THE VOICE' OF HDNET TALKS SENGOKU 11
As “The Voice” of HDNet’s various combat sports broadcasts, Michael Schiavello has seen just about everything that could possibly happen at an event in just few short years.
At the recent World Victory Road: Sengoku 11 show, Schiavello was witness to some of the promotion’s most surprising outcomes.
Speaking to MMAWeekly.com shortly after returning home from Japan, Schiavello discussed Sengoku 11 and how it possibly sets up the future of the promotion on HDNet.
MMAWeekly: First off, Michael, tell us your overall impressions of Sengoku 11.
Michael Schiavello: On paper it was always going to be a great card as the powers that be at Sengoku really pulled out all stops with their matchmaking for this one. As it played out on the night it was a very entertaining card with some wicked stoppages, some close contests, and a fair chunk of controversy for us all to talk about. Overall I was thoroughly entertained.
MMAWeekly: On the undercard, one fighter that particularly impressed was current Featherweight King of Pancrase Marlon Sandro. Give us your thoughts on his performance and what kind of impact you think he can make in Sengoku.
Michael Schiavello: I have always been a fan of Marlon. He gets some criticism from fans and from Sengoku brass for being a boring fighter, but I think we have seen him make a really conscious effort to become more entertaining and more of a finisher. And when a man of his extensive BJJ talent brings in stunning knockouts to his repertoire it spells danger for every 143-pounder in Sengoku.
You could also tell he was on a personal seek-and-destroy mission at Sengoku 11 no matter who the opponent was. Marlon was pissed off that he lost a decision to (Michihiro) Omigawa in the 143 Grand Prix. He was back with a vengeance. So in short answer to your question, yes, this man deserves a title shot.
MMAWeekly: Kevin Randleman lost his second fight of the year in a close split-decision to Stanislav Nedkov. Do you think it’s over for “The Monster”?
Michael Schiavello: I don't think it is over for Kevin. I thought he beat Nedkov. He had the takedowns and better positioning, he did well on his feet, he pushed the pace of the fight, and he tried to finish more than Nedkov did. It was one of Kevin's better performances of late.
Sure, we aren't going to see the Kevin of old who Randle-plexed Fedor (Emelianenko) back in Pride or who once held the UFC heavyweight title. The 38-year-old version of Kevin who continues to train diligently can still offer some headaches to opponents and be utilized as a gatekeeper for up and coming light heavyweight talent.
MMAWeekly: There were two huge upsets at Sengoku 11. The first was middleweight champ Jorge Santiago losing a non-title bout to Mamed Khalidov. Give us your thoughts on the fight.
Michael Schiavello: Coming into this fight, I knew (Khalidov) was going to be a tough cookie and the possibility was there for an upset, but I did not expect it to go down like that. He must have granite in his hands because to pound someone out from that position is just crazy.
Then again there has always been a major question mark over Santiago's jaw. As for Khalidov's potential in the division, it's enormous. He hasn't lost since 2005 and his last three opponents have all taken a hammering.
MMAWeekly: Because it was a non-title match, Santiago gets to keep the belt. What do you feel about this circumstance, and how does it play out for someone like Dan Hornbuckle who appeared to be in line for a title shot?
Michael Schiavello: This is a good question. I don't feel a champion always needs to defend their title. If a champion is coming back from injury or needs some tune-up fights before a title defense then I don't see a problem with that. The problem now comes when you get a gun like Khalidov not reading the script and obliterating the promotion's champion.
What does Sengoku do now? Santiago was pummeled! How does he now front up for his next fight, say a title defense, and maybe win it knowing that Khalidov is in the audience having just smashed him? I want to see Hornbuckle get a title shot; he deserves it. And now you'd have to say next in line is Khalidov, seeing as he just tooled the champion with ease.
MMAWeekly: The other big upset of the night was Michihiro Omigawa, a fighter with a sub .500 record, defeating one of the world’s top ranked featherweights in Hatsu Hioki. Do you still feel that the judges got that one wrong from the initial call?
Michael Schiavello: I have watched the fight again and maintain that Hioki was ripped off. Yes, Omigawa had the harder shots standing up, but strength doesn't equate to control. Omigawa bridging the gap sporadically and landing a power shot here and there does not outweigh Hioki sitting behind a beautiful jab and keeping Omigawa at the end of his punches for most of the fight. Then when it went to ground it was Hioki who had control.
(There’s) no way Omigawa won this fight, and what makes it even worse for the judges is that Omigawa himself took the microphone after the fight and said he didn't think he deserved to win. I give props to Omigawa for that.
MMAWeekly: With yet another upset victory under his belt, where does this position Omigawa in Sengoku’s featherweight division?
Michael Schiavello: Sengoku is surely posturing him for a title shot at (Masanori) Kanehara's crown, but once again I don't think he deserves it. Don't get me wrong, Omigawa is a fantastic fighter and I am a fan of his, it's just that he was gifted a decision in the Grand Prix against Sandro and now he has been gifted a decision against Hioki. I want to see Omigawa become an effective finisher or a decisive winner and truly earn his title shot.
MMAWeekly: Thanks for your time, Michael. Is there anything you want to say in conclusion?
Michael Schiavello: I want to say thank you to all of the fans who tune into our HDNet shows. We have had an incredible year thus far and we're going to bring it home with a bang, including MFC in Canada on December 4, the K-1 World Grand Prix live from Tokyo on December 5, and then New Year's Eve with the mighty Fields K-1 Dynamite.
At HDNet we are committed to covering more live MMA than any other network in the world and to providing more MMA and fight coverage than anyone else. Our dedication and commitment comes from your dedication and commitment as viewers.
Also on a personal note, this being my first year with HDNet, I want to thank all the viewers who have sent me countless emails and messages of support. I'm thrilled you're enjoying it all!
As “The Voice” of HDNet’s various combat sports broadcasts, Michael Schiavello has seen just about everything that could possibly happen at an event in just few short years.
At the recent World Victory Road: Sengoku 11 show, Schiavello was witness to some of the promotion’s most surprising outcomes.
Speaking to MMAWeekly.com shortly after returning home from Japan, Schiavello discussed Sengoku 11 and how it possibly sets up the future of the promotion on HDNet.
MMAWeekly: First off, Michael, tell us your overall impressions of Sengoku 11.
Michael Schiavello: On paper it was always going to be a great card as the powers that be at Sengoku really pulled out all stops with their matchmaking for this one. As it played out on the night it was a very entertaining card with some wicked stoppages, some close contests, and a fair chunk of controversy for us all to talk about. Overall I was thoroughly entertained.
MMAWeekly: On the undercard, one fighter that particularly impressed was current Featherweight King of Pancrase Marlon Sandro. Give us your thoughts on his performance and what kind of impact you think he can make in Sengoku.
Michael Schiavello: I have always been a fan of Marlon. He gets some criticism from fans and from Sengoku brass for being a boring fighter, but I think we have seen him make a really conscious effort to become more entertaining and more of a finisher. And when a man of his extensive BJJ talent brings in stunning knockouts to his repertoire it spells danger for every 143-pounder in Sengoku.
You could also tell he was on a personal seek-and-destroy mission at Sengoku 11 no matter who the opponent was. Marlon was pissed off that he lost a decision to (Michihiro) Omigawa in the 143 Grand Prix. He was back with a vengeance. So in short answer to your question, yes, this man deserves a title shot.
MMAWeekly: Kevin Randleman lost his second fight of the year in a close split-decision to Stanislav Nedkov. Do you think it’s over for “The Monster”?
Michael Schiavello: I don't think it is over for Kevin. I thought he beat Nedkov. He had the takedowns and better positioning, he did well on his feet, he pushed the pace of the fight, and he tried to finish more than Nedkov did. It was one of Kevin's better performances of late.
Sure, we aren't going to see the Kevin of old who Randle-plexed Fedor (Emelianenko) back in Pride or who once held the UFC heavyweight title. The 38-year-old version of Kevin who continues to train diligently can still offer some headaches to opponents and be utilized as a gatekeeper for up and coming light heavyweight talent.
MMAWeekly: There were two huge upsets at Sengoku 11. The first was middleweight champ Jorge Santiago losing a non-title bout to Mamed Khalidov. Give us your thoughts on the fight.
Michael Schiavello: Coming into this fight, I knew (Khalidov) was going to be a tough cookie and the possibility was there for an upset, but I did not expect it to go down like that. He must have granite in his hands because to pound someone out from that position is just crazy.
Then again there has always been a major question mark over Santiago's jaw. As for Khalidov's potential in the division, it's enormous. He hasn't lost since 2005 and his last three opponents have all taken a hammering.
MMAWeekly: Because it was a non-title match, Santiago gets to keep the belt. What do you feel about this circumstance, and how does it play out for someone like Dan Hornbuckle who appeared to be in line for a title shot?
Michael Schiavello: This is a good question. I don't feel a champion always needs to defend their title. If a champion is coming back from injury or needs some tune-up fights before a title defense then I don't see a problem with that. The problem now comes when you get a gun like Khalidov not reading the script and obliterating the promotion's champion.
What does Sengoku do now? Santiago was pummeled! How does he now front up for his next fight, say a title defense, and maybe win it knowing that Khalidov is in the audience having just smashed him? I want to see Hornbuckle get a title shot; he deserves it. And now you'd have to say next in line is Khalidov, seeing as he just tooled the champion with ease.
MMAWeekly: The other big upset of the night was Michihiro Omigawa, a fighter with a sub .500 record, defeating one of the world’s top ranked featherweights in Hatsu Hioki. Do you still feel that the judges got that one wrong from the initial call?
Michael Schiavello: I have watched the fight again and maintain that Hioki was ripped off. Yes, Omigawa had the harder shots standing up, but strength doesn't equate to control. Omigawa bridging the gap sporadically and landing a power shot here and there does not outweigh Hioki sitting behind a beautiful jab and keeping Omigawa at the end of his punches for most of the fight. Then when it went to ground it was Hioki who had control.
(There’s) no way Omigawa won this fight, and what makes it even worse for the judges is that Omigawa himself took the microphone after the fight and said he didn't think he deserved to win. I give props to Omigawa for that.
MMAWeekly: With yet another upset victory under his belt, where does this position Omigawa in Sengoku’s featherweight division?
Michael Schiavello: Sengoku is surely posturing him for a title shot at (Masanori) Kanehara's crown, but once again I don't think he deserves it. Don't get me wrong, Omigawa is a fantastic fighter and I am a fan of his, it's just that he was gifted a decision in the Grand Prix against Sandro and now he has been gifted a decision against Hioki. I want to see Omigawa become an effective finisher or a decisive winner and truly earn his title shot.
MMAWeekly: Thanks for your time, Michael. Is there anything you want to say in conclusion?
Michael Schiavello: I want to say thank you to all of the fans who tune into our HDNet shows. We have had an incredible year thus far and we're going to bring it home with a bang, including MFC in Canada on December 4, the K-1 World Grand Prix live from Tokyo on December 5, and then New Year's Eve with the mighty Fields K-1 Dynamite.
At HDNet we are committed to covering more live MMA than any other network in the world and to providing more MMA and fight coverage than anyone else. Our dedication and commitment comes from your dedication and commitment as viewers.
Also on a personal note, this being my first year with HDNet, I want to thank all the viewers who have sent me countless emails and messages of support. I'm thrilled you're enjoying it all!
