[Preview] KINGS 4th ADVANCE (06.22.2009)

KING OF KINGS presents the 4th ADVANCE which takes place this Monday June 22nd, 2009 from the Tokyo Underground. The card will be truly international in flavor with fighters from over 10 different nations represented. The focus of the event will be the Lightweight and Bantamweight Championship qualifying matches, were the winners will advance to fight for the vacant title(s) 6/29.

In the main event we'll see a Heavyweight showdown between Finland's Mika Huima (2-0) and the 245lb Vegas Top Team's Japanese fighter Shinya Imanari (2-0). The winner would advance to a Heavyweight Top Contender match.

In a Bantamweight Top Contender Match, Edgar Humperdink (2-0) will meet Masato Michinoku (1-0). Humperdink, who fights with Dragon Lair Gym will be looking for this 3rd straight win and a birth in the Bantamweight title fight against Ryobun Akagi on 6/29. He defeated Nimith Luanglathay by submission at KINGS 2nd ADVANCE. Masato Michinoku will make his debut with KINGS in a big fight which could see him fighting for the title.

The #7 ranked Japanese Super Heavyweight, Luka Nesto (3-0) will face off against Finnish fighter Paavo Putkinen (0-1). Nesto is coming off a QFC victory and prior to that he defeated Montanah Singh at KINGS 1st ADVANCE. The 280 pound Putkinen fights out of Tokyo Shooto and this will be his KINGS debut.

In the Lightweight Top Contneder Match,Ken Kei Katsuro (3-1) will square off against Glen Burnett (1-1) in a re-match when they battled for over 14 minutes at KINGS 2nd ADVANCE. It was Katsuro who used a Kimura for the victory in what ended up being on of the nights top fight. Can Burnett avenge his loss and head to the title fight or will Katsuro defeat Burnett for a second time and go fight for KINGS gold?

In what is shaping up to be a superior Featherweight fight, the #10 Japanese ranked Garnett Layden (3-1) will fight the #3 ranked Aunes Kannunen (2-1). Layden, who is a veteran of PRIDE makes his second KINGS appearence after a submission victory at the 2nd ADVANCE. With another win Layden would have strung together an impressive 3-fight undefeated streak. Aunes Kannunen has a chance to become the #1 Featherweight in Japan if he wins his fight on Monday. He fights with Tokyo Shooto and is coming off two straight QFC victories.

Heavyweight Hanamichi Ono (2-1) makes his return to KINGS after his impressive 21 second submission win at KINGS 2nd ADVANCE. He'll face the 260 pound Mako Voki (2-0). The winner of this match will fight the winner of the main event, in a Heavyweight Top Contender match.

North Korean Featherweight Lee Cheung Pak (0-1) will take on Octagon Warriors Masakazu Aoki (2-0). Pak is a skilled Muay Thai fighter and will be searching hard for his first win. Aoki is a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and won his last two QFC fights by submissions.

Light-Heavyweight veteran Minamoto Yoritomo (2-2) who's appeared in PRIDE 3 and 8 will make his KINGS debut against China's Ma Bu (1-1). Ma Bu is coming off a tough loss against Tsuyoshi Nakayama at KINGS 2nd ADVANCE and will looking to rebound.

Fight Club Light-Heavyweight Go Okami (1-1) will make his debut when he faces Team-UOC's Logan Strauss (1-0) who also arrives in KINGS. A birth into the Light-Heavyweight Top Contender match could be on the line.

Middleweight Akira Sakurai (1-0) from Modern Samurai's will go to battle against the American newcomer Reginald Walker (1-0). The Middleweight division is currently wide open so these two fighters will be looking to make a name for themselves.

[Announcement] KINGS 4th ADVANCE Poster

Hot on the heels of an amazing show on June 18th, KINGS invades the 1,000-seat Tokyo Underground when the 4th ADVANCE will take place Monday June 22nd.

Osaka Radio Interview - Go Okami

KING OF KINGS newcomer Go Okami (1-0-0) discussed his upcoming match on June 22nd at KINGS "4th ADVANCE" on radio station FM-Osaka 85.1.


Jun 18th radio interview with Go Okami in Osaka, Japan (translated to english);

We are here live with Osaka's own home town MMA fighter Go "Tsunami" Okamiiii... it is good to have you Go.

"Hello. Great day it is today."

Couldn't agree more. After a first round KO victory over Kalevi Perse, you make your KING OF KINGS debut on the 22nd

"Correct."

So how do you feel going into this fight? Do you have any thoughts on your opponent?

"I am training hard at Tokyo Shooto. I hear he has a purple belt in jujitsu so I have been in the gym training with instructor Triangle, doing everything I can to make sure my opponent does not submit me. I feel very confident going into this fight, I did not come to KING OF KINGS to lose."

It's obvious you want to keep this one standing...

"Yes but I will be prepared to fight on the ground. I do not expect him to stay on his feet for long."

Why?

"I respect him as a fighter but he does not want to stand toe to toe with me more than he has to."

Why is that?

"It would benefit him not to."

Ha, you're confident in your boxing. Anything you would like Logan Strauss to know?

"I have been training very hard. I fight to win."

I'm sure he does too, anything else you would like to say?

"Be ready for a fight or you will regret it when you wake up."

Good stuff! It was good having you Go, we wish you the best of luck. People of Osaka, that was your very own Go Okami.. He will be making his KING OF KINGS debut against fighter Logan Strauss at the Underground in Tokyo on 6/22/09. Go there and show your support!

[Results] 3rd ADVANCE

KINGS returned to a sold out Wild Bob's Bar in downtown Tokyo for the "3rd ADVANCE" event. The show was very successful show for KINGS, scoring an impressive 70.03 overall rating. The hype around Japan is starting to build and KINGS is on it's way to becoming a world-class organization.

In the main event, a shot for the vacant "King of Kings Lightweight Championship" was on the line. Takashi Kakihara (4-0) pulled off the victory, winning his fourth straight as Jushin Kusanagi (3-4) was caught early with an armbar submission. Kakihara advances to the Lightweight title fight against the winner of Glen Burnett (1-1-0) vs. Ken Kei Katsuro (3-1-0) who fight this coming Monday (6/22). Kakihara now becomes the #4 ranked Lightweight in the world (#2 in Japan)!

Heavyweight Ragna Kisaragi (3-1-0) defeated Jorma Emelianenko (0-2-0) in the co-main event. Emelianenko was frustrated in this fight and it took Kisaragi just 2:49 to end the match with a very nice looking Anaconda choke. Ragna Kisaragi now moves into the #6 rank Heavyweight in Japan. It would also appear that he was booked himself into a title fight qualification match in the Heavyweight division.

In the Bamtamweight title qualification, it took Ryobun Akagi (3-0-0) little time to finish Takaishi Minong (1-1-0) when he slipped in a rear naked choke at the 2:04 mark of the 1st round. Akagi, who moves to the #10 Bamtamweight in the world (#2 in Japan) will fight for the vacant Bantamweight title in July!

Ronnie Carlton (4-1-0) looked impressive as he won by triangle choke submission over Tadamasa Yamada (2-1-0). With the win it moves Carlton to the #8 ranked Light Heavyweight in Japan. It's safe to say that Carlton has secured a place in the Light-Heavyweight title qualifications which start in a few weeks.

Heavyweight Marko Perkovich (3-0-0) came out victorious over North Korean Yi Chang Lee (2-3-0). This was a hard fought bout that saw back-and-fourth submission attempts by both fighters. At 5:57 of round 1, Perkovich hit a triangle choke and Lee could not escape. With his win, Marko Perkovich look's to have secured a position for himself in a Heavyweight title qualification match.

In one of the highest rated matches of the night, Tazuboku Kayo (2-0-0) ended his match with American Thomas Crim (1-2-0) with a TKO (via strikes) in just 14 seconds! The crowd was amazed when Kayo came out of the gate on the attack and then landed a huge right sending Crim to the canvas. Kayo then rushed in a fired a series of shots forcing the referee to stop the fight.

It was a mythodical 8:30 battle as Osuka Kasumia (1-0-0) picked up his first win after a rear naked choke submission win over Mikko Tuho (1-1-0).

Hiroshi Kobayashi (2-0-0) defeated Dutch kickboxer Gagik Haroetjunjan (0-1-0).Despite Haroetjunjan little MMA experience, he was able to go the distance with Kobayashi but could not impress the judges enough as Kobayashi won an unanimous decision.

The opening fight was KINGS first kickboxing match. Gary Goodyear (1-0-0) landed a superman punch on Musashi (0-1-0) at 3:39 of the first round for the victory.

KINGS heads to the Tokyo Underground for their next event which takes place Monday June 22nd.

[KINGS 3rd ADVANCE Press Announcement]

KING OF KINGS returns with it's most exiting show to date. The "3rd ADVANCE" takes place on Thursday June 18th, 2009 from Tokyo Japan.

The focus of the show will be on the Lightweight and Bantamweight qualifying matches that will determine which fighters advance for a shot at the vacant title(s) on July 1st. The #7 Lightweight in Japan, Takashi Kakihara (3-0) who fights out of Tokyo Shooto will face the veteran Dragon's Lair Lightweight Jushin Kusanagi (3-3). The Bantamweight top contender bout is between the #4 Japanese ranked Ryobun Akagi (2-0) of EJJCS and the upstart Takaishi Minong (1-0) from Modern Samurai.

The other Lightweight and Bantamweight top contender qualifier fights will take place on the 6/22, at the "4th ADVANCE" event.

On the rest of the "3rd ADVANCE" card, Heavyweight Ragna Kisaragi (2-1) who is associated with the World's #1 ranked Light Heavyweight camp (YB Sol) will be looking for his third straight victory when he faces Finland's Jorma Emelianenko (0-1-0). Light Heavyweight Ronnie Carlton (3-1) debuts in KINGS looking to rebound from his first loss after winning three straight in D.I.F.O. His opponent Tadamasa Yamada (2-0) looks to further his stock after two impressive QFC victories. Croatian Heavyweight Marko Perkovich (2-0) returns to KINGS after his submission win over Toshihiko Yoshida at the "2nd ADVANCE" event. He will fight Taiwanese fighter Yi Chang Lee (2-2). Lee returns after he submitted Hanamichi Ono (2-1) in just 21 seconds at KINGS last event. American Welterweight Thomas Crim (1-1) from the Benihana Elite Gym will take on Killuminati alliance member Tazuboku Kayo (1-0). Middleweight's Mikko Tuho (1-0-0) from Finland will make his KINGS debut as he meets Octagon Warrior's Osuka Kasumia (0-1-0). Hiroshi Kobayashi (1-0-0) will face Dutch kickboxer Gagik Haroetjunjan (0-0-0) in a Lightweight bout and KINGS will experiment with a stand-up Kickboxing rules match between Japan's Musashi and Gary Goodyear from Canada.

[News] KINGS Title Revealed

From their Tokyo headquarters today, KING OF KINGS President Ito Masakari revealed information on how the weight class championship titles would be distributed and the look of these title belts.

Masakari said, "Eventually, each weight class will have a champion. We are working on building up the weight classes in KINGS so there are a sufficient amount of fighters to contend for titles. Unlike many of the other MMA organizations, KINGS will not hold a Grand Prix to award champions. Instead, we will take the top two ranked fighters in each weight class and they will battle for the vacant title in a decision match."

[Results] KINGS 2nd ADVANCE

The KING OF KINGS successfully ran their second event this past Thursday night from a sold out 水田O' Malleys in downtown Tokyo Japan. It was a fantastic night of fighting with 3 standout matches; Yi Chang Lee's (2-2) main event arm triangle submission victory over Hanamichi Ono (2-1) just 21 seconds into the fight, Tyson Rios (3-0) light-heavyweight win over veteran Tetsu Akira (1-4) and Tsuyoshi Nakayama's (3-0) KO win over Ma Bu (1-1). All three fights rated 100%. It should also be noted that the semi-main event, Edgar Humperdink (2-0) submission over Nimith Launglathay (1-3) rated a 98%. All in all it was a great night of mixed-martial-arts and the KINGS organization continues to flourish with the support of an amazing group of fighters and managers.