The Weekly Wrap: May 30 – June 5

Ishii Headed to Sengoku

The hottest free agent in Japan, 2008 Olympic gold medal-winning judoka Satoshi Ishii, announced he had signed with the World Victory Road organization, which promotes the Sengoku MMA series. In an indication of the type of attention Ishii seems likely to draw, a press conference in Shinjuku announcing his signing attracted some 3,000 spectators, about as many as attended Sengoku’s last show in Tokyo.

Terms of the deal were not officially disclosed, but sports media in Japan reported Ishii signed a two-year deal. Financial terms were not known, but Ishii was believed to have been offered a $5.86 million deal by the Dream organization and was actively courted by the UFC. In recent months, Ishii did training stints in several western MMA camps, including Xtreme Couture and Lyoto Machida’s gym in Brazil.

Ishii, 22, who won the gold medal in the 220-plus-pound division in Beijing, indicated he wanted to debut as soon as Sengoku’s next card on Aug. 2 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Sengoku also has events planned in September and November.