Issue 117
July 2014
Japanese fight legend Rumina Sato, 40, wipes away tears at the retirement ceremony to mark the end of his 18-year career. Held in May during Shooto: 4th Round 2014 at the famous Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan, it was fitting the 26-17-2 former lightweight, featherweight, and bantamweight bid his final farewell in the Shooto ring.
Every single one of ‘The Moon Wolf’s 45 fights took place in the promotion, or its Vale Tudo Japan and SuperBrawl franchises, as he faced names such as Gilbert Melendez, Takanori Gomi, Andre Pederneiras and Rafael Cordeiro. Although one of his best-known career highlights came in 1999, via a six-second flying armbar of Charles Diaz, he left a mark on the sport that will remain for years to come.
- DATE TAKEN: MAY 5TH 2014
- LOCATION: TOKYO, JAPAN
- SOURCE: GONG KAKUTOGI
