Masakazu Imanari Earns Signature Win In 53 Seconds
Masakazu “Ashikan Judan” Imanari may be 43 years of age, but at ONE: CALL TO GREATNESS, the veteran reaffirmed one of the golden rules of mixed martial arts: never let him grab your leg.
The Japanese submission master faced off against “Pretty Boy” Kwon Won Il in a bantamweight contest at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday, 22 February.
Kwon entered the bout in fine form, having defeated Dutch-Indonesian Anthony Engelen via TKO in just 67 seconds nearly five weeks ago.
He could not repeat the feat on this occasion, however. In fact, the legend bested that time.
“Ashikan Judan” — which roughly translates as “The 10th Dan of Leg Locks” — lived up to his moniker by submitting the previously undefeated South Korean via heel hook in 53 seconds.
The bout started with Kwon looking to utilize his significant height and reach advantage. He threw a straight right, but the strike was countered immediately by the three-time DEEP World Champion’s famous Imanari Roll attempt.
Imanari was not able to get ahold of the South Korean’s ankle on that occasion, as Kwon smartly leaped backward and out of danger.
However, the Japanese icon had already set his sights on his opponent’s long limbs for a repeat attempt and, when “Pretty Boy” threw a low leg kick, the grappling wizard made him pay.
Another Imanari Roll saw him grab Kwon’s right leg and drag the match to the canvas.
After making a brief adjustment, “Ashikan Judan” applied the torque. This forced an instant tap from Kwon, who suffered the first defeat of his mixed martial arts career.
The win gave Imanari a staggering 27th submission from 38 career victories.
Also, it proved that he remains the most dangerous leg lock specialist on the planet and a legitimate threat to any athlete in the world when the action hits the canvas.
