Hatsu Hioki made use of his superior ground game to outlast Bart Palaszewski en route to a unanimous decision victory off of scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28.
Hioki knocked down Palaszweski seconds into the fight and was able to keep the fight there where he threatened the Plish-American with an armbar. The crowd was excited for their native son, chanting “Hioki” throughout round two, but it was Palaszewski that was able to get back into the fight using his striking. The third fight saw Hioki again dominant on the floor, getting side mount and taking Palaszewski’s back as his Japanese countrymen showered him with adulation.
The victorious Hioki remarked after the fight:
“I am very happy to have won the fight. I was able to show my unique fighting style, although it wasn’t perfect. I was expecting a stand-up fight from Bart, so there was nothing that really surprised me. I would like to get back to fighting as soon as my body has time to heal.”
