Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2014 Results: ‘Cro Cop’ vs. Ishii Play-by-Play & Updates

Road to Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2014 Challenge Tournament Reserve Match:
Shuji Morikawa vs. Katsuyoshi Sasaki

Round 1

Morikawa, wearing a judo gi, brings Sasaki to the ground and begins socking away at his kneeling opponent with right hands from the ride position. Sasaki is unable to escape but gets to his feet toward the end of the five-minute period. Morikawa keeps hold of him and finishes the round throwing punches. 10-9 Morikawa.

The Official Result

Shuji Morikawa def. Katsuyoshi Sasaki via Decision (Unanimous) R1 5:00

Road to Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2014 Challenge Tournament Semifinal:
Takaaki Oban vs. Yusuke Masuda

Round 1

Masuda hits a fast takedown but has to defend against a kimura as Oban goes straight to work on his right arm. Sitting up in half guard, Masuda peppers Oban’s body with punches and elbows while the referee calls for action. Oban doesn’t seem to have much on the submission, and now Masuda passes to side control, frees his arm and knees “C-Boy” in the face. Oban rolls over and catches Masuda in a front headlock to deliver a knee of his own. Masuda drives forward and pushes Oban against a ring post as the heavyweights stand. Oban goes back to a kimura attempt and rolls Masuda to the ground, this time landing on top. Oban drops punches from Masuda’s half guard, though most of them are blocked. Oban passes to side control, full mount, and then back mount, but he rides too high and gets dumped off by Masuda in the final 30 seconds. 10-9 Oban.

The Official Result

Yusuke Masuda def. Takaaki Oban via Decision (Split) R1 5:00

Road to Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2014 Challenge Tournament Semifinal:
Tsuyoshi Kurihara vs. Ryo Sakai

Round 1

Kurihara clinches Sakai against a ring post, but the heavyweights are quickly separated by the referee. Kurihara goes straight back to the clinch, gets tripped to the ground and stands to wrap up Sakai. The ref breaks up the fighters again, only for Kurihara to resume his clinch and this time trip Sakai to the ground near the ropes. Sakai gets back to his feet, but not before eating a knee to the face. He forces Kurihara to break the clinch with a couple elbows and then cracks the clinching fighter with a sloppy right hook. The referee is quick to interrupt Kurihara’s next clinch, so Kurihara charges back at Sakai with a couple punches in order to hug him against the post. Sakai pulls down Kurihara’s head and drills him with a knee but misses with winging follow-up punches. Sakai starts finding his mark in the last 30 seconds, rocking Kurihara’s head with wide hooks and uppercuts. 10-9 Sakai.

The Official Result

Ryo Sakai def. Tsuyoshi Kurihara via Decision (Unanimous) R1 5:00

Road to Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2014 Challenge Tournament Final:
Yusuke Masuda vs. Ryo Sakai

Round 1

After a lengthy rest, the Masuda and Sakai begin their tournament final with a minute of feinting and circling in the center of the ring. Sakai finally bursts forward to throw punches, leaving him susceptible to a takedown from Masuda, who lands some quick ground-and-pound before Sakai stands. Masuda throws a few knees to the head as he traps Sakai in the corner, then drags him back to the mat. Masuda postures up to drop punches, then grabs a front headlock to throw more knees as Sakai gets to his feet. The referee breaks up the heavyweights, who stand a few feet apart, staring at one another with hands by their sides. Sakai throws some more ugly punches, misses with four or five in a row and gets double-legged back down. Masuda takes full mount and tries to flatten Sakai in the corner of the ring, but a post gets in the way. The ref calls for another restart a few seconds after Sakai clambers up. Masuda hits another double slips out of a loose headlock and stands to stomp on Sakai’s body as the round ends. 10-9 Masuda.

Round 2

Sakai tries to corner Masuda and lunges at him with an uppercut, only to have Masuda change levels and plant him on the canvas seconds into the round. Sakai is doing nothing from the bottom, but Masuda isn’t doing much more on top. Sakai’s head is draped over the bottom rope, so the officials reposition the heavyweights. It only last a few seconds before the referee orders another stand-up. Again, Sakai tries to take off Masuda’s head with wild strikes, and again Masuda shoots for a double-leg. Sakai sprawls on the shot this time and hits Masuda with knees and hammer fists before the AACC product rolls forward to put Sakai on his back. After another restart, it’s another sprawl from Sakai, and now he’s starting to land hard knees to Masuda’s head. Masuda is unable to escape the position and remains on his knees until the bell. 10-9 Sakai (19-19 Draw).

The Official Result

Yusuke Masuda def. Ryo Sakai via Decision (Split) R2 5:00

Ramazan Esenbaev vs. Kiuma Kunioku

Round 1

Esenbaev, sporting leggings beneath his trunks and wrestling shoes, strikes first with a looping right hand that forces Kunioku to circle away. The lightweights clinch up in the middle of the ring and Kunioku puts Esenbaev against a post. The clinch is immediately broken up by referee Naoyuki Taira, to the confusion of both fighters. After the split, Esenbaev hits a takedown and begins throwing short right hands from Kunioku’s closed guard while referee Taira calls for action. Kunioku uses butterfly guard to push Esenbaev away and scramble to his feet. Esenbaev is waiting with huge right hands, slugging Kunioku with hooks and uppercuts before the Japanese fighter pulls guard. Kunioku angles for an armbar but winds up with Esenbaev in his guard again. After Esenbaev stands, Taira orders Kunioku to do the same. Another clinch in the corner, this time with Esenbaev on the outside, is broken up by the impatient ref. Kunioku is putting his head down and winging no-look punches, and Esenbaev makes him pay with an uppercut to the jaw. Esenbaev catches Kunioku coming in and trips him to the mat one more time at the bell. 10-9 Esenbaev.

Round 2

Esenbaev lands another uppercut early in the round before Kunioku gets hold of him and works for a takedown from the clinch. The Russian fighter reverses Kunioku against the ropes, but the position lasts only a few seconds before referee Taira resets the fighters. Another right hand lands for Esenbaev, then a left on Kunioku’s temple. Esenbaev leans Kunioku against a post, and the action stalls out. After a restart, Kunioku comes lunging at Esenbaev with punches and a flying knee. Esenbaev turns the over-aggressiveness into a takedown and winds up in an awkward position, his right leg trapped in Kunioku’s half guard and his left leg being extended by Kunioku’s arms. Referee Taira brings the fighters to their feet again with one minute remaining, and Esenbaev cracks Kunioku with another right hook. Kunioku comes in to clinch, and Esenbaev appears to avoid a takedown by hooking his arm over the middle rope. The round ends with Esenbaev landing one last overhand right. 10-9 Esenbaev (20-18 Esenbaev).

The Official Result

Ramazan Esenbaev def. Kiuma Kunioku via Decision (Majority) R2 5:00

Yusuke Kawaguchi vs. Justin Willis

Round 1

Willis comes out throwing bombs and knocks Kawaguchi to the ground with a big uppercut. Kawaguchi gets to his knees and tries to stand, and Willis is waiting with more powerful right hands. A couple more shots send Kawaguchi slumping through the ropes. Referee Ryogaku Wada tries to reset the fighters in the center of the ring, but when he sees Kawaguchi staggering, the ref waves off the fight.

The Official Result

Justin Willis def. Yusuke Kawaguchi via TKO (Punches) R1 0:43

Shinya Aoki vs. Yuki Yamamoto

Round 1

Yamamoto cracks Aoki with a high knee to the jaw with his first strike of the fight. Aoki changes levels, looking for a takedown, but Yamamoto stays standing to clip him with a left hand. Aoki shoots again, this time in the corner, and this time he’s able to pull Yamamoto to the ground. Aoki lands in back control with one hook in, but instead of going for the other hook, Aoki grabs hold of Yamamoto’s neck and cranks it. Yamamoto resists at first and then submits to the twister. Aoki stands over his prone foe after the tap, taunting Yamamoto, who takes exception and has to be restrained by his corner as he tries to chase the celebrating Aoki around the ring.

The Official Result

Shinya Aoki def. Yuki Yamamoto via Submission (Twister) R1 1:21

Shinichi Suzukawa vs. Chris Barnett

Round 1

Barnett lands an overhand right and plows Suzukawa straight to the ground near a ring post, but the American sustains a cut on his right eyelid in the process. Referee Ryogaku Wada wants the doctor to check on it, and once Barnett is cleared to continue, the fight is restarted on the ground in the center of the ring. Barnett sits up in Suzukawa’s half guard and begins to land punches, then passes to back mount as the former sumo wrestler rolls to his belly. The 300-plus pound Barnett flattens out Suzukawa and rains down punches with both hands until referee Wada intervenes.

The Official Result

Chris Barnett def. Shinichi Suzukawa via TKO (Punches) R1 1:57

IGF Heavyweight Title Fight:
Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic vs. Satoshi Ishii

Round 1

Ryogaku Wada is the referee for tonight’s championship main event. Ishii touches the veteran with a light inside low kick to begin, then has to back out of the way as “Cro Cop” fires a hard jab down the center. Filipovic misses with a left high kick which Ishii ducks under and turns into a clinch on the ropes. Referee Wada is quick to call for action, and the heavyweights disengage before the official can get involved. Cro Cop inches forward, tagging Ishii with jabs, but now the Olympic gold medalist reverses the momentum for another tie-up on the ropes. Filipovic stifles a trip takedown at first, then Ishii gets it with the second effort. Filipovic complains of a headbutt as Ishii works from his guard, but the Croat says he can fight on and Ishii apologizes. With one minute remaining in the opening round, Ishii begins to land some solid elbows, causing Filipovic to tie up his challenger’s wrists. Ishii buries his head and rides out the final half minute in Filipovic’s guard. 10-9 Ishii.

Round 2

Filipovic emerges for round two sporting a few lumps on his forehead, while Ishii, in contrast to the pair’s first bout, looks the fresher man. The stationary champion throws out a few combinations as Ishii circles around him, but it’s Ishii who connects with a left hand as he closes the gap and shoves Filipovic against a ring post. Ishii gets in on a single-leg and brings Filipovic to the ground near the ropes. Cro Cop closes his guard and tries to throw elbows from underneath, but Ishii’s positioning is good, his left forearm across Filipovic’s throat to block strikes while throwing with his right hand. Filipovic elevates Ishii and explodes to his feet, and now it’s Cro Cop on the march, popping Ishii with hooks and sending a left high kick through the judoka’s gloves. Inside the last minute, Ishii opts to tie up again and gets knocked out the clinch by a Cro Cop left hand. Filipovic is throwing single shots now, but they’re hard shots -- left hooks and uppercuts -- and they’ve got Ishii on the run. A second before the bell, Cro Cop stuns Ishii with a left high kick to the temple and then drops him with a series of left hands. Ishii is down and out on the canvas, bleeding from his head as his corner tries to get him back to the stool, but it’s not happening. This one is all over.

The Official Result

Mirko Filipovic def. Satoshi Ishii via TKO (Head Kick and Punches) R2 5:00