St. Louis–Different sport, same result. In a rematch from Bellator 139, where Hisaki Kato (6-2) knocked out Joe Schilling (19-9) inside the Bellator cage (video here), the Japanese fighter accepted the challenge of fighting the veteran kickboxer on his terms this time around and he knocked him out again.
Kato, 33, was in some serious trouble in the second round of the Bellator Kickboxing: St. Louis main event on Friday evening (June 25, 2016), right until he landed a vicious spinning-back fist to Schilling’s jaw, sending him crashing to the canvas inside Scottrade Center for the knockout victory.
Amazing KO by @hisakialive!! #BellatorKB2 pic.twitter.com/dcOEoDUyIz
— Bellator Kickboxing (@BellatorKB) June 25, 2016
“I’ve been working on that in training,” Kato told MMAMania at the post-fight press conference,” spinning-back fist and spinning-back kick because he has been knocked out before the same way: being too confident while trying to finish an opponent.”
Kato told SiriusXM RUSH prior to the fight, “I know I will hurt him. I know I have more power,” and while he remained confident and fought quite well early on in the bout, he found himself under heavy fire in the second round as “Stich ’em Up continued to swarm him with knees and big punches.
Then, when Schilling marched forward again looking to finish Kato off in the waning seconds of the second round and avenge that first loss from last June, the French native slammed the back of his fist into Schilling’s jaw to earn another knockout win over the former No.1-ranked GLORY middleweight.
“I’ve been working on that in training, the spinning-back fist and spinning-back kick because he has been knocked out before the same way: being too confident while trying to finish an opponent,” Kato said.
While pulling off consecutive wins over a seasoned striker like Schilling in both the cage and ring is an incredible accomplishment, don’t expect Kato back in the kickboxing ring any time soon.
“It’s really different. It’s really hard. I’ve been training in kickboxing two months for this fight. I accepted it because it was a good challenge and I like challenges, but I’m more interested in MMA.”
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