Juri Ohara successfully defended his lightweight title in the main event of Deep 108 yesterday. He needed less than a round to finish outmatched challenger Yuma Ishizuka with a soccer kick.
Ishizuka earned his title shot by scoring back to back Deep wins. But he came into this title fight having lost a lot more fights than he had won.
By contrast Ohara has won seven in a row with three of those victories coming on Rizin cards. The 32 year old is a veteran of over 50 fights and one of the most experienced, and successful, lightweights in Japan.
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Difference in calibre
The difference in calibre between the two lightweights was stark and the fight at the Tokyo Dome City Hall lasted just 78 seconds. A right hand from Ohara rocked Ishizuka and the challenger might never have recovered.
We will never known just how much damage the punch did because Ohara followed up with a soccer kick to the head of his stunned opponent. Ishizuka was left unconscious on the canvass as the champion extended his winning streak to eight.
Ohara’s record improves to 31-17-3-1 and he retains the Deep lightweight champion. He might find more suitable opposition fighting for Rizin while his opponent drops to 7-11.
遅くなりましたが昨日の試合
DEEP108タイトルマッチ1R KOで勝つ事ができました！
少し休んでまた頑張ります！
応援ありがとうございました！ pic.twitter.com/eU7ju9PPar— 大原樹理 (@juri_ironspider) July 11, 2022
Best of the rest
The co-main event also featured a veteran lightweight but in a much more competitive fight. Satoru Kitaoka (41-24-9) came very close to snapping a losing streak that dates all the way back to 2018 but wound up losing to Hiroto Uesako (16-10) by split decision.
In the featherweight division Daisuke Nakamura (33-22-1) handed up and coming prospect Yuta Sato (9-1) the first defeat of his career. The 42 year old prevailed against an undefeated opponent who was making his promotional debut.
Deep 108, Tokyo, July 10th
Juri Ohara def. Yuma Ishizuka via KO (Soccer Kick ) at 1:18 of R1
Hiroto Uesako def. Satoru Kitaoka via Decision (Split)
Daisuke Nakamura def. Yuta Sato via Decision (Unanimous)
Shooto Watanabe def. Takuma Uchiyama via Decision (Unanimous)
Kohei Sugiyama def. Ryosuke Honda via Decision (Unanimous)
Mika Arai def. Kate Oyama via Decision (Unanimous)
Shunsuke Miyabi def. Kaito Yoshimura via Decision (Unanimous)
Fuga Izawa def. Kotetsu Hara via Decision (Unanimous)
Soru Hamaguchi def. Arihito Yamamoto via Decision (Unanimous)
Shunta Nomura def. Takeshi Izumi via Decision (Split)
Ryuji Takashio def. Tatsuya Takahashi via TKO (Doctor stoppage) at 2:44 of R1
