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Brad's Friday Fight Bodega - Mamoru Yamaguchi
Written by Brad Taschuk   
Thursday, 28 January 2010 22:30
After a relatively slow start to the year - NYE cards and UFC 108 aside - the MMA slate is finally starting to pick up a little bit as we close out January.  Most attention this weekend will be focused on Strikeforce doing this, and rightfully so as they've put together a card which features matchups which will be entertaining, relevant and just plain intriguing (re: freakshowy).  However, Strikeforce: Miami isn't the only solid card this weekend, and as usual at the Bodega, we're going to feature a fighter who doesn't get the shine he deserves.  To do so, we're heading much further East than Miami, all the way to Okinawa, Japan.

This weekend, even though the card being featured is from Japan, it isn't being held by one of the major players in Japanese MMA.  Instead, King of the Cage is making it's debut in the Far East with their Toryumon card.  As one might expect, Toryumon carries with it a professional wrestling context in Japan, as it is the name of Ultimo Dragon's wrestling school (and if you don't know who the Ultimo Dragon is, this is him, and he was awesome when Professional Wrestling was actually entertaining).  Small tangents aside, KOTC has managed to put together a solid card for their Japanese debut, featuring Tony Hervey and Kotetsu Boku in the main event.  As well as FLD's 2009 Submission of the Year winner, Toby Imada.  Roxanne Modafferi, who was one win away from fighting Cristiane 'Cyborg' on the aforementioned Strikeforce card, is also in action.  However, despite Hervey, Boku and Imada all having incredibly memorable moments in 2009, the focus for this card is likely on the smallest of all the competitors (females included), Mamoru Yamaguchi.

I can already hear the groans of, "Are you serious Brad?  More Flyweights?"  So save it.  I don't care.  Mamoru was a Shooto Featherweight (132lb) champion, as well as the first ever Shooto Bantamweight (123lb) champion, and until the 125lb division expands into the WEC, he'll remain likely the most marketable fighter in the division, due in most part to the fact that in a world where many of the lighter competitors are faceless names, Mamoru has a distinct advantage... his giant afro.  The afro really serves three purposes.  First, it differentiates him from everyone else in a division where there is a general lack of knowledge among MMA fans.  Second, it pays the bills.  Seriously.  His primary sponsor, Mobstyles, forced him to adopt and continue to rock the look in order to maintain his sponsorship.  Last, it's a tribute to the popular legendary Japanese boxer Yoko Gushiken.

Appearances aside, Mamoru is also one of the most decorated Flyweights in the young history of the division, as he held the Shooto title for 34 months from 2003-2006.  His striking game is so proficient that he was considered as one of the flagship fighters for K-1 MAX's rumoured 132lb division, and he does his best to show that off each and every time he enters the ring.  Speaking of the ring, this will be the first time in his MMA career that Yamaguchi will be fighting in a cage rather than in a ring.  It also marks his first fight outside of a Shooto/Sustain event.  In previous interviews, Mamoru has stated that he would have great interest in being a part of the WEC's Flyweight division if he's still competing when it debuts, and perhaps this venture into the cage could be his way of preparing for such an endeavour, which would only cap off what has been an already legendary career.

This weekend Mamoru faces off against Frank Baca, who - to be honest with you - I know nothing about.  To prime you for this fight, here are two vintage Yamaguchi performances from 2005.

vs. Stonnie Dennis


vs. Pat Seidel

See you back in the Bodega next week for a preview of something that isn't headlined by a combined 90+ years of age (unless Dan Severn has a fight coming up against someone 35 or older).