Sunday, August 6, 2017

Kazunari Murakami vs. Yuki Ishikawa (BattlARTS, 11/26/00)

Kazunari Murakami looks like the Japanese version of the Joker with his twisted grin and little to no regard for the human condition. He's wild and unpredictable, coming right out of the gate kicking and swinging for the fences. Yuki Ishikawa does all he can to quell the maelstrom of Murakami's violence by avoiding the big blows and trying to take Murakami down to the canvas. He's able to force Murakami to the ropes, at one point utilizing an Indian deathlock, but once Murakami slips in the choke, the momentum shifts in his favor. He batters Ishikawa into a corner, busting his mouth with a right hand before they spill over to the outside and wonderful chaos ensues. They throw each other into the crowd and exchange strikes but Murakami gets the better of him, leaving him a bloody mess on the floor. He's able to coolly counter Ishikawa's armbreaker attempt with a choke, slinging him back inside the ring only to continue the barrage of kicks and punches. Ishikawa's finally had it and slugs Murakami in the face, headbutts him, and chokes him out with the guillotine. A short, spurt of aggression and mean looks. Bravo.

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