Despite his thrilling July title defense over rival Mamoru Yamaguchi, it was back to lackluster ways for "BJ" as he fought to a dry draw with Guam import Jesse Taitano in their Jan. 18 non-title affair.
2. Mamoru Yamaguchi (20-5-3)
While his next MMA step may be uncertain, the former two-division Shooto world champion will take to the world of standup fighting, as he squares off with Shoot Boxing 122-pound champ Noriyuki Enari on Feb. 11.
3. Yuki Shoujou (8-4-2)
After his February thumping at Yamaguchi’s hands, the exciting 27-year-old did not look like he would offer much more than a spirited effort in his Shooto Tradition 3 bout with Urushitani on Sept. 28. Instead, Shoujou roared back from the brink of defeat, choking out Urushitani for the upset victory and the most significant win of his career.
4. Yasuhiro Urushitani (15-4-6)
Quickly looking to atone for his shocking September loss to Yuki Shoujou, Urushitani got back into action and got an easy victory on Nov. 8 in GCM's Cage Force, hacking open an overmatched Kiyotaka Shimizu for a first-round cut stoppage.
5. Ryuichi Miki (7-2-3)
Miki will again be the headliner for another Gutsman-promoted Shooting Disco card on Jan. 31. This time around, the former Shooto rookie champion will meet up with serviceable veteran Homare Kuboyama.