Pancrase Neo-Blood 1996: Round 2 Results

Pancrase’s 1996 Neo-Blood Tournament final took place at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo on July 23, 1996. Six bouts filled the card, with the tournament title at stake in the closing contest.

Yuki Kondo defeated Pete Williams by unanimous decision after 20 minutes in the main event. The three judges each scored it 30–29 for Kondo, who won the tournament. Earlier in the bracket, Williams advanced over Osami Shibuya on points, while Kondo stopped Keiichiro Yamamiya at 6:16.

Shibuya earned third place by submitting Yamamiya with an ankle hold at 6:48. The supporting card also featured Masakatsu Funaki’s 2:01 sleeper-hold submission of Takafumi Ito and Vernon White’s points victory over Minoru Suzuki after 15 minutes. Those bouts were separate from the tournament final.

The card shows how Pancrase mixed tournament bouts with its ranking matches during the promotion’s early years. The event’s official record lists the Neo-Blood final and its scorecards, while the complete bout sheet confirms the order and finishes. For more on the promotion’s development, see Pancrase; this was a formative night for its emerging fighters and the wider MMA scene.

Career Milestones

Kondo’s decision over Pete Williams was one of several outcomes on the second day’s card. The tournament setting also brought together developing Japanese competitors and experienced international opponents. The recorded results distinguish decisions from submissions, making the event useful for tracing the different ways fighters advanced through Pancrase’s early competitive schedule. A decision reflects the judges’ verdict at the end of the contest; a submission identifies a grappling finish before the scheduled limit. Those distinctions give the card more detail than its tournament title alone.

Selected Recorded Results

• Yuki Kondo defeated Pete Williams by Decision (Unanimous), round 1, 20:00.
• Osami Shibuya defeated Keiichiro Yamamiya by Submission (Ankle Lock), round 1, 6:48.
• Masakatsu Funaki defeated Takafumi Ito by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke), round 1, 2:01.

Sources

PANCRASE official results: July 23, 1996; Sherdog: 1996 Neo-Blood Tournament, Round 2.

Article Tags

Pancrase 1996 Neo-Blood Tournament Round 2, Mixed Martial Arts, Sports History