K-1 'Dynamite 2009' Preview

Hayato Sakurai vs. Akihiro Gono

The Storyline: In the lone 170-pound fight on the card, two of the longest-serving and most beloved veterans of the Japanese fight game will collide. Between them, “Mach” Sakurai and “DJ Gozma” Gono have close to 100 recorded professional bouts and a combined 30 years of experience in the fight game. Sakurai held the Shooto middleweight title for three and a half years between 1998 and 2001, while Gono came closest to a major title during his semifinal run in the Pride welterweight grand prix in 2006.

The Breakdown: Both men had made names for themselves as durable competitors well into their 30s, as neither had been knocked out since 2005. That was until this year, when lightning struck twice in the form of head kicks: Marius Zaromskis’ on Sakurai and Dan Hornbuckle’s on Gono. Gono has since rebounded with a win over Korean Yoon Young Kim in November, while Sakurai hasn’t fought since July.

What distinguishes the fighters is the fact that while Sakurai has spent the majority of his career at welterweight, Gono only dropped to 170 pounds a little more than two years ago after fighting for 14 years at middleweight and higher. As a result, Gono is more used to fighting opponents at a higher weight who are likely physically stronger. Sakurai had a brief run at middleweight himself in 2003-04, but that only yielded mediocre results (four wins, three losses).

Both men come from judo backgrounds but have diversified their styles considerably in recent years. Gono has become more complacent, racking up points on the feet and looking for mistakes on the ground, which he is more often than not able to capitalize on due to his experience. Sakurai, on the other hand, has concentrated on the knockout power with which he blasted the likes of Jens Pulver, Mac Danzig, Shinya Aoki and others.

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The Prediction: In a fight between two veterans that are so evenly matched, form on the day of the fight will decide the outcome more than anything else. Sakurai has had more wins recently, but Gono has fought the tougher opponents by far (UFC welterweight title contenders Jon Fitch and Dan Hardy, among others). The prediction is for Gono to take a razor-thin judges’ decision, but don’t be surprised if the score tally turns out in favor of Sakurai either.