Judo Gold Medalist Satoshi Ishii, UFC Enter Exclusive Contract Negotiations
Satoshi Ishii
Japanese Olympic Judo Gold Medalist Satoshi Ishii, who was cageside for UFC 92 on Saturday, has entered exclusive negotiations with the UFC, the promotion has announced.
Ishii earned the gold medal this fall in Beijing in the men’s over 100-kilogram division. It was widely anticipated that he’d sign with a Japanese MMA promotion for his MMA debut, but in early-December he announced his intention to immediately fight in the UFC. In an effort to make his wishes a reality the UFC brought Ishii to Las Vegas this week to train at Xtreme Couture alongside 5-time UFC champion Randy Couture and attend Saturday’s pay-per-view event, where he was featured during the unaired preliminary bout between Yushin Okami and Dean Lister.
The trip appears to have had its intended effect with Ishii and the UFC now exclusively working towards a contract that will likely see Ishii debut in the octagon in 2009.
“I was impressed with the training programs here in Las Vegas and the UFC event,” said Ishii in the announcement on UFC.com. “I am looking forward to working with the UFC and to developing my mixed martial arts skills.”
“Satoshi Ishii has the potential to be very successful in mixed martial arts,” UFC President Dana White told UFC.com. “We can’t wait to start working with Mr. Ishii, we look forward to helping him with his training, his career, and his eventual debut in a professional fight.”
According to the announcement it hasn’t yet been determined whether Ishii will fight at heavyweight or light heavyweight in the UFC.
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Looks like Ishii is shaping up to be the UFCs hopes for a Japanese version of Michael Bisping. Based on what Couture said about him in the video in the other post, he has some potential.
well I would think he would have potential being the 2008 gold medialist in Judo and all.. It would be great if the UFC went back to Japan, o dont get me started on the PRIDE esque show the UFC could put on there but thats for a different day and time i wont get my hopes up ya know
From my understanding, the UFC would very much like to go to Japan, they are just totally uninterested in paying off the Yakuza (sp?). Much like they are very much interested in going to Mexico, but totally uninterested in paying off the six families that run that country.
Yea it looks like the ufc would like to destroy dream,sengoku and all the other promotions.
please say the rumor of a fedor ishii is untrue…
GRAND PRIX
FEDOR, BARNETT,ARLOVSKI VS BROCK , MIR KONGO///////
“the rumor of a fedor(sic) ishii(sic) is untrue…”
There, I said it…
In regards to your Grand Prix idea there is one small (read: HUGE) problem with it, three of those people are in Affliction, and three of them are in the UFC, therefore its not going to happen. Not to mention that Fedor and Barnett seem uninterested in fighting one another, and you can’t really have a tournament with only six fighters, it has to be eight or four…. I guess there’s really a lot of problems with your idea.
That woud be a interesting change in the light heavyweight division a world class judo fighter i mean
I’m don’t sure if Ishii’s chin is like Henderson’s or a “Big Go To Sleep Button” { It does like alot like Henderson’s tho }
am i the only guy who thinks this dude will have trouble?