Lightweight GP matchups set for 'Sengoku' 4

World Victory Road announced Thursday Takanori Gomi's opponent and the matchups for the start of its Lightweight Grand Prix at "Sengoku" 4 on August 24.

Gomi (28-3) will face DEEP lightweight champion Pang Seung Hwan (5-1) in the main event, as rumored. Gomi, ranked the number two lightweight in our MMAFighting.com rankings, won his "Sengoku" debut via TKO in March against Duane "Bang" Ludwig.

As part of the Lightweight Grand Prix, eight competitors will do battle for spots on the November semifinal/final card, where the night's tournament winner will earn a shot at Gomi for the "Sengoku" lightweight belt. The four opening round bouts are:

In a champion vs. champion bout, IFL lightweight champion Ryan Schultz (20-9-1) squares off against Cage Force Lightweight champion Mizuto Hirota (9-2). Team Quest's Schultz was the lightweightwinner in the IFL World Grand Prix Finals last December, handing Chris Horodecki his first loss in fourteen career fights.

Pancrase veteran Satoru Kitaoka (20-8-9) will take on King of the Cage lightweight champion Clay French (16-2), who will be returning to Japan for the first time since PRIDE Bushido 13 in November 2006.

DEEP competitor Kazunori Yokota (6-1-3) will clash with Bojan Kosednar (6-1). Kosdnar recently lost via knockout to Paul Daley at a Cage Warriors event. 

Eiji Mitsuoka (13-5-2) will fight Rodrigo Damm (8-1) in the fourth tournament matchup. Mitsuoka joined "Sengoku" after winning a majority decision over now-DREAM lightweight GP champion Joachim Hansen at Shooto: Back To Our Roots 6. Damm is on an eight-fight winning streak since losing his professional debut.

Duane "Bang" Ludwig will not appear in the tournament as originally planned due to a scheduling conflict.

World Victory Road: Sengoku 4
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan

- Takanori Gomi vs Bang Seung Hwan
- Makoto Takimoto vs Frank Trigg
- Peter Graham vs Moise Rimbon
- Satoru Kitaoka vs. Clay French (Lightweight GP)
- Eiji Mitsuoka vs. Rodrigo Damm (Lightweight GP)
- Kazunori Yokota vs. Bojan Kosednar (Lightweight GP)
- Mizuto Hirota vs. Ryan Schultz (Lightweight GP)