Though both men have spent a majority of their careers on opposite sides of the globe, both are touted as some of the best lightweight fighters in their division.

Current Strikeforce titleholder Gilbert Melendez has been rumored for sometime to be taking on former rival Tatsuay Kawajiri in the foreseeable future, though nothing has been certain as of yet. However recently, the bout’s likelihood has become more and more relevant, as their appears to be a date and location anticipated for said lightweight match-up.

MiddleEasy.com is reporting that a rematch between Melendez and Tatusya Kawajiri could be taking place this April in Japan for the promotion’s lightweight title.

Melendez has been inactive since a dominating decision win over another Japanese star in current DREAM lightweight champ Shinya Aoki.

Kawajiri meanwhile was last inside the ring when he bested former Strikeforce titleholder Josh Thomson with a dominating three-round decision last December for the year-end extravaganza, “Dynamite!! 2010″.

Both Gilbert and Tatsuya met many years ago under the now defunct PRIDE banner, where “El Nino” picked up a very close-decision win over the perennial top-10 fighter. The former Shooto champion has since faced some of the best fighters in the class, including recording victories over the likes of JZ Cavalcante and Sengoku standout Kazunori Yokota.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the rematch? Both men have similar styles, though Tatsuya is more of an imposing physical fighter, but Melendez would be likely to oblige with the powerhouse wrestler. Who do you think takes the belt here? Sound off in the comment section below.

The two standouts originally met a little over four years ago under the now defunct PRIDE banner, where Melendez scored a pretty close decision victory over the Japanese superstar. Since their encounter, both men have found tons of success in their division, with Kawajiri clearing house in Japan while Melendez took care of all comers that Strikeforce had to offer him here in the States.

MMAWeekly.com recently spoke with Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker about Melendez’ return, and while he was hush-hush for the most part, he did reveal little tidbits about his champion, regarding his possible return and his next opponent.

“We’re talking to Japan, but things move slow over there and it’s been an ongoing conversation,” said Coker regarding acquiring Kawajiri from DREAM, the organization in which the Japanese star among other top athletes who cross over with Strikeforce, are under contract with.

“There’s a possibility. The fights aren’t finalized, but until we come back with a final card or at least a final main event, I really don’t want to talk about confirmations”, said Scott when asked about the possibility for Melendez returning by March.

The champion has since been sidelined from competition following a five-round domination of DREAM lightweight titleholder and top-ranked fighter, Shinya Aoki last April. A few lingering injuries have since been healed and Melendez has also been able to spend time with his new family, who welcomed a baby girl earlier last year.

Gilbert was also part of the now infamous CBS brawl, which took place in Nashville, Tennessee when Jason “Mayhem” Miller stepped inside the cage following Jake Shields‘ middleweight title defense against Dan Henderson. A melee ensued involving the Cesar Gracie camp, to whom both Shields and Melendez were part of the mix, including several others. For their actions, they were suspended for an allotted amount of time.

“He had a couple issues, he had that broken hand, and then he had the suspension issue, so yeah we would like to get him back in there right now,” said the CEO. “It’s just one of the conversations we’re having.”

While nothing is concrete yet, it’s looking promising. So, MMA peeps, what do you think about the possible match-up pitting Kawajiri and Melendez? Tatsuya recently bounced back from a submission defeat to Aoki (which snapped a four-fight win streak including victories over Kazunori Yakota and J.Z. Cavalcante) when he defeated former Strikeforce champion Josh Thomson at the annual year-end Dynamite!! show. Thomson was likely the next in line for the belt, and now that Kawajiri beat him (handily) he should be recognized as the next logical contender. Sound off in the comment section below.

The DREAM lightweight champion ventured to unfamiliar territory last year when he came state side to challenge current Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez for his lightweight strap, however the submission specialist was unsuccessful in doing so and in the end lost a shut-out decision.

He returned overseas with a strong showing against perennial contender and rival Tatsuya Kawajiri, submitting his fellow Japanese countryman with an achilles lock inside of the first-round.

He would go on to rattle off another two wins to secure a three-fight win streak, however was embarrassed when DREAM decided to pit their best grapplers against one of K-1′s best strikers in Yuichiro “Jienotsu” Nagashima at the promotion’s annual year-end extravaganza, where the world ranked lightweight was knocked out in the second round of the exhibition bout.

Well it looks like Aoki has now had about enough of DREAM and Japan altogether. Hello, Strikeforce.

MiddleEasy.com has recently stated that the Judoka will now leave his humble abode of DREAM to join the Strikeforce lightweight roster exclusively.

There isn’t any one incident that can pointed at for Shinya to make such a hasty decision. He’s fought in Japan his entire career in the mixed martial arts world, aside from the one outing in Nashville, Tennessee when he faced Melendez for the belt.

Among many of the Japan based organization’s problems, one of them has consistently been stiffing fighters of their paydays. Most notably, Gary Goodridge has only recent been paid a portion of his purse from a 2009 fight with Gegard Mousasi under the DREAM banner. A portion, no less.

The Jiu-Jitsu black belt also stated his desire to train here in the United States following the one-sided beat down Melendez put on Aoki, however the Japanese star has never since made good on that promise, at least not until now.

Shinya would be a welcomed addition to the lightweight roster for Strikeforce. Though he’s as one-dimensional as they come, he is brilliant in that one dimension. He’ll never be an infamous knockout artist, but he will always be the dude in the tight spandex with the crazy good submissions, butt scooting his way to a victory.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the news? Though it’s only speculative at this point–what could have made Aoki make this kind of decision in this point of his career? Sound off in the comment section below.

Sapp pulled out of a scheduled appearance at the DREAM/K-1 supershow “DYNAMITE!! 2010” for reasons relating to his pay, and in a new interview with MMA Junkie, “The Beast” had this to say: “The No. 1 problem is that K-1 is extremely broke. So is DREAM. They’re paying some fighters as early as in six months, and the other fighters, they’re just stiffing… And I’m just like, ‘You know what? I’m done with all the talk about me. I’m done with them stiffing the fighters. I’m just done with it. I’ve seen too much. Start paying people to show up.’”

Things just keep getting bleaker and bleaker for the folks at FEG, and I honestly wish that wasn’t the case. I wouldn’t call myself a devout DREAM follower, but I have watched several of their shows and I’ve yet to watch one that I wasn’t entertained by. High-level Japanese MMA is very special, there’s a mix of great fights, intriguing rules, and entertaining spectacles. A great Japanese MMA show assaults all your senses at a blistering pace, and it’s an experience wholly different from American MMA. And I’d really, really hate for that experience to die out.

None of us can predict the future, so in the end none of us really know what’s going to happen to FEG, or K-1, or DREAM. I sure do hope they survive, though, be it through restructuring or even forming an entirely new company. The alternative is very grim: combat sports as a whole will virtually vanish from mainstream Japan until the next promoter with deep pockets and plenty of cash decides to take a risk and form a major-level organization.

The underground will always survive, though. Of that there can be no doubt. Even if MMA becomes drastically reduced in importance if /whenDREAM falls, there will always be a faithful section of the fanbase that supports local, small-to-medium-level promotions. Japanese MMA has an incredibly rich history, far too rich to ever truly be forgotten.

Of course, there’s always the possibility that everything could even itself out one way or another, and that Japanese fans and hardcore MMA fans would still have a major Japanese MMA promotion to watch and enjoy. But it seems as if many of us are indeed preparing for the worst, and as much as I don’t like admitting it… I am too. I think the situation is going to get worse before it gets better, up to and including FEG declaring bankruptcy and undergoing some radical changes. I’ll remain hopeful, but things are looking quite grim.

And what about you, fans and friends? Can major-level Japanese MMA be saved, and if so, how? And if not, what do you think the future holds for MMA in Japan?

MMAFighting brings word from sources close to the man himself that Aoki is thinking about calling it a career and focusing on his duties as a trainer. This comes on the heels of Aoki shutting down his Twitter account, with many believing that Aoki closed the account due to the heckling he received from his cynics.

At the “DYNAMITE!!” show, Aoki fought K-1 star Yuichiro Nagashima in a special “exhibition” bout. Putting it plainly: the first round was all-kickboxing, the second round was MMA, and the fight wouldn’t count on either fighter’s official records. Aoki performed a variety of bizarre moves in round 1 in order to prevent Nagashima from landing any significant strikes, in the process turning the fans at the live show against him. Aoki would then go on to be embarrassingly knocked out diving for a takedown at the start of round 2, as he ate a counter-knee by Nagashima.

I do feel a bit sympathetic for the man, but to be honest, a lot of the blame for this situation falls squarely on Aoki’s shoulders. It’s one thing to go a little crazy following a big victory, it’s another thing entirely to fully embrace your newfound status as a bad-boy. Aoki didn’t have to go from loved to loathed, and to be bluntly honest, I never bought Shinya Aoki as a bad-boy to begin with.

Aoki could have saved his reputation, and with time, he could have gotten back to the level of respect and outright admiration that he had previously been at. Instead he chose to throw caution to the wind and embrace this bigger-than-life, badder-than-you personality that never really made all that much sense to begin with, considering Aoki’s limitations. That’s the reason I never bought into Aoki becoming a bad-boy in the first place: the guy has almost no chin and utterly atrocious stand-up. How can you cast yourself into the role of a larger-than-life badass when you can neither throw nor take a punch to save your life?

At the end of the day, though, I do hope that Aoki decides to return to MMA. Aoki remains a talented submission expert, and he’s one of the few big names Japanese MMA fans have left. Aoki has the skills to turn it all around, but I guess the question is… does he have the heart? If he does, I definitely wouldn’t mind seeing him back in action in DREAM, or DEEP, or even back in Strikeforce.

And what about you, fans and friends? What does the future hold for Shinya Aoki?

And like the Pride Fighting Championships before it, it looks like DREAM and K-1 will now become a victim due to their hierarchy’s lack of success.

So now, both the most visible kickboxing promotion in all of the world, and Japan’s leading mixed martial arts organization will now cease to exist, and all of this is according to their leading man, President Sadaharu Tanikawa.

MiddleEasy.com recently picked up the beat of the story and revealed some startling things about the fledgling Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG) company, who’s subsidiaries include the aforementioned K-1 and DREAM promotion’s under their umbrella.

While FEG has struggled to secure higher ratings on their TBS television programming provider in Japan, they have also not been able to secure lucrative sponsors that will hope to keep the order of operations going behind the scenes, and as such, it looks like we might have another PRIDE fiasco on our hands all over again–maybe not “Yakuza” bad, but bad nonetheless.

“The current course is that FEG will die”, said President Sadaharu Tanikawa bluntly while speaking with Sports Graphic Novel for an interview in Japan.

“There are probably staff members that will leave as well. The event name will be left but the promotion will change. If the current structure remains as it is it will be impossible to continue. If many investments from companies overseas do not come in we can’t survive.”

While the Japanese mixed martial arts scene has struggled to survive since PRIDE had been eliminated altogether in 2006, following the collapse due to financial ruin and mired in controversy with allegations of “Yakuza” being involved, it looks like any hope for a resurrection will now die. Along with DREAM, K-1 too will now be a victim, despite reaching it’s height in popularity in recent years with stars such Badr Hari, Alistair Overeem, and Semmy Schilt coming into prominence.

We very well could see the UFC step in once again and purchase the companies assets, though talking about that would be too premature and nothing is certain, though all signs point to FEG falling altogether.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the news? Straight from the horses mouth, if the companies President doesn’t feel that FEG along with DREAM and K-1 can survive should it continue to run the course it’s been for the last couple of years, then there’s no hope yet. Sound off in the comment section below.

We head to the one and only Sherdog for an official report on the TV ratings of “DYNAMITE!! 2010”. According to their report, the show reached a peak TV rating of 9.8, compared to last year’s peak rating of 16.7. The report also states that company executives were shooting for at least a 10.0 and couldn’t even meet that goal. To summarize: it’s been a long, rough road for Fighting and Entertainment Group (which owns both DREAM and K-1) in 2010, and even their traditional year-end super-show couldn’t save them.

While American MMA looks to have a banner 2011, with the UFC’s debut in Toronto and the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix two of the most noticeable examples, MMA and K-1 in Japan seems to be approaching death’s door if not already knocking on it. There’s been a lot of speculation recently that FEG is in dire financial straits, some DREAM fighters even admitted that they hadn’t been paid for their fights. In addition to that, it’s also been rumored that FEG is losing ground with its television partners and could face an outright removal from television entirely if their ratings don’t improve on a consistent basis. It’s all rumor and speculation at this point, but when you factor in things like these recent TV ratings, you begin to see a rather sad pattern emerge.

I really wish this wasn’t the case for Japanese MMA, but it seems as if the market has simply never recovered from the fall of PRIDE FC. What’s worse is that I actually liked “DYNAMITE”. It was a gargantuan multi-hour festival, with all the theatrics I’ve come to love about Japanese MMA, and while not every fight had me on the edge of my seat, for the most part I was consistently and highly entertained. I particularly enjoyed seeing Alistair Overeem crush Todd Duffee.

Heading into the future, I’m not really sure how FEG can pull themselves out of their slump and get back onto the global MMA scene as a relevant force. I’m not a promoter, so I won’t pretend to know what would inspire the general public to plant themselves back in arenas and back in front of TV screens at home. I just wish it would happen already. Overall, I think everyone loses when an MMA partner vanishes from the landscape.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you make of the TV rating of “DYNAMITE!! 2010”? Are you, like me, less than optimistic for MMA in Japan in 2011?

In a new interview with Fight Opinion, Duffee recently shared the following sentiments: “…Obviously, I’m extremely disappointed. I feel like I’m a much more talented fighter than I got the chance to show… I wasn’t prepared… I think I trained seven days for this fight and it definitely showed… It was a great opportunity to fight in Japan. It’s been a dream of mine… There’s no regrets, you know. It happened. You just got to move past it and I’ll definitely be back.”

I was one of the many that boldly predicted that Todd Duffee basically stood no chance against Alistair Overeem, who defended his Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship, won the K-1 World Grand Prix Championship, and with the win over Duffee, won the DREAM Interim Heavyweight Championship all within one calendar year. There seemed to be no stopping Overeem, who basically shrugged off Duffee’s blows as if they were nothing. I think Duffee is still very much a work-in-progress fighter, and to be perfectly honest, Overeem was so many leagues above him that it’s not even funny.

In regards to Duffee himself, I think he’s simply another victim of the persistent problem that plague all gigantic muscle-bound Heavyweight fighters: the dreaded cardio monster. Only the best Heavyweights know how to pack on the muscles while simultaneously not gassing horrendously once the fight gets out of the second round. And other than the three-round loss that got him kicked out of the UFC, Duffee’s only been past the first round one other time in his career, and that fight lasted only a minute into Round 2.

In a way, I’m actually a bit sympathetic to Todd Duffee. A lot of people are quick to point out that he’s a victim of his own hype. The cynics believe that he should have gotten right back into the Octagon after KO’ing Tim Hague in seven seconds rather than what he did do, which (if you believe the rumors) was stall out contract negotiations for almost a year in order to chase bigger paydays and more meaningful opponents, all while “hiding” under the guise of dealing with some injuries. Even the always-controversial UFC President Dana White stated that Duffee had an attitude problem.

Well, that all may be true, but that doesn’t diminish the fact that Duffee has an amazing amount of potential and can very well turn it all around given the right team and the right motivation. Duffee has only been fighting for three years, and he’s only twenty-five years old. He’s young and inexperienced, he may be a bit brash, he may even have let the hype and the fame get to his head… but the potential is there.

I think 2011 will prove once and for all what the future holds for Todd Duffee. Everyone knew Overeem would beat him, so I really can’t hold that loss against him. If Duffee excels in the underground circuit and gets back to his winning ways, we may see Duffee back in a major MMA promotion before the year is through. His future can still be quite bright, so long as he finally gets around to fully taking control of it.

And what about you, fans and friends? Are you hopeful or disinterested in Todd Duffee’s chances in 2011?

Next for Josh Thomson: Thomson had a very up-and-down 2010, so look for him to try to kick off 2011 with authority and really make an effort to become a championship contender once again. Thomson went 2-1 in 2010, albeit one of those wins was over Gesias Cavalcante in a highly controversial bout that went to the judges. But if we’re playing that game, it can also be said that Thomson took his “DYNAMITE!!” fight on short notice. I think Thomson is going to have a great 2011, and it’ll begin with a rematch with Cavalcante.

Next for Gegard Mousasi: Mousasi shined in his K-1 bout at “DYNAMITE”, and he’s on a two-fight win-streak since famously losing his Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship to Muhammed Lawal. I think the time is right for Mousasi to jump right back into the shark tank in Strikeforce. Mousasi’s potential is still sky-high, and if he pursues another shot at a title with the same fervor he’s been winning fights since losing the title, Mousasi may end up becoming the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion once again in 2011.

Next for Marius Zaromskis: The DREAM Welterweight Champion needs to stay in Japan for as long as he can, even for the entirety of 2011, in order to wipe away the disastrous run he had in American MMA. Now that Zaromskis is back in the winner’s circle and competing in the promotion that made him famous, he should stay in Japan and rebuild his credibility the same way he emerged as a champion in the first place: by taking on good competition and knocking them senseless. If Zaromskis gives me one year in Japan defending his belt, I think 2012 would be a banner year for him.

Next for Shinya Aoki: It’s going to be a rough 2011 for Shinya Aoki. He went 3-1 in MMA in 2010, but his one loss more than overshadowed his three wins. Plus, Aoki lost by KO at “DYNAMITE!!” in a strange kickboxing/MMA hybrid bout. So Aoki has been KO’d once again, and once again questions have surfaced regarding Aoki’s relevancy in the increasingly-crowded Lightweight rankings. Putting it plainly: as gifted as Aoki is on the ground, he’s still got a suspect chin and utterly atrocious stand-up. In the near future, he’ll plant his flag firmly in DREAM and go into 2011 trying to regain his credibility by quickly submitting opponents.

Next for Alistair Overeem: The sky is the limit for Alistair Overeem. Overeem’s stellar 2010 run was one of the best in the entirety of MMA or K-1, since he added an MMA championship, a K-1 championship, and defended his Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship all in one year. People are finally getting clued in on what “The Reem” is all about, and I can’t wait for Overeem to come back to Strikeforce and dominate. As hard as it is to believe, Overeem says his 2011 will be an even bigger year than his 2010, and you know what? I think he’s right. Overeem will defend his championship against Strikeforce’s best in 2011, and in the process, we MMA fans will be treated to some of the best non-UFC fights that have ever happened since the fall of the legendary PRIDE FC promotion.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? What do you think the future holds for the big winners and losers of “DYNAMITE!! 2010”?

Alistair Overeem defeats Todd Duffee via KO in Round 1 to become the DREAM Interim Heavyweight Champion. Marius Zaromskis defeats Kazushi Sakuraba via TKO in Round 1 to retain the DREAM Welterweight Championship. Tatsuya Kawajiri defeats Josh Thomson via Unanimous Decision. Kazuyuki Miyata defeats Caol Uno via Unanimous Decision. Hiroyuki Takaya defeats Bibiano Fernandes via Unanimous Decision to become the DREAM Featherweight Champion. Jason High defeats Hayato Sakurai via Split Decision. Hiroshi Izumi defeats Ikuhisa Minowa via TKO in Round 3. Sergei Kharitonov defeats Tatsuya Mizuno via KO in Round 1. Satoshi Ishii defeats Jerome Le Banner via Unanimous Decision. Andy Ologun defeats Katsuaki Furuki via Unanimous Decision. Hideo Tokoro defeats Kazuhisa Watanabe via Submission (Armbar) in Round 3. Gegard Mousasi defeats Kyotaro via Unanimous Decision. Akiyo Nishiura and Tetsuya Yamato ends in a Majority Draw. Yuichiro Nagashima defeats Shinya Aoki via KO in Round 2.

Part of me wishes that I was still as dedicated of an insomniac as I was a few months ago, because this sounded like a fantastic night (or if you’re an American MMA fan, a fantastic early morning) of live action. According to reports, it took all of nineteen seconds for “The Reem” to dispatch of Todd Duffee, the man who set the record for the fastest KO in the UFC in his first UFC fight and then got KO’d himself in almost-as-dramatic fashion in his second UFC fight. Overeem promised that 2011 would be even bigger of a year for him than 2010 was, and when you consider that Overeem’s 2010 saw him successfully defend his Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship while adding a DREAM Interim Heavyweight Championship and the K-1 World Grand Prix Championship to his trophy case… that’s just downright scary.

Also according to reports, former top-ranked Lightweight Shinya Aoki put on quite the bizarre show in his “mixed rules” bout, the first round of which was kickboxing-only. Aoki reportedly clinched like his life depended on it and even resorted to outlandish moves like dropkicks in order to run out the clock and get to the second round, which was an MMA round. Of course, Aoki would get blasted full-force when shooting in for a takedown and get knocked out cold. With another KO loss on his record and the memory of his crushing defeat at the hands of Gilbert Melendez still fresh in the minds of many, it’s become apparent that Aoki is going to struggle to secure his spot near the top of the Lightweight rankings for the foreseeable future.

All in all, this looked to be a great event featuring several notable bouts, so I look forward to tracking down a copy or a replay of it and giving it a watch. But what about you, fans and friends? If you stayed up for the broadcast, do you think the show justified missing a night’s rest? And if you didn’t, what did you think of the show in general?

His brilliant submission skills is evidence enough of his effectiveness as a mixed martial artist in today’s day and age. For a fighter that is so one dimensional, Aoki still finds a way to dominate overseas and is universally considered one of the best lightweight fighters in the world for his accolades.

Shinya is currently the reigning DREAM lightweight champion, and a 7-year veteran of the sport.

So why in the hell did he accept a special rules bout with a K-1 striking star, with the first round being contest under kickboxing rules?

It was reported not too long ago that the “Grabaka Survivor” would be pitted against the very flamboyant K-1 fighter Yuichiro Nagashima in a special rules contest. Essentially, the fight between Nagashima and Aoki will be contested over two rounds, one under kickboxing rules and the next under mixed martial arts rules.

At first, it was expected that both men would compete under MMA rules inside of the first round and the next under K-1, should the bout not come to a definitive conclusion before then, ie: knockout or submission.

Now, it looks like Shinya has agreed to have the first round contested under kickboxing rules first, then MMA. The first stanza will be a three-minute kickboxing round followed by a five-minute MMA round…but it won’t get that far.

Despite his boyish good looks, or girl like demeanor rather, Nagashima is a dynamic striker with heavy punches. Shinya is a far cry from being considered an “adept” striker.

I’m calling Yuichiro to knockout his countryman, quick.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the match up? Sound off in the comment secion below.

A big sticking point for the K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 Champion was to fight for the vacant DREAM heavyweight title, should he fight at the promotion’s year-end show.

Overeem will in fact vie for the organization’s heavyweight strap, albeit in interim form when he takes on former UFC star and rising prospect Todd Duffee tonight at the Super Saitama Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Both “The Demolition Man” and Duffee made weight for their heavyweight contest, as well as all other competitors for tonight’s epic card.

Here are the entire weigh-in results in their entirity as produced by MMAJunkie.com:

* Champ Bibiano Fernandes (62.7kg/138.2lb) vs. Hiroyuki Takaya (62.9kg/ 138.7lb)
* Tatsuya Kawajiri (70kg/154.3lb) vs. Josh Thomson (70kg/154.3lb)
* Jason High (75.6kg/166.7lb) vs. Hayato Sakurai (76kg/167.6lb)
* Akiyo “Wicky” Nishiura (62.8kg/138.5lb) vs. Tetsuya Yamato (63kg/138.9lb)@
* Champ Marius Zaromskis (75.7kg/166.9lb) vs. Kazushi Sakuraba (76kg/167.6lb)
* Satoshi Ishii (105.7kg/233lb) vs. Jerome Le Banner (120kg/264.6lb)
* Alistair Overeem (118kg/260.1lb) vs. Todd Duffee (113kg/249.1lb)
* Shinya Aoki (70kg/154.3lb) vs. Yuichiro Nagashim (70kg/154.3lb)+
* Kyotaro Fujimoto (104kg/229.3lb) vs. Gegard Mousasi (97kg/213.8lb)@
* Sergei Kharitonov (n/a) vs. Tatsuya Mizuno (100kg/220.5lb)
* Hiroshi Izumi (101kg/222.7lb) vs. Ikuhisa “Minowaman” Minowa (87.5kg/192.9 lb)
* Hideo Tokoro (63kg/138.9lb) vs. Kazuhisa Watanabe (63kg/138.9lb)
* Kazuyuki Miyata (64.8kg/142.9lb) vs. Caol Uno (65kg/143.3lb)
* Katsuaki Furuki (76.5kg/168.6lb) vs. Andy Ologun (75kg/165.3lb)
* Bob Sapp (n/a) vs. Shinichi Suzukawa (n/a)^

Gegard Mousasi, DREAM’s light heavyweight champion will be competing against K-1 heavyweight champion Kyotaro Fujimoto in a kickboxing match held under K-1 rules. This will mark the second time that Mousasi has competed in the kickboxing on a Dynamite!! show. His first appearance was in 2008, when Gegard defeated veteran Musashi (no relation) in a savage first-round knockout victory. The result was considered a major upset and should the Armenian defeat Kyotaro, the promotions champion, he should consider a career in the K-1 realm, much like Overeem.

Additionally, Bob Sapp and Shinichi Suzukawa are also featured in a special-rules contest, as both men will be competing with no gloves. Though traditional closed-fist strikes are not allowed for the open-weight meeting, palm strikes are allowed.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of tonight’s night of fights? If it wasn’t for the UFC overshadowing most MMA fans radar for the time being, Dynamite!! 2010 is the card to watch for the year. Sound off in the comment section below.

After weeks of rumor and speculation, MMA Junkie reports that DREAM officials have announced that Alistair Overeem will indeed be taking on former UFC fighter Todd Duffee at “DYNAMITE!! 2010”. Contrary to previous reports, the officials did not announce that the fight would be for a proposed DREAM Heavyweight Championship. Todd Duffee, who went 1-1 in the UFC and put himself in the history books both times, will face by far the biggest threat of his career when he tangles with “The Reem”.

What an interesting journey it’s been for Todd Duffee. Duffee debuted at UFC 102 against Tim Hague… and then proceeded to knock him out in seven seconds. With that KO, Duffee officially holds the record for the fastest KO in UFC history, and loudly proclaimed that he was looking for top competition after KO’ing Hague. What followed was a prolonged period of contract negotiations that ultimately resulted in a match-up with Mike Russow almost a year later. Russow would go on to KO Duffee in one of the most dramatic comebacks ever witnessed in an MMA fight. Shortly after losing to Russow, Duffee was releasd from his UFC contract.

In regards to this particular fight, my feet are so firmly planted in Alistair’s camp for this bout that I’m basically digging myself into the ground. I absolutely do not believe that Todd Duffee has any chance of beating Overeem. If it happens, it’d have to be by some kind of miracle flurry that lands square on Overeem’s chin. That’s the only hope I think Duffee has, and it’s a remote one at best.

I really can’t give enough praise to Alistair Overeem, even though I think he needs to get his muscular behemoth self back into Strikeforce and fighting the best competition the non-UFC world has to offer. I don’t see anyone outside of Strikeforce’s best being able to break the incredible hotstreak Overeem has been on for years. He threw the gargantuan Brett Rogers around like a child, he most recently beat three men in one night, he’s a champion in MMA and a champion in kickboxing. Todd Duffee looks to be little more than a small roadblock that’s going to get run over and completely obliterated.

Now that this fight has been confirmed, I suppose I’ll have to live with it. As I said in the past: when it comes to Alistair Overeem, it’s “Strikeforce or bust” for me. I don’t think Overeem gains anything by taking or even winning this fight, and no matter how slim of a chance Duffee has, I can only imagine what kind of damage it would do to Overeem’s career and standing in the Heavyweight rankings if Duffee ended up beating him. I’m supremely confident in Overeem, though, and I’ll watch this fight simply because I like watching Overeem fight no matter who he’s fighting. Just don’t blink when you watch this one, fans and friends, because Overeem is most likely going to eat Duffee alive.

But of course, that’s my opinion. What about you? What are your thoughts on Duffee/Overeem now that it’s been confirmed?

Jerome Le Banner vs. Satoshi Ishii: If you’re a fan of “striker vs. grappler” match-ups, you really can’t ask for more, since this fight pits a famous K-1 fighter against an Olympic gold medalist in judo. Both men are on a three-fight win-streak, but it’s been four long years since Le Banner has competed in an MMA setting. The amount of ring rust he’ll have going into this bout is all I need to know to predict that Ishii will win by submission in Round 1.

Sergei Kharitonov vs. Tatsuya Mizuno: Mizuno’s 8-6 record speaks for itself. While Kharitonov never fully emerged into the world-beater than many fans expected he would one day become, the fact remains that he’s faced a lot of high-level competition and even beaten a few of them. Even with a year-long layoff working against him, I think Kharitonov will win by TKO in Round 2.

Josh Thomson vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri: It’s going to end quickly, it’s going to end violently, and it’s going to be an absolute blast to watch. Kawajiri is going to come out headhunting and won’t stop until he gets the KO, that’s who he is and why he’s so entertaining. But Thomson is an expert on the ground and his striking game is downright under-rated. If Thomson can avoid any Hail Mary flurries as he shoots in or works his game, this should be a one-sided match. Thomson wins by submission in Round 1.

Bibiano Fernandes vs. Hiroyuki Takaya: My opinion on this fight closely mirrors my opinion on the Thomson vs. Kawajiri encounter. I think the pivoting point of this match will be whether or not Fernandes can once again avoid Takaya’s punching power while getting him to the ground. Fernandes has an excellent submission game and enough top control to grind out a decision if he’s not able to secure anything. While their first fight ended in a close Split Decision, I think Fernandes is going to take this one with a first-round submission.

Marius Zaromskis vs. Kazushi Sakuraba: It’s going to be an electric fight, that’s for sure. Marius Zaromskis desperately needs to get back in the win column, he basically shot himself in the foot with his US excursion. Considering how he went 0-2-1 with both losses being by TKO, that shot might as well have been from a shotgun. Sakuraba, meanwhile, is staring down retirement and this will probably be the last time he’ll ever fight for a championship. I hate to say it, but I think a deadly animal is always deadliest when cornered, and Zaromskis has a long, long time to land his patented head kick. Marius Zaromskis wins by brutal head kick KO in Round 1.

So that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? What kind of outcome do you think we’ll see when it comes to the big matches of “DYNAMITE!! 2010”?

The Event: DREAM/K-1 “DYNAMITE!! 2010”, scheduled for December 31 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The entire event will be broadcast live in its entirety on HDNet starting at 4 AM ET/1 AM PT.

Why You Should Care: It’s MMA, it’s kickboxing, it’s Japan. The year-end “DYNAMITE” events are always when Japanese MMA pulls out the big guns and brings together the biggest stars possible. If you’re an international MMA fan, you’ve got fifteen full fights of action. If you’re not, there’s still plenty of stars to watch that you are probably familiar with.

What to Look Forward to in the Main Event: It’s difficult to say which fight will end up being the main or co-main event, since the card is being marketed as a whole. It may even be one of the K-1 fights. So for this edition of “Crash Course”, I’ll be focusing on the two MMA championships up for grabs at the event, the first being Marius Zaromskis vs. Kazushi Sakuraba for the DREAM Welterweight Championship. This fight should be a treat for any old-school MMA fans, because Kazushi Sakuraba is still entertaining to watch after all these years. Marius Zaromskis, meanwhile, needs a win badly and made his mark in DREAM by viciously KO’ing people, so this fight will most likely end in dramatically. Based on what both men have at stake (Zaromskis his relevancy and Sakuraba his waning career), look for this to be a great emotionally-charged encounter.

What to Look Forward to in the Co-Main Event: The other title fight of the night sees DREAM Featherweight Champion Bibiano Fernandes take on Hiroyuki Takaya. Look for this to be a classic “striker vs. grappler” encounter. Fernandes has a very long win-streak as well as his championship at stake when he enters the DREAM ring, and Takaya is coming off two very impressive back-to-back KO’s to claim his shot at the gold. Better yet, this will be a revenge match, as Fernandes beat Takaya to claim the vacant championship in the inaugural DREAM Featherweight Grand Prix.

Why You Should Watch This Card: Two main reasons immediately spring to mind, and they’re by far the best reasons to watch this show: length and talent. We’re talking fifteen live, unabridged fights here. If you’re an insomniac with some time to kill, “DYNAMITE” will kill that time in style. Not only is this a massive card, it also features top MMA talent like Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Josh Thomson, and Shinya Aoki. If you make an effort to watch this show, I doubt you’ll be disappointed.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch This Card: There’s only one good reason to miss this card, but let’s be honest, it’s a pretty good reason: this thing takes place way, way early in the morning. If you’re a night-owl or an insomniac you should be set, but folks with normal sleeping patterns will probably find it difficult to muster up the strength to get out of bed so early in the morning just so they can watch Japanese MMA. If you think you’re one of those people, you should probably pass up the live edition and catch an inevitable replay.

Closing Thoughts: I really do like this card, and I really do wish it didn’t have to take place so early in the morning. But nevertheless, I think “DYNAMITE” is going to be a very entertaining show. Several of the fights sound brilliant on paper, and Japanese MMA is always entertaining to watch purely as a spectacle, given their penchant for grandiose pre-fight theatrics. While I can’t guarantee that I’ll be staying up late to watch this one, I’ll definitely catch a replay sooner rather than later.

And what about you, fans and friends? What are your thoughts on DREAM/K-1’s “DYNAMITE” event?

5. Year in and year out, “DYNAMITE” is an amazing spectacle. Fans of DREAM know this, and fans of the legendary PRIDE FC promotion know it all too well: Japanese MMA prides itself on its pageantry, its pomp and circumstance, it’s… awesomeness. This is the home of massive entrance screens, elaborate entrances, blazing pyrotechnics, and much more. And “DYNAMITE” is the biggest and most important card of the year, so I can’t wait to see what kind of visual (and probably literal) fireworks FEG pulls out to delight and astonish fans.

4. It’s a long show, so if you’ve got the time, you’re in for hours of constant MMA/K-1 action. The last DREAM show, “DREAM.16”, was broadcast live on HDNet from start to finish and ran for at least four hours. That show had ten fights… “DYNAMITE” 2010 has fifteen. Fifteen full, complete, unabridged bouts spanning two sports, MMA and K-1 kickboxing. If you’re an MMA fan and have some time to kill, can you really think of a better way to do it than watching this show?

3. Two championships will be on the line. DREAM will have two of its titles up for grabs at “DYNAMITE”: Marius Zaromskis defends his Welterweight Championship against living legend Kazushi Sakuraba, while Bibiano Fernandes defends his Featherweight Championship against Hiroyuki Takaya. Title fights always seem to bring out the best in the competitors going for the gold, as do major events that are heavily promoted. And this show features both.

2. Several major-name MMA stars are expected to compete. Alongside the aforementioned Sakuraba, several high-value MMA stars, both from Japan and around the world, will compete at “DYNAMITE”. The top-ranked Shinya Aoki will compete, former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Gegard Mousasi will compete, Josh Thomson will throw down, and even K-1 World Grand Prix Champion and Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem is set to compete at the event. So not only will “DYNAMITE” be a long night of fights, it’ll be an event that features a large assortment of well-known, highly-ranked fighters.

And my top reason to watch “DYNAMITE” is…

1. Because we may not get another one.

Nothing is for certain at this point, but every rumor has a kernel of truth somewhere, and some fighters have indeed gone on record and stated that DREAM hasn’t paid them for their past performances. When you add in rumors of FEG’s Japanese TV deals falling apart, it doesn’t look too good for the company as its two promotions head into 2011. While FEG may not go bankrupt in 2011, there’s a very real possibility that next year’s “DYNAMITE” won’t be nearly as grandiose or feature as many top-level talents as this year’s. 2010’s “DYNAMITE” may be one of the final bright lights before FEG goes dark, so we as MMA fans need to watch it while we can.

So there you have it, fans and friends. What about you? What do you think of the DREAM/K-1 “DYNAMITE” card?

Now, on the cusp of another crack at the title he lost against rival Gilbert Melendez since going two-straight inside the Strikeforce cage, Thomson will risk it all on a whim when he faces perennial top-10 fighter Tatsuya Kawajiri.

Though the fight is a big one in of itself, Kawajiri was not originally in the cards for Thomson, as Josh’s original opponent Shinya Aoki was pulled from the match for a more popular fight with K-1 kickboxer, Yuichiro “Jienotsu” Nagashima in a special-rules match up at this year’s Dynamite!! show.

“I was at a (Golden State) Warriors game and all of a sudden (Scott) Coker just texted me and he was like ‘hey, do you want to fight in Japan against Aoki?’ and I’m like, ‘no, not really, I haven’t been training, I’m not in shape, and it’s three weeks away.’ He’s like, ‘well, why don’t we try to figure something out.’ I guess Gil (Melendez) had pulled out of the fight with Aoki and so they really needed somebody to kind of keep their relationship strong with Dream and Strikeforce,” said Josh while speaking with MMAWeekly.com.

And while a fight with Aoki was a daunting task, Kawajiri was next up to bat for the American Kickboxing Academy product once the final preparations for DREAM’s: Dynamite!! 2010 show was finalized for the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

“From Aoki to Kawajiri, that first week I was training for Aoki and then like Saturday night they called and were like, ‘we want Aoki to fight a four-round fight against a K-1 Max fighter, one round apiece.’ You know, one round kickboxing, one round MMA, one round kickboxing, and one round MMA. I guess the best way for them to do that was to eliminate me from the equation,” Thomson commented. “So basically it was put in the situation where he wanted to be on the show, then he had to fight that fight, and so they gave me Kawajiri”, said Thomson.

“Originally, I didn’t want the fight based on that he’s somebody I would have liked to prepared a lot longer for. I mean this is somebody with even an eight- or 10-week camp you can’t really be ready enough for him,” Thomson said. “This time it really came down to keeping the relationship between Strikeforce and Dream together, and making it work between Strikeforce fighters and the Dream fighters, and I felt like we can do the deal and get it done and now it’s fine.”

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the news? Will a three-week training camp for the former champion be enough for “The Punk” to deal with “The Crusher”? Sound off in the comment section below.

The two parties have been in negotiation’s recently sinced a proposed fight pitting Overeem and former WWE star turned mixed martial artist: Bobby Lashley, had failed to materialize due to monetary expectations, or in his case a lack thereof.

Dynamite!! 2010 takes place on Dec. 31 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Alistair had expressed on several occasions that should he compete at the year-end show, he intended it to be for the promotion’s vacant heavyweight title. Overeem will now return to action just a little under 3-weeks removed from his kickboxing tournament victory as “The Demolition Man” claimed another title as the K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 Champion. Alistair is now in a field all of his own, as he has become the first man to simultaneously hold titles in two different sports: mixed martial arts and kickboxing, both for prestigious organizations in K-1 and Strikeforce.

Todd Duffee, now doesn’t share the same sort of accolades that Mr. Overeem does. The American Top Team product has recently been released from the UFC following an embarrassing knockout loss to veteran Mike Russow at UFC 114 last May. Duffee dominated the fight through the first and second rounds, even having dropped Russow early with a barrage of punches. In the third round, and just a few minutes away from a clear cut decision win, Todd was knocked out with a two successive right hands from Mike, who later claimed the “Knockout of the Night” award. Prior to his defeat, Todd set the UFC record for fastest knockout when he dispatched of Canadian Tim Hague in his octagon debut at UFC 102, which took all of seven seconds of cage time.

MMAFighting.com first reported the validity of the match up, which should still be for the promotion’s heavyweight title, though it was not indicated in the report.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the match up? I think a Bobby Lashley vs. Alistair Overeem would have made a wee-bit of more sense as far as mixed martial arts superiority goes, but who’s to say. Duffee vs. Overeem will still be a sight to see. Sound off in the comment section below.

We head to Sherdog for some insight into a possible match-up that would see Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem take on Todd Duffee, the man who rolled into the UFC and into the public consciousness with the fastest official KO in UFC history, only to take his sweet time finding his next opponent and ultimately lose out to the seemingly-overmatched Mike Russow. According to the report, Overeem vs. Duffee has a “fifty-fifty” chance of actually happening. However, it was confirmed that Overeem would be competing at the event no matter who his opponent ends up being.

I hate to sound like a broken record here, fans and friends, but once more I feel I have to echo these sentiments: this is a rumor I honestly hope doesn’t happen, because I think this opponent hasn’t done anything to earn a shot at Overeem and has virtually no hope against the man. Todd Duffee is one of the clearest examples in recent MMA history of a fighter being all hype and little-to-no substance. There’s a lot of raw potential in all that Herculean muscle, but it’s clearly going to take a lot of time and effort spent honing it before it ever really pays dividends.

Overeem, however, is one of the rarest specimens in MMA: he’s a hulking behemoth with as many skills as he has muscles. The man just beat three guys in one night in the most competitive, prestigious kickboxing organization in the world. He hasn’t lost in his last nine MMA fights. I’m not just sitting in Overeem’s bandwagon, I’m blowing the horn and leading the charge. And I honestly have every reason to: Overeem is an absolute monster both in the ring and the cage, both in K-1 and MMA, so I don’t see any reason not to become a super-fan of the man.

So, I know the next logical question is: if not Duffee, if not Lashley… then who? In all honesty, fans and friends… I really don’t think I’d be satisfied with anyone DREAM throws at Overeem, because I know that they’d basically all be cannon fodder. Call me crazy, call me greedy, but I want to see Overeem tackle some of the best Heavyweights in the world, because I know he can beat them, rather than just make a quick appearance in DREAM for an easy fight and a fast paycheck. I’ve been a fan of Overeem for a while, but now that he’s fulfilled his dream and is a K-1 champion, it’s “Strikeforce or bust” from here on out.

And what about you, fans and friends? Would you be interested in Alistair Overeem vs. Todd Duffee?

Speaking of banner, K-1 legend Jerome Le Banner is said to participate opposite of Judo Olympic gold medalist Satoshi Ishii under mixed martial arts rules at the Saitma Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

While Banner’s accolades as an 3-1-1 MMA fighter seem minuscule to the average mixed martial artist, his extensive kickboxing background lends more to his résumé.

Le Banner, arguably the greatest kickboxer of all time who never won the K-1 World Grand Prix, made his foray into the MMA world in 2001 against Japan’s own Tadao Yasuda. Jerome lost in his debut by submission, however rallied back on a 3-0-1 streak, with all of his wins coming by way of knockout. However, Le Banner is four-years removed from mixed martial arts competition.

Ishii, who claimed Olympic Gold in Judo competition in 2008, made his mixed martial arts debut in 2009, succumbing to a decision loss to fellow Olympic Judoka Hidehiko Yoshida. Since then, Satoshi has rallied back with a 3-fight win streak. In his last outing, the 24-year-old submitted veteran Katsuyori Shibata with a first-round kimura this past November during the K-1 World Max 2010 event.

It’s a classic striker vs. grappler match up, though Ishii should have the definitive advantage since he has competed regularly and more recent in mixed martial arts competition.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the news? Sound off in the comment section below.

MMA Bay first reported on the possibility of the match-up.The article states that Rich Chou, the Strikeforce matchmaker, recently took to Twitter and tweeted about the Lashley/Overeem fight. After doing a little digging myself, here are the mentioned quotes. Chou was responding to a fan that said “I just saw on the internet overrem vs lashley or you serious ? That’s ridiculous.” Chou’s response was “It’s going down in Dream. Some massive boys in the ring for that one.”

Alistair Overeem, the current Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, has become a major star in Japan due to his multiple K-1 excursions. Most recently, Overeem won the K-1 World Grand Prix after competing three times in one night. Overeem’s last MMA fight saw him defend his Heavyweight Championship for the first time ever, in his first American MMA bout in over three years. Overeem, of course, made it look easy, literally tossing Brett Rogers around the Strikeforce cage before TKO’ing him in the first round.

Bobby Lashley’s recent fortunes are a stark contrast to Overeem’s, however. After being spoon-fed a large majority of his fights in Strikeforce in the hopes of building him into a major star, Lashley’s train may have been permanently derailed after a deflating (in every sense of the word) loss to the unheralded and virtually unknown Chad Griggs. Griggs survived Lashley’s usual first-round onslaught, and at one point Lashley gassed himself out so badly that the referee stood the fight up while Lashley had Griggs mounted because Lashley was so inactive.

I won’t lie, fans and friends: I hope this fight doesn’t happen. Aside from the initial report not a lot has been made about this fight, so I think it’s still very much up-in-the-air until someone, somewhere brings us some official confirmation. But in the here and now, I just don’t think Lashley is anywhere close to Overeem’s level, nor has he done anything to warrant such a high-profile match.

I know the potential is there for me to end up eating my words since this is MMA and anything can happen in MMA, but I just don’t see any way Bobby Lashley could beat Alistair Overeem. It’s just not computing. Overeem has an under-rated ground game and he’s a K-1 champion, he’s the best of the best in the biggest and most well-known kickboxing promotion in the world. Lashley is such a sacrificial lamb in this bout, if it does indeed end up happening, that it’s not even funny.

But will I watch this fight if it does end up happening? Of course. How could I not? “DYNAMITE” is already shaping up to be a very interesting show, and I’ve been a huge fan of Alistair Overeem for a long time. Even though I have my reservations, I’d tune in to watch this fight just to see Overeem dominate in classic Overeem fashion.

And what about you, fans and friends? What are your thoughts on this match? Will it happen, will it not happen, and if it does, who do you think will win and why?

Once coveted as one of the best heavyweight fighters in the world, the deadly Russian striker now finds himself on the cusp of making a comeback in a big way when he returns to Japan once again to take on Tatsuya Mizuno at the year-end extravaganza, DREAM’s: Dynamite!! 2010.

The former PRIDE star will have chance to take on the finalist of DREAM’s inaugural light heavyweight Grand Prix in Tatsuya Mizuno, who earned his spot in the finals defeating the Dutch striking sensation in Melvin Manhoef via TKO in the first round. However, Mizuno later fell to former DREAM middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi in the finals, succumbing to a rear-naked choke inside of the first round.

The contest will most likely be fought at heavyweight. Mizuno spent the bulk of his career as a heavyweight fighter, however just recently dropped down to the 205-pound class since entering in the promotion’s most recent Grand Prix.

Kharitonov was last seen in action at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 Final where he met Singh Jaideep in a special super fight feature at the kickboxing extravaganza. Sergei lost via TKO inside of the first round. The loss squelched any thoughts of the Russian completing a winning streak, after garnering his first such win when he defeated former prospect Takumi Sato via TKO last October.

MMAFighting.com first reported the news of the Sergei/Mizuno match up, which has since been a late addition to the Dynamite!! show.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the match up? Will Sergei or Tatsuya reign supreme? Sound off in the comment section below.

According to MMA Mania, Fighting and Entertainment Group, the company that controls both K-1 and DREAM, recently announced that former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion and current DREAM Light Heavyweight Champion Gegard Mousasi would face Kyotaro in a special K-1 bout. For the MMA portion of the card, it’s also been announced that DREAM’s “Super Hulk” tournament champion, Ikuhisa Minowa, will face Hiroshi Izumi, an Olympic medalist in judo. And to top it all off, it was announced that the one and only Hayato Sakurai is scheduled to take on Jason High.

According to the report, the official “DYNAMITE” card now stands as follows. The MMA Portion of the card will consist of Marius Zaromskis vs. Kazushi Sakuraba, Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Josh Thomson, Kazuyuki Miyata vs. Caol Uno, Bibiano Fernandes vs. Hiroyuki Takaya, Hayato Sakurai vs. Jason High, and Hiroshi Izumi vs. Ikuhisa Minowa. The K-1 portion of the card will consist of Gegard Mousasi vs. Kyotaro and Akiyo Nishiura vs. Tetsuya Yamato. And finally, Shinya Aoki will face Yuichiro Nagashima in a bout that is being marketed as a “MMA/K-1 Mixed Rules” fight.

All in all, I’m looking forward to “DYNAMITE”. Despite all the financial troubles they seem to be having, time and time again I’ve been entertained by the DREAM promotion. I won’t give them a free pass on not paying their fights, but I’m not going to call a good event bad because of it. DREAM itself may have lost a bit of my respect lately, but I still immensely respect the men who make DREAM’s cards so memorable. I just hope for their sakes that they get paid for their efforts.

In particular, I’m really looking forward to Marius Zaromskis vs. Kazushi Sakuraba. I think Zaromskis really needs a win, his excursion to the USA badly hurt his marketability and status as a champion. If Sakuraba does manage to beat him, I think we’ll unfortunately have to close the book on Marius Zaromskis. And coming from a guy that considers him a “dark horse favorite”, that’s very sad news indeed. I’ll certainly be pulling for “The Whitemare”.

I’ll also be looking forward to seeing Gegard Mousasi and Josh Thomson compete. Mousasi always brings his best when he goes to Japan, and I think he’ll have a pretty entertaining K-1 bout. And though I’ve taken issue with a few things he’s said in the past, I’ve never seen a Josh Thomson fight I wasn’t entertained by. I’ll even tune in to see “Minowaman” because I respect the man’s drive and heart.

It remains to be seen what 2011 holds for FEG and the two promotions it has under its belt, but if you believe the rumors, the future definitely looks bleak. However, that doesn’t mean that they can’t end the year with a colossal bang. This mega-show has all the makings of a great event, so I’ll probably tune in to see it before the night is through. And what about you, fans and friends? Is “DYNAMITE” shaping up to be a good enough card to pry you away from your New Year’s Eve festivities?

Zaromskis claimed the promotions welterweight title in 2009 after dispatching of Seichi Ikemoto, Hayato Sakurai and Jason High. Wins over UFC veterans High and Sakurai came via headkick knockout, which have become a trademark for the Lithuanian striker.

Marius transitioned to the United States after reeling off four wins in a row under the DREAM banner, only to run on an 0-2-1 slide in Strikeforce.

Vying for the San Jose based promotion’s then vacant 170-pound title opposite of Nick Diaz last January, Marius was knocked out in the waning moments of the bout giving him his first loss in nearly two years. He would later return in the Strikeforce cage against veteran Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos, however succumbed to another first round stoppage. In a chance to redeem himself, “The Whitemare” was then pitted against King of the Cage veteran Waachim Spiritwolf, however the bout ended in anti-climatic fashion when an inadvertent eye poke by Zaromskis resulted in a No Contest.

After spending the majority of 2010 in the States, Marius will return to Japan for the famous year end show when he takes on legend Kazushi Sakuraba.

Sakuraba will be reportedly dropping down to the welterweight division for the first time in his career when he meets Zaromskis, in a bout which will be contested for Marius’ DREAM 170-pound title.

Sakuraba was last seen in action when he meet MMA wild man Jason Miller at DREAM 16 this past September. Kazushi was thoroughly dominated en route to a first round submission via arm-triangle choke just a little over two-minutes inside of the first round. The submission loss marked only the second time the Japanese sensation had been submitted. The first was in 1996 against heavyweight Kimo Leopoldo in Sakuraba’s first professional bout.

The 41-year-old is 2-4 in his last 6 outings, and while it has not been eluded to, these next few bouts Sakuraba has left in him could be his last.

MMAJunkie.com first reported the match, which will take place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan for “DREAM: Dynamite!! 2010″, the promotion’s annual year-end extravaganza.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the match up? Both men are coming off of losses in their last few outings, but both hold a wealth of experience inside the cage, namely Sakuraba. Who do you think takes this bout? Sound off in the comment section below.

A veteran of the earliest days of the sport, the inception of the now defunct PRIDE organization which began in 1997 where he knocked out veteran Oleg Taktarov inside of the first round of their heavyweight match up.

Prior to his stint in Japan, he was a veteran of the UFC circuit, debuting within the organization as early as UFC 8, where he scored back-to-back knockout victories to earn his way to the tournaments finals losing to the brash Don Frye.

After his storied career has seemingly come to a head at the age of 44, Gary’s quality of life has suffered with some of his most recent losses in his career as a professional martial artist, and now on top of that, he can’t even be paid for his fights from the people he respected the most.

“It’s been almost a year since I fought (Gegard) Mousasi at FEG’s NYE show in Japan. I want my money”, said Goodridge who spoke with MMAFighiting.com, pertaining to his last stint under the DREAM banner.

“I stayed quiet because I thought they were going to pay me but I still haven’t seen a penny. I have bills I have to pay. I worked for the Japanese people for over a decade, and I never thought they would treat me like this.”

Goodridge always took a workman like approach to his fights. Whoever paid him to fight, he would fight for. Whomever they asked him to fight, it was always ‘sure, no problem’. In whatever condition he was in, the Kuk Sool Won specialist always came and performed.

“I always fought whoever they asked me to, whenever they asked me to”, said the Trinidad native.

“I was in rough shape before I took the fight against Mousasi but they needed a fighter with only a week to go before the show so I stepped up for the fans. Now they won’t answer my calls and nobody will talk to me. I have had my lawyer and my manager call them but they have not been able to get an answer.”

“They have always been great to me but I really need this money in these hard times. I hope they will stop screwing me.”

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the news? To wait almost two years for a fight purse, is ridiculous to say the least. But the bigger story here stands at the financial woes of DREAM, or rather the FEG banner, as a whole. If they can’t afford to pay Goodridge, who doesn’t command the kind of money that a top-tier athlete today would, then what does that say about the company? Sound off in the comment section below.

After many reports surfaced concerning several fighters not being compensated for their performances under the Japanese banner, either in an untimely manner or in some cases not at all (Ronaldo Souza), it looks like now the organization has a new obstacle to overcome yet again.

DREAM’s TV deal with TBS (Tokyo Broadcasting Systems) Sports in Japan looks shaky, to say the least. Currently, the Television company has listed just one bout–Bibiano Fernandes defending his featherweight title against Hiroyuki Takaya–to be aired for the December 31st event, which according to some, should raise many questions. And accordingly, it looks like the year-end event is in danger of not being televised altogether.

MiddleEasy.com has picked up the story. Additionally, according to Zach Arnold of Fight Opinion, TBS and K-1 (the Zuffa to the Japan based promotion) have yet to sign a contract between one another to telecast the event.

“If a TV deal falls apart, the smart solution would be for K-1 to cancel the NYE event and either stay on the sidelines or work with Sengoku for their Ariake Colosseum event. (Who would have ever thought that this would be a possibility?) Given that a month ago K-1 tried to portray itself as a ‘big brother helping out a little brother’ by offering to work with Sengoku for their 12/30 Tokyo event, it would be a major loss of face if K-1 canceled the Dynamite event. Which is why, in the end, it’s likely the show will go on in Saitama even without television. This is all about saving face and maintaining image even with a steep price tag. Understand that K-1 needs momentum and something positive to point to in order to maintain their ties with both Fuji TV and Tokyo Broadcasting System. If Dynamite bombs, their future on network television will be shaky.”

“The stress is enormous right now on K-1’s staff. They have their 12/11 Ariake Colosseum event for Fuji TV that they need to sell tickets for. So far, the primary focus for promotional operations this week has been for the Ariake show. It’s going to be tough for K-1 to sell out that event. Now, combine that with the fact that they are in a terrible position going into the Dynamite show with little or no momentum and something has to give.”

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the news? If the event goes un-televised, and if it’s not a sellout show for their year-end event, it looks like we could see the end DREAM and possibly K-1 altogether. Sound off in the comment section below.

MMA Weekly recently confirmed it with Strikeforce officials: this bout will not be happening. Melendez famously beat Aoki at the April 2010 Strikeforce: “Nashville” event. In fact, Melendez outright dominated Aoki en route to capturing a Unanimous Decision win and retaining his Strikeforce Lightweight Championship. The international showdown between two of the best Lightweights in the world came about through Strikeforce’s partnership with the Japanese-based DREAM promotion.

Shinya Aoki has since fought three times (in his native Japan) since the crushing loss to Melendez, winning once by decision and twice by submission. DREAM itself has come under fire recently for not paying its fighters, and rumors of financial instability in its parent company abound. It was not confirmed that these rumors were the reason that the rematch in Japan was axed. In fact, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker recently commented that the DREAM/Strikeforce partnership was still intact, and that DREAM had paid all of the Strikeforce fighters that were “loaned” to the promotion.

I honestly can’t say that I’m sad that this match won’t be happening. In a previous article, I outright stated that I thought this match wouldn’t really prove anything. Then again, I also admitted that a rematch couldn’t hurt. In the end, I think it just hasn’t been long enough to justify a rematch.

I know I’ve been advocating for several immediate rematches recently, and I’m glad that this story popped up because I’m usually not in favor of immediate rematches. This fight in particular perfectly typifies my problem with immediate rematches. What has Aoki done to deserve an immediate rematch? He’s beaten three people, sure, but has he evolved in any way, shape, or form? If we get a rematch so soon after the first match, wouldn’t we just be getting the same Shinya Aoki versus the same Gilbert Melendez? Sure, it would be in Japan and Melendez would have to cope with some new rules, but does that make the fight interesting enough to justify having an immediate rematch?

I honestly don’t think it does. No matter the setting, Melendez’s dominant wrestling ability, striking skill, and submission defense are far too much for Aoki to handle as he is now. If Aoki had reinvented himself from the ground up following the loss to Melendez, maybe I’d have more sympathy towards those calling for an immediate rematch. But he’s still the same Aoki. He’s a great submission specialist, one of the absolute best, but he has some of the worst stand-up I’ve ever seen. It’s a tall order to fend off his submissions for three or even five straight rounds, but if Melendez did it before, he’d be able to do it again, especially if the fight took place in the same calendar year.

Let’s see a rematch a year from now, or even two years from now. There was no controversy, there were very few mitigating factors, Gilbert Melendez outright dominated Shinya Aoki and I highly doubt that would have changed if the fight took place in a ring instead of a cage. So I’m glad this fight won’t be seeing the light of day.

And what about you, fans and friends? What are your feelings on this match now officially being cancelled?

It’s a man named Marlon Sandro, someone who most hardcore fans are well aware of, but the casual mixed martial arts fan who is still wearing those Afflicition t-shirts and don a Ed Hardy water in hand will likely have no idea who he is.

A few quick facts: He’s a teammate of Aldo’s, both originating from the famed Nova Uniao camp in Brazil. And coupled with a true Black Belt level ground game, he has knockout power that would scare most heavyweights.

On his road to claim the Sengoku 145-pound title, knocked out two opponents in a row inside of the first round, with a combined time of 2:42. In his championship bout with then champion Masanori Kanehara, who at the time was coming off of a decision victory over the popular “Kid” Yamamoto, Sandro made quick work of the Japanese star, making him another highlight reel when he knocked him out of consciousness in just 38 seconds, and with the win claimed the promotion’s title.

Now, Sandro will look to defend his title against perennial top-10 featherweight star, Hatsu Hioki. In a strange turn of events, it looks like he will defend his title under the DREAM banner for the year-end spectacular, Dynamite!! 2010, instead of the Sengoku banner. The Japanese have a weird way in going about business.

Hioki was supposed to challenge for Sengoku’s vacant title originally, having earned his spot in the finals during the promotion’s featherweight grand prix in 2009. However, he was later replaced by Kanehara was it was deemed during the tournament that Hioki was unable to continue due to injury.

Since then, Hioki has won two fights in a row since a highly controversial decision loss to featherweight star Michihiro Omigawa in November of last year. Virtually everyone believed the bout should have gone in favor of Hatsu, and Omigawa even agreed with the same sentiments following the fights conclusion. He has since defeated “Lion” Takeshi Inoue by decision claiming the Shooto lightweight (143 lbs.) title, and then submitted “The Ultimate Fighter” veteran Jeff Lawson last August.

Dynamite!! 2010 takes place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on December 31. Sandro recently broke the news with TATAME.com, plans are tentative but look promising.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the match up? It’s a clash in styles, really. While both are more than adept in all areas, even Hioki holding a technical advantage on the feet, Sandro’s crushing power is always the equalizer, with 4 his most recent wins all coming by way of knockout, all inside of the first round. Sound off in the comment section below.

A previously announced strikeforce return next February will come after another stint back in Japan when the Armenian born fighter takes on another daunting task.

Stepping up once again to the heavyweight division, which Mousasi has done twice before in matches with former PRIDE stars Mark Hunt and Gary Goodridge, Gegard is expected to meet K-1 legend Jerome Le Banner at DREAM’s year end event, Dynamite!! 2010.

Mousasi, the former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion, recently spoke with MMAJunkie.com about the breaking news against the famed striker in Le Banner.

“I don’t know if I’m fighting him yet,” said Gegard. “They haven’t confirmed. They asked me, and I said yes, so now if he said yes, the fight is on.”

The 25-year-old realizes that the allure of fighting Le Banner, which is expected to take place under mixed martial arts rules though a K-1 bout is not ruled out, doesn’t hold much weight the realm of his professional career. However, with Jerome’s noted popularity overseas, Gegard wants to use the bout as a way to revitalize his fans in Japan, letting them take notice that he is still around.

“If I fight Jerome LeBanner in the U.S., [he] wouldn’t be considered a good MMA fighter,” Mousasi said. “But in Europe because he’s a popular K-1 fighter, it’s fighting a big fight. It doesn’t matter if it’s MMA or K-1, so it’s good for me (and) my name in Europe if I could beat him. And he’s big and strong, so it’s a challenge for me to get him down. I know that once I can get him down, I can win. But that’s the challenge.”

If Mousasi should take on the multiple time K-1 Grand Prix finalist under kickboxing rules, he wouldn’t necessarily be out of his element. He currently holds a 4-0 record as a kickboxer, with his last bout taking place at Dynamite!! 2008 against Japanese legend, Musashi (no relation), winning by TKO inside of the first round in a strong, strong performance turned in.

Dynamite!! 2010 takes place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on December 31.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the bout? Would you rather see it contested under MMA or K-1 rules? Who do you favor in the latter? Sound off in the comment section below.

Earlier this year, Fernandes criticized the organization of lude conduct when they failed to compensate the Brazilian when he successfully defended his title against former DREAM lightweight champion Joachim Hansen last March.

However, the two sides have since made nice when the promotion paid their champion a little over a month ago and he will now return and attempt to defend his title for a second time against a familiar foe in Hiroyuki Takaya, which will all culminate at the end of this year.

DREAM officials formally introduced the title fight yesterday afternoon, with Hiroyuki himself there to answer the media about his impending match up with Fernandes. The two had met previously when the organization conducted it’s first featherweight tournament in 2009. Both Bibiano and Takaya made their way to the finals, and after 15 minutes of action, Fernandes walked away with a very close split-decision win.

Takaya went on a tough stretch after the bout, losing by TKO to top featherweight star Michihiro Omigawa, however the powerful striker has since bounced back with back-to-back knockout wins over Joachim Hansen and former WEC champion Chase Beebe (both of whom had never been knocked out), earning him the top contenders status.

Dynamite!! 2010 is a special year-end event which will take place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on December 31.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the fight? Who do you favor in the rematch? Sound off in the comment section below.

Losing his title earlier this year to then champion “King Mo”, the Armenian fighter returned to the DREAM promotion in Japan where he initially attained his middleweight title, bounced back with two back-to-back first-round submission victories over UFC veteran Jake O’Brien and Tatsuya Mizuno, en route to the light heavyweight title.

Now with new rumored bouts on the horizon, Mousasi sets the record straight as to where his future lies in the world of mixed martial arts.

Mousasi recently spoke with MMAJunkie.com and has stated that he will in fact return to the cage, though not till next year.

“February,” said the dual DREAM champion. “I’m fighting Mike Kyle in Strikeforce. February – that’s what I heard.”

Kyle has seen a huge resurgence in his career as of late, and provides more than an adequate opponent for Mousasi, which is really strange to say considering Mike’s journeyman status not all that long ago.

He was always one of those guys with lots of potential, but that had showed little for it. However, the American Kickboxing Academy has since showed his talent in the cage with his most recent performances.

“MAK” has gone 6-1-1 in his last 8 fights, with the lone loss coming to the hands of top heavyweight fighter Fabricio Werdum, whom most know as the man who submitted the former PRIDE champion Fedor Emelianenko, making him the only man to decisively defeat the Russian. The loss to Fabricio marks Kyle’s brief stint in the heavyweight division before he made a full time commitment to the 205-pound class. He holds a notable victory over current champion Rafael Cavalcante, who knocked out Muhammed Lawal last August for the title.

Along with his impressive run, he has since picked up two-championships in outside promotion’s, including the King of the Cage title and the XMMA title, which was garnered with a first round drubbing of Steve Oliver in Australia.

Kyle is no joke, but neither is Gegard. The winner of the bout in February will likely become the new number one contender to the title behind the victor between Dan Henderson vs Renato Sobral (the bout takes place in December and has already been promised a top contenders spot).

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the match up? Both fighters are more than adept on the feet, with Kyle recording 12 of his 18 wins by some form of knockout, and Mousasi holding K-1 experience with a knockout win over kickboxing star Musashi (no relation). Sound off in the comment section below.

Having traveled all around the world, including a two-fight stint in the UFC as a lightweight fighter, the Japanese Judoka reinvented himself as a featherweight, and since making the drop to the new weight class, has looked nearly unstoppable.

After an adventure with both Sengoku and DREAM, where Omigawa has become a title contender in both organizations, it looks like he may give up infamy in his native country for a second shot here in the states, and what better organization to do that with then with the largest one in the sport.

Initially, the 34-year-old was rumored to appear with the World Extreme Cagefighting promotion by years end, possibly at the December show, however since the organization has assimilated with it’s sister promotion under the Zuffa banner, it now looks like Omigawa may be making a b-line straight into the big show. All this will come to fruition, according to MiddleEasy.com.

Having gone 8-2-1 since his release from the UFC in 2008, Michihiro has looked stronger than ever. The protege of mixed martial arts legend Hidehiko Yoshida, Omigawa has racked up victories over the likes of Pancrase and Sengoku champion Marlon Sandro, former WEC champ Cole Escovedo, Hatsu Hioki, Hiroyuki Takaya, and “The Ultimate Fighter” veteran Nam Phan.

His lone losses in this 11-fight stretch have come to “The Korean Zombie” and former Sengoku title holder, Masanori Kanehara, in the featherweight tournament finals–both by close decisions.

If the rumor’s are true, Omigawa could make an immediate impact in the 145-pound division, making a run for the title in the foreseeable future in a weight class that is begging for challengers after Jose Aldo has made all look elementary. Aldo is faced now with his toughest test to date for his featherweight strap when he meets with tough Massachusetts native Josh Grispi, serving as the co-main event at UFC 125 on New Years day.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the news? Would you like to see Omigawa in the UFC, and if so, who would you like to see him matched against with? Sound off in the comment section below.

Having defeated the likes of Tatsuya Kawajiri, Rodrigo Damm, Mitsuhiro Ishida, Josh Thomson and now Shinya Aoki last April, Melendez is looking for new and exciting quality opponents. While a third match with Thomson, who has recently bounced back from the loss to his fellow Californian native last December with two consecutive wins over Pat Healy and “JZ” Cavalcante, would be appealing to fans, it’s something that Melendez has openly criticized, wanting to face new competition.

With a potential fight with Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez dangling in the wind after Bjorn, the organization’s CEO, and Coker have had it out in the media, the back and forth has nearly solidified the fact that the two parties may never come to an agreement.

Melendez, who recently spoke with MMAWeekly about the positives in rematching Aoki, DREAM’s lightweight champion, which include possibly capturing a new championship title and being the only 155-pound fighter to defeat the perennial top-10 fighter on two occasions.

The Japanese organization has expressed interest in creating a rematch under their banner, however Scott has been adamant about not making that fight happen.

“That’s not definitely going to happen, we’ll probably know in the next week or so,” Coker revealed on MMAWeekly Radio concerning the bout’s future. “I’m not sure if that fight will happen. If not, we’ll get Gilbert back fighting in the Strikeforce cage.”

The biggest concern on Scott’s behalf has been DREAM’s short but rocky future in the mixed martial arts world. Beginning in 2008, the Japanese organization has already created a history of tardy payments with fight purses. “JZ” Cavalcante, a former K-1 Hero’s champion has still yet to receive any compensation from his victory over Katsunori Kikuno at DREAM 15 last July.

“It’s always concerning when you hear something like that, but I can only judge when we send our fighters over there, as to whether they get paid or not,” said Coker. “We sent K.J. (Noons) over there at the beginning of the year and he got paid in two weeks. When we sent Nick (Diaz), I think he got paid within a couple months. So they have been paying the athletes we have sent over, but I’ve been hearing a lot of the nightmares that you’re talking about.

“It’s something that we’ll be monitoring as we continue the fighter sharing.”

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the news? Should Coker move forward with DREAM, what sort of precaution’s can be made to protect their athletes? And furthermore, who would you like to see Melendez fight next? While a third fight Thomson is compelling, his win over “JZ” is hollow, en light of how controversial the outcome was. Who do you see as a marketable, viable, contender to his title? Sound off in the comment section below.

Here’s what Coker had to say over at MMA Weekly: “I’m not sure if that fight will happen… We sent K.J. (Noons) over there at the beginning of the year and he got paid in two weeks. When we sent Nick (Diaz), I think he got paid within a couple months. So they have been paying the athletes we have sent over, but I’ve been hearing a lot of the nightmares that you’re talking about… It’s something that we’ll be monitoring as we continue the fighter sharing.”

While I do think that it’s unfortunate that DREAM seems to find itself in an increasingly-worse situation, I have relatively little sympathy for promotions that refuse to pay their workers. I think DREAM has put together some good cards and started out with some great intentions, but when you lose the respect of the fans and the respect of the fighters, you may as well call it a day. And DREAM is quickly losing both with all these rumors about not paying their athletes.

I could not possibly stress enough how important it is to keep the good faith of your fighters. We can squabble and debate the merits of each fighter and their pay all we want, welcome to modern-day sports. But not paying them at all? Inexcusable. It’s a slap in the face to go out, do your job, and not see a penny for your hard work. I’m sure I’m not the only journalist/opinion columnist/whatever with friends in the industry (which is why I always take such a harsh stance whenever this topic pops up), but I’m also not afraid of calling promotions on this. So I’ll say it loud, proud, and again and again: pay your damn fighters.

In regards to Aoki vs. Melendez 2, I honestly have to ask: would this fight really prove anything? Melendez already owns a very convincing win over Aoki. And I know the common response deals with Aoki being inexperienced in the cage and how Melendez benefited from the home team advantage, but I honestly think that’s very unfair to Melendez. Gilbert’s win over Aoki was all skill, nothing should be taken away from that victory even if Aoki had trouble adapting to the cage. I think Gilbert’s skill would easily translate from the ring to the cage and we’d get another blowout performance.

But ultimately, I suppose a second match couldn’t hurt. Who knows, Aoki may even beat Melendez, evening up the score and setting up a possible third match. I have to admit, I’d be far more interested in a trilogy fight if Aoki won the second than I’m currently interested in the actual second fight between these two champions. If it happens I’d watch it, if Aoki wins I’d be shocked, if Melendez wins I’d shrug my shoulders and say “Good, now fight Alvarez already.” At this point I’d be more shocked if DREAM paid Melendez for beating Aoki again than if Melendez actually beat Aoki again.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think of DREAM’s rumors of financial instability, as well as the rumors of Melendez/Aoki 2?

Overeem, the Strikeforce heavyweight champion, expressed his desire to battle for the Japanese promotions’ first-ever heavyweight title.

There had been rumors that former UFC belt holder, Andrei Arlovski, was thought to be his opponent in order to vie for the promotion’s unheralded title. However, negotiation’s fell through and the bout was ultimately scrapped.

Now, it looks like one man’s loss is another man’s gain, and Josh Barnett is reaping the rewards.

MiddleEasy.com has reported that Josh Barnett, the besmirched black sheep in the heavyweight division will be vying for the promotion’s first heavyweight title.

Although it has not been officially announced by the organization, rumor has it that “The Baby Face Assassin” will be competing on the infamous New Year’s show, Dynamite!! for the 2010 edition.

Barnett, who once claimed UFC heavyweight gold was ultimately stripped of the title after testing positive for steroids. Perhaps not the greatest stigma to add, but Josh is the only person in MMA history to have tested for said performance enhancing substances not once, not twice, but on three separate occasions. The last of which was the most documented. After a super fight was established by the now defunct “Afflicition” promotion, which has reverted back to it’s clothing company identity, between Barnett and the former PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko.

The bout was put to a halt ten days before the event by the California State Athletic Commission when Barnett had reportedly tested positive for P.E.D’s again, and eventually the whole card altogether was canceled, and the promotion eventually folded.

Josh recently signed a multi-fight deal with Strikeforce, however has some leniency in being able to compete in outside organization’s, under their approval.

According to the report by MiddleEasy, depending on the outcome of the K-1 Grand Prix which will feature the final 8 men in action on December 11th, Overeem may be available to reappear on the Dynamite!! year end show.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the news? Should Barnett be battling for the promotion’s vacant heavyweight title? Would a winner and loser in a bout between Barnett and Overeem effect the heavyweight picture in Strikeforce in a negative or a positive way? Sound off in the comment section below.

The famed Dutch striker whom has part timed with Mike’s Gym in Holland and American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida, will be returning to Japan for the first time since a disappointing loss to the previously unheralded, Tatsuya Mizuno, who eventually made his way to the finals of the light heavyweight DREAM grand prix, where he lost to current champion Gegard Mousasi.

Manhoef has no fared so well as of late and is looking revitalize his career in his next performance.

Holding a two-fight losing skid in both his professional kickboxing career as well as in his mixed martial arts career.

Possibly the most devastating of his losses was when the Dutch striker matched up with former Icon and EliteXC middleweight champion Robbie Lawler last January. Melvin was aggressive from the get-go of their 185-pound match up, battering the HIT Squad member with brutal leg kicks and effective striking combination’s. Then, in a moment of weakness, an over zealous Manhoef left his hands down when Lawler was able to effectively counter with a right hook which dropped Melvin, followed up with follow up blows on the ground and knocked out the former Cage Rage light heavyweight champion, cold.

Melvin will return for Dynamite!! 2010, Dream’s annual year end show which features both professional kickboxing and mixed martial arts main attractions. His opponent has yet to be determined.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of Melvin’s return? Who would you like to see him fight?
Sound off in the comment section below.

After losing back-to-back fights in the UFC’s lightweight division against standouts Matt Wiman and Thiago Tavares (respectively), Omigawa then decided to try his hand in the 145-pound weight class.

Though his debut was spoiled by none other than “The Korean Zombie” in a DEEP event in 2008, the talented Judoka practitioner has since rattled off an impressive 8-1-1 record, with his only loss coming to the hands to former Sengoku featherweight champion, Masanori Kanehara in 2009, in an attempt to vie for the then vacant title.

After returning from Las Vegas, Nev., for reasons that can only be speculated by the uninformed, Omigawa revealed that he was offered a fight with the wec for the promotion’s 53rd event, which is to be held on December 16 in Arizona, this according to BloodyElbow.com.

However, Omigawa, whom has defeated division greats such as Hatsu Hioki, Marlon Sandro, and Hiroyuki Takaya, has his eyes set on a match up against another one of Japan’s best, and this man wears some of the flashiest spandex pants ever to be seen. Eat your heart out “Flash Dance” enthusiasts, Omigawa wants Shinya Aoki.

“Big news!! next target of OMIGAWA is…AOKI shinya!! He hiope [sic] NY eve Dynamite!! fight,and..he confirm the offer from WEC!!”, reports Gryphon, an MMA enthusiast who translates to the best of his abilities.

A bout with Aoki at the year end show, Dynamite!! 2010, would surely do wonders for the promotion, should it come to fruition. It would give the organization the numbers it so desperately needs to stay afloat in the mixed martial arts industry, seeing as how it’s financial woes have been anything but private.

So, MMA peeps, would you put your vote in for Omigawa to return under the Zuffa banner and compete in the WEC? Or would you rather see the DREAM veteran return to Japan to face Aoki, the DREAM lightweight champion? Sound off in the comment section below.

However, since dropping down to the featherweight division, Omigawa has accomplished more than any other 145-pound in his weight class has. Recording victories over current Sengoku and Pancrase featherweight champion Marlon Sandro, Hatsu Hioki, Hiroyuki Takaya and former WEC champion Cole Escovdeo in his most recent outing, it’s hard to argue with the results of the famed Judoka, who holds a pedestrian and deceiving 12-8-1 record.

Currently 8-1 in his past 9 fights, with his only loss coming to former Sengoku featherweight champion, Omigawa has been steadily making his mark in Japan’s MMA circuit, and looks to be now primed as the next contender to the featherweight title in DREAM… at least, that’s what he thinks.

“I defeated Marlon Sandro in Sengoku, I defeated Takaya”, began Omigawa in an interview with Kampiro, a Japanese MMA magazine, featured in the November issue.

“So my next target was DREAM champion…I thought, but I wasted time. So, they can do their business, but [the] featherweight belt’s value is nothing without me”, the featherweight belt in question, is currently held by Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace and estranged champion, Bibiano Fernandes. Fernandes was asked to compete on the DREAM 16 event, the same event where Omigawa submitted Escovedo with a straight arm bar from his back, however, due to money and time issues was unable to accept.

“So DREAM should respect me. Now, I defeat striker by striking, defeat grappler by submission. I am new legend.”

So, apparently he is a “new legend”…why hasn’t anybody told me? I had no idea. Omigawa, is a great fighter nonetheless, despite the expanding ego. But, MMA peeps, what do you think? Is it cocky or confident? Sound off in the comment section below. Props to MiddeEasy.com for the find.

It’s part of his charm really… almost reminiscent of his friend, Fedor Emelianenko. Before losing his Strikeforce title to the former champion Muhammed Lawal, or “King Mo” depending on who you ask, Mousasi was thought to be one of the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet. Holding notable victories in the middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight divisions, Gegard is a true force to be reckoned with in the mixed martial arts world.

Though, an uninspired loss to the aforementioned Lawal, derailed much of the movement of the Armenian, he has since bounced back with two back-to-back victories over the likes of former UFC fighter Jake O’Brien, and Japanese star, Tatsuya Mizuno, whom the Holland native submitted inside of the first round at DREAM 16 for the promotion’s light heavyweight title.

Now with his confidence back in form, Gegard could be gearing for a series of different options available to him in the future. Still under contract with both Strikeforce and DREAM, Mousasi has some weighty decisions presented in front of himself, both appealing in their own right.

In an interview with MiddleEasy.com, Gegard revealed what both promotions have in store for him at the moment, though talks are still preliminary.

“Next, maybe Strikeforce or New Year’s eve in Japan”, said Mousasi while speaking with MiddleEasy. The famed New Year’s Eve event, is the promotion’s famed Dynamite!! series, which features some of the best and most notable fighters in Japan. Last years event, for example, featured a special attraction when it was billed as a DREAM vs Sengoku card, pitting champions against champions or notable competitors. K-1 styled match ups are also annually featured during the event as well.

“In Japan, they said (Satoshi) Ishii, the Olympic Gold medalist, and I heard some rumors that maybe against the title in Strikeforce, but I don’t know for sure”, finished Gegard.

Either bout, should it come to fruition, would be compelling to say the least. Early rumors indicate, though, that if Henderson is victorious over “Babalu” Sobral in their December 4. light heavyweight tilt, that he could be next in line for a title shot.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the news? What would you rather see Gegard go for next? Should he be eligible to challenge for the Strikeforce title? Sound off in the comment section below.

Josh Thomson, the former Strikeforce lightweight champion whom lost his title in a title unification bout (and rematch) with Gilbert Melendez, was hoping to garner his second consecutive victory when he met with the world-ranked “JZ” Cavalcante in the co-main event of last night’s great night of fights.

Proving to be a formidable force in the ring, the American Top Team product in “JZ” displayed his strength, proficient grappling skills, and his heavy handed ground-and-pound. However, it wasn’t enough to earn him the judges nod, and Thomson took the fight all across the board. Thomson may have walked out the “winner”, but it looks like Josh and only three other people (the judges) think he actually won the fight.

The first frame saw Cavalcante stalking Thomson down, who appeared the smaller fighter of the two. Then, in a wild exchange, “JZ” landed a strong right hook, stunning Thomson to his knees before latching on and falling back for a tight, arm-in guillotine choke. Keeping his composure, Josh stayed in for what seemed like an eternity. In the waning moments of the round, Josh was able to escape the choke, and lock on an arm triangle choke, which allowed him to maneuver to mount, then to side control to tighten the squeeze. It looked tight, but the round ends, and while Josh was gaining moment in the end, it looked like the Florida native took the round.

In the second, saw Thomson a little bit more aggressive, as he was able to carry over the momentum from the end of the first. After reversing jockeying positions against the cage, Thomson finally earns a trip take down. Josh tries to go for the arm triangle again, but doesn’t have it. Stuck in half guard, Josh tries to free his leg, but in the last moments of the round, Josh instead opts to pound away on his opponent and seemingly takes the round.

The third round was all “JZ”. After a botched take down attempt by Thomson, the Brazilian was able to reverse positions, and eventually wound up in mount. Thomson was able to work his way back to full guard, but “JZ” kept the pressure on Josh, and the AKA lightweight was unable to get out from underneath Cavalcante, who in the last seconds of the fight unleashed his devastating ground and pound, clinching the round in his favor and essentially the fight, 29-28 after three rounds of action.

AOL’s MMAFighting.com, Sherdog.com, MMAJunkie.com, and MMAWeekly.com all scored the fight the same, 29-28 across the board for Cavalcante, who had returned to the United States after four years spent in Japan.

As the bout concluded, it looked as though Gesias had finally recorded his first victory under the Strikeforce banner, becoming the first DREAM fighter (since Gegard Mousasi) to successfully transition here to the United States and claim a victory. However, Josh Thomson was declared the winner, with scores of 29-28, 29-28, and shockingly enough, 30-27. The bout was to determine a number one contender to Gilbert Melendez’ lightweight crown in Strikeforce. Thomson and Melendez have met twice before, splitting victories with “El Nino” picking up a victory in their last outing in December of 2009, in what was a 5-round brawl.

So, MMA peeps, for those who watched last nights great Strikeforce card, do you all share the same sentiments as the rest of the MMA community, or was the fight closer do you think? Does a knockdown and submission stack up better against full mount and a locked in arm-triangle choke? Sound off in the comment section below.

Although his in-ring antics against Mizuto Hirota at “Dynamite!! 2009″ would inidicate otherwise, the grappling ace usually keeps to himself and refrains from doing a lot of outlandish things. Maybe that’s why the Japanese have embraced him as their leading man in the world of mixed martial arts.

However, most recently, the famed Judoka has stepped out of his shell and lit the MMA world abuzz once again, with his almost brutal honesty, on how he views the Western MMA scene (um…us) and how they can benefit by tuning into DREAM, once in a while.

Here is a transcript from a short interview Aoki, the DREAM lightweight champion, had done with Grappling Dummy, in an official DEEP affiliated gym, in Tokyo, Japan. Props to MiddleEasy for the find.

If you’d like to read the transcript in it’s entirety, the tread along, otherwise, if your looking for the meat and potatoes, what he thinks about the UFC, his favorite fighters, etc, then scroll on down towards the end.

GD: Are you any closer to achieving the “ideal self” you talked about in recent interviews?

SA: Yes… by practicing everyday, I get closer to my ideal self. It’s the training itself, every day.

GD: Amateur Wrestling is helping out a lot of fighters win fights. Do you think you can counter it by training more wrestling?

SA: I am not a wrestler, so… But I do have elements of wrestling in my style. I don’t think I’m going to change what I do that much.

GD: Now that prize money is offered in grappling competitions like Abu Dhabi Pro, would you compete in jiu jitsu again?

SA: Abu Dhabi Pro… What’s the prize money?

GD and Associates: (scuffling, and some back and forth) Do you have any idea? No, I don’t know. Maybe it’s like… five thousand dollars. Pretty small.

SA: Multiply that by ten and I might do it!

GD: How do you feel about the western fighters comparing themselves to the samurai of Japan?

SA: Samurai are the guys with the chon-mage haircut and swords… They aren’t walking around today. It’s probably a misunderstanding of the Japanese culture.

GD: Are martial arts just fighting or do they teach you to be a better person?

SA: Well, it’s my job. I don’t really know if it would benefit me… A lot of people say that fighters are good people, but I’m not sure how useful it is for a professional fighter to be a nice guy.

:::: Free conversation, starting with BJ Penn‘s loss to Frankie Edgar ::::

SA: BJ lost the fight, but… I am a really huge fan of BJ Penn. In fact, he’s my favorite fighter. Technically he lost, but… Real martial arts means a knockout or a submission. I still think he is the “number one”. I think the problem in the fight was that BJ didn’t try hard enough to get the submission and finish the fight. I think that was the problem. Maybe technically it was a good game, but not very interesting.

GD: Do you want to see Gray Maynard vs Frankie Edgar?

SA: I don’t! (laughs).

:::: Free Conversation Concerning Western MMA; Specifically, the UFC ::::

SA: I am a really big fan of the UFC. I love it. But the wrestling style of take down, holding… Standing, a little boxing, then another take down… It’s boring. Going for the submission, the KO, is much more interesting. That’s what Japanese MMA is all about. Lately, in the UFC, there are some amazing fighters, but… It’s not always exciting.

:::: Favorite Fighters ::::

SA: My favorite fighters are BJ Penn, Joe Stevenson, Kenny Florian, Melvin Guillard, Nate Diaz. I like aggressive fighters. All this wrestling is boring.

:::: The Gilbert Melendez fight in Strikeforce, last April; his last loss ::::

SA: (In the Melendez fight) it had nothing to do with the cage. I was simply weak. I can’t really explain it in words, but… Step by step, I’m improving. It will be fine.

:::: His opinion on the top 4 fighters in the lightweight division ::::

SA: BJ Penn, Eddie Alvarez, Gilbert Melendez, Frankie Edgar… Anyway, there’s four (top lightweights). With BJ as number one. The most aggressive is Eddie Alvarez. The most defensive is Franke Edgar. Gray Maynard!…He’s a…(hesitating) good wrestler.

:::: MMA Promotions Aoki watches ::::

SA: I watch all the American MMA shows. From Elite XC, then Strikeforce, the UFC… Basically I watch everything. When a fighter get’s released from the UFC, they move down to a local promotion. Sometimes they win, sometimes they lose. With tough fighters coming up, it’s good.

GD: How much weight do you cut?

SA: Five or Six kilograms (which translates to 11 to 13 pounds). (Cutting lots of weight) is not good for the body. American fighters train so hard, they use a lot of supplements. So their fighting peak is pretty small.

(except Randy Couture)

SA: (Smiles and nods)

I encourage everyone to watch the video when they have a chance. I’m sure the little nuances and such would be much better translated on video instead of me writing it all out, inch by inch.

So, MMA peeps, what’s your take on Aoki now? Have your views changed? Do you agree with his assessment of the Western MMA scene? Sound off in the comment section below.