5/29 DREAM 14 - RESULTS

Dream has another one in the books. A strong card, but without any heavyweights or light-heavyweights (now that the GP was scratched).

Lots of strong featherweights on the card though. Add to that the legends of "Mach" Sakurai, Sakuraba and Minowa, what more can you ask for?

Spoilers if you read on.

Gracie broke the curse when he won the judges decision, he was simply the better man on the ground. Sakuraba had his chances though, and what the ref was thinking when he in the last round tried to pull up Ralek's pants I have no idea. Still a deserved victory.

Nick Diaz proved too strong on the ground for the legend "Mach" Sakurai, meaning that 2 of the really big Japanese stars lost on this card.

Other Japanese fighters made sure that the home crowd had plenty to cheer for though. "Kid" looks to be back on track with a quick KO win, and Minowa is staying on track with a submission win in the 1st round.

Hiroyuki Takaya has secured his spot at the #1 featherweight contender as he got a strong KO win over Joachim Hansen.

Osawa and Miyata edge out split decision wins

8. Welter: Nick Diaz Def. Hayato "Mach" Sakurai by armbar Round 1 3:54
7. 88kg: Ralek Gracie Def. Kazushi Sakuraba by Decision 3-0
6. Feather: Hiroyuki Takaya Def. Joachim Hansen by KO Round 1 4:27
5. Feather: Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto Def. Federico "Kiko" Lopez by KO Round 1 1:41
4. Feather: "Wicky" Akiyo Nishiura Def. Hideo Tokoro by KO Round 1 2:10
3. Feather: Kazuyuki Miyata Def. Takafumi Otsuka by Decision 2-1
2. Feather: Kenji Osawa Def. Yoshiro Maeda by Decision 2-1
1. Open: Ikuhisa Minowa Def. Imani Lee by rear-naked choke Round 1 4:16

Discuss in the FORUM

Read more...

5/29 DREAM 14 - Weigh-in

FEG held the weigh-in for the 14th DREAM earlier today, broadcast live on their website.

Lots of good fights on the card, and Minowaman is giving up 70kg in this fight! Can he do it again?

If you, like me, are wondering about the difference in weight for the featherweights. Nightmare of Battle has the answer:

"As you can see from the weigh-in results everything isn’t as it should. All Featherweight fights on the card are contracted at different weights.

KID/Lopez is at 60kg
Takaya/Hansen is at 65kg
Tokoro/Wicky is at 63kg
Miyata/Otsuka is at 64.5kg
Maeda/Osawa is at 61kg
Mach/Diaz is at 76.6kg

As you can see, it appears that Kiko Lopez missed weight, I am not sure if he weighed in again though. Also, I am sure the fight would still be on.

Main-event:
8. Welter: Hayato "Mach" Sakurai (76.5kg) 35-10-2 vs. 21-7-0 (76.0kg) Nick Diaz

7. 88kg: Kazushi Sakuraba (86.5kg) 26-12-1 vs. 2-0-0 (87.4kg) Ralek Gracie
6. Feather: Joachim Hansen (65.0kg) 19-9-1 vs. 12-8-1 (65.0kg) Hiroyuki Takaya
5. Feather: Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto (59.8kg) 17-3-0 vs. 4-2-0 (62.0kg?) Federico "Kiko" Lopez
4. Feather: Hideo Tokoro (63.0kg) 26-21-1 vs. 10-5-1 (62.8kg) "Wicky" Akiyo Nishiura
3. Feather: Kazuyuki Miyata (64.2kg)8-7-0 vs. 10-4-1 (64.4kg) Takafumi Otsuka
2. Feather: Yoshiro Maeda (60.7kg) 26-8-2 vs. 15-9-2 (61.0kg) Kenji Osawa
1. Open: Ikuhisa Minowa (88.0kg) 45-30-8 vs. 1-2-0 (150.0kg) Imani Lee

Discuss in the FORUM

Read more...

5/29 DREAM 14 - "Kid" Yamamoto Added

FEG have announced the addition of Japanese star "Kid" Yamamoto to Dream 14. His opponent will be Team Quest's Federico "Kiko" Lopez. This fight was supposed to be on the Strikeforce undercard, but has been moved to the Dream 14 event. Both fighters are coming of 2 straight losses, "Kid" losing to "Kiko"'s team-mate, Joe Warren. No doubt that "Kid" will be the crowd favorite here, but both fighters will be eager to start another winning streak. It will be interesting to see what Warren has been able to teach his team-mate.

Picture from GBRing.com


Added:
Feather: Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto 17-3-0 vs. 4-2-0 Federico "Kiko" Lopez

Previously Announed:
Feather: Joachim Hansen vs. Hiroyuki Takaya
Feather: Hideo Tokoro vs. "Wicky" Akiyo Nishiura
Feather: Kazuyuki Miyata vs. Takafumi Otsuka
Feather: Yoshiro Maeda vs. Kenji Osawa
88kg: Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Ralek Gracie
Welter: Hayato "Mach" Sakurai vs. Nick Diaz

Discuss in the FORUM

Read more...

7/13 K-1 World Max Tournament Final 8 - RESULTS

Todays K-1 event saw FEG continue the experiment of mathing MMA fighters with K-1 fighters, this is something that started on last year's Dynamite! event, and today the K-1 fighters hit back. I have very mixed emotions about these fights, but one thing is for sure, they certainly deliver in terms of entertainment.

"Kid" went all out for the big KO, and instead was on the receiving end of a counter that KOed him. Krazy Bee team mate, Atsushi Yamamoto caught a beating, he never had a chance against Watanabe, who twice continued to punch a downed opponent. Yamamoto on the other side tried for a few takedowns and showed really why MMA fighters should fight MMA and K-1 fighters should fight K-1...

The last MMA fighter on this card was Kawajiri, taking on Masato in the main event. Kawajiri is an awesome athlete, but was never close on this occation. Masato was dominating the fight and completed the humiliation of the MMA fighters on this occation. I guess that was revenge for "Dynamite!"...

Even if the last few fights on this card were super-fights, this event was really about the final 8 in the World Max tournament. All these fights went the distance and the Japanese fans will be able to cheer on Yuya Yamamoto in the semi-finals. The other fighters going through are: Buakaw Por. Pramuk, Giorgo Petrosyan and Andy Souwer.

Main-Event - SuperFight:
Masato Def. Tatsuya Kawajiri by TKO Round 2 1:43

K-1 World Max Tournament Reserve Fights:
11. Yoshihiro Sato Def. Joeri Mes by Decision (after Extention)
10. Yasuhiro Kido Def. Leroy Kaestner by Decision 3-0

SuperFights:
9. Kazuhisa Watanabe Def. Atsushi Yamamoto by TKO Round 1 2:40
8. Jae Hee Cheon Def. Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto by KO Round 1 1:20

K-1 World Max 2009 - World Championship Tournament Final 8:
7. Buakaw Por. Pramuk Def. Nieky "The Natural" Holtzken by Decision 3-0
6. Andy Souwer Def. Artur Kyshenko by Decision 3-0 (after ext.)
5. Giorgo Petrosyan Def. Albert Kraus by Decision 3-0
4. Yuya Yamamoto Def. Drago by Decision 3-0

Superfights:
3. HIROYA Def. Kiko Lopez by Decision 3-0
2. Dzhabar Askerov Def. Hinata by decision 3-0 (after ext.)

Opening Fight:
1. Jae Gil Noh Def. Go Yokoyama by KO Round 3 2:01

This is how the Semi-Finals will match-up:
Giorgo Petrosyan vs. Yuya Yamamoto
Buakaw Por. Pramuk vs. Andy Souwer

Read more...

7/13 K-1 World Max Tournament Final 8

Today they had the weighin for tomorrow's K-1 event in Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. The event is sold out and we will see a continuation of DREAM fighters taking on K-1 fighters. This time Tatsuya Kawajiri will take on the K-1 champion Masato in a fight that I am sure will get lots of attention.

Other DREAM/MMA fighters on the card include the Krazy Bee duo of "Kid" Yamamoto and Atsushi Yamamoto.

The weighin today saw one fighter not making weight, Hiroya came in 1.7kg over, something that will have consequenses for the fight tomorrow. My understanding of the rules are: Fighters that are less than 1 kg over gets 1 point deducted. Less than 2kg over and they gets 2 points deducted, more than 2kg over and you are not fighting.

I wont be able to follow this event and my results will be delayed tomorrow.

Main-Event - SuperFight:
Masato vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri

K-1 World Max Tournament Reserve Fights:
11. Yoshihiro Sato vs. Joeri Mes
10. Yasuhiro Kido vs. Leroy Kaestner

SuperFights:
9. Atsushi Yamamoto vs. Kazuhisa Watanabe
8. Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto vs. Jae Hee Cheon

K-1 World Max 2009 - World Championship Tournament Final 8:
7. Buakaw Por. Pramuk vs. Nieky "The Natural" Holtzken
6. Artur Kyshenko vs. Andy Souwer
5. Giorgo Petrosyan vs. Albert Kraus
4. Drago vs. Yuya Yamamoto

Superfights:
3. 62kg: HIROYA vs. Kiko Lopez
2. Hinata vs. Dzhabar Askerov

Opening Fight:
1. Go Yokoyama vs. Jae Gil Noh

Read more...

7/13 K-1 World Max 2009 - "Kid" Yamamoto Fighting!

FEG have announced some very interesting additions to the K-1 card in Nippon Budokan on Monday July 13. "Kid" Yamamoto, who was recently knocked out of the DREAM Featherweight GP will take on Korean Thai-Boxer Jae Hee Cheon.

Also making his K-1 debut will be another Krazy Bee fighter, Atsushi Yamamoto was also knocked out of the DREAM GP. He will face Kazuhisa Watanabe.

The main-event is scheduled to be Masato vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri.

Added:
"Kid" Yamamoto vs. Jae Hee Cheon
Atsushi Yamamoto vs. Kazuhisa Watanabe

Previously Announced:
Main-Event - Super-Fight:
Masato vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri

K-1 World Max 2009 - World Championship Tournament Final 8:
Drago vs. Yuya Yamamoto
Giorgo Petrosyan vs. Albert Kraus
Artur Kyshenko vs. Andy Souwer
Buakaw Por. Pramuk vs. Nieky "The Natural" Holtzken

Read more...

5/26 DREAM 9 - Results

This is the first ever DREAM event that I have not been able to watch live, and I am only reading Play-by-Play from BloodyElbow.com. Of course there were lots of things to look forward to here, the SuperHulk Tournament got Minowa back where he loves to be, taking on the big guys.

Other things to look for in this event, a Middleweight title fight and 2nd round in the Featherweight GP. Don't forget about the lightweight battle between JZ and Kawajiri, it could determine the next challenger for the lightweight title (I am hearing rumors that there will be a title fight before this challenger gets his shot though).

There is a HUGE upset!!!! And a dramatric end...

A very interesting card, and there are spoilers if you read on.

Main-Event - Middleweight Title Fight:
10. Ronald "Jacare" Souza 10-2-0 vs. 22-6-0 Jason "Mayhem" Miller No Contest!
Jacare suffered an illegal soccer kick that opened a cut on his forehead. The doctors stopped the fight and it has been ruled a no contest.

Featherweight GP Round 2:
9. Joe Warren Def. Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto by split decision!!!
8. Bibiano Fernandes Def. Masakazu Imanari by Decision 3-0
7. Hiroyuki Takaya Def. Yoshiro Maeda by TKO Round 1

In the intermission, the following fights are announced for DREAM 10:
Shinya Aoki vs. Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro
Melvin Manhoef vs. Paulo Filho
Unconfirmed: Katsunori Kikuno vs. Andre "Dida" Amade

6. Hideo Tokoro Def. Abel Cullum by rear-naked choke Round 2

No-Tournament:
5. Light: Tatsuya Kawajiri Def. Gesias "JZ" Calvancante by Decision 3-0

Super Hulk Tournament:
4. Gegard Mousasi Def. Mark Hunt by Kimura Round 1
3. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou Def. Jan “The Giant” Nortje by TKO Round 1
2. Choi Hong Man Def. Jose Canseco by Strikes (tapout) Round 1
1. Ikuhisa Minowa Def. Bob Sapp by Achilles Lock Round 1

vg

Read more...

5/26 DREAM 9 - Fight Order

DREAM has been early with the fight order this time, and this event will be a bit different than the previous DREAM events, thanks to the addition of the "Super Hulk Tournamnet". FEG have also announced ticket discounts for fans who go to both DREAM 9 and 10. They are clearly trying to appeal more to the casual fans with these additions.

The event has many interesting fights though. "Kid" is returning, and I was expecting him to return to a main event. But there is a title fight on the card, so it will rightly take the spot as the main event.

"Kid" is taking on the American wrestler, Joe Warren, in the 2nd round of the featherweight tournement. It will be interesting to see if ring rust will play a part in his return from injury.

The main event is the DREAM Middleweight title fight between "Jacare" and crowd favorite "Mayhem" Miller (they are both crowd favorties though). The title was vacated by Gegard Mousasi, because he is moving up in weight.

Mousasi might be moving up in weight, but he is still a lightweight in thee Super Hulk Tournament where he will be taking on Mark Hunt in the 1st round. Hunt was once considered one of the top heavyweights in the world, now he is in desperate need of a win. Dispite having a big weight advantage over his opponent might still be considered the underdog in this fight.

Minowaman will be in the opening fight, it is becoming something of a tradition for him. This time he is back to taking on much bigger opponents, this time its Bob Sapp and I am sure they will put on a show that will get the Japanese fans going.

Main-Event - Middleweight Title Fight:
10. Ronald "Jacare" Souza 10-2-0 vs. 22-6-0 Jason "Mayhem" Miller

Featherweight GP Round 2:
9. Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto 17-1-0 vs. 1-0-0 Joe Warren
8. Masakazu Imanari 16-6-1 vs. 4-2-0 Bibiano Fernandes
7. Yoshiro Maeda 24-6-2 vs. 10-6-1 Hiroyuki Takaya
6. Hideo Tokoro 21-16-1 vs. 14-2-0 Abel Cullum

No-Tournament:
5. Light: Gesias "JZ" Calvancante 14-2-1 vs. Tatsuya "Crusher" Kawajiri

Super Hulk Tournament:
4. Gegard Mousasi 24-2-1 vs. 5-5-0 Mark Hunt
3. Jan “The Giant” Nortje 2-5-0 vs. 5-4-0 Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou
2. Choi Hong Man 1-2-0 vs. Jose Canseco
1. Ikuhisa Minowa 41-30-8 vs. 10-3-1 Bob Sapp

Read more...

5/26 DREAM 9 - Super Hulk Tournament

FEG have announced the Super Hulk Tournament. Round 1 will take place at DREAM 9, and is in some ways back to what the Japanese fans love. If you like "freakshow" fights, open weight tournament etc. This is the tournament for you!

3 of the fighters are taller than 2 meters, Minowaman will be the shortest at 1.75. Also making his MMA debut will be the former baseball star Jose Canseco. In 2005 Canseco made headlines by admitting using steroids while he was playing baseball.

Mark Hunt is also in this tournament, he will face Gegard Mousasi in the first round. Hunt was at one time ranked among the worlds top heavyweights, and will be desperate for a win here after 4 straight losses.

The rules will be "DREAM based", so expect a bit different rules.

This card will also see the featherweight 2nd round, and FEG are really going all out. They are desperate to improve on their TV ratings and it is looking like a very interesting event that I think will draw casual fans as well.

Super Hulk Tournament:
Ikuhisa Minowa 41-30-8 vs. 10-3-1 Bob Sapp
Jan “The Giant” Nortje 2-5-0 vs. 5-4-0 Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou
Gegard Mousasi 24-2-1 vs. 5-5-0 Mark Hunt
Choi Hong Man 1-2-0 vs. Jose Canseco

Previously Announced:
Middleweight Title Fight:
Ronald "Jacare" Souza 10-2-0 vs. 22-6-0 Jason "Mayhem" Miller

Light: Gesias "JZ" Calvancante 14-2-1 vs. Tatsuya "Crusher" Kawajiri

Featherweight GP Round 2:
Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto 17-1-0 vs. 1-0-0 Joe Warren
Hideo Tokoro 21-16-1 vs. 14-2-0 Abel Cullum
Yoshiro Maeda 24-6-2 vs. 10-6-1 Hiroyuki Takaya
Masakazu Imanari 16-6-1 vs. 4-2-0 Bibiano Fernandes

Read more...

5/26 DREAM 9 - Kawajiri vs. J.Z.

DREAM 9 will be held in Yokohama Arena on May 26. The card was already looking very good, and now FEG has announced another big fight that has been rumored for a while.

JZ Clavan is one of the most popular lightweights out there, and he will return to the ring after more than a year off. Last year he had a controversial loss to Shinya Aoki in the 1st round in the lightweight GP, they needed 2 attempts to get a result.

Tatsuya Kawajiri reached the semi-final in the same GP, and only Eddie Alvarez was able to deny him a spot in the final in a FOTY candidate.

This is a fight between two of the top lightweights out there and a very good addition to an already stacked card.

Added:
Light: Gesias "JZ" Calvancante 14-2-1 vs. Tatsuya "Crusher" Kawajiri

Previously Announced:Middleweight Title Fight:
Ronald "Jacare" Souza 10-2-0 vs. 22-6-0 Jason "Mayhem" Miller

Featherweight GP Round 2:
Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto 17-1-0 vs. 1-0-0 Joe Warren
Hideo Tokoro 21-16-1 vs. 14-2-0 Abel Cullum
Yoshiro Maeda 24-6-2 vs. 10-6-1 Hiroyuki Takaya
Masakazu Imanari 16-6-1 vs. 4-2-0 Bibiano Fernandes

Read more...

5/26 DREAM 9 - Title Fight Announced

FEG have announced that Middleweight Champion Gegard Mousasi has vacated his title, it has been well known for a while that Mousasi was planning to move up in weight and DREAM needs a Middleweight champion.

They do have some very good candidates, and FEG have announced that 2 of the most popular fighters from their GP last year will fight for the title. Finalist Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza will take on crowd favorite Jason "Mayhem" Miller.

This card is looking very good now, and I would expect another

Added:
Middleweight Title Fight:
Ronald "Jacare" Souza 10-2-0 vs. 22-6-0 Jason "Mayhem" Miller

Previously Announced:
Featherweight GP Round 2:
Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto 17-1-0 vs. 1-0-0 Joe Warren
Hideo Tokoro 21-16-1 vs. 14-2-0 Abel Cullum
Yoshiro Maeda 24-6-2 vs. 10-6-1 Hiroyuki Takaya
Masakazu Imanari 16-6-1 vs. 4-2-0 Bibiano Fernandes

Read more...

5/26 DREAM 9 - Featherweight Round 2 Announced, KID Returns!

FEG have announced that "KID" Yamamoto will make his return to the ring in this event, in the 2nd round of the featherweight GP he will face the wrestler Joe Warren. To be honest, it is as close to a dream opponent "Kid" could get, he has the wrestling experience and should be able to handle Warren in a MMA fight. However, "Kid" has not been in the ring since December 2007 and ring rust might come into play here.

Though I have a feeling the Yamamoto vs. Warren fight will be the main-event, there are some other very interesting matchups in the 2nd round.

DJ Taiki is not having much luck... The doctors have put a stopper to his advancement in this GP. He won a decision victory over Hideo Tokoro, but was injured in his qualifying fight with Shoji. I have a feeling the eye injury had not healed properly, and Tokoro will advance. Hideo Tokoro had his 1st round fight on April 5, he has to recover quickly to take on Abel Cullum.

2 fighters that are experienced at this level, Yoshiro Maeda and Hiroyuki Takaya, will face off in the 3rd fight announced.

The last fight announced is sure to get some attention, foot-lock specialist Masakazu Imanari is taking on the BJJ specialist Bibiano Fernandes. Both these fighters have a lot of fans in Japan, and around the world. This should be an interesting fight that I expect (or hope) will go to the ground early.

Featherweight GP Round 2:
Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto 17-1-0 vs. 1-0-0 Joe Warren
Hideo Tokoro 21-16-1 vs. 14-2-0 Abel Cullum
Yoshiro Maeda 24-6-2 vs. 10-6-1 Hiroyuki Takaya
Masakazu Imanari 16-6-1 vs. 4-2-0 Bibiano Fernandes

Read more...

"KID" Yamamoto NOT Fighting in DREAM in March

Japanese media is writing today that "Kid" Yamamoto's knee injury is not yet fully healed, and he will not be able to participate in the upcoming DREAM event in March. This is of course another blow to DREAM who needs their Japanese star to return as soon as possible.

Currently he is training at 50%, and he does not want to risk possible injuries by stepping into the ring too early. This means that he is possibly out of the featherweight GP, but I have a feeling FEG will be able to keep a spot open for him. Currently he is rebuilding the muscles around his right knee, and working on his striking.

"Kid" is hinting at a return after April, but with all the injuries I am thinking it might go even longer than that. I hope we get to see a fully fit "Kid" soon, and DREAM needs the ratings that would bring too.

Source:SportsNavi

Read more...

7/21 DREAM 5 - Finally Some Fights Announced!

I have been waiting for this for a very long time! Finally, DREAM have confirmed that Joachim Hansen is fighting in the tournament reserve fight. His opponent will be Kultar Gill, who I thought was impressive despite the loss to Kawajiri in the opening round.

Just an interesting note, Minowa is moved from this card to the DEEP Gladiators card. To me it seems that DEEP and Dream is building the same/similar sort of relationship that Pride and DEEP used to have. It will be very interesting to see how the DEEP cards will look going forward.

That gives us this card:
Lightweight semi-finals:
Eddie Alvarez 14-1-0 vs. 22-4-2 Tatsuya Kawajiri
Shinya Aoki 16-2-0 vs. 25-10-4 Caol Uno

Tournament Reserve Fight:
Joachim "Hellboy" Hansen 17-7-1 vs. 9-7-0 Kultar "Black Mamba" Gill

Non-tournament:
Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto 17-1-0 vs. 7-0-0 Joseph Benavidez
Yoshihiro Akiyama 10-1-0 vs. 2-4-0 Katsuyori Shibata
Motoki Miyazawa 4-0-0 vs. 11-5-0 Kuniyoshi Hironaka

Participating:
-Mark Hunt 5-3-0

***Update***
I know some of you noticed that I managed to spell Mark Hunt's name wrong, again! Thanks to Five Ounce of Pain I caught this in the office and had to wait all day to make the correction. It is not on purpose and there is no excuse...

Read more...

Akasaka Fight Festival - Day 1

I finished work early easterday (about 7) so I deceided to make my way down to the TBS building in Akasaka. A good thing too, FEG/TBS seems serious about this festival and "Kid" Yamamoto had brought his whole Krazy Bee gang. It was a fun event, with interview, sparing sessions and some fun. This is something you should visit if you are in Tokyo this week!

Make sure you check out Sherdog's stuff from the event too:
http://www.sherdog.com/videos/videos.asp?v_id=1667 (Video)
http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles.asp?n_id=13493 (Article)
http://www.sherdog.com/news/pictures.asp?n_id=13487 (Pictures)

My pictures from the event:

IMG_2377
Originally uploaded by japanmma

Lots of people have turned up for the first day of this festival. You could buy drinks and K-1/DREAM goods.

IMG_2384
Originally uploaded by japanmma

"Kid"'s BJJ coaches showed of their grappling skills.

IMG_2397
Originally uploaded by japanmma

Atsushi Yamamoto had a session on the pads.

IMG_2432
Originally uploaded by japanmma

And of course, "Kid" and Boku had a sparring session.

IMG_2431
Originally uploaded by japanmma

Read more...

7/21 DREAM 5 - Semi-Finals Deceided

DREAM drew teh semi-final match-ups during the event today. DREAM 4 turned out to be an awesome event, and DREAM 5 promises to further improve on that.

The semi-finals:
Eddie Alvarez 14-1-0 vs. 22-4-2 Tatsuya Kawajiri
Shinya Aoki 16-2-0 vs. 25-10-4 Caol Uno

Also on the card:
Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto 17-1-0 vs. 7-0-0 Joseph Benavidez

Participating:
Yoshihiro Akiyama 10-1-0 (1NC)
Denis Kang 29-10-1

Read more...

7/21 DREAM 5 - "Kid" Fighting

July 21 is the finals for the DREAM Lightweight Tournament. These fights alone should justify the enterance fee, but today Sherdog has an article confirming one of the other fights.

Japanese favorite and definitly one of the biggest stars in the MMA circus will take on Joseph Benavidez who is undefeated.

NoB is also reporting that DREAM 5 will mark the return of DREAM to Prime Time TV in Japan. And we are likely to find even more big stars on this card.

Another thing that came out, that I am not happy about... FEG is saying they want an open draw to determine the match-ups for the Lightweight Semi-finals... Why ask the fans to vote if you are just going to disregard it? Maybe the vote didn't go the way they wanted...

Anyway, announced for DREAM 5:

Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto 17-1-0 vs. 7-0-0 Joseph Benavidez

Lightweight Tournament Semi-Finalists:
Caol Uno 25-10-4
Eddie Alvarez 14-1-0
Tatsuya Kawajiri 22-4-2
Shinya Aoki/Katsuhiko Nagata

Read more...