Preview: Sengoku ‘Sixth Battle’

Sengoku Lightweight Tournament Series Final

If the prognostications being proffered in this preview have some sense and savvy, we'll be treated to a final featuring Eiji Mitsuoka and Mizuto Hirota. Better yet, it's the most appealing combination of semifinalists we could've asked for.

While neither fighter is about to do a Tarzan Douglas impression, both are gritty, well rounded and not at all averse to brawling. Hirota has the punching power and striking versatility to pose a legitimate offensive threat, while Mitsuoka has shown off solid striking fundamentals, a bit of pop himself and strong dirty boxing. Mitsuoka's ground game is well rounded on the top and bottom, and Hirota can be a ferocious ground-and-pounder when he chooses to. Neither fighter has a particular stylistic weakness, but they have enough offense to brew up a quality scrap.

If there is a deficiency to key on, however, it belongs to Hirota. Although his strength is setting up punches in the pocket, he stands flat-footed, doesn't move his head and doesn't circle away from strikes. It makes him prone to flash knockdowns, and he may be a legitimate problem against an underrated striker like Mitsuoka, who outstruck the very slick and technical Kotetsu Boku at range for portions of their fight.

Hirota is too game to be finished, but this repeated technical issue figures to rear its ugly head again. It'll be a decision victory for Mitsuoka, but nonetheless, he will earn the right to face Takanori Gomi on Jan. 4 and will look to ring in 2009 by becoming Sengoku's first lightweight champion. Like I said, not too shabby for Chris Brennan's one-time grappling dummy.

Sengoku Middleweight Tournament Series Final

While this preview's predicted Nakamura-Santiago final may not produce the nip-and-tuck in-fight action that a Mitsuoka-Hirota lightweight final will, if nothing else it is a quality matchup in the still-desperate middleweight division. And since Kazuo Misaki will await the winner to vie for the Sengoku middleweight crown on Jan. 4, it creates a relevant matchup, too.

Unfortunately, there may be an ugly clash of styles involved in our likely middleweight finale. Part of Santiago's success is that his power-over-technique striking can get the better of many high-level grapplers, and he's of a higher class and craft than just about everyone else in the division on the ground. In this fight, however, he is paired opposite a disciplined boxer who will likely be able to stop all of his takedowns and achieve top position himself. This creates two scenarios: Nakamura pitty-patting Santiago on the feet with punches or Nakamura grinding Santiago on top.

If and when the bout hits the floor, Nakamura won't be good enough to generate any real offense against a grappler on Santiago's level, unless he suddenly shows an inspired ground-and-pound attack. What's more likely is that he idly chips away with body-body-head tactics from the guard, while Santiago does progressively less and less, tiring over the course of a relatively ho-hum fight.

Nakamura will get his hand raised, and dap be to him. However, it won't be an aesthetically pleasing night of performances from Nakamura, who'll have to offer more against Kazuo Misaki come 2009.