(PHOTO: VERSUS head Atsushi Watanabe (center) in the openingceremony explained the reason behind the foundation of this Battle Code show.)
Power Gate is now making a transition to the cage show called Rising On. PowerChallenge shows are sort of like the minor league of Power Gate therefore, thisnew show, titled Battle Code, which began on December 13th, is a developmentleague that belongs somewhere between Rising On and Power Challenge.
Atsushi Watanabe, the head of VERSUS, the promoter of these three shows,stepped into the ring at the beginning of the show, and explained the meaningof this Battle Code show, “I am hoping to continue this show for five, tenyears, and in order for me to do this, I decided to finish Power Gate, thenimplement using an octagon shaped cage, and begin challenging the world.”
Historically most MMA shows are held near the Tokyo area and that gave extraobstacles to all fighters living in the different areas of the country.
However, Power Gate became one of the shows that broke that barrier four yearsago by establishing regular MMA shows only in the Kansai area, the westernportion of Japan.
And finally, they are feeling that its time to get ready to develop fighters,in the future, that can compete at the world level.
By establishing this two-tier minor league system with both Battle Code andPower Challenge fights, as well as doing the team competition with anotherregional show Koubudo Fight, like they did in this first Battle Code show, thisshow may produce some surprising world class fighter for this rapidlyapproaching year, 2010.
BATTLE CODE #1
Sunday, December 13th, 2009
At Asnal Hall, Aichi, Japan
FINAL BATTLE MMA Rules 70 kg and Under Bout 5 min / 2R
Jun Kito (Japan / BRAVE) vs. Takahiro Kajita (Japan / GSB)
Winner: 2R 2’58” TakahiroKajita by Submission (armbar)
8th BATTLE MMA Rules 65 kg & Under Bout 5 min / 2R
Akiyoshi Yamada (Japan / Zendo-kai) vs. Keita Yoshikawa (Japan / NEX)
Winner: 2R DRAW (1-0)
7th BATTLE Strike Rules 68 kg & Under Bout 3 min / 3R
Masato (Japan / Team Han Bolt) vs. Kumagoro (Japan / GSB)
Winner: 3R Masato by Decision (3-0)
6th BATTLE MMA Rules 77 kg & Under Bout 5 min / 2R
Tetsuji Kondo (Japan / CLUB F3) vs. Yoshinobu Kawamura (Japan / NEX)
Winner: 1R 3’36” YoshinobuKawamura by TKO (referee stoppage – punches on the ground)
5th BATTLE MMA Rules 67 kg & Under Bout 5 min / 2R
Kin Ogasawara (Japan / KO Gym) vs. Takashi Fujii (Japan / GSB)
Winner: 2R Kin Ogasawara by Decision(3-0)
4th BATTLE Strike Rules 60 kg & Under Bout 3 min / 3R
Tokotaicho Raijin (Japan / Gum Lan Nak) vs. Fumihiro Hara (Japan / NEX)
Winner: 2R Tokotaicho Raijin byDecision (2-1)
3rd BATTLE MMA Rules 60 kg & Under Bout 5 min / 2R
Hisama Sone (Japan / Shimura Dojo) vs. Naoyuki Kato (Japan / Splash)
Winner: 2R Naoyuki Kato by Decision(0-3)
2nd BATTLE MMA Rules 70 kg & Under Bout 5 min / 2R
Yusuke Suzuki (Japan / Team Han Bolt) vs. Masaki Hino (Japan / BRAVE)
Winner: 2R 2’53” Masaki Hino bySubmission (rear naked choke)
1st BATTLE MMA Rules 90 kg & Under Bout 5 min / 2R
Tomoaki Hata (Japan / Zendo-kai) vs. Iwata-man (Japan / BRAVE)
Winner: 1R 4’25” Tomoaki Hataby TKO (referee stoppage – g n p)
Reportby Shu Hirata
Photo by Akira Kisagi (www.boutreview.com)
