Quarterfinal Matchups Announced for Sengoku GP

With the opening round of the Sengoku featherweight grand prix in the books for less than two weeks, parent company World Victory Road has announced the four quarterfinal pairings for its 143-pound tournament scheduled for May 2 at the Yoyogi National Stadium Second Gymnasium.

In one matchup, tournament favorite Hatsu Hioki will take on upstart Brit Ronnie Mann. Hioki impressively dispatched of then-undefeated WEC veteran Chris Manuel at the March 20 tournament opener with a first-round submission. Mann took a competitive unanimous verdict over 18-year-old ZST product Tetsuya Yamada.

First-round upset author Michihiro Omigawa will meet up with the dynamic Nam Phan. Omigawa and Phan both turned in stellar performances in the opening round, as Omigawa knocked off well-regarded prospect L.C. Davis via unanimous decision and Phan knocked out former Shooto world champion Hideki Kadowaki in the first frame.

South Korean slugger Chan Sung Jung will face ZST torchbearer Masanori Kanehara. The 22-year-old Jung brawled his way to a first-round choking of Shintaro Ishiwatari in the tournament's first phase. Kanehara took an exacting unanimous decision over Jung's compatriot Jong Man Kim.

A battle of undefeated fighters will complete the quarterfinals when Brazilian Marlon Sandro takes on Canadian Nick Denis. Denis took a commanding first-round stoppage over Pancrase product Seiya Kahawara in the first round, and Sandro choked out former KOTC champion Matt Jaggers in the second stanza.

The four tournament bouts bring the announced May 2 card to a total of seven fights. Also scheduled is a light heavyweight contest between BJJ king Alexandre "Xande" Ribeiro and former light heavyweight King of Pancrase Keiichiro Yamamiya, a lightweight clash between grappling ace Leonardo Santos and former Deep lightweight champion Kazunori Yokota, and a welterweight affair between 2004 Olympic judo gold medalist Makoto Takimoto and Chute Boxe banger Michael Costa.