While Japan has seen better days, with the country having recently been ravaged by tsunamis and earthquakes galore, one thing remains strong, and that is the mixed martial arts community. We've seen that first with the recent Strikeforce event, where three of Japan's best participated on the card, with DREAM's featherweight champion Hiroyuki Takaya, lightweight champion Shinya Aoki, and perennial contender Tatsuya Kawajiri all in action. Though the participants left the the event with mixed results, with Shinya Aoki the only one emerging victorious with a first-round submission win over lightweight prospect Lyle Beerbohm, DREAM hopes to give an extra push towards Japan's relief efforts by holding their May event side by side with various charities. And said event will also feature the organization's inaugural bantamweight grand-prix, which will feature many notable fighters. ...

DREAM has announced three additional matchups for it's DREAM.14 card in Saitama May 29, including the return of former lightweight champion “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (18-8). Coming off consecutive losses since winning the DREAM strap in a TKO of “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (19-5) at DREAM.5 in 2008, Hansen will battle “Streetfight Bancho” Hiroyuki Takaya (12-8-1).  Takaya himself is entering the fight on a two-loss skid. Also announced is a featherweight matchup between “Wicky” Akiyo Nishiura (10-5-1) and Hideo Tokoro (26-21-1). ...

Fighters on DREAM.11's card weighed-in in Yokohama Monday in advance of Tuesday night's fight card.  All fighters made the weight limits. ...

K-1 kickboxers “Hightower” Semmy Schilt (25-15-1) and “Mighty Mo” Siala Siliga (2-0) will face off in a heavyweight MMA match at Dynamite!! 31 December in Saitama, the FEG announced Tuesday.

Also added to the card is a bout between Hideo Tokoro (17-13-1) and Daisuke Nakamura (15-8).

Schilt last fought Nandor Guelmino (1-1) in January, and won via first-round KO.

“Mighty Mo” last fought in June 2007, defeating “Warpath” Ruben Villareal (13-13-3) via TKO at 1:33 of round one.

Tokoro lost his most recent fight via unanimous decision to Atsushi Yamamoto (12-5-1) at DREAM.6 in September.

Nakamura is on a seven-fight win streak, most recently submitting Carlos Valeri (0-2) via flying arbar at M-1 Challenge 8 in October.

Krazy Bee Atsushi Yamamoto (12-5-1) threw a smart boxing bout for a UD over Hideo Tokoro Tuesday night in Saitama, north of Tokyo. Yamamoto floored Tokoro early with a charging left, right hook combo, but got wrapped up in Tokoro's rubber guard when he pounced to finish. Yamamoto mixed his knose-busting jabs and hooks with an occasional knee. The fight was Tokoro's when the two went to the mat.  Tokoro attempted an armbar in the first round and ended the fight holding Yamamoto in an armbar attempt for a full minute, but couldn't finish. ...

DREAM on Thursday officially announced three fights that will take place at DREAM.6 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, 23 September. “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (9-1) and “Benkei” Zelg Galesic (9-3) will take part in the Middleweight Grand Prix, as will “Marvelous” Melvin Manhoef (22-4-1) and Gegard Mousasi (22-2-1), who all fought at DREAM.4 in June. Also announced is a featherweight match-up between Hideo Tokoro (21-13-1) and Atsushi Yamamoto (11-5-1). “Jacare” defeated “Mayhem” Jason Miller (21-6) via unanimous decision at DREAM.4. Galesic got a TKO victory over Taiei Kin (3-3) when Kin injured his elbow. Manhoef TKO’d “Gracie Hunter” Kazushi Sakuraba (24-11-1) in the first round in July. Mousasi most recently won a unanimous decision over Dong Sik Yoon. Tokoro fought at DREAM.4 and DREAM.5, earning unanimous decision victories over Darren Uyenoyama (4-2) and Takeshi Yamazaki (14-8-2). Yamamoto, a Pancrase and Shooto veteran, lost his last fight unanimous decision to Masakatsu Ueda (8-0-1) in March. ...

In a stunning cyclone of events, DREAM Lightweight Tournament reserve fighter “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (19-7-1) captured the DREAM Lightweight Championship in Osaka Sunday night. Hansen was originally eliminated from the tournament at DREAM.3 11 May after dropping a decision to Eddie Alvarez (15-1), but was drafted into the final after slapping an armbar on “Black Mamba” Kultar Gill (10-8) at 2:33 of round one in the tournament's reserve fight Sunday. Ironically, Hansen replaced Alvarez after Alvarez knocked out “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (22-5-2) at 7:35 of round one in a thrilling slugfest.  A right hook, right uppercut combo floored "Crusher" and Alvarez pounded the Japanese fighter out, but sustained a cut over his right eye in the action that would prevent him from fighting for the title. Tournament favorite “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-3) contorted himself into the final versus Hansen in a unanimous decision over “Uno Shoten” Caol Uno (25-11-4), throwing everything in the "Judan" book at Uno: armbar, triangle choke, heel hook, rear naked choke, gogoplata, etc.  Though Aoki wasn't able to stop Uno, he dominated for the decision. The final was set: Aoki v Hansen; and, in most people's minds, already settled in favor of the Japanese favorite. ...

DREAM officially added a featherweight bout between Hideo Tokoro (20-13-1) and Takeshi Yamazaki (14-7-2) to its 21 July card in Osaka. Tokoro, a veteran of K-1 Hero’s, won the unanimous decision after a match with Darren Uyenoyama (4-2) at DREAM.4 last month. Yamazaki, a Shooto and DEEP veteran, is coming off four consecutive wins, most recently earning a unanimous decision over Shoji Maruyama (6-3-1) at DREAM.3. ...

Fighters.com's Lightweight Champion "Tobikan Judan" Shinya Aoki (16-2) further expanded the common MMA repertoire Sunday at DREAM.4 when he tapped Katsuhiko Nagata (4-3) in a gogoplata from the full mount at 5:12 of round one. Adorning his sprayed-on, gaudy long johns, Aoki scored two takedowns, mounting Nagata on the second.  Aoki pounded his victim as Nagata bucked. Aoki wasn't going anywhere! He smothered Nagata and slipped his foot out of nowhere into the pretzel that ended the fight, advancing Aoki to the Lightweight Grand Prix semi-finals. “If you want to be the legend, you have to kill the legend," "Marvelous" Melvin Manhoef (22-4-1) said after slaying "Gracie Hunter" Kazushi Sakuraba (24-11-1) with a kick in the first round and advancing to the Middleweight Grand Prix semi-finals. "That’s what I did today.” Manhoef finished the Japanese legend with a knee to Sakuraba's head from side control followed by hammerfists to his face before the referee ended the fight. ...