Two welterweight bouts have been added to the Pancrase 309 card. Former champions will collide when Hiromitsu Miura takes on Gota Yamashita while Kenta Takagi has been matched with Aleksandar Rakas.
Miura (12-7) returns to competitive action after a two year break. He was crowned welterweight King of Pancrase in 2016, challenged Carlos Condit for the WEC 170lbs title in 2008 and holds a 9-1 pro boxing record.
His opponent won the Pancrase 170lbs strap in 2014. Gota Yamashita (14-8-1-0-1) is eight years younger than Miura but has suffered a slump in recent years, winning just four out of his last 11 fights.
The other welterweight matchup added to the card this week pits Takagi (17-17-0-1) against Rakas (15-7). The former challenged unsuccessfully for the 170lbs title at Pancrase 306 while the latter comes from Croatia and makes his promotional debut.
As previously announced interim champion Isao Kobayashi will be putting his belt on the line in a rematch with Kyle Aguon in the Pancrase 309 headliner. Also set for Shinkiba Studio Coast on October 20th is a bantamweight bout between Takeshi Kasugai and Alan Yamaniha.
Pancrase 309, Tokyo, October 20th
Isao Kobayashi (c) vs. Kyle Aguon (For Featherweight Title)
Hiromitsu Miura vs. Gota Yamashita (Welterweight)
Kenta Takagi vs. Aleksandar Rakas (Welterweight)
Yoko Higashi vs. Tatiane Fontes (Bantamweight)
Takeshi Kasugai vs. Alan Yamaniha (Bantamweight)
Raika Emiko vs. Anne Karoline (Flyweight)
Naoki Arikawa vs. Ryosuke Kano (Flyweight)
Ukyo Abe vs. Taira Shinichi (Lightweight)
