ZST.32 - 09/17/2012: Kotani Wins Tournament Opening Round - Full Results

UFC / PRIDE Naoyuki Kotani (top) is a favorite to win this tournament and he fought like one. Dominated the entire fight and finished Darius Minkevicious with this kimura.

Many believe he is the favorite to win this tournament to decide inaugural ZST lightweight champion.

From the comment he made in the ring after the fight, Naoyuki Kotani himself believe he is the one that is going to win the whole thing, "Out of these guys who won the first round I look the best with the belt."

And he did fight like "the favorite".

Kotani shot in for a single leg, easily took Darius Minkevicious to the ground then quickly went to the side-mount. A Lithuanian got him back in the guard but Kotani quickly went for a heel lock. Minkevisious spun around to escape, but Kotani got back on the top, and from the half mount, went for a kimura. Minkevicious held on, didn't tap, but he couldn't escape therefore the referee stepped in to stop the fight.

Minkevicious complained immediately but this one seemed to be a right call. Sure he was the BUSHIDO SWAT! tourney champ which means he is solid a grappler, and he actually dislocated Maurice Shelton's arm in ZST event back in September. Obviously Minkevicious knows the ground game yet he was not able to do anything under Kotani's kimura lock.

The semi-final match-ups will be decided with a drawing, a tug-of-war style. Which means, on the day of the fight, two tangled ropes will be prepared, and four fighters will choose their own end and pull the ropes, then fighters that picked the same rope would have to fight each others. Something the Japanese fans are used to see from pro-wrestling.

After this fight, three others that won the first round stepped into the ring, and each gave comments to the fans in regards to next fight:

Naoyuki Kotani –

"I don't know who I am going to face next but all of them are used to ZST rules so I am going to prepare for a tough fight against a strong fighter."

Shinichi Taira –
"Although I may lose the fight I will win a tug-of-war for sure!"

Mori
"I think I have the most powerful hands out of anyone here."

Ota -
"I am going to try hard to hang in there with these fighters."

ZST.32
Monday, September 17th, 2012
At Shinjuku FACE, Tokyo, Japan

Complete Results:

11th Match - ZST Lightweight Championship Tournament First Round 5 min / 2R
Naoyuki Kotani (Japan / Rodeo Style) vs. Darius Minkevicius (Lithuania / RINGS Lithuania)
Winner: 1R 2'24" Naoyuki Kotani by Submission (kimura)

10th Match - ZST Lightweight Championship Tournament First Round 5 min / 2R
Shinichi Taira (Japan / Tsunashima Jiu-jitsu) vs. Kuat Khamitov (Kazakhstan)
Winner: 2R Shinichi Taira by Decision 

9th Match - ZST Lightweight Championship Tournament First Round 5 min / 2R
Atsushi Ueda (Japan / Ugokai) vs. Koji Mori (Japan / X-ONE GYM Shonan)
Winner: 1R 3'19" Koji Mori by KO

8th Match - ZST Lightweight Championship Tournament First Round 5 min / 2R
Hiroyuki Ota (Japan / ZFC) vs. Makoto Sasaki (Japan / Shinonjuku)
Winner: Hiroyuki Ota by DQ (Mori failed to make weight)

7th Match - ZST Flyweight Title Qualifier 5 min / 2R
Yuichirou Yajima (Japan / Zendokai Shinjuku Dojo) vs. RYOTA (Japan / Kingdom Ehrgeiz)
Winner: 1R 1'20" Yuichirou Yajima by Submission (ankle lock)

6th Match - 62kg & Under Bout 5 min / 2R
Tetsuya Fusano (Japan / Reversal Gym Yokohama Grand Slam) vs. Hiro Yamaniwa (Japan / Bonsai Extreme)
Winner: 2R DRAW

5th Match - Bantamweight Bout 5 min / 2R
Toshihiro Shimizu (Japan / Uruno Dojo) vs. Takumi Murata (Japan / Wajiutsu Keishukai RJW)
Winner: 2R DRAW

4th Match - Featherweight Bout 5 min / 2R
Yutaka Shimamura (Japan / Uruno Dojo) vs. Takahiro Baba (Japan / Reversal Gym Yokohama Grand Slam)
Winner: 1R 3'27" Yutaka Shimamura by Submission (armbar)

3rd Match - Flyweight Bout 5 min / 2R
Shin Takenaka (Japan / P's LAB Tokyo) vs. Yoshinari Shinba (Japan / Master Japan)
Winner: 2R DRAW

Bantamweight Bout 5 min / 2R
Kengo Okubo (Japan / MSD Goshin-do) vs. Masaharu Tsuchihashi (Japan / X-TREME Jiujitsu Academy Yokohama)
Winner: 2R DRAW

GT-F Rules Featherweight Bout 5 min / 2R
Hitoshi Makino (Japan / Reversal Gym Tokyo Stand Out) vs. Yuto HIrao (X-TREME Jiujitsu Academy Yokohama)
Winner: 2R 0'58" Hitoshi Makino by Submission (heel lock)


Report by Shu Hirata
Photo courtesy of GBR (gbring.com)