Masakazu Imanari
Dae Hwan Kim
Relations between Japan and South Korea
have been strained ever since the Second World War, spilling over into other
territories such as sports.
In the constantly-growing world of
martial arts, the patriotic rivalry between these two nations has played itself
out in rings or cages across Asia for almost two decades.
Several traditional forms of martial
arts could trace its origins in Japan, but many people tend to forget that the
country likewise served as one of the starting points of mixed martial arts.
Japan was once considered the apex of
modern-day mixed martial arts. In the early 1990’s, the sport was growing all
over the world as several locations across the globe were beginning to lay the
foundation.
With Brazil and the United States
indoctrinating the beauty of style versus style in the west, the sport’s
stomping ground in the eastern hemisphere was in Japan.
Japan has a strong history of mixed
martial arts as the country has given birth to heaps of legendary promotions
such as Pancrase, Shooto, DREAM and PRIDE.
From fearless strikers to elite
submission grapplers, Japan also provided the sport with a long list of
extraordinary talents.
Meanwhile, South Korea sparked its own
mixed martial arts renaissance in 2003 with the establishment of the
now-defunct Spirit Martial Challenge.
Since having its first local mixed
martial arts organization through Spirit Martial Challenge, the sport in South
Korea has grown in leaps and bounds, paving the way for the founding of the
locally-loved Road Fighting Championship and the influx of homegrown
competitors.
Combatants from Japan and South Korea
have shared the battlefield on numerous occasions as both countries are staking
their claims as the ultimate powerhouse of mixed martial arts in Asia.
The Japan-South Korea rivalry will be
rekindled on 20 April as Masakazu Imanari is slated to take on former world
title contender Dae Hwan Kim inside the five-rope ONE Championship ring.
Both men are set to face each other on
the undercard of ONE: HEROES OF HONOR, which takes place at the 20,000-seater
SM Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.
For the past 18 years, Imanari has
carved a niche for himself in the world of mixed martial arts as the Japanese
warrior rose to prominence by becoming a three-time titleholder in Deep and is
famously known for his moniker “Ashikan-Judan,” which translates to “Master of
Leglocks.”
With a style focused on submission
grappling, Imanari has 36 career victories, 25 of which have come by submission finish.
After falling short in his much-awaited
ONE Championship return last January against Yusup Saadulaev, Imanari plans to
redeem himself by claiming a big win over Kim.
“I think I will make a big statement,
and this win will be a big one,” Imanari guaranteed. “It’s Japan versus South
Korea. I can’t lose this match. I have to win this.”
In the other corner, Kim has won
multiple national titles in various martial arts disciplines and is regarded
with his incredible striking prowess and solid grappling ability
The 31-year-old Korean dynamite joined
the promotion in 2013, posting impressive victories over Thanh Vu and Kevin
Belingon in his first two assignments under the ONE Championship banner.
Like Imanari, Kim’s back is against the
wall as he lost his last two outings, yielding to Leandro Issa this past
November before suffering a disqualification defeat at the hands of Daichi
Takenaka.
With a professional record of 12-3-1,
Kim seeks to break his losing spell at the expense of Imanari.
“Manila is passionate about martial
arts. I fought in Manila twice, and I enjoyed it so much. On April 20, they are
going to witness an intense rivalry between South Korea and Japan. They’ve
never seen anything like it. It will be a battle, and I want to win it,” Kim
said.
While Kim respects his Japanese
opponent’s accomplishments, he simply believes that his skills are on a higher
level.
“He is definitely a strong warrior, but
I am a stronger warrior, and I will be a historical warrior,” Kim warned. “I
think I can grapple with him, but I will proceed with a standing match. I will
knock him out.”
Meanwhile, Imanari embraces the
challenge that Kim is expected to bring at ONE: HEROES OF HONOR on 20 April.
“He is not a man to be taken lightly.
He is dangerous, but I am looking forward to it. At 42 years old, I am still
here to compete. What I have here still excites me. Definitely, I am going to
give him a tough night,” Imanari stated.
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