ALPHA-1: Full Contact Combat (WMMA3)

[SHOGUN]

ALPHA-1: Full Contact Combat is the most successful MMA company the world has ever seen, having progressed from their early chaotic shows that centered primarily around kick boxing to the slick modern MMA product that they are currently the undisputed masters of. Nowadays they are owned by a big video game retailer and so have the added benefit of massive financial muscle behind them.

Round Lengths

• 10 minute first round, 5 minute second round for non-title bouts.
• 10 minute first round, 2 x 5 minute second rounds for title bouts.
• 90 second interval between rounds.

Judging

• Fights are judged in their entirety.

Knees, Elbows, Stomps & Soccer Kicks

• Stomps and soccer kicks to the head of a grounded opponent are allowed.
• Elbows to the head are not allowed.
• Knees to the head of a grounded opponent are allowed.

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History

1998

New ALPHA-1 CEO?
New classes?! Global expansion? Avatar Speaks!
Hayashi vs. Tan Official! 8-Man FW Tournament Announced
ALPHA-1: Hayashi vs. Tan - Preview
ALPHA-1: Hayashi vs. Tan - Live Results
ALPHA-1: Hayashi vs. Tan - Aftermath
Endo X Yamada Official! Featherweight GP Finalized
Oshiro X Chua for #1 Challenger?! Endo vs. Yamada Card Complete
ALPHA-1's Warriors of the Ring 1 - Preview
ALPHA-1's Warriors of the Ring 1 - Live Results
ALPHA-1's Warriors of the Ring 1 - Aftermath
A Supersized Warriors of the Ring Announced!
ALPHA-1: Endo vs. Yamada - Preview
ALPHA-1: Endo vs. Yamada - Live Results
ALPHA-1: Endo vs. Yamada - Aftermath
ALPHA-1's Warriors of the Ring 2 - Aftermath
ALPHA-1: Fezzik vs. Sarkisian - Aftermath
The One Night Featherweight Finale!
ALPHA-1's Warriors of the Ring 3 - Preview
ALPHA-1's Warriors of the Ring 3 - Live Results
ALPHA-1's Warriors of the Ring 3 - Aftermath

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Heavyweight Division (206+) - January 1998

ALPHA-1 Heavyweights

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Middleweight Division (184-205) - January 1998

ALPHA-1 Middleweights

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Welterweight Division (162-183) - January 1998

ALPHA-1 Welterweights

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Lightweight Division (146-161) - January 1998

ALPHA-1 Lightweights

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Featherweight Division (-145) - January 1998

ALPHA-1 Featherweights

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January 1998 - New ALPHA-1 CEO?



New ALPHA-1 CEO?

Scott Avatar, a relative unknown in the World of Mixed Martial Arts, was last night schockingly installed as the new CEO of Japanese MMA organization ALPHA-1, writes Mark Lavin. He is said to have been almost total control over the direction of the promotion, with everything from match-making to merchandise being his responsibility. A desperate move by a desperate company, or a masterstroke that will help take them to the next level? Time will tell, and Blurcat.com will keep you posted.

[SHOGUN]

January 1998 - New classes?! Global expansion? Avatar Speaks!

New classes?! Global expansion? Avatar Speaks!

New ALPHA-1 CEO Scott Avatar was formally introduced and spoke with the press today and unveiled his direction for the promotion going forward.

"As you all have noticed, we have altered our promotion from ALPHA-1: Japanese MMA to ALPHA-1: Full Contact Combat. As subtle a change it may be, our goal is not to simply have the best collection of talent in the Eastern Hemisphere, but to become the beacon of premier mixed martial arts worldwide and the best fighters compete from all over the globe."

ALPHA-1 Founder Meiji Nishimura stated that he and his staff have been in contact with several of the more reputable fight camps around the world to inquire about new talent and have some large announcements lined up in the near future, one coming in the next day or two.

Avatar also announced the reconfiguration of weight classes, with the weight limits drifting away from the Unified classes and the Light Heavyweight division being abolished.

• Featherweight (-145)
• Lightweight (146-161)
• Welterweight (162-183)
• Middleweight (184-205)
• Heavyweight (206+)

Tadamasa Yamada and his impressive nigh three year Light Heavyweight title reign will unfortunately come to an anti-climatic end, but Avatar plans to remedy Yamada by immediately offering him a title match against current ALPHA-1 Middleweight champion Heiji Endo.

In an effort to immediately bring some exposure and establish a champion for the burgeoning division, Avatar also announced the beginning of a Featherweight Tournament on ALPHA-1's new show "Warriors of the Ring" that will be running late evenings on Japanese Sport Vision 2. "Warriors of the Ring" is intended to be a showcase for the lighter weights and developing stars.

Avatar was non-committal regarding whether ALPHA-1 would even eventually turn from a TV-based company to a PPV-driven business model, stating that he understand that Japan thrives on television and the idea of pay-per-view is a novel concept, but he prefers to "wait and play it by ear". He contends his first goal as CEO is to secure a better TV deal and expand the programs to other countries. ALPHA-1 currently has a 12-event deal with PPV carrier J-Remote 1.

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Week 2, January 1998 - Hayashi vs. Tan Official! 8-Man FW Tournament Announced

Hayashi vs. Tan Official! 8-Man FW Tournament Announced

Blurcat’s Mark Lavin was in attendance last night as ALPHA-1 announced the matches for the upcoming show at the end of the month. As well as revealing that the main event would be Fumiaki Hayashi vs. Syed Tan for the ALPHA-1 Lightweight title, several other bouts were also confirmed. Among them being the promotional debuts of #22 ranked middleweight Tora Mizwar and former Sumo star Tomoji Takaoka.

There was also an announcement regarding the Featherweight tournament. It will start on Week 4 of February and some of the confirmed participants include Go Yamamoto, Eizan Ijichi, and Fujimaro Hidaka. The complete card will be announced shortly after the Hayashi vs. Tan card.

ALPHA-1: Hayashi vs. Tan
Date: Monday of Week 4, January 1998
Place: Kanto, Japan

ALPHA-1 Lightweight Championship Bout
8. LW: Fumiaki Hayashi vs. Syed Tan

7. HW: Tomoji Takaoka vs. Takafumi Ando
6. MW: Kyuwa Itou vs. Tora Mizwar
5. HW: Gyokusho Fujimoto vs. Felipe Luiz Rosa
4. LW: Xie Ming vs. Ikku Funaki
3. WW: Simon Vine vs. Kichisaburo Morri
2. WW: Keita Oshima vs. Shuncho Sakurai
1. MW: Naoki Itoh vs. Isiah Monroe

[Bigpapa42]

Looking good, Shogun. Big thumbs up.

BTW - if Fezzik loses, I riot. Just sayin...

[SHOGUN]

Week 3, January 1998 - ALPHA-1: Hayashi vs. Tan - Preview

ALPHA-1: Hayashi vs. Tan - Preview



ALPHA-1 Lightweight Championship Bout: Fumiaki Hayashi (16-4) vs. Syed Tan (13-2-1): With the recent reshuffling of the weight classes in ALPHA-1, 16th-ranked welterweight Syed Tan is one of the many contenders moving down in weight class. The 28-year old Tan is an aggressive kickboxer who intends to stand and bang with Hayashi. Fumiyaki ‘The Lightning Kid’ Hayashi is ranked ninth in the world at lightweight and one of the early heros of Japanese MMA, who is going onto his third defense as lightweight champion. Hayashi is an unorthodox striker with a inclination for flashy techniques over sound technique, but it has obviously served him well throughout his career. One interesting storyline behind this match will be how the 5’8” Hayashi can overcome the length of the 5’11” Tan and if Tan can handle the weight cut.



Heavyweight: Tomoji Takaoka (1-0) vs. Takafumi Ando (14-10): Tomoji 'HULK' Takaoka was a sumo wrestling prodigy that was at the top of the sport at the ripe age of 22 and suddenly walked away, citing a desire for a bigger challenge. Two years later and Takaoka has prepared himself for the rigors of mixed martial arts. Still an incomplete fighter, he is a mammoth of a man - tipping the scales as large as 320 pounds - and seemingly impossible to takedown. It will be difficult for the 280-pound Ando to try his standard practice of taking advantage of his size (and wrestling) since he will actually be the smaller man in this contest.



Middleweight: Kyuwa Itou (22-11) vs. Tora Mizwar (19-6): The 30-year old Kyuwa Itou has been consistently impressive during his tenure in ALPHA-1. The kickboxer has asked for stronger competition and meets his biggest test yet in the Indonesian superstar and #20 ranked Middleweight Tora 'Bull' Mizwar. Mizwar is a decorated Maumivu Matunda practitioner who fights with reckless abandon and has finishing power in his hands.



Heavyweight: Felipe Luiz Rosa (11-5) vs. Gyokusho Fujimoto (6-0): 'Fujizilla' Fujimoto is one of the brightest Heavyweight prospects to come from Japan in years and gets another opportunity to display his elite-level striking against Brazilian Felipe Luiz Rosa. Rosa prefers to strike and while he is no slouch standing, he is not quite up to par with Fujimoto. Expects of Rosa pulling the upset is slim.



Lightweight: Xie Ming (20-4) vs. Ikku Funaki (14-4): Xie 'The X Factor' Ming is a highly touted fighter from Pearl River, China making his ALPHA-1 debut at lightweight. The #12th ranked welterweight in the world has traveled the Orient demolishing opponents with his patented Muay Thai clinch and is expected to become an immediate title contender at lightweight. He will have to prove his worth early on as Ikku Funaki is one of the most powerful strikers in the sport, touting a right hand with legitimate OHKO power.



Welterweight: Simon Vine (19-6) vs. Kichisaburo Morri (10-3): Kichisaburo Morri makes his plan clear from the sound of the bell - he wants to take you down and smother you. He's riding a win streak into this fight, so he's been successful with it. But Morri faces Simon 'Hell Boy' Vine, an aggressive Canadian who likes to take down his opponents and pound them into submission. Vine is coming off a loss, but wants to make his debut in ALPHA-1 a strong one. This match will come down who can out-wrestle the other and administer their gameplan first.



Welterweight: Keita Oshima (18-6) vs. Shuncho Sakurai (9-3): Both Oshimo and Sakurai are primarily strikers, coming off losses and are trying to remain relevant in a turbulent division . Shuncho Sakurai is a tough Kenpo fighter with a strong chin and Oshima is considered a good, but not great kickboxer. Neither have any real grappling acumen, so there are doubts that this one hits the mat.



Middleweight: Naoki Itoh (22-15) vs. Isaiah Monroe (3-0): Naoki Itoh is a grizzled veteran who carries a lengthy losing streak and enough power in his hands to turn the tide of a fight into a victory. He faces a promising 22-year old Isaiah ‘Thump’ Monroe. Monroe is former collegiate wrestler with great size and athleticism.

[SHOGUN]

Week 4, January 1998 - ALPHA-1: Hayashi vs. Tan - Live Results

ALPHA-1: Hayashi vs. Tan - Live Results

Fumiaki Hayashi (16-4) vs. Syed Tan (13-2-1):

Round 1: Hayashi counters a wayward left jab with a hard right kick to the legs. There's a short stalemate as both fighters advance and throw strikes, but neither hits. They exchange strikes, but neither fighter inflicts any real damage. Hayashi covers up to absorb a barrage of big right hands. An exchange of strikes doesn't really lead to anything and they wind up in a tight clinch Tan is looking to muscle Hayashi back against the ropes. Hayashi is controlled up against the ropes and eats a sharp right to the ear. Tan moves back from the grapple and looks ready to strike. Good head movement allows Hayashi to avoid a flurry of rights and lefts. Slipping past a left jab, Tan hits a sequence of quick punches. Both fighters advance and strike, but neither hits anything. They end up clinched and Tan smothers Hayashi when he tries to use some dirty boxing, and gains the upper hand in the grapple as a result. The clock is stopped as the referee wants to check the cut on Hayashi. The doctor checks the cut, but seems happy that it does not present too much of a problem. Advancing, Tan counters a left jab by using a tasty jab - right cross combination. A right kick to the legs misses and Tan fires back with a couple of tight angled jabs and a scorching right hook to the body. Not letting up, Tan steps in closer to pressure Hayashi into action. Hayashi avoids a tight combination. Round one ends as time expires.

Round 2: Tan is looking to turn this into a wrestling match, and is getting in closer to Hayashi. He pulls Hayashi into a grapple uses dirty boxing and gets in a few crisp punches on Hayashi as they grapple. Hayashi is stuck with his back to the ropes. Syed Tan is breathing very hard and tries to use dirty boxing against Hayashi, but his opponent's wrestling skills prevent any damage from happening. Tan steps back from Hayashi and looks to unleash some strikes. Showing good head movement, Hayashi slips past a flurry of strikes. Both fighters come in and exchange strikes, but neither does any damage. Having ended up close together from the strikes they threw, a wild exchange of punches begins! Hayashi hits a right hook to the body. That last blow may have really hurt Tan, he staggers backward looking dazed! Hayashi smashes Tan with a huge right hook and he goes down hard! Hayashi tries to come in and secure a ground position. Tan tries to get free, but Hayashi is able to secure side control. Hayashi fires away with rights, Tan is barely able to do anything at all, he cannot get out from under Hayashi! The referee has seen enough, he pulls Hayashi off!

Fumiaki Hayashi defeats Syed Tan (TKO (Strikes) in 4:29 of round 2).

Tomoji Takaoka (1-0) vs. Takafumi Ando (14-10):

Round 1: In close proximity from the strikes they threw, they fall into a messy clinch. Takaoka tries to wrestle Ando backward and up against the ropes. Showing his ability to exert control, Takaoka smothers Ando up against the ropes for a minute or more, wearing him down with occasional sharp punches to the ribs. The referee decides that the grappling against the ropes has been going on too long, and he brings them back to the center. Takaoka chooses to shoot in on Ando and is successful, Ando pulls guard. Ando applies double underhooks and keeps Takaoka from launching any attacks. Takaoka throws some small strikes, but is clearly just taking a moment to try and catch his breath. With no progress being made, the referee stands them back up. Takaoka doesn't get a takedown; Ando was equal to it and pulls them into a clinch. Ando looks to scoop his opponent up for a slam and gets it! Takaoka manages to pull guard upon impact. The clock runs down as Takaoka is being smothered against the ground by Ando. The time is up, and that's the end of round one. Takafumi Ando looks like he is on the verge of exhaustion.

Round 2: Takaoka catches Ando with a flurry of small strikes. Takaoka uses a jab to sting Ando. Ando stuffs the quick takedown attempt, so Takaoka has to settle for pushing him up against the ropes. Tomoji Takaoka doesn't look like he has much left in the tank, but hits Ando with a short, sharp right uppercut, wobbling him.With the ropes trapping Ando, Takaoka gets the underhooks in and looks for a takedown. Ando cannot stop being lifted up and blasted with a Greco-Roman slam, he can only pull guard! Takaoka pounds away from the guard, and Ando struggles to deal with them. Ando applies double underhooks and keeps Takaoka from launching any attacks. Takaoka smothers Ando with his body by pushing forward and down. The time runs out and that round is over, and so is the fight.

Tomoji Takaoka defeats Takafumi Ando (Unanimous Decision in 5:00 of round 2).

Kyuwa Itou (22-11) vs. Tora Mizwar (19-6):

Round 1: Itou throws a left jab but Mizwar avoids it. Mizwar comes in closer, looking to attack from the pocket. Mizwar can't get near enough to engage, Itou uses strikes to keep him out of range. A couple of quick punches are used to set up a takedown attempt from Mizwar, but it doesn't work, Itou saw it coming and got out of range. Mizwar waits for Itou to step in, then he scores with a quick takedown. Mizwar pounds away on Itou, landing several great shots that rock Itou! Mizwar pounds away from the guard, but is unable to land many clean shots on Itou. Mizwar smothers Itou with his body by pushing forward and down. With no progress being made, the referee brings the fighters back to their feet. Itou catches Mizwar with a scything low kick to the legs. Itou is looking to get in close and strike from the pocket. Itou uses a sharp body kick from within the pocket. Itou throws a left jab but Mizwar uses good head movement to make sure it slips by. Mizwar checks a low kick and quickly hits a solid left jab. Itou throws rights and lefts, but Mizwar covers up well and none of the shots find a home. Time expires and we come to the end of round one.

Round 2: Mizwar sees a right body kick coming, grabs it, shoots in for a takedown, and gets it! Itou has to pull guard. Mizwar pounds away on Itou, landing several great shots that rock Itou! Mizwar attempts to pass guard. Advancing his position, he passes gaining side control. Mizwar throws a few strikes, but is clearly slowing things down so that he can catch his breath. Mizwar attempts to arm triangle Itou from side control, but Itou defends himself well and is in no danger. Mizwar holds Itou in position with side control and hits a knee into the ribs. Tora Mizwar seems to be fighting against exhaustion and throws a few strikes, but they are without venom. The fight comes to an end as the time limit expires.

Tora Mizwar defeats Kyuwa Itou (Unanimous Decision in 5:00 of round 2).

Felipe Luiz Rosa (11-5) vs. Gyokusho Fujimoto (6-0):

Round 1: Rosa has his hands far too low and gets hit with a crisp left jab. Fujimoto scores with a picture-perfect roundhouse kick to the side of the ribs, set up nicely with a feint to the other side. Both fighters come in and exchange strikes, but they end up clinched. Rosa looks to get some strikes in, but Fujimoto seizes the moment and wrestles his way into control of the grapple. Rosa tries to wriggle free, but Fujimoto controls him well and gets in a few close-range punches too. Fujimoto tries to wrestle Rosa backward and now has him pinned to the ropes. Fujimoto drives a knee to the thigh area and steps back looking to unleash some strikes. Showing good head movement, Rosa slips past a flurry of strikes. A showdown where they both exchange strikes only results in a stalemate and they end up grappling. Rosa finds his dirty boxing smothered, and Fujimoto gains the dominant position in the grapple. Fujimoto smothers Rosa against the ropes, then hits him with a knee strike to the ribs. Fujimoto takes a short step back and prepares to strike. Both fighters exchange strikes, but neither hits anything significant. Rosa slams a crisp right into the gloves of Fujimoto, but can't follow up. Fujimoto waits for Rosa to step in, then hits a nice left jab. An errant jab sets Fujimoto up to counter-strike with a straight right that sends Rosa to the ground! Fujimoto moves in quickly to try and finish Rosa with stomps and kicks! Fujimoto viciously stomps and kicks away at the stunned Rosa! The referee dives in to save Rosa from any further shots!

Gyokusho Fujimoto defeats Felipe Luiz Rosa (TKO (Strikes) in 8:53 of round 1).

Xie Ming (20-4) vs. Ikku Funaki (14-4):

Round 1: They come together and strike, but neither can land a clean shot. They wind up in a tight clinch, but break the grapple and are apart again, circling. Ming slams a crisp left into the gloves of Funaki, but can't follow up. Funaki comes in closer to press the issue. A jab misses, allowing Funaki to counter-strike with a crisp left hand punch. A tidy combination doesn't find a home, giving Ming the opportunity to counter with a crisp jab. Moving forward, Funaki counters a right jab with a superb combination of left hook to the body and a big right cross. Both fighters come in and throw strikes, there is no real damage done by either. Moving forward, Ming counters a series of wayward big punches with a solid right jab. Ming counters a left jab by hitting a nice right hand. A jab misses, allowing Funaki to counter-strike with a jab. Ming feints going high and then throws a barrage of big lefts, with Funaki only just able to evade them. Ming counters a wayward left jab with a picture-perfect left roundhouse kick to the side of the ribs. Ming covers up in the face of a combination of short sharp punches, then fires back with a nice jab. Ming presses in closer to attack, but the time runs out on round one.

Round 2: Ming side-steps a barrage of big punches and hits a picture-perfect left roundhouse kick to the side of the ribs. Ming looks like he wants to stand in the pocket and strike with Funaki, but can't get near enough to engage, Funaki uses strikes to keep him out of range. We go past the halfway point of this round. Funaki is looking to get in close and strike from the pocket. Good head movement allows Ming to roll past an attempted knock out punch and hit a left body kick. Funaki uses head movement to make sure that a massive overhand right doesn't find a home. Slipping past the blow, Funaki counters an attempted knock out punch with a great right hand, Ming is knocked down! He is out!

Ikku Funaki defeats Xie Ming (Knock Out (Punch) in 3:57 of round 2).

Simon Vine (19-6) vs. Kichisaburo Morri (10-3):

Round 1: Vine moves in quickly after a wayward punch and hits a left jab to the cheek. Vine throws out a couple of jabs as a set up, then shoots in for a takedown. Vine gets a single leg takedown! Morri pulls guard off it. In guard, Vine begins working to pass to side control. Morri can't fend off the effort, and can only stop Vine at half guard. Vine looks to pass half guard and get side control. He does excellently, getting into side control. Vine pounds away on Morri. Morri is barely able to do anything at all, he cannot get out from under Vine! The referee stops the fight, he didn't feel Morri was intelligently defending himself!

Simon Vine defeats Kichisaburo Morri (TKO (Strikes) in 2:34 of round 1).

Keita Oshima (18-6) vs. Shuncho Sakurai (9-3):

Round 1: Sakurai side-steps a barrage of big punches and hits a clean jab. An exchange of strikes goes nowhere. Sakurai avoids a quick jab and hits a flurry of jabs and straight punches. Oshima slips out of the way of a flurry of punches. An errant jab sets Oshima up to counter-strike with two big right hands! Oshima sees a low kick being set up and strikes first with a jab. Using head movement, Oshima slips past a left jab and counters with a clean punch. A left jab misses, Oshima counters with a stinging jab. Sakurai slips past a jab and scores with a jab. Standing in the pocket, Sakurai throws an inside leg kick but Oshima shows good footwork to avoid it. Sakurai dodges a jab, and fires back with a hard leg kick. Oshima sees a low kick being set up and takes the opportunity to strike first with a nice left. Sakurai dodges a jab, and fires back with a flurry of quick punches to sting Oshima. A left jab misses the mark and allows Sakurai to counter with a big kick to the outside of the left thigh. Keita Oshima won't want to take too many unchecked strikes to the legs like that. Sakurai uses head movement to dodge a jab, and counters with a right hook to the body. Oshima dodges a kick to the body and fires back with a stinging jab. Sakurai lets a jab sail wide and counter-strikes with a quick series of punches. Not comfortable in the pocket, Oshima steps back and creates some space. There's a stalemate as both fighters throw strikes, but neither scores as time runs out on round one.

Round 2: A left jab misses and Oshima strikes back with two hard right hands! Slipping past a powerful straight right, Sakurai counters with a kick to the outside of the knee. There are signs that Keita Oshima is definitely feeling the damage done to his legs. Slipping past a powerful straight right, Sakurai counters with a sharp right body kick. Slipping past a left jab, Sakurai hits a right hook to the body. Sakurai throws rights and lefts, but Oshima covers up well and none of the shots find a home. Checking a leg kick, Oshima counters back immediately with several right hands to the body and face! A left jab misses, Sakurai counters with a flurry of jabs and straight punches. Oshima covers up, absorbing a flurry of punches. A body kick misses, giving Oshima an opening to score with a series of hard rights! We're into the final minute of the round and Oshima sees an inside leg kick coming and hits first with a punch. Oshima sees a low kick being set up and strikes first with a solid left jab. We reach the time limit and this fight is over.

Keita Oshima defeats Shuncho Sakurai (Split Decision in 5:00 of round 2).

Naoki Itoh (22-15) vs. Isaiah Monroe (3-0):

Round 1: Itoh counters a wayward right jab with a solid right. Monroe looks like he might be trying to get in close and wrestle with Itoh. Monroe uses underhooks to gain solid control, and is looking for a takedown. A sweep of the legs is successful, Itoh has to pull guard. Monroe passes guard fairly easily, getting to side control. Monroe tries to lock Itoh into an arm triangle. Monroe gets the arm triangle fully applied! Out of the blue, Itoh breaks free! Monroe must not have had it locked up as tight as it looked. Monroe blocks an attempt to pull guard. It appears that Monroe is looking for a crucifix. Itoh is in big trouble as he is trapped in the crucifix. Monroe fires away with punches, and a trapped Itoh is taking powerful shot after powerful shot! The referee jumps in and saves Itoh from taking any more shots!

Isaiah Monroe defeats Naoki Itoh (TKO (Strikes) in 3:54 of round 1).

[SHOGUN]

Week 4, January 1998 - ALPHA-1: Hayashi vs. Tan - Aftermath

ALPHA-1: Hayashi vs. Tan - Aftermath

• Gyokusho Fujimoto has requested a match with Denbe Ekiguchi.
• Shuncho Sakurai wants a showdown with Yeijiro Yamamoto.

[SHOGUN]

Week 4, January 1998 - Yamada X Endo Official! Featherweight GP Finalized

Yamada X Endo Official! Featherweight GP Finalized

ALPHA-1 CEO Scott Avatar has announced that Tadamasa Yamada, Blurcat's 1997 Fighter of the Year, has signed off to fight Heiji Endo in the main event for the ALPHA-1 Middleweight title at the end of March and that recently signed Judo legend Heikichi Shimizu will finally make his ALPHA-1 debut against Bakin Sakamoto at the end of March.

ALPHA-1: Endo vs. Yamada
Date: Friday of Week 4, March 1998
Place: Kanto, Japan

ALPHA-1 Middleweight Championship Bout
Heiji Endo vs. Tadamasa Yamada

Single Fights
LW: Heikichi Shimizu vs. Bakin Sakamoto

Avatar also released the names of the remaining competitors for the Featherweight tournament. Along with current ALPHA-1 Lightweights Go Yamamoto, Eizan Ijichi, and Fujimaro Hidaka expected to make their featherweight debuts the other competitors are…

Gu Ueda (17-9)
Seigo Tsuda (38-27-2)
Taizoh Chung Man (15-6)
Najib Sri Aziz bin Zai (38-10-2)
Kei Maki (3-0)

Of the recently announced fighters, it’s interesting that while Maki is the only one with a win streak. The other four are coming off losses.

ALPHA-1’s Warriors of the Ring 1
Date: Monday of Week 4, February 1998
Place: Kanto, Japan

ALPHA-1 Featherweight GP 1st Round Fights
8. FW: Go Yamamoto vs. Seigo Tsuda
7. FW: Gu Ueda vs. Taizoh Chung Man
6. FW: Najib Sri Aziz bin Zai vs. Eizan Ijichi
5. FW: Kei Maki vs. Fujimaro Hidaka

4. FW: Yagi Jokichi vs. Ryota Sugimoto*
3. FW: Masato Wai vs. Samba Nakamura
2. HW: Kanezane Fujii vs. Silivio Scirea
1. HW: Jutaro Honma vs. Daigo Kitaguchi

*Yagi Jokichi (4-0) and Ryota Sugimoto (3-0) will faceoff for the alternate spot in the GP in the the event of injury.