r/judo • u/jonahewell sandan • May 07 '25

Judo x MMA Could Satoshi Ishi have provided a consistent challenge to Teddy Riner over the last two decades?

I just learned today (from a judo fanatics ad) that when Ishi won the 2008 Olympics at +100, he was the lightest in history to win it. According to further internet research, he beat Riner on the way to the finals!

After that, he left judo for MMA and basically handed +100 over to Riner for the next 16 years. Good for him for doing what he wanted or needed to do, but it's really too bad for the judo fans that he didn't stick around. His MMA career was successful but not dominant.

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u/Uchimatty May 07 '25

Haha no. Ishii was very inconsistent and got extremely lucky. Before the Beijing Olympics he never even medaled at worlds. Tangriev, not Ishii, sent Riner to the repechage. A few years after Beijing, Ishii somehow lost at US nationals. But we don’t talk about that.

Ishii likes to crap on post-himself Japanese heavyweights but the reality is they were an improvement but didn’t get as lucky. Kamikawa, Kaguera and Harasawa were consistent winners, but Teddy Riner at that point had consolidated his advantage and was harder to beat (yet Kamikawa and Kaguera still managed).

8

u/Dangerous-Sink6574 May 07 '25

Ehhh, Ishii had already been retired for 6 years when he lost to Takahashi at Nationals in 2014 on a random shido. Tends to happen when you walk away for that long after your career ends. He probably showed up and walked on to that tournament cold since he was doing MMA at that time.

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u/Rapton1336 yondan May 07 '25

He touched the leg in 2013 I believe. I forget what the shido was in 2014.

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u/MyCatPoopsBolts shodan May 07 '25

Harasawa especially doesn't get enough credit. Extremely consistent, excellent physique for a Japanese heavyweight (tall, relatively lean). 2016 Harasawa would have wiped the floor with the competition in 2008.

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u/Uchimatty May 07 '25

For real. In his most active year (2015), he had a 100% rate and he’s run through Tasoev, Inaev, Krpalek, Tushishvili etc.

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u/Rapton1336 yondan May 07 '25

Ishii lost to Takahashi twice. Both times in OT. Takahashi in his day I believe has a win over Muneta. He was legitimately good.

People forget Ishii was also young for a heavyweight (early 20s). He wasn’t at worlds or any of the other major events because he hadn’t beaten out Inoue for the slot. He ended up winning all Japan’s (beating everyone) that year and was selected.

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u/tabrice May 08 '25

Ishii moved up to the over 100 kg weight class in the autumn of 2007. He subsequently won all the competitions he entered and was selected for the 2008 Olympic team. By the way, he defeated his biggest rival Yasuyuki Muneta in the semifinal and Keiji Suzuki in the final of the 2008 All-Japan tournament with a chui and a wazaari, respectively. However, if he'd beaten Muneta at this tournament with a mere flag decision, Muneta was set to be selected instead of him. This prior arrangement was the consensus of the national team coaches, but he overturned it.

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u/Uchimatty May 07 '25

That’s a good point

1

u/instanding sandan May 12 '25

Ishii has a win over Muneta too, and Inoue, and Suzuki.