The lightweight title fight between Genpei Hayashi and Tatsuya Saika has been moved to Pancrase 318. The two are now set to face off at Shinkiba Studio Coast on September 27th
Salimkhan Sadulloev was the reigning lightweight champion but the title seems to now be vacant. Hayashi and Saika had been set to face off on the cancelled Pancrase 315 event.
Saika (6-1) is coming off back to back first round stoppage wins. He is currently ranked #3 in the lightweight division by and had originally been slated to face Hayashi at Pancrase 313.
Hayashi (10-8-1) is the #2 ranked lightweight and won two fights out of two in 2020. He was initially handed a title shot when Sadulloev pulled out of Pancrase 312.
Also on the Pancrase 318 card is the rearranged flyweight fight between Rilley Dutro and Taiki Akiba. The two had originally been set to face off at Pancrase 315.
Dutro (14-5) is coming off a first round stoppage win over Toru Ogawa at Pancrase 308. The former PXC flyweight champion had dropped a decision to Shohei Masumizu on his promotional debut at Pancrase 303.
Akiba (10-9-1) will be looking to snap a two fight losing skid. The 30 year old was outpointed by Luthando Biko at Pancrase 311 and suffered a stoppage loss at the hands of Kiyotaka Shimizu at Road to ONE: ‘Century’.
The other fight added to the card was originally set for Pancrase 314. Yusuke Kasuya faces Hiroto Uesako in a fight bewtween two lightweights looking to rebound from losses.
Kasuya (10-6-2) challenged unsuccessfully for the interim lightweight title at Pancrase 308. He is a UFC veteran but has lost five out of his last six fights.
Meanwhile Uesako (16-9) suffered a soccer kick KO at the hands of Yusuke Yachi at Bellator Japan last month. The former Deep featherweight champion was also stopped by Luiz Gustavo at Rizin 19.
Pancrase 318, Tokyo, September 27th
Genpei Hayashi vs. Tatsuya Saika (For Lightweight title)
Rilley Dutro vs. Taiki Akiba (Flyweight)
Yusuke Kasuya vs. Hiroto Uesako (Lightweight)
