Daichi Kitakata will no longer be competing at Pancrase 313. The promotion’s reigning strawweight champion broke his hand in training and will be unable to face Adam Antolin on March 8th.
The promotion announced via Twitter that the champion was withdrawing from the card:
PANCRASEニュース : 北方大地、欠場のお詫びhttps://t.co/sxfuArhiJq
— PANCRASE｜パンクラス (@_PANCRASE_) February 10, 2020
Kitakata (20-9-1) won the belt by stopping Mitsuhisa Sunabe at Pancrase 307. But he is coming off a stoppage loss of his own, at the hands of Yosuke Saruta at ONE: ‘Century’ Part II.
Meanwhile Antolin (15-5) has scored back to back stoppage wins for the Japanese promotion. In his most recent outing the American submitted Hiroaki Ijima with a front choke at Pancrase 310.
It remains to be seen whether Pancrase will try to find a new opponent for the American. The card does feature a flyweight fight pitting Hawaii’s Rilley Dutro against Taiki Akiba.
Meanwhile two top bantamweights will face off as Wataru Mimura faces Sho Sekihara. Also on the card is a featherweight fight between veterans Issei Tamura and Suguru Nii.
This Sunday Pancrase 312 is scheduled for Shinkiba Studio Coast. The event will be headlined by a lightweight title fight between interim champion Salimkhan Sadulloev and challenger Tatsuya Saika.
Pancrase 313, Tokyo, March 8th
Issei Tamura vs. Suguru Nii (Featherweight)
Shinmare Komori vs. Yuki Takahashi (Featherweight)
Rilley Dutro vs. Taiki Akiba (Flyweight)
Yoko Higashi vs. Tayná Lamounier (Bantamweight)
Wataru Mimura vs. Sho Sekihara (Bantamweight)
