Shintaro Ishiwatari vs. Taiyo Nakahara

Shintaro Ishiwatari took on Taiyo Nakahara in the fourth and last quarter-final Asian Bantamweight Grand Prix bout at Sengoku 15.

Both men started throwing with power in a kickboxing match with each fighter landing solidly. Ishiwatari countered effectively with both hooks and low kicks, and then a superman punch. Nakahara did not back down and landed his most effective punch of the fight, sending Ishiwatari backing up. Ishiwatari countered with a shot that sent Nakahara crashing to the mat, but after some hammerfists by Ishiwatari he was able to stand back up. Ishiwatari again dropped Nakahara and the normally reserved Japanese crowd roared with approval. Ishiwatari dashed in, tried to connect with a foot stomp, and began unloading on Nakahara. Nakahara, however, was crafty in securing Ishiwatari's leg and threatening with a dangerous kneebar for the final 30 seconds of an incredible round.

Ishiwatari came out swinging for the second round and Nakahara looked to pull guard. The action ended up back on the feet where Ishiwatari looked increasingly comfortable and dominant. Nakahara answered with a takedown but could not hold Ishiwatari down for long. The striking effectiveness of both fighters declined as the second round wore on, with both fighters swinging and missing repeatedly. A poke to Nakahara's eye paused the fight briefly and referee Tomoki Matsumiya cautioned Ishiwatari. The bout was restarted only to have Nakahara receive a shot to the groin on the first exchange as both fighters lifted their legs to deliver a kick simultaneously. Action began again with less than a minute remaining and both fighters showing desperation and firing strikes. Ishiwatari ended up on his back looking for a guillotine that did not appear to have Nakahara in trouble as time expired.

The bout was the most action-packed and exciting of the quarter-final matches. Ishiwatari looked to have controlled more of the action, but the scoring yielded an unusual result. One judge scored for the fight for Ishiwatari and the other two judges scored it a draw. According to the rules of the organization the judge's were then required to favor one fighter over the other in a "must-decision" and both sided with Taiyo Nakahara, who advanced to the semi-finals of the tournament.