Randleman shows his horrible gas tank, but Kawamura has no way to counter the ground control

Jeff Monson vs. Josh Barnett

A classic matchup between two veteran MMA combatants that will likely hit the floor before it ends on the feet. Monson (24-7) is most notable for being an outspoken anarchist, but also harboring one of the slickest submission ground games by a heavyweight. He’s finished 15 of his fights by submission in his career, and it’s likely that he’ll be looking for the same method to defeat Barnett.

Unfortunately for Monson, Barnett (21-5) is one of the best in the world at this juncture in his career, and he’s also a former training partner of Monson. It’s likely that both fighters have seen what the other is capable of on a regular basis, so this fight could extend to a decision due to both fighters nullifying each other’s ground games. Barnett, however, isn’t the type of fighter to head to decision unless he’s losing, and I don’t see him losing this one. Look for Barnett to use his size to his advantage and put this one away.

Josh Barnett via submission, Round 2

Kevin Randleman vs. Ryo Kawamura

“The Monster” is going to be a tough man to stop in this clash of styles. While Kawamura (8-2-2) has some venerable striking abilities, Randleman (16-12) still possesses very strong top control and ground abilities to nullify Kawamura’s heavy hands. There’s also the underlying fact that Randleman’s chin isn’t overly weak, and Kawamura may have a tough time sticking to his feet to put leather on Randleman’s chin for an extended period of time.

Randleman should get the win here on the ground with some punishing top control, and it’s unfortunate that WVR decided on this matchup. Kawamura definitely has some striking ability to display, and he could pull out a surprise knockout here, but I’m more inclined to believe that Randleman can control on the ground.

Kevin Randleman via TKO, Round 2

Roger Gracie vs. Yuki Kondo

This is a very interesting matchup for a number of reasons. First and foremost, Roger Gracie (1-0) is obviously a part of the legendary MMA family that is the Gracies, but he’s also only managed to fight in one MMA bout at BodogFIGHT. He won that bout in the first round via armbar over Ron Waterman, but hasn’t fought in any other events since the win. His credentials are extensive in the world of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and it’s a no-brainer that he’ll be looking to move the fight to the ground. Does Yuki Kondo want to be there with such an accomplished grappler?

Kondo (48-21-6) is one of the better Japanese fighters from the days of Pancrase with big wins over Frank Shamrock, Mario Sperry, Akihiro Gono, and Semmy Schilt, but he’s currently riding a .500 record in his last 10 fights. He has also been winning most of his fights via decision at this latter stage of his career. I wouldn’t count on Kondo being able to submit Roger, and it’s a mystery as to where his power has gone in his most recent fights.  For those reasons, I’m sticking to Roger Gracie winning his second career MMA fight. And no… Kondo doesn’t want this fight on the ground. Look for Roger to push the submission.

Roger Gracie via submission, Round 2

Jorge Santiago vs. Yuki Sasaki

Santiago (16-7) has been on a tear recently. With four straight wins including the Strikeforce tournament in November of last year, Santiago is surging back onto the scene as an explosive Middleweight. Wins over Trevor Prangley, Sean Salmon, Jeremy Horn, and Andrei Semenov have catapulted the UFC washout into creating some better fights for him, and the upcoming battle with Sasaki could very well be the beginning of some decent matchups in Japan.

Sasaki (21-13-1) is mainly a submission fighter. He’s been susceptible to the heavy hands in the past, but he’s mostly stuck to the floor in his more recent losses. It’s no doubt that Sasaki has a tough test ahead. Santiago will likely have some deep BJJ skills, and his training at American Top Team will only help solidify his skillset to be a tough counter for Sasaki’s skills. Look for Santiago to continue the streak with a big win here.

Jorge Santiago via KO, Round 1

Quick Picks
Dan Hornbuckle vs. Mike Pyle: It’s interesting that Hornbuckle is from Mahomet, IL, only a mere 15-20 minutes from my hometown, but that doesn’t make him a favorite in my mind in this fight. Although I love the local MMA scene and Hornbuckle’s record of 15-1 sounds impressive, he hasn’t fought the tough competition that Mike Pyle has endured. Mike Pyle via submission, Round 1

Kwang Hee Lee vs. Eiji Mitsuoka: Lee has exploded onto the scene with five devastating wins via TKO/KO in his first five battles in the ring. He’s going to have a tougher time with Mitsuoka though, who has some great experience against top competition at Lightweight including a win over Joachim Hansen in November. It should be a decent fight, but Mitsuoka’s toughness should prevail. Mitsuoka via submission, Round 1

Satoru Kitaoka vs. Ian James Schaffa: A bit of a toss-up here, but Kitaoka definitely has the edge in experience here. Schaffa has fought some very tough competition, but has lost every opportunity to gain some ground as being a star in the division. Kitaoka has a very good submission game, and I think he’ll use his experience on the ground to best Schaffa.  Kitaoka via submission, Round 2

Yoshihiro “Kiss” Nakao vs. Jim York: I have to pick “Kiss” here just because… why not? He has faced some very good competition over his career, and managed to maintain a 6-1 record while doing it. Although not the most prominent finisher, he should be able to defeat the inexperienced York. I say inexperienced because he’s faced mostly losing fighters for his 10 fight career. Nakao via decision

The rebirth of the Japanese mixed martial arts scene will slowly begin its ascension on Wednesday at National Yoyogi Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. Many fans are touting the arrival of promotions like World Victory Road, DREAM, and the coalition of K-1 and former DSE staffers as the second coming of the old PRIDE style format to the sport of mixed martial arts. The card certainly shows the seriousness of WVR’s entry into the Japanese market. The main event will feature Takanori Gomi vs. Duane Ludwig with supporting matchups featuring Josh Barnett vs. Hidehiko Yoshida and Shooto champion Siyar Bahadurzada vs. Kazuo Misaki.  Sengoku has the makings of providing us with a great midweek event to get the ball rolling into the weekend.

Main Event
Takanori “The Fireball Kid” Gomi (27-3) vs. Duane “Bang” Ludwig (16-7)

Gomi is coming off a layoff that has seen him “sit the bench” since February 24, 2007 due to his contractual problems that resulted from the PRIDE/Zuffa buyout. The big question in this matchup will be whether or not Gomi will have ring rust, and if he can get inside on Ludwig’s reach and power. Gomi has excellent striking, dynamite in his hands, and is known for having a very solid wrestling game that can neutralize opponents on the ground. He’s still arguably the #1 ranked Lightweight in the world due to his numerous wins over top 10 talent, but he has recently fallen off many rankings due to his inactivity. Although this matchup may not bring him back to the top, it’s a good fight for Gomi to work his way back into the “groove” of things.

Ludwig will have a tough challenge ahead of him. There is no doubt that Ludwig possesses the punching power to put Gomi out, but Gomi’s chin is tough and his technical prowess in the standup game is world class. The x-factor is whether or not Gomi will try to put Ludwig to the mat and use his wrestling to enable a ground and pound game on Ludwig. Ludwig’s biggest weakness is on his back whether it be trying to defend submissions or avoid punches. Gomi’s highest percentage to avoid damage while inflicting massive damage could be by putting Ludwig in that very position.

Gomi trying to stand with Ludwig could create some fireworks, but a sure fire winning strategy could see Gomi putting Ludwig on his back early and trying to pound him out. Either way, I think Gomi has a few more skills that he can pull from in order to win this fight.

Leland’s Prediction: Takanori Gomi via TKO, Round 2

Siyar Bahadurzada (13-1-1) vs. Kazuo Misaki (18-8-2)

Could this be the coming out party for Siyar Bahadurzada? It’s definitely a step up in competition for the native of Afghanistan. Bahadurzada’s skillset consists of some good wrestling skills coupled with some adequate striking that has been known to stun, devastate, and eventually stop opponents on the ground. The only big flaws in Bahadurzada’s credentials revolve around his strength of record. He has only recently taken on some stiffer competition in Shiko Yamashita and Nathan Schouteren, but Misaki is a considerable step up in competition.

Misaki has had mixed results in the last two years. He’s fought some of the best competition out there in Dan Henderson, Paulo Filho, and Frank Trigg. Although Trigg is older nowadays, he implemented an excellent wrestling game against Misaki and cruised to a decision win over him. Misaki has managed to get some big wins over Kang, Henderson, and Baroni during 2006 though, which significantly up his potential to get his name back in the picture.

Misaki isn’t known as a great finisher. He has potential to finish on the floor, but his hands are known as being dangerous in the standup when he is technically precise in his strikes. His record wouldn’t indicate him as being a devastating striker though. This presents an interesting difference in both fighters’ styles. Siyar doesn’t have overwhelming standup, and Misaki has had flashes of brilliance in his standup at times. It could prove to be a breaker for Siyar in this fight. With the big step up in competition for Siyar and Misaki’s inability to finish opponents late in his career, we may see a dominant win by Misaki, but by way of decision.

Leland’s Prediction: Kazuo Misaki via decision

Josh Barnett (20-5) vs. Hidehiko Yoshida (7-5-1)