Boku-Hironaka Title Tilt Tops ‘Shootor’s Legacy 3’ Card

Kotetsu Boku (left) and Kuniyoshi Hironaka clash on July 18. | Photo: Taro Irei/Sherdog.com

Shooto officials Monday released the final lineup for the event, which takes place at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. Comprised of an eight-fight main card and a trio of opening bouts, the show will be co-headlined by Shooto world 123-pound champion Yasuhiro Urushitani’s title rematch against Yuki Shojo.

The Japanese promotion’s 154-pound belt has remained vacant since May 2010, when Brazilian champ Willamy Freire abdicated his throne in favor of an ill-fated UFC run. Boku, a former Shooto Pacific Rim titleholder at the same weight, enters the match on a four-fight win streak, while Hironaka, who returned to Shooto in April for the first time since 2005, has won back-to-back starts.

Also set for a main-card collision are Shooto stalwart Rumina Sato and former world 132-pound champ Masakatsu Ueda, who meet at a catchweight of 134.5 pounds. Oddball grappler Tetsu “Hadairo” Suzuki and WEC veteran Akitoshi Tamura will clash in a 132-pound affair, while former Sengoku competitor Ikuo Usuda and Wajutsu Keishukai product Wataru Miki square off at 143 pounds.

Rounding out the main card will be a pair of 132-pound bouts -- 2010 Shooto rookie tournament MVP Kyoji Horiguchi versus Yuta Nezu, and Teruyuki Matsumoto against fellow Pac-Rim ranker Masato Sannai -- and a 143-pound scrap between 2010 rookie champ Yuta “Uruka” Sasaki and Kosuke Kindaichi.

The evening’s opening segment consists of three 2011 rookie tournament bouts: Jun Nabeshima vs. Jun Nakamura (114 pounds), Yoshifumi Nakamura vs. Shoki Omichi (143), and Satoshi Inaba vs. Fumiya Sasaki (143).