Preview: Shooto 'Tradition 5'

Shintaro Ishiwatari vs. Michihiro Omigawa

Omigawa overcame a career beginning mired in ridiculous, irresponsible matchmaking that got him soundly highlight reeled and had him digging his way to mediocrity. Due to his status as a Hidehiko Yoshida student and the power of his management company, J-Rock, that mediocrity earned him a UFC contract. There, he quickly showed that, despite being an entertaining commodity, he was hardly Octagon-caliber talent. Heading for the confines of Shooto and trimming down to 143 pounds, Omigawa seems to have located a more suitable vocation as a featherweight gatekeeper.

The last two years have been infinitely kinder to the 22-year-old Ishiwatari, whose free-swinging style saw him emerge as one of the Shooto system’s best young fighters. What’s more, 2008 saw him become a viral video sensation of sorts. Despite being almost entirely anonymous to MMA fans, Ishiwatari suddenly began making the video rounds due to his jaw-dropping, face-crushing slam knockout of Kazuhiro Ito last February. He followed up his YouTube breakout with a more impressive performance in September, banging out former rookie champion Tenkei Fujimiya in a wild and woolly brawl.

The ball should rest in Omigawa’s figurative court. As a former standout judoka who will no longer face the physical impediment of being outsized and outweighed by opponents, Omigawa could put his throws to good use from the clinch, where Ishiwatari’s reckless style makes him a prime candidate to be thrown for ippon. However, Omigawa has repeatedly shown a willingness to engage in blow-for-blow brawls. Tit-for-tat is the one scenario where Ishiwatari has a pronounced advantage and is likely to bash his mullet-sporting adversary.

There’s a reason we all do what we do, and against better judgment, Omigawa brawls. Unfortunately for him, while he has the brawler's gene, Ishiwatari is homozygous for it. We very well may get to see the glorious absence of the knockdown count in this fight, as Ishiwatari is liable to put fists to face on Omigawa. And with no silly rules to interrupt his bashing, he should chalk up another sterling victory.