Sengoku and Strikeforce middleweight standout Kazuo Misaki will still do battle with Japanese Judoka and PRIDE veteran Kazuhiro Nakamura at Sengoku 9 from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on Aug. 2.
The bout was in jeopardy after Misaki recently found himself on the wrong side of the law.
On March 19 of this year, "The Grabaka Hitman" was driving while also talking on his cell phone. A passing police officer noticed this and asked him to stop immediately, which prompted Misaki to refuse and attempt to flee from the scene.
In doing so his wing mirror also struck the police officer’s wrist, causing injury.
Misaki was not picked up and arrested for the offense until earlier this May. He recently admitted to the charges leveled against him and pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice.
He was handed a three year suspended sentence and in the process escaped a 14 month stint in the slammer.
World Victory Road (WVR) officials were up until now contemplating if his Sengoku 9 fight should take place and held a meeting recently to discuss the future of the bout. Their verdict was that it will still go ahead but Misaki will be suspended indefinitely after the bout has taken place, starting August 3.
Also he will apparently fight without pay and battle Nakamura for free at Sengoku 9, with all of Misaki’s purse supposedly going to charity.
The bout was being billed as a title eliminator bout, with the winner going on to face Sengoku middleweight champion Jorge Santiago somewhere down the line for a crack at the gold. However should Misaki win he will no longer be next in line for a shot at the title, though if Nakamura is victorious he will advance to the number one contender slot.
For more on Sengoku 9 click here .
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