* AMATEUR MATCH#1/ PANCRASE GATE MIDDLEWEIGHT 2x5 MIN ROUNDS
NORIYUKI KITAURA(NEWAZA KUROTOKAI) vs YUJI KAWAMOTO(RIROOTS CONAN)
* AMATEUR MATCH#2/ PANCRASE GATE LIGHTWEIGHT 2x5 MIN ROUNDS
YUICHI IKARI(P's LAB TOKYO) vs TORU IIZUKA(TEAM DOLBUCKEY)
* AMATEUR MATCH#3/ PANCRASE GATE FEATHERWEIGHT 2x5 MIN ROUNDS
JYOJI KAWAMATA(MMA ANGURA) vs TAKAFUMI SHIROMA(HYBRID WRESTLING MUGEN)
* PRO-MATCH#1/FEATHERWEIGHT 2x5 MIN ROUNDS
YOHEI TAGAMI(HYBRID WRESTLING MUGEN) vs NAOJI FUJIMOTO(PANCRASE INAGAKIGUMI)
* PRO-MATCH#2/WELTERWEIGHT 2x5 MIN ROUNDS
DAISUKE HANAZAWA 13(MMA DOJO COBRAKAI) vs TAKUO MIYATA(NAGOYA BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU CLUB)
* PRO-MATCH#3/LIGHTWEIGHT 2x5 MIN ROUNDS
YUJI OBA(P's LAB TOKYO) vs SATOSHI WATANABE(MMA DOJO COBRAKAI)
* PRO-MATCH#4/OPEN-WEIGHT 2x5 MIN ROUNDS
SATORU KITAOKA(WELTERWEIGHT 4TH RANKED/ PANCRASEism) vs TADAHIRO HOSAKA(PANCRASE MEGATON)
* SEMIFINAL/WELTERWEIGHT 3x5 MIN ROUNDS
TAKAFUMI ITO(WELTERWEIGHT 2ND RANKED/ PANCRASEism) vs YUJI HOSHINO(WELTERWEIGHT 6TH RANKED/ WAJUTSU KEISHUKAI GODS)
* MAIN EVENT/FEATHERWEIGHT 3x5 MIN ROUNDS
YOSHIRO MAEDA(PANCRASE INAGAKIGUMI) vs ALEXANDRE SOCA(BRAZIL/ GRACIE BARRA)
The main event is a good one !
This is Soca's mma debut, right? This is the Soca who lost to Royler a few times in Abu Dhabi?
Yoshiro Maeda is 7-0 in MMA, including a big KO win over Baret Yoshida on 11/30/03. "Insiders" claim that this guy has it all.
Alexandre "Soca" De Freitas is a Brazilian BJJ Phenom, who is making his MMA debut. Many years of successful BJJ competition, including Adu Dhabi.
A truly intriguing match up imo.
Yeah, I agree about it being intriguing. It looks good on paper. Soca has always done well at Abu Dhabi. But sport grappling success doesn't always translate into wins in mma. I am curious to see if Soca is able to adapt to striking/defending strikes.
Maeda will win, he's one of the rising stars at 143/145.
Good points
Soca has trouble with Royler, who doesn't? He lost to him a few times in BJJ as well. He has a tough game and matches up well against Soca. Soca is reall good though. He sub'd Robson Moura in BJJ back in 1999. Soca has been a top BJJ guy for about 100 years it seems. I'm going with Soca.
From Tatame:
By André Araújo
Debuting night
"The February 15th has been waited with lots of expectation by Gracie Barra Combat Team's guys and by a particular athlete. Alexandre Carneiro Soca will debut at Vale-Tudo and more than that, this fight is gonna feature the Gracie Barra Combat team for the first time into a international event. Soca will face the Japanese Yoshiro Maeda in one of the superfights of Pancrase, that will be held at Umeda Stera Hall in Osaka. Besides that, who thinks that Soca is nervous or anxious by this pressure is wrong. "I am relaxed. I will look forward doing my game. I am not focused on this debuting thing. I am focused on the fight," revealed Soca during an exclusive that you read now.
How is your preparation? Do you have a previous strategy to defeat Maeda?
I have been training hard with my Gracie Barra Combat team fellows I have been training a little bit of everything. I want to surprise Maeda. I will play my BJJ game, but I also will show him my Boxing, my Wrestling and my Muay Thai.
It's your debut at Vale-Tudo and also your team's debut. How are you feeling about that?
I am relaxed. I will look forward doing my game. I am not focused on this debuting thing. I am focused on the fight.
Do you know Maeda's game?
Yeah. I already watched his fight tapes. He is a good fighter and has a strong left punch. It seems like he never lost at Pancrase. He is the champion of the event with seven fights and seven victories. I wanna do a great fight.
Once you are up to MMA, are you still gonna fight BJJ competitions?
I will try to keep both of Jiu-Jitsu tournaments and MMA ones. I intend to fight BJJ World Championship in July and I might fight Pan-American..., but I guess I will not because it is so soon. Really, I am not so worried about it now.
Tell me about your Gym in Poland...
I own a Gym in Poland and every three months I travel to there. I will be going to Poland soon to teach seminars and after I'll take a train to other places in Europe. "
Alexandre Carneiro Soca is the name of the fighter facing Yoshiro Maeda. I'm not sure if he is the same fighter that fought Royler in Abu Dhabi. That fighter went by the name Alexandre Soca De Freitas. Perhaps they are one in the same, but I am not sure.
Possibly someone could clarify if they are indeed the same person.
top
yes, its the same guy who fought royler in abu-dhabi.
where is this event at?
D'Arce - Did you ever spar with Soca ?
top
no i havent.
Maeda is brutal. He hurts people. Badly.
Tough debut for Soca.
Maeda by TKO R1.
"Maeda is brutal. He hurts people. Badly."
Maeda just fucks people up for real.If Soca beats him I would be shocked.