught in a head and arm choke. Sasaki switches to a kimura right before time runs out. Another tight submission at the bell that might have finished the fight.
• Round 3: They trade kicks to begin the third round. Yuki lands a solid body kick. They exchange kicks again. They trade punches and clinch against the ropes. Yuki secures the takedown into full guard. Santiago goes right into a beautiful armbar and Yuki is forced to tap.
• Final Result: Jorge Santiago wins via Armbar in the 3rd round.

Yoshiro Nakao vs Jim York (Heavyweight Bout)

• Round 1: Fighters feel each other out with multiple kicks that miss. Nakao swings and misses with a giant haymaker. Both fighters are extremely tentative to engage. They trade a couple more weak leg kicks. Nakao lands a body kick but nothing much is on it. The continue to trade weak leg kicks. Nakao lands another body kick and Jim fires back with a combo but nothing lands. The round ends with neither fighter doing any damage.
• Round 2: It looks like more leg kicks for round two. Nakao catches one of Jim York’s kicks and takes him down momentarily. York gets right back to his feet but Yoshiro clips him with a punch. He follows with another big right hand and Big Jim falls to the mat. Nakao pounces and lands one more shot before the ref steps in to wave it off.
• Round 3:
• Final Result: Yoshiro Nakao wins via KO (Punch) in the 2nd round.

Ryo Kawamura vs Kevin Randleman

• Round 1: Wow Randleman actually does some feeling out before shooting in for one of his patented takedowns. Ryo scrambles and Kevin takes his back. Ryo locks in a kimura momentarily but loses it. Randleman throws a couple of left hands from behind. Ryo sinks in another kimura and Randleman throws him to the mat to escape. Ryo locks in the kimura once again but Kevin is too strong and he can’t do anything with it. Ryo does a quick roll into a leg lock but Kevin escapes. Ryo goes for the kimura. The ref separates the fighters for lack of action. They trade but nothing lands. The circle around the ring for the remainder of the round with nothing happening.
• Round 2: After a long feeling out process Kevin comes in and ties up Ryo against the ropes. The break and Ryo throws a nice head kick. He follows with a good leg kick. Kevin shoots but misses. Kawamura is starting to gain confidence since Kevin isn’t very active. Time out is called I think to warn Kevin for inactivity but I’m not positive. Kevin goes right for the shot but Ryo denies and this time extends the kimura. Kevin escapes and they work their way back into the same position with Kevin on Ryo’s back. They start to trade a little. Kevin lands a right jab. Ryo flurries but nothing lands. They trade some more shots and the round ends.
• Round 3: Ryo connects first with a leg kick. Ryo throws a nice head kick that almost connects. The clinch against the ropes in the corner. They trade knees and Randleman works for the takedown. The ref separates the fighters. Ryo comes in with punches and Kevin catches him in a guillotine choke. He uses it to muscle Kawamura to the ground. The pause in the corner both starting to wear down. Ryo sinks in his trademark kimura. He extends it and you can hear Kevin scream in pain. Kawamura starts to unload and they trade shots. Once again they tie up in the corner this time with 30 seconds left. Ryo misses with another kimura but starts to unload on Randleman with a flurry of punches. The round ends.
• Final Result: Kevin Randleman wins via Unanimous Decision after 3 rounds.

Yuki Kondo vs Roger Gracie (Openweight Bout)

• Round 1: Roger right away comes in and ties up Kondo against the ropes. He scoops Yuki up and drops him on his back into half guard. He easily passes into side control. Yuki scrambles and Roger mounts. He comes down with a punch and Yuki gives up his back. Gracie start to work the choke. Yuki flips over and absorbs a couple of punches. He gives up his back again and Roger sinks in the choke. Yuki refuses to tap and the ref jumps in to save him from unconsciousness.
• Round 2:
• Round 3:
• Final Result: Roger Gracie wins via Rear Naked Choke in the 1st round.

Josh Barnett vs Jeff Monson

• Round 1: The two were very nonchalant in their stare down. Josh strikes first with a powerful leg kick. Barnett lands another big leg kick. Josh comes in with a nice combo ending with a leg kick. He misses with a spinning back kick. Once again Barnett attacks the left leg of Monson. The clinch momentarily. Josh continues to stick his jab out there. Monson lands a nice left hand and comes in to tie up Josh who separates. They clinch with one minute left. They trade small knees and separate. Barnett lands another good kick and Monson retaliates with a big punch that lands. They clinch in the corner and the round ends.
• Round 2: Barnett lands a beautiful spinning back kick to start things off. They clinch up against the ropes. Monson drops down for a single and secures the takedown. Barnett goes for a triangle choke but misses although he is still in position. Josh rolls for a kimura but can’t secure it. Monson starts to drop some short punches in half guard. He passes to side control and lands a knee. Josh bridges and gets to his feet. He takes Monson right down and ends up in butterfly guard. Josh starts to work some body shots. Barnett postures up for a moment and comes down with a couple of punches. Monson escapes and they are back to their feet. Barnett lands a couple of big knees in the muay thai clinch and the round ends.
• Round 3: Barnett comes out with a body kick. They clinch and he lands a knee to the body. Monson drops down for a single leg but gets rolled over buy Josh who almost has a guillotine. Barnett starts to work the body. He drops back for a leg lock but misses and they are back to their feet in the clinch. The ref separates the fighters. Barnett throws a couple of knees and Monson goes down to the mat with Josh on top although he wasn’t really affected by the knees. Josh works some minor ground and pound and Monson scrambles to get up. Josh lands a knee to the body. Now on Monson’s back partially he starts to throw some right hands. He drops back for a toe hold but Monson refuses to tap and time runs out.
• Final Result: Josh Barnett wins via Unanimous Decision after 3 rounds.

World Victory Road has announced that submission master, Roger Grace, will take on three time King of Pancrase, Yuki Kondo, at Sengoku II on May 18.

After weeks of anticipation regarding Roger’s opponent, the organization finally made announcement earlier today on the official Sengoku website. It looks like Gracie vs Kondo will be featured in the co-main event which will be succeeded by the main event between heavyweights, Josh Barnett and Jeff Monson.

This will only be Roger’s second pro MMA event. He has one victory to his credit which came at a BodogFIGHT event in December of 2006 where he submitted Ron Waterman in the first round via armbar.

While Roger might lack the experience in pro MMA fights he does not lack the experience of competition. He is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and the 2005 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship winner in the 88-98kg and Open-weight categories. He submitted all eight of his opponents, something that had never been done before.

Yuki Kondo has had an amazing career with over 70 fights and almost 50 wins to his credit. He is a three time King of Pancrase and most recently lost to Keiichiro Yamamiya via a majority decision at Pancrase "Shining 3" on April 27. While his resume does include a who’s who list of MMA fighters, Kondo unfortunately has only won 4 of his last 10 bouts.

Here is the official Sengoku II fight card as of now:

• Josh Barnett vs Jeff Monson
• Yuki Kondo vs Roger Gracie
• Ryo Kawamura vs Kevin Randleman
• Yoshiro Nakao vs Jim York
• Yuki Sasaki vs Jorge Santiago
• Eiji Mitsuoka vs Kwang Hee Lee
• Mike Pyle vs Dan Hornbuckle
• Satoru Kitaoka vs Ian Schaffa

Sengoku II will take place on May 18 at the Ariake Colosseum in Tokyo, Japan.

An opponent has finally been named for "The Babyface Assassin" Josh Barnett at the upcoming Sengoku II event on May 18.

World Victory Road’s official website Sengoku-Official.com announced today that Jeff "The Snowman" Monson will be stepping up to take on the top ten ranked heavyweight and former UFC heavyweight champion of the world.

Barnett, who competed in Pride for the latter part of his career, fought in the first Sengoku event back in March. He took out Olympic Judo gold medallist, Hidehiko Yoshida, with a nasty heel hook in the third round. It was Josh’s first fight back since losing to Nogueira at Pride Shockwave over 14 months ago.

Monson, like Barnett, is extremely experienced and a perfect match for Josh Barnett. Jeff recently competed at Ring of Fire which was held in Manila, Philippines back in December of 07. He defeated Hakim Goram from Holland via a unanimous decision. "The Snowman" has been in the cage with some fierce competition. His seven loss record is a who’s who of elite fighters including Rizzo, Sylvia, Griffin, Rodriguez and Liddell.

Both fighters have similar records with a combined total of 57 fights and both have finished over 60% of their fights via submission. This fight will be an extremely intriguing ground affair most likely with some great stand up sprinkled in throughout the fight. Barnett will have the edge but Monson will be tough to handle with his excellent wrestling ability. This fight will come down to who pushes the pace, who controls positions and ends up on top, and of course cardio. Cardio will play a huge factor in this fight and could be the key to victory.

Also making his return to the ring after almost a two and a half year hiatus is "The Monster" Kevin Randleman. He will take on Pancrase veteran, Ryo Kawamura. Roger Gracie will also compete although his opponent has yet to be announced.

Sengoku II Official Fight Card as of April 24:

• Kwang Hee Lee vs. Eiji Mitsuoka
• Satoru Kitaoka vs. Ian Schaffa
• Jorge Santiago vs. Yuki Sasaki
• Yoshihiro Nakao vs. Jim York
• Dan Hornbuckle vs. Mike Pyle
• Ryo Kawamura vs. Kevin Randleman
• Josh Barnett vs. Jeff Monson
• Roger Gracie vs. TBA

I will keep you posted on further Sengoku II fight card updates.

Stick around for more exciting MMA news!

Following the debut of Sengoku on March 5, World Victory Road has announced plans for its second event, Sengoku II which is scheduled to take place on May 18 at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo, Japan.

The main event of the show will feature submission expert, Roger Gracie, although his opponent has yet to be announced.

Nakao was thought to be a potential opponent early on but apparently Nakao stated that he would like more time to prepare for his MMA return. Roger Gracie is currently 1-0 as a pro, defeating Ron Waterman via armbar at Bodog Fight "USA vs Russia" in December of 2006.

Also appearing on the card will be Satoru Kitaoka, Yoshihiro Nakao and Yuki Sasaki. This will be Satoru’s first MMA fight outside of the Pancrase organization where he has spent his entire mixed martial arts career and has established a pro record of 19-8-9. He recently fought Katsuya Inoue for the welterweight King of Pancrase title and lost a very close split decision to the wrestler who like himself has a tendency to take his fights the distance.

Yoshihiro Nakao is known for his notorious fight with Heath Herring where he was knocked out cold after kissing the "Texas Crazy Horse" on the lips during the stare down. Nakao has two NC on his record which includes six wins and only one loss. His lone loss was given to him by Kazuhiro Nakamura who beat him via unanimous decision at Pride "Final Conflict Absolute" in September of 2006. He has wins over Don Frye and Wesley "Cabbage" Correira.

Yuki Sasaki is another experienced Japanese fighter with 21 career wins and 13 losses to his name. He is extremely well versed in submission grappling with 13 of his fights ending via submission. He has spent the majority of his career fighting in the Shooto and Pancrase organizations. In August of 2006 he made his debut in the UFC losing to the "Boogeyman" Dean Lister via unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 6.

Apparently there are talks of World Victory Road negotiating a possible deal with lightweight Kazunori Yokota to appear on the Sengoku II card but nothing is confirmed as of yet. Negotiations have been complicated due to Yokota’s ties to Deep, where he is currently the lightweight champion. On top of that, the upstart organization DREAM, is interested in signing the lightweight as well.

I will keep you posted on further developments relating to this story. For more details on Sengoku visit their official website. Stand by for more MMA news!

World Victory Road’s debut event "Sengoku" takes place tomorrow night March 5 at the Yoyogi First National Gymnasium in Japan.

In the main event Hidehiko Yoshida, Olympic Gold Medallist in Judo, will take on "The Babyface Assassin" Josh Barnett in a heavyweight bout. In a highly anticipated lightweight bout, Takanori Gomi will make his return to face Duane "Bang" Ludwig.

We will be bringing you the live results for Sengoku, which unfortunately will not be televised in the US, starting a 6:30pm ET sharp.

Please bookmark this post for easy access to the Sengoku results and subscribe to my feed for live results of all major upcoming mixed martial arts events in the future.

Also feel free to stick around after the event for a discussion. Leave as many comments as you like and tell us what you thought about the fights.

World Victory Road "Sengoku" Quick Results

• Fabricio Monteiro vs Nick Thompson (Thompson wins via unanimous decision after 3)
• Ryo Kawamura vs Antonio Braga Neto (Kawamura wins via unanimous decision after 3)
• Makoto Takimoto vs Evangelista Santos (Santos wins via hell hook at 4:51 in the 1st round)
• Kazuyuki Fujita vs Peter Graham (Fujita wins via north-south choke at 1:23 in the 1st round)
• Kazuo Misaki vs Siyar Bahadurzada (Misaki wins via guillotine choke at 2:02 in the 2nd)
• Takanori Gomi vs Duane Ludwig (Gomi wins via TKO cut at 2:28 in the 1st round)
• Hidehiko Yoshida vs Josh Barnett (Barnett wins via heel hook at 3:23 in the 3rd round)