Gold Medalist Ishii Slated for MMA Duty on Nov. 8

While the event’s primary focus will be on crowning a champion out of eight quarter-finalists in the K-1 under-70 kilogram kickboxing tournament, Ishii will meet Nansen under MMA rules in an special bout. The event is expected to air on HDNet in the United States.

Ishii made his MMA debut less than a year ago, dropping a unanimous decision to fellow judoka and Pride Fighting Championships veteran Hidehiko Yoshida at K-1 Dynamite. Following his inauspicious start, Ishii has rattled off back-to-back wins. The 23-year-old defeated Tafa Misipati by armbar in May and followed up the triumph with a unanimous decision victory over professional wrestler-cum-MMA fighter Ikuhisa Minowa at Dream 16 in September.

Nansen possesses even less MMA experience than his opponent, competing only twice thus far. His first fight ended in victory, as “Notorious” punched his way to a technical knockout victory over Hiroshi Izumi at Sengoku “Tenth Battle” in September 2009. He fared considerably worse in his second outing, however, as he was submitted by pioneer Enson Inoue via armbar in their April clash earlier this year.