Back in Time: Shooto Gig West 9 -Sugimoto vs. Kishimoto

It has almost been a year since Sugimoto made his pro debut. Here are some photos from the event.



Sugimoto Hiroshi vs. Kishimoto Yasuyuki



Sugimoto uses a strategy of Ground and Pound from the bottom.



Kishimoto tried to punish Sugimoto but wasn't that effective.



Sugimoto's guard was not passable



The majority of the fight went like this.



Sugimoto was coated in Kishimoto's blood.



Sugimoto finishes with his hand raised.

My review at the time:

I don't get nervous for myself very much, but my boy, Sugimoto, who has been training at Purebred since he was 15, was set to make his debut, first on the pro card. Sugi was cornered by Eda, the former All-Japan Amateur Shooto champion, better known for wearing dresses and having funny haircuts, and Kaneyama, who teaches wrestling at Purebred. Sugimoto's opponent was Kishimoto Yasuaki who fights out of Cobra Kai in Osaka. This was a very good, 2-round fight that took place mostly on the ground due to Sugimoto's strategy of pulling guard out of the clinch. I can only assume that this has to do with Eda being in his corner and that is one of his favorite moves. Sugimoto used his guard very aggressively, not to go for submissions necessarily but to corral Kishimoto and beat him bloody from the bottom. Sugimoto initiated several guillotine attempts, but Kishimoto fought them off. Sugimoto sunk a deep triangle in the first that looked like it would end the fight. Kishimoto created some space to breathe by slamming Sugimoto to the canvas. Sugimoto maintained the triangle and proceeded to wail on Kishimoto's head from the bottom with vicious backhands. Kishimoto worked back to guard and tried some big punch attempts, which riled up the crowd, but failed to connect cleanly. The second round was more of the same. Sugimoto clinched, pulled guard with a guillotine attempt. When it didn't sink he used ground and pound from the bottom. At one point, so much blood was coming from Kishimoto that the doctors stopped the fight to have a look. They let it go on, only to see Sugimoto win by decision. He was a happy man, and so were the rest of us.