Longtime Japanese promotion Pancrase is back for its last event of the year. Pancrase 360 is headlined by Road to UFC alum Shogo Sato against Bellator/PFL vet Goiti Yamauchi. Neither are prospects, but look for the UFC to sign Yamauchi if he can claim the title here. The UFC has signed a lot of ex-Bellator guys recently, so Yamauchi could be next.
Qosim Sardarov (5-0) has had quite the run in the last three years. He capped off an amateur career with a record of 16-4. He won two IMMAF World titles and an Asian title. His level of competition as a pro has been poor, but as an amateur, he’s beaten elite talent. Wins over Caleb Spears, Oualy Tandia, David Hervias, and Alvi Dasuyev are all legit wins. He’s already 5-0 as a pro and has dominated everyone in his way. Sardarov is a strong wrestler with smothering grappling. He’s got a relentless style that drowns guys.
For the middleweight title, Sardarov is fighting Ryutaro Sato (9-1). After watching some tape on Sato, his skillset doesn’t translate to his good-looking record. He excels more as a grappler, but that being an area Sardarov is gonna be best. We may even see Sardarov shown some striking being the faster, more athletic fighter.
Karen (10-2) has been a staple on Japanese WMMA for years now. Impressively, she’s still only 22. She’s on a four-fight win streak and is attempting to win the Pancrase strawweight title for a second time. Her style is to get the fight grounded and win off damaging GnP, control, and submission threats.
Karen is fighting Miki Motono. She’s a former DEEP Jewels champion and a Road to UFC alum. Motono is primary wrestler with credible Jiu-Jitsu. She’s very okay, but too one-dimensional to create problems for Karen. She could put physical Karen but Karen has a clear skills advantage.
Kalybek Arzykul (13-1) has made quite the name for himself in Pancrase. A win over RTU alum Rui Imura and Japanese staple Isao Kobayashi. His last fight he won with a suloev stretch into a hip lock. One of the best submissions of this year. Arzykul leaves a lot to be desired on the feet but is dangerous on the mat. Aggressive to the finish both with the GnP and submissions. If he can build off a nasty ground game he could be someone to watch.
Arzykul has his work cut out for him against Yuito Yanagawa (7-1). The Japanese fighter has made himself a fan favorite fighter to the Pancrase fan base. Due to his usual exciting style and being well-rounded, he’s a tough ask to get through. He’s gonna have a striking advantage over Arzykul and can hang on the mat as well. If this hits the mat we can see some entertaining exchange because both are fun scramblers. If a prediction was needed here, I’d say Yanagawa because he’s the more versed fighter.
The prospect to watch on this card is undoubtedly Otabek Rajabov (4-0). Rajabov was one of the best amateur fighters and IMMAF competitors ever. He went 16-1 and won three world championships, two Asian championships, and a European championship. He has wins over Delffy Humer, Movsar Ibragimov, and other really good names. His only loss is to Asaf Chopurov, who is the best prospect in the world. His striking is coming along, but it’s the wrestling and grappling that sets him over the edge. Both areas are as high-level as you look for in an up-and-comer, and mix in some pretty good cardio as well.
Rajabov is fighting Ryo Asami (12-14). He’s a veteran and a good rest for the young Rajabov. Although Asami is tough, his record speaks for itself and is 40 years old. Rajabov should find a finish within two rounds.
Arata Daiki (5-1), I was not aware of until the time of writing this. He doesn’t have any notable wins, but his only loss to Reo Yamaguchi isn’t a bad one. Daiki is a very good wrestler. Takedowns from space, against the cage, and can chain wrestle. His ground game is strong overall, and he’s comfortable on his feet. A win over Matsui Toki (7-3) would be telling as it would be his biggest win to date.
Coopar Royal (7-1) is a name Aussie fans have been highlighting for the last few years. An 8-3 amateur career with multiple regional titles. He also went 2-1 in ONE Championship Friday Fights as a pro. His lack of competition has been an issue, fighting mostly guys with losing records. Royal has still performed at an exciting level. He’s a fun, fluid striker who gets his TDD tested often. As he’s been taking down his submission grappling is nothing to sleep on. Royal fights Suga Ayumu (4-1-1), whom I wasn’t able to find much on. If Royal wants to make a push for the UFC, it’s a fight he needs to win