Shooto in Reutlingen - the results

Last weekend was a big milestone in German Shooto. Under the watchful eyes of Martijn de Jong (Glory, Shooto Europe), Rumina Sato (Japan Shooto Association), Takashi Ouchi (Japan Shooto Assocation), Tadahi Yokoyama (International Shooto Commission) and Kazuhiro Sakamoto (Sustain, Professional Shooto Japan), Peter Angerer and the German Top Team hosted the fourth annual Shooto European Amateur Championships and Professional Shooto Gala "SHOOTO KINGS". The event was broadcast live worldwide on SportsGermany.TV and brought fighters, teams and officials from 7 countries to Reutlingen in the Wittumhalle, where from 2 pm the preliminaries of the European Championships determined the action.

At 7 p.m., all 10 final fights were then held as an undercard of the six top-class professional fights in the preliminary program of SHOOTO KINGS VIII: Samurai Spirit. Particularly pleasing to see here is the performance of the German shooters. Of the 10 mostly international finals, the German athletes were able to win 9 and thus impressively showed that Germany has now grown to become the absolute stronghold of Shooto on the continent. Particularly noteworthy is the performance of the German teams Stallions Gym Stuttgart, Munich MMA, Combat Center Lüneburg and Renzo Gracie Hamburg, which are not only among the most active Shooto Gyms in Germany, but through the success of their athletes also set a clear sign that Germany has now become the "Shooto Nation" in Europe.

Results 18th Shooto European Championships 2019

The professional fights of SHOOTO KINGS were a real highlight. In the well-filled Wittumhalle not only the delegates of the Japanese Shooto delegation got their money's worth, but the audience went along enthusiastically with the fights and witnessed six gripping and hardly to be surpassed in tension professional fights in Shooto.

Oleg Bernc (Renzo Gracie Hamburg) vs. Jonathan Estedt (German Top Team)

After his brilliant performance at "We Love MMA 47" recently in Düsseldorf against the Brazilian Rainier da Silva Maia, Oleg went into this duel with a lot of tailwind and at the beginning everything also looked like a quick victory for the Hamburg native when he brought Jonathan to the brink of submission in a tight guillotine. But the man from Reutlingen remained calm and escaped the stranglehold. While Oleg kept up the pressure in round one, especially ground-and-pound in the ground fight, Jonathan got better and better into the fight and controlled the positional game towards the end of the round. Then in round two, the local hero secured a tight triangle choke and put Oleg down after 1:02 minutes. With this, Jonathan improves his professional record to 2-1 and shows that he is one of the up-and-coming talents in the welterweight division.

Jonathan Estedt (German Top Team) defeats Oleg Bernc (Renzo Gracie Hamburg) after 1:02 minutes in round 2 by submission via Triangle Choke

Bestare Kicaj (Stikezone Zurich/Switzerland) vs. Tanja Angerer (A-Team Martial Arts)

This Catchweight duel -50 kg was a long awaited fight in women's MMA in the German-speaking world and the fight kept what it promised in advance. While Bestare dominated in rounds 1 and 2 with her enormously strong striking and set the better hits, it was the experience and the strong Jiu-Jitsu of Tanja that tipped the scales in this encounter. In round 3, Tanja put the Swiss in serious trouble with an armbar in the ground fight. Although Bestare was able to briefly escape the armbar, but only to be forced to give up a second later in an even deeper armbar. Tanja has shown with this victory impressively that she is one of the strongest fighters in Europe in this weight class and already now interest was expressed in another fight of her at Shooto in Japan.

Tanja Angerer (A-Team Martial Arts) defeats Bestare Kicaj (Strikezone Zurich/Switzerland) after 2:15 minutes in round 3 by submission via armbar

Enrico di Gangi (Iron Lion/Italy) vs. Amin Aichele (German Top Team)

Enrico made his professional debut with this duel. The two-time Shooto European champion showed top prepared and explosive in this duel against the local hero Amin. After initial accents in the stand of Amin, Enrico quickly brought the fight to the ground and took the back of Amin picture-perfect, where he was able to end the fight with an RNC after only 2:50 minutes in round 1. The impressive debut of the Italian showed that we will surely see a lot from the man from Palermo in the future.

Enrico di Gangi (Iron Lion/Italy) defeated Amin Aichele (German Top Team) after 2:05 minutes in round 1 by submission via RNC.

Emanuele Zardo (Iron Lion/Italy) vs. Sven Fortenbacher (German Top Team)

Shidokan world champion Sven had a really tough nut to crack with the experienced Italian Emanuele. But the local hero from Reutlingen skillfully played to his strengths and dominated both in the stand, as well as on the ground, the action. Towards the end of the first round he had already put Emanuele in serious danger with an RNC, but the Italian was saved by the bell. But round 2 started as round 1 ended and Sven impressively showed a very complete game. Towards the middle of the second round, he again had the Italian's back and now he didn't let anything happen. Emanuele had no choice in the RNC but to tap out and give up the fight. A strong victory of the Reutlinger, who thus improved his professional record to 3-1 and apparently becomes stronger with each fight.

Sven Fortenbacher (German Top Team) defeats Emanuele Zardo (Iron Lion/Italy) after 2:50 minutes in round 2 by submission via RNC

Iryna Godynets (Godynets Dojo/Ukraine) vs. Judith Ruis (Budokeller Bonlanden)

Judith was looking for a challenge with this fight and Iryna offered her exactly that. The Ukrainian was dangerous from the start in the stand and could set clear hits here. For a short time it looked as if Judith would find her champion here, so she did the only right thing and brought the fight from the clinch to the ground. There the multiple German champion was completely in her element and forced Iryna to give up with neck levers. An important victory for Judith, which gives her a boost after the defeat against King Reina in Japan and at the same time recommended her for further fights in Japan.

Judith Ruis (Budokeller Bonlanden) defeats Iryna Godynets (Godynets Dojo/Ukraine) after 3:03 minutes in round 1 by submission via neck crank

Daniel Huchler (FightFever Bruchsal) vs. Selvin Ramcilovic (German Top Team)

This fight was about the vacant German professional title in Shooto and both fighters were motivated to the tips of their hair. And Daniel showed that he really wants to take the belt to Bruchsal. After strong attacks from Selvin in the stand the Reutlinger shoots for a double leg takedown, but in the scramble Daniel gets the back of Selvin and attacks almost the entire round from the dominant position. However, Selvin defends skillfully and can avoid damage. Then in round two, strong action from Selvin again in the standup before he breaks from the clinch into a flying armbar that Daniel is able to prevent. Both fighters come back to the stand and Selvin counters a shoot from Daniel with a hard knee strike, but is still taken to the ground and immediately Daniel gets the surprising armbar with a picture book action. Overjoyed he receives the champion belt of Shooto as the winner and is the new king of this weight class in Germany.

Daniel Huchler (FightFever Bruchsal) defeated Selvin Ramcilovic (German Top Team) after 3:44 minutes in round 2 by submission via armbar.