Former DREAM lightweight champion Joachim Hansen, who has recently pared down to the featherweight class in some of his recent performances, will be returning to action against perennial contender Mitsuhiro Ishida.

The bout takes place at DREAM 17, which takes place on May 29th at the usual venue of the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama Japan. This event will mark the promotion’s first return to action since it’s year-end extravaganza in “Dynamite!! 2010″, which took place on December 31st of last year.

The event will also coincide with several charity benefits in an effort to aide in the relief efforts in Japan, following the recent tragedies that have ravaged the nation.

Hansen, a near 12-year-veteran of the sport, was last seen in action when he defeated wrestler Sami Aziz last October in Stockholm, Sweden under the Superior Challenge banner. Joachim managed to lock up a quick arm bar in the second-round, submitting his opponent in a little less than four-minutes of the second frame. The win extended a two-fight streak for Hansen, who prior to his bout with Aziz, submitted DREAM veteran Hideo Tokoro with a first-round triangle choke.

The recent stretch of good luck helped Hansen out of a three-fight slump when he was defeated consecutively by Shinya Aoki, Bibiano Fernandes, and Hiroyuki Takaya–all under the DREAM banner.

Now, Hansen will be taking on a fellow PRIDE veteran in Ishida come this May. Mitsuhiro, a native of Japan, is currently also riding a two-fight win streak heading into his bout with Hansen. In his last outing, Ishida, a standout wrestler, took a contentious split-decision win over fan-favorite Akiyo Nishiura, better known as “Wicky”. In July of last year, Ishida first stepped foot in the featherweight class after a long career as a lightweight, when he defeated Daiki Hata via unanimous decision–dominating the bout from start to finish with superior positioning, ground and pound, several takedowns, as well as many submission attempts.

Now, the two men meet in a cross roads of their careers. Hansen, 31, and Ishida, 32, have seen their fair share of battles. The winner will vaunt himself in a position to be called the number one contender to the featherweight title, which is currently held by knockout artist Hiroyuki Takaya.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the match-up? Who do you favor? Should the winner be considered a contender for the title, and if so, how will they fare against Takaya? Sound off in the comment section below.

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.

Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), the parent company that owns infamous Japanese organizations such as the aforementioned DREAM and K-1 promotions, announced earlier their intentions to hold the bantamweight tournament, which will include mixed martial artists: Keisuke Fujiwara, Masakazu Imanari, Yoshiro Maeda, Kenji Osawa, Takafumi Otsuka, Hideo Tokoro, Darren Uyenoyama and Atsushi Yamamoto.

First leg of the tournament will take place on May 29 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and the final round will be completed in July where the new bantamweight champion will be crowned.

Interestingly enough, most of the notable fighters on this card were originally featured in the the organizations featherweight tournament. The promotion’s featherweight class is competed at 139-pounds, which will most likely be revised given the confusion that such a weight class would leave most fighters.

Two favorites heading into the tourney would have to be Atsushi Yamamoto (pictured), a protege of Japanese legend and current UFC fighter “Kid” Yamamoto (no relation). The other favorite will be submission ace Masakazu Imanari, where interestingly enough, both fighters met in the past for the featherweight tourney where the grappling whiz edged out Yamamoto via split-decision in March of 2009.

The announcement of said event took place during a press conference in Japan where the head executives of FEG as well as several other prominent figures of other Japanese promotions discussed their intentions to band together in order to raise money for the tragedies that have since victimized Japan.

Shinya Aoki, Joachim Hansen, Mitsuhiro Ishida, Katsunori Kikuno, Akiyo “Wicky” Nishiura and Caol Uno are also expected to be featured on the card.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the news? Who do you favor in the bantamweight GP? Yamamoto has an impressive stand-up arsenal that has most opponents puzzled or face down on the mat, and Imanari has a ground game that rivals Aoki’s. Sound off in the comment section below.

The Question and Answer took place just before the weigh-ins for tonight’s UFC 122 event, which takes place at the Konig Pilsener Arena, in Oberhausen, Germany.

Both avid fans of the sport, the UFC President and color commentator were happy to address any questions the fans had, including debunking rumors, free tickets, and of course potential stars that the organization might be looking forward to sign in the future.

One fan in particular proposed the question whether or not the organization would be interested in signing current DREAM fighter Joachim Hansen in the immediate future. Hansen was a lifelong lightweight fighter, but has since dropped down to the featherweight division.

“He said some bad things about the UFC”, recalled Rogan in regards to Joachim and his views on the organization.

“Did he? Well then nah, nah we’re really not interested in him at all”, said UFC head honcho Dana White.

“I’m kidding. I’m kidding. I honestly have no idea. Joe Silva would know whether we were looking at Joachim (Hansen) or not. I’m not sure.”

“He had issues with the contract when the PRIDE purchase happened, and he said a bunch of things about the UFC being slavery or something like that”, explained Rogan.

“I’m a fan of his as a fighter, though. I think he’s great. Very, very tough guy. He’s very entertaining.”

One sore spot with fans has always been the best fighting the best. When Lesnar reigned champion in the heavyweight division of the UFC, a lot of people were clamoring for a potential Alistair Overeem vs Brock fight. Of course, due to contract stipulations and things of that nature, the bout couldn’t come to fruition. But is Dana White still interested in the Dutch heavyweight star? Overeem is currently the Strikeforce champion and is in the final 8 of the K-1 Grand Prix, which culminates in December.

“We we’re just talking about that in the car on the way over here”, exclaimed Joe in regards to Overeem potentially making his way under the Zuffa banner.

“He just asked me the same question in the car”, reiterated White.

“I’ll give you the same answer I gave him, ‘I don’t know’…I like him. Anybody who’s perceived as one of the best in the world, we’d obviously like. I’ve always had a good relationship with (Alistair), he’s a good guy.”

So while Joachim and Alistair aren’t guys who are planned for in the immediate future, they are on their radar. So, MMA peeps, what do you make about the potential signees? Could both competitors make an immediate impact in their respective divisions? Sound off in the comment section below.

After an illuminated run in Japan, where Alvarez has picked up some of the biggest wins of his career, which includes victories over the likes of former DREAM lightweight champion Joachim Hansen, former Shooto champion Tatsuya Kawajiri and current DEEP lightweight champion Katsunori Kikuno.

Not impressed?

En route to Bellator gold, he was able to submit all three of his opponents, including the heralded Toby Imada, a Jiu-Jitsu whiz who became an internet sensation with his inverted triangle choke over lightweight notable Jorge Masvidal, which garnered Imada the “Submission of the Year” on several publications, including a trophy award at the 2009 World MMA Awards, hosted by Fighters Only.

So when Alvarez, 26, heard word that Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez has called him out on numerous occasions, the Philly fighter didn’t take too kindly to it.

Eddie made the most of his opportunity when he was guest on “The MMA Hour” with Ariel Helwani, and confronted Scott Coker, the CEO of the San Jose based organization, regarding their champion.

“Scott, It seems as though your lightweight champion keeps on calling me out on every interview and I have no problem with that”, began the enigmatic lightweight.

“I’ve never said anything about the kid and I would never say anything at all. Never even approached anybody about fighting Gilbert Melendez. He just doesn’t shut up, every other interview he’s talking about fighting me ‘Oh I want to fight Eddie Alvarez, I want to fight Eddie Alvarez’ and it really makes me look bad because I see (the interview) the next day later. So Bjorn [Rebney] (Bellator Fighting Championship CEO) says it’s OK, I say it’s OK, Gilbert is telling the world that he wants to fight me. I assume you’re the only one left to agree.”

Gilbert Melendez has been on the mend, taking the rest of the year to help him recuperate from injuries sustained in back-to-back 5 round title fights against Josh Thomson, which helped him avenge his only other loss hanging out there (the first was against Mitsuhiro Ishida, which he later avenged as well), and most recently Shinya Aoki, who holds a victory over Alvarez, in April of this year. Melendez soundly defeated the DREAM lightweight champion in his first title defense, shucking off any take down attempts while raining down the hammer on his Japanese foe. He was able to come away the victor, winning every round on the judges score cards.

While talks had been in place before, a sort of more subtle meeting of the minds with the CEO’s Scott Coker and Bjorn Rebney, both parties appear to be game–the sticking matter, appears to be how co-promotion would work for both parties, considering Strikeforce’s ties with CBS, Showtime, and now M-1 Global.

“First of all, I have tremendous respect for you. I think you’re a great fighter, great champion of Bellator and I followed your career over in Japan when you were fighting over there and these things are sometimes a little complicated”, stated the cautious Coker.

“It’s not just the fight, of course we would love to make the fight, but there’s so many details to be worked out between the promotions to make it happen. Bjorn did call me and I did talk to him and this was probably two months ago. I said look, Gilbert has a broken hand at the time so let’s just table this until the future, but after the KJ Noons/Nick Diaz fight, we can readdress this. We’ve been open to co-promotions with every league so that’s not the issue. The issue is how does it work on a business level between our two leagues and if we can work that out, we would love to have it.”

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of this? Would you like to see Melendez in action against Alvarez? Who do you take in this match up? Sound off in the comment section below.

After rating dips, fall out from sponsors, and constant financial woes, it appears that paying fighters in an effective and timely matter is their next area of least-expertise.

The most notable case, current DREAM featherweight champion Bibiano Fernandes has only just been paid for his last outing, a successful title defense against former DREAM lightweight champion Joachim Hansen. The bout took place in March of this year–almost 7 months ago.

The norm, as far as compensation goes which is detailed in their contracts, is for said fighter to be paid within 30 days post-fight.

Among other fighters, which also includes current Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo Souza whom has vied for DREAM’s middleweight title on two separate occasions, Ralek Gracie (who last competed against Kazushia Sakuraba, taking home a unanimous decision victory over the legend at DREAM 14) has now become the most notable encounter of the financial debacle that the promotion has set precedent against their fighters.

“I fought [Sakuraba] on May 29 and under my contract I was supposed to be paid 30 days after my fight, in full, and I haven’t been paid yet,” Gracie said in an interview with MMAFighting.com. “The Dream organization puts on a wonderful show. They’re, in my opinion, the top show in terms of production, but on the back end, as far as handling the finances, they haven’t really taken care of me in a way that I expected and a way I feel is honorable and a way they should.”

You know you messed up when you’ve angered a Gracie, whom historically have had strong ties with the Japanese promotion–which is currently ran by the former execs heading the PRIDE promotion. Renzo, Royce, Royler, Daniel, Ralph, Ryan, and Rickson (to name a few) have all called Japan home at one point or another, however that tradition may find itself wanting.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of DREAM and their difficulties paying their fighters? Should fighters continue signing contract with DREAM, with prior knowledge of such mishaps? Sound off in the comments section below.

DREAM, one of the more popular Japan based organizations following the demise of Pride, is holding an event for September 25th in Nagoya, Japan–a card that was intended to be headlined by current featherweight (139 pounds) champion, Bibiano Fernandes.

According to MMAFighting.com, Fernandes was intended to make a title defense against Michihiro Omigawa, however declined to fight when he was still yet to be paid his purse from his last fight, a successful title defense against former DREAM lightweight champion Joachim Hansen.

The bout took place in March, and according to an interview the Brazilian had done with Tatame (a Brazilian based website and magazine covering mixed martial arts) Fernandes hasn’t seen one dime yet. The promotion has had many issues in regards to paying their fighters accordingly, or even in a timely matter. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza has yet to see his compensation after his last match with Jason Miller in May of 2009, and neither has veteran Gary Goodridge since his drubbing defeat against former DREAM middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi in late 2009.

And while the obvious approach for the promotion would be “cut and run” should they not be able to come up with the money, Fernandes can hold one thing over DREAM exec’s heads: one more fight, which he is contractually obligated to, since earning the featherweight title following the tournament’s end in October of last year where he was crowned champion, after an 8-man tournament concluded when Bibiano defeated Japan’s own Hiroyuki Takaya, via split decision.

“Dream called me two days ago to offer me a fight at September 25, but I said I won’t fight until they pay me for my last fight,” Fernandes said while speaking with TATAME. “I have family, I have a wife and I can’t work without getting paid. I’ll only fight [for DREAM] again when they pay me for my last fight.”

Here’s to another DREAM fighter moonlighting as a Japan fighter by day, and a Strikeforce debutant by night.

Eddie Alvarez, the reigning and defending Bellator lightweight champion and DREAM veteran, will be facing UFC veteran and now-internet-sensation, Roger Huerta at Bellator 33.

The news was first reported during the broadcast of tonight’s Bellator 25 card, which was headlined by 185-pound champion Hector Lombard against former NFL player Herbert Goodman, in a non-title affair.

Pat Curran, the 155-pound season 2 lightweight tournament champion, earned the right to face current champion Eddie Alvarez while beating the aforementioned Huerta and Toby Imada along the way to the finals. However, a shoulder injury will sideline Pat Curran for the unforeseeable future, and in the interim steps in Huerta.

Roger made headlines recently as he was featured in a video popularized my TMZ, vindicating a woman who had been knocked out by a much larger african american male. Huerta approached the man, and one thing lead to another, and the video later showed said assailant on his back, bloodied and unconsciousness.

Eddie Alvarez rose to fame with his run through DREAM’s inaugural lightweight tournament. And with win’s over the likes of Tatsuya Kawajiri, Joachim Hansen, and Katsunori Kikuno anchoring his résumé, Alvarez has made himself a formidable opponent as well here in the states, and is widely recognized as a top-5 lightweight.

So, is this the fight fan’s would more like to see, or we’re we all banking on a title fight between Curran and Alvarez, more so, over this non-title affair?

Multiple sources have cited that the tournament would be scrapped but Sherdog states that after talking to the manager of one of the contestants, it is officially dead in the water.

The cancellation stems from disinterest by Dream’s domestic television carrier, the Tokyo Broadcasting System, in broadcasting the tournament. Fighters.com is unsure as to why they would be uninterested in broadcasting a tournament with fighters such as UFC veteran “Babalu” Renato Sobral (32-9), former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi (23-3-1), Deep light heavyweight tournament winner Yoshiyuki Nakanishi (3-0) as well as Thierry Rameau Sokoudjou (6-5) all being rumored to be in the tournament.

Dream has seen it’s fair share of troubles as of late and this does not bode well for the organization. With accusations of non-payment of fighters and last minute fight cancellations we could be nearing the end of yet another Japanese mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion.

With DREAM 14 only a few weeks away the fight card is sparse to say the least with Strikeforce champion “Diablo” Nick Diaz (21-8) taking on “Mach” Hayato Sakurai (32-9-3) in a non-title fight as well as the following fights:

Joachim Hansen vs. Hiroyuki Takaya
Akiyo “Wicky” Nishiura vs. Hideo Tokoro
Kazuyuki Miyata vs. Takafumi Otsuka

Stay tuned to Fighters.com and MMA Gospel Radio for more information concerning Dream 14 as it breaks.

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).

Shinya Aoki is a fighter many have wanted to see come to the states and fight for years now. He has been the talk of the town in Japan and finishes people seemingly at will with his super slick submissions. This fight is one that allow him to test the waters in the U.S. and see if those submissions will work against an amazing wrestler.

Aoki was last seen in a fight against Mizuto Hirota (10-3) in which he broke the arm of Hirota using a hammerlock. His list of fighters that he has beaten is impressive however he has a glaring weakness that could be exploited stateside.

Aoki is known for his jiu jitsu and it is very high level. However his striking leaves a lot to be desired and I wonder if his chin will be able to hold up if he continues with his quest to fight the best America has to offer.

Fifth-ranked lightweight “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (18-8) exploited that chin when they fought in the Dream 5 lightweight grand prix final in 2008. Granted Aoki did end up avenging that loss and won via armbar at the Dream 11 featherweight grand prix but none the less, Hellboy put him out could with strikes.

I have to wonder how well his submissions will work without the pants he typically wears even though Eddie Bravo believes they do not offer a big advantage in the submission game. As the fight wears on and Melendez gets sweaty I would think that the subs will be much harder to come by without the traction he gains from the pants.

He will also be here in  the states where the crowd is much different. Japan may have some of the most knowledgeable mixed martial arts (MMA) fans in the world but they are very quiet compared to the raucous crowds that attend events here in the states. I know he is an experienced fighter but will be quite the culture shock and could throw him off his game.

Gilbert is an interesting fight for Aoki when you look at his skill set. Melendez has a solid wrestling base that shows both good take-downs and take-down defense. We won’t see Aoki try and take him down unless it comes via him jumping guard but if he does I believe Gilbert will have the ability to get back up to his feet.

Standing is where Melendez will want to keep this fight as he is the much better striker. The improvement from Melendez since his losses to Mitsuhiro Ishida (19-5) and “The Punk” Josh Thomson (15-3-1) have been significant. After the Ishida he seemed to work more on his wrestling and his transitions. After the loss to Josh he worked his striking, specifically his counter-strikes and his ability to move in and out.

The work paid off as he has now avenged both of though losses en route to winning the Strikeforce lightweight title he puts on the line against Aoki.

Anyone looking at this fight has to believe that Gilbert will look to keep this fight standing and beat Aoki from the outside. Popping the jab, using good head movement and getting in and out with his punches.

This is a fight that will tell us just how good these two both are inside the cage. Gilbert is a fighter that has been discussed as being a top ten lightweight but given he is in Strikeforce and not fighting the best in the world it is hard to compare him. Aoki is a consensus top five who until this point has not faced a battle tested American fighter. One of these men will walk out of the cage crushed as MMA fans spout how they knew he was over-rated while the other fighter will walk out, head held high and instantly be talked about in the same breath as top-ranked UFC lightweight champion “The Prodigy” BJ Penn (15-5-1)

UFC on Versus is headlined by “The Truth” Brandon Vera (11-4) versus “Bones” Jon Jones (9-1). The co-main event for the event has “Napao” Gabriel Gonzaga (11-4) taking on Fighters.com fifth-ranked heavyweight “Cigano” Junior Dos Santos (10-1) in a fight to determine yet another challenger for the UFC heavyweight title.

I am excited to watch Vera take on Jones and see if he can get back to the Vera we knew before his year long layoff due to contract disputes. We keep saying this could be his comeback fight and it never seems to happen for Vera. He has looked tentative and seemingly OK with grinding out decisions. Could this be the last of Vera or will he expose the much younger Jones on his rise to the top?

Either way this will be a thrilling fight but maybe not quite as brutal as when we see Cheick Kongo (14-6-1) versus “The Executioner” Paul Buentello (27-11). These two men love to stand and trade and this could very well be the fight that gives us the “Knock Out of The Night”.

Eventually we will shift from the UFC over to Japan for DREAM 13 which is scheduled for five full hours on HDNet. DREAM starts at midnight PST and any fight should be tuning in to this for a few reasons.

Pride Fighting Championships is now a long lost organization that many hardcore fans swoon over. The loss of Pride left an empty pit the size of the Grand Canyon in the world of Japanese MMA. Japan loves MMA and has some of the most knowledgeable fans in the entire world. DREAM may be the last chance to revive those long lost days of glory and fill that void.

DREAM has seen it’s fair share of issues though with financial instability, soon very bad ratings and matches that seemed to defy any real sense of reason. Their saving graces thus far though have without a doubt been the grand prix tournaments and the recent partnership with Strikeforce. Those alone will not carry the promotion but a fantastic night of fights tonight could endear them in the hearts and minds of fight fans around the world.

Fighters.com fourth-ranked lightweight “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (18-8) finally makes the much anticipated drop to featherweight to take on DREAM’s featherweight champion and jaw dropping grappler, “The Flash” Biannual Fernandes (7-2). These two fighters are both great grapplers and yet neither are afraid to stand and throw down toe to toe.

This fight is already being talked about as a Fight of the Year candidate then add the fact that these guys are both top-tier elite fighters and no fan of combat sports in their right mind should miss this.

Also on the DREAM card is the return of KJ Noons(7-2) after almost a two year hiatus from the sport. His fight against “Dida” Andre Amade “(6-3-1) is not going to be the easy win some are making  it out to be this week. While Andre is not a very technical striker, he has the heart to gut it out and Noons lack of any significant power leaves this fight wide open.

Do I need to mention every hardcore MMA fans Japanese super hero? “The Punk” Ikuhisa Minowa (42-28-8) steps back inside the ring once again to the delight of fight fans everywhere. Watching him fight is always a treat and I suggest everyone tune in as you never know when we may see him finally retire. Get it while you can!

There is much more in store tonight on DREAM 13 including the chance to listen to one of the best announcers in all combat sports, “The Voice” Michael Schiavello and his amazing one-liners.

Until next time, in the words of The Voice, Goodnight Irene!

MMA Junkie is reporting that Huerta received his formal release from the UFC this week and is now finalizing the deal with Bellator and MMA Gospel Radios’s guest this past week, Bjorn Rebney. Bjorn is Bellator’s CEO and gave us one of the best interviews we have ever done.

Signing Roger Huerta is another big step for the small promotion making huge waves in mixed martial arts (MMA) news week in and week out. This would make Huerta the seventh lightweight added to the second season of Bellaor which kicks off April 8 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. The season will run for twelve weeks and will air live on Fox Sports Net on Thursday nights. A highlight episode will air on NBC and Telemundo on the weekend. The second season focuses on tournaments in the featherweight, lightweight,welterweight and middleweight classes with the winners getting a shot to face the season one tournament champions.

This could be very big for Huerta as the winner of each division wins $100,000 over three fights in three months. If he wins the eight-man tournament he then gets a shot at current Bellator champion and Fighters.com third-ranked lightweight Eddie Alvarez (17-2).

When MMA Gospel Radio talked with Bjorn about Alavrez he was obviously excited to have what I consider one of the most under-rated fighters in all of MMA as his lightweight champion and spokesperson. Eddie was in one of the best fights I have ever witnessed when he faced fourth-ranked “Hell Boy” Joachim Hansen (18-8) at Dream 3 in the lightweight Grand Prix Quarter Finals. He won that fight via split-decision and the thought of him facing Roger Huerta is one to relish.

Time will tell what the future holds for Huerta and for Bellator but I am sure all MMA fans are excited to for the imdeiate future for both fighter and promotion.

Diaz won the original exhibition match and eventually the TUF 5 championship.  But, Maynard has bullied ahead of Diaz since TUF 5, with big decision victories of UFC contenders sixth-ranked “The Answer” Frank Edgar (11-1) and “El Matador” Roger Huerta (20-3-1).

With vengeance tonight versus Diaz, Maynard will have proven himself as the top contender in the UFC’s 155-pound division and will deserve a title fight versus Fighters.com and UFC Lightweight Champion “Prodigy” BJ Penn (15-5-1).

In fact, Maynard deserved the title shot over Penn’s last challenger ninth-ranked “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (21-3).  Penn stopped Sanchez in the fourth round at UFC 107 in Memphis December 12.  It was never a competitive contest, primarily because Sanchez hadn’t put in the work in the division to earn the fight.

But, Fighters.com worries recent UFC signee “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-6) might take Maynard’s shot even if Maynard wins versus Diaz for the same reason Sanchez did.  Gomi is a bigger name, despite his recent disappointing performances.

Gomi is the type of fighter UFC President Dana White would crack jokes about if Gomi wasn’t now a UFC fighter.  Since reigning as PRIDE lightweight champion, Gomi’s focus on fighting has been lax.  He’s lost consecutive fights to Sergei Goliaev (9-6) at Sengoku in November 2008 and Satoru Kitaoka (24-9-7) at Sengoku in January 2009 and has expressed desires to spend the rest of his years surfing rather than fighting.  He’s evidently changed his mine.  Even as PRIDE champion, he dodged losing his title in non-title losses to “Maximus” Marcus Aurélio (18-7) in 2006 and Nick Diaz (20-8) in 2007.  (The Diaz loss was later ruled a no contest by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after Diaz tested positive for marijuana.)  And, as PRIDE champion, his matchups followed the Japanese pattern of one legitimate contender, followed by one tomato can, and so on.  What’s disappointing about Gomi is that his losses to Aurélio and Goliaev were supposed to be his tomato can fights.

Fighters.com’s point is that, while Maynard has earned a title shot, Gomi should be required to earn a fight versus Penn.  Sanchez didn’t earn his title challenge and the result was an obviously unprepared Sanchez versus a particularly lethatl Penn.

Fighters.com January Lightweight Rankings

1. “Prodigy” BJ Penn (15-5-1)

2. “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-4)

3. Eddie Alvarez (16-2)

4. “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (18-7)

5. “Bully” Gray Maynard (8-0)

6. “The Answer” Frank Edgar (11-1)

7. “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (12-4)

8. “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (25-5-2)

9.  “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (21-3)

10. “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-4-1)

My first wish for mixed martial arts is to for a fight to happen in arguably the most prestigious building in the sporting world, Madison Square Garden. The Garden calls itself the “World’s Most Famous Arena” and one would be pressed to find anyone who disagrees. It is in fact the second when it comes to being the world’s busiest arena, right behind Manchester Evening News Arena. It is an iconic figure in sports and nothing says you have made it better than holding an event inside it’s storied walls. Marc Rattner stated he believes that it will become legal in the state in either Febuary or March of the coming year. Hopefully this holds true and we see an event at the Garden near the end of 2010.

Second on my list of wishes for mma would be to see the fighters from DREAM actually move into Strikeforce. Many of the fighters in DREAM are heralded as some of the best in the world. Fighters such as Fighters.com fourth-ranked lightweight “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (16-8-1), eighth-ranked “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (23-4-2) and second-ranked Shinya Aoki (14-3). These are men that would offer very entertaining fights against the best Strikeforce has to offer. Not only that but they would be fights that would have some impact on the rankings which is something all hardcore fans want to see, fights with true meaning.

Who would not like to see Aoki versus “El Nino” Gilbert Melendez (14-2) or Kawajiri versus fifth-ranked welterweight Jake Shields (24-4-1) in action packed Strikeforce fights?

There are many intriguing fights that could be put together if this truly comes to fruition. It would give some of the Strikeforce fighters a chance to prove they truly are some of the best rather than being looked at as second tier fighters. It also would introduce some of the best in the world to the casual fan who does not typically watch Dream events.

My final wish for mixed martial arts in 2010 would be for us to finally see some changes to the archaic judging system. Currently we have two major faults to the scoring system. Boxing’s 10 point must system which fails to work for mixed martial arts and judges that seemed to be lacking in knowledge when it comes to certain aspects of the sport.

As I write this changes to boxing’s scoring system which we have adopted are being looked into finally. According to Keith Kizer, executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, recent changes to the system were discussed at a recent American Boxing Commissioners convention. Half points is something we may see added. Thus giving the judges a better way to score rounds. Nelson “Doc” Hamilton has stated judges are discouraged from handing out 10-10 rounds and as we all know very rarely give out 10-8 rounds. Adding the half point gives the judges to better score rounds giving the fight a more true outcome.

I think the addition of the half point would be a bold move forward for mma but that needs to be coupled with proper certification of the judges. Many of the judges in the sport have come over from boxing and need to learn the art of jiu jitsu and what a near submission looks like. During an episode of my show, MMA Gospel Radio, I talked about changes to the judging. The segment was called “Save MMA”. During that segment I brought up the topic of nationwide certification for judges where they are required to take a class three times a year. While at the class they would be required to judge a fight off of video tape and then all the judges would have to defend their scores. They would also be required to watch some of the high level jiu jitsu fighters and learn what different submissions are and how they are set up. This leads to knowledgeable judges and more clear cut decisions in the sport.

I feel even enacting one of these changes to the judging system would make 2010 one of the biggest years in the history of the sport.

Those are my wishes for mixed martial arts in the coming year. What are your wishes for the coming year? If you would like to discuss any of this with me directly you can join us on MMA Gospel Radio every Wednesday from 8-10 PM EST at www.blogtalkradio.com/mmagospel where we have a live chat room during the show. You can also call in to the show by dialing 347-857-1337 and join myself and New York Gary Friedman live on the air. I know some people would rather not go live on a radio program so feel free to contact me at turk@fighters.com to tell me your thoughts on this article or any other piece you have read here.

Timely too!  Sanchez is scheduled to fight Fighters.com and UFC Lightweight Champion “Prodigy” BJ Penn (14-5-1) at UFC 107 in Memphis December 12.

Top contender “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-4) has a few options for his next challenge.  He could fight Sengoku champ Mizuto Hirota (9-3) when Japanese promotions DREAM and Sengoku collaborate north of Tokyo on New Year’s Eve, but told a press conference announcing the collaboration he didn’t know who Hirota is.  Or, he could take the previously rumored matchup versus eigth-ranked “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (25-5-2) at the same event.  Or, Aoki could make his Strikeforce debut, as the Japanese star has signed with the UFC’s top competition to make his American debut in 2010.

Fourth-ranked “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (18-7) was challenged by former foe and top tenner Eiji Mitsuoka (15-6-2) for the DREAM/Sengoku collaboration, but no confirmation of the matchup has been announced.

Fifth-ranked “Bully” Gray Maynard (8-0) will fight Nate Diaz (10-5) at UFC Fight Night 20 at the Patriot Center at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia January 11.

Sixth-ranked “The Answer” Frank Edgar (10-1) will take on late replacement for “Batman” Kurt Pellegrino (15-4), undefeated Matt Veach (8-0), at The Ultimate Fighter 10 finale in Las Vegas December 5.

Ninth-ranked “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-4-1) announced he’ll fight “Tractor” Rafaello Oliveira (8-2) at UFC 108 in Las Vegas January 2.

Fighters.com November Lightweight Rankings

1. “Prodigy” BJ Penn (14-5-1)

2. “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-4)

3. Eddie Alvarez (16-2)

4. “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (18-7)

5. “Bully” Gray Maynard (8-0)

6. “The Answer” Frank Edgar (10-1)

7. “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (11-4)

8. “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (25-5-2)

9. “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-4-1)

10.  “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (21-2)

Sanchez has certainly fought in some of SpikeTV’s most memorable fights, including his most recent split decision victory over perennial gatekeeper “Carpenter” Clay Guida (25-10) at The Ultimate Fighter 9 finale in Las Vegas June 20.

But, UFC lightweights fifth-ranked “Bully” Gray Maynard (8-0) and sixth-ranked “The Answer” Frank Edgar (10-1) are more deserving of a title shot, though admittedly less well-known to casual UFC fans.

Maynard won a split decision over another unranked, but popular UFC lightweight “El Matador” Roger Huerta (20-3-1) at UFC Fight Night 19 in Oklahoma City September 16.

Edgar will follow-up his unanimous decision over former UFC champ ninth-ranked “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-4-1) at UFC 98 in Las Vegas May 23 versus “Batman” Kurt Pellegrino (15-4) at The Ultimate Fighter 10 finale in Las Vegas December 5.

Diaz beats unrelenting, but beatable Guida and gets a title shot versus Penn.  Edgar beats the former champ Sherk and is notched down to fight Pellegrino.  Explain that…

Sherk was scheduled to fight Gleison Tibau (16-6) at UFC 104 in Los Angeles October 24, but withdrew with an injury.

Most recent UFC title challenger, seventh-ranked “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (11-4), will swap opponents with Diaz when he fights Guida at UFC 107.

Meanwhile, across the Pacific second-ranked DREAM champ “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-4) avenged his most recent loss in the division with an armbar submission of fourth-ranked “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (18-7) at DREAM.11 in Yokohama October 6 and is already slated to defend his title from eighth-ranked “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (25-5-2) at Dynamite!! 2009 north of Tokyo on New Year’s Eve.

Third-ranked Eddie Alvarez (16-2) and tenth-ranked Katsunori Kikuno (5-0-1) will fight at DREAM.12 in Osaka October 25 for the next DREAM title shot versus the winner of Aoki v Kawajiri.

Fighters.com’s October Lightweight Rankings

1. “Prodigy” BJ Penn (14-5-1)

2. “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-4)

3. Eddie Alvarez (16-2)

4. “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (18-7)

5. “Bully” Gray Maynard (8-0)

6. “The Answer” Frank Edgar (10-1)

7. “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (11-4)

8. “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (25-5-2)

9. “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-4-1)

10. Katsunori Kikuno (5-0-1)

Marquee lightweight “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (18-7) weighed 150.4 pounds and opponent “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-4) weighed 153.9 pounds.

MMA legend and Japanese hero “Gracie Hunter” Kazushi Sakuraba (21-13-1)  weighed 184.1 pounds and rookie opponent Rubin Williams weighed 181.9 pounds.
 
Lightweight “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (25-5-2) weighed 154.1 pounds and “Barracuda” Melchor Manibusan (1-1) weighed 152.6 pounds.

Featherweight Grand Prix contestant Joe Warren (2-0) weighed 138.2 pounds and his semi-final “Flash” Bibiano Fernandes (5-1) weighed 138.2 pounds.

In the other GP semi-final, Hideo Tokoro (19-15-1) weighed 138.5 pounds and “Evil Fist” Hiroyuki Takaya (11-6-1) weighed 138.9 pounds.

In the GP reserve bout, Daiki Hata (2-0-1) 138.5 pounds and Kazuyuki Miyata (4-6) weighed 138.5 pounds.

In the Super Hulk Tournament semi-finals, “African Assassin” Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (6-4) weighed 220.5 pounds and his replacement opponent “Beast” Bob Sapp (10-5-1) weighed 341.7 pounds.

Finally, in the other Super Hulk semi-final “Minowaman” Ikuhisa Minowa (40-28-8) weighed 192.9 pounds and Techno Goliath” Hong Man Choi (1-1) weighed 319.7 pounds.

DREAM.11 will be broadcast on HDNet in North America.

Hansen won the grand prix title in July with a first-round TKO of ninth-ranked “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (15-3).

Hansen was third-ranked Eddie Alvarez’s (13-1) replacement when Alvarez sustained a cut during the semifinals.

Cavalcante last fought in April, losing the unanimous decision to Aoki.

Hansen and Cavalcante have faced each other in the past: Hansen won the majority decision at a Shooto event in July 2004.

FEG President Sadaharu Tanikawa and DREAM president Keiiti Sasahara made the official announcement Saturday.

No matches were announced, but the Dynamite!! card will feature ten to fifteen fights, most of which will be DREAM MMA matches with the remainder being K-1 matches.

At the press conference but not confirmed to fight were Fighters.com’s fourth-ranked lightweight and DREAM Champion “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (19-7-1), ninth-ranked lightweight “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-3), and “Gracie Hunter” Kazushi Sakuraba (24-11-1).

Why?

(Well, besides the obvious jack the UFC stands to profit on the main event.)

But, UFC President Dana White himself has claimed Penn’s best weight class is 155 pounds; and, Penn made much ballyhoo about getting serious and slimming down to 155 pounds, his natural fighting weight.

Penn has never fought above 155 with a physique that could be described as anything but “pudgy”.

Penn is also 0-2 in his last two 170-pound fights in the Octagon, which must make UFC welterweight contenders wonder if they can get some Vaseline.

In Saitama, north of Tokyo, 24 August, top lightweight contender “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (29-3) won a unanimous decision versus tough, but relatively unknown Korean champ Seung Hwan Bang (5-2).

The tougher-than-expected struggle probably did more for Bang than Gomi, whose commitment to Sengoku has left him with few top ten challengers since the demise of PRIDE.

On the undercard, sixth-ranked Eiji Mitsuoka (14-5-2) shutup brash Brazilian Rodrigo Damm (8-2) in a first-round rear naked choke submission.

Mitsuoka was competing in the first round of Sengoku’s Lightweight GP, the winner of which will challenge Gomi.

Fifth-ranked “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (32-3-1) will come back from his May loss to Penn to fight worthy UFC challenger Tyson Griffin (12-1) in Chicago 25 October.

Seventh-ranked “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (10-3), who was cheated out of his title challenge versus Penn due to the St. Pierre match-up, will have to take out his frustrations on “Daddy” Joe Stevenson (29-8) in Las Vegas 15 November.

DREAM hasn’t announced a rematch between third-ranked Eddie Alvarez (15-1) and fourth-ranked DREAM champ “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (19-7-1); but, Fighters.com would be surprised if Alvarez doesn’t get first dibs on the champ he already beat.

If he doesn’t, he and Florian can share a bottle of Vaseline with the UFC welterweight contenders.

The bottom of the top ten, eighth-ranked Kotetsu Boku (13-5-1), ninth-ranked “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-3), and tenth-ranked “JZ” Gesias Calvancante (14-2-1) were out of the loop last month and have no announced match-ups to report.

September Lightweight Rankings

1. “Prodigy” B.J. Penn (13-4-1)

“Prodigy’s” return to lightweight quickly resulted in UFC gold with two stoppages over Joe Stevenson and Jens Pulver. In May, he dominated the best the UFC had to offer in a TKO of Sherk; but, he won’t stay at 155-pounds,

2. “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (29-3)

Gomi avenged a 2006 blip to Marcus Aurelio with a stoppage on NYE the same year followed by a stoppage of Mitsuhiro Ishida.  A year-long layoff keeps Gomi from ichi-ban, but he returned in March with a stoppage of Duane Ludwig.

3. Eddie Alvarez (15-1)

Since dropping from welterweight for the DREAM Lightweight GP, Alvarez has been relentless in a stoppage of Amade, UD over Hansen, and TKO of Tatsuya Kawajiri.  Only an injury prevented him from securing the DREAM title.

4. “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (19-7-1)

“Hellboy” shocked Aoki with a TKO in a rematch of the fight that introduced the gogoplata to MMA.  He also holds a UD over Boku, but decision losses to Alvarez and Mitsuoka hint at inconsistency.

5. “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (32-3-1)

“Muscle Shark” had been on the shelf for nearly a year since decisions over Franca and Florian.  In his return, Penn outclassed the wrestler to a TKO, leaving both top UFC lightweights with slim competition within the promotion.

6. Eiji Mitsuoka (14-5-2)

Mitsuoka followed up a majority decision over Hansen in Shooto by handing SpiritMC 155-pound champ Kwang Hee Lee  his first loss in Sengoku.  Only a SD loss to Boku in Cage Force tarnishes his two-year record.

7. “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (10-3)

Florian is a finisher since losing a UFC title challenge to Sherk by UD. “KenFlo” is ready for a second title challenge after a dominant UD over top UFC contender Roger Huerta.

8. Kotetsu Boku (13-5-1)

Boku risks being labled a fluke.  After a SD over Mitsuoka, Boku has dropped consecutive decisions to Artur Oumakhanov and Hansen.

9. “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-3)

Aoki had eleven straight wins, including MMA’s first gogoplata stoppage over Hansen, topped only by MMA’s first gogoplata stoppage from the mount over Katsuhiko Nagata.  But, Hansen exacted revenge with a TKO in the DREAM GP final.

10. “JZ” Gesias Calvancante (14-2-1)

“JZ” has brushed Andre Amade, Vitor Ribeiro, and Nam Phan off his shoulders with stoppages since a MD over Caol Uno in ’06, part of 13 straight without a loss until losing a UD to Aoki in April.

“Hellboy” shocked Osaka 21 July by TKOing former Fighters.com Lightweight Champion “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-3) in the first round of the DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix final.

Aoki spirals down eight wrungs to ninth on the loss, taking vanquished rival tenth-ranked “JZ” Gesias Calvancante (14-2-1) with him.

Penn takes the Championship from the second rank, but is torn between moving to welterweight to fight Fighters.com Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (17-2) or defending his Fighters.com and UFC titles from seventh-ranked, top UFC contender “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (10-3).

In Minneapolis 9 August, Florian cleared-up the UFC’s lightweight picture with a dominant UD over “El Matador” Roger Huerta (20-2-1).

Hansen seems destined to defend his DREAM title from third-ranked Eddie Alvarez (15-1), who won a UD over Hansen in the second round of DREAM’s tournament.

Alvarez TKO’d “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (22-5-2) to earn the fight versus Aoki in the DREAM GP final, but sustained injuries that allowed Hansen to replace him.

Second-ranked “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-3) will fight DEEP Lightweight Champion Sung Hwan Pang (5-1) in Saitama, north of Tokyo, 24 August.

August Lightweight Rankings

1. “Prodigy” B.J. Penn (13-4-1)

“Prodigy’s” return to lightweight quickly resulted in UFC gold with two second-round stoppages over Joe Stevenson and Jens Pulver. In May, he dominated the best the UFC had to offer in a TKO of Sherk.  Will he stay at 155-pounds?

2. “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-3)

Gomi avenged a 2006 blip to Marcus Aurelio with a stoppage on NYE the same year followed by a stoppage of Mitsuhiro Ishida.  A year-long layoff keeps Gomi from ichi-ban, but he returned in March with a stoppage of Duane Ludwig.

3. Eddie Alvarez (15-1)

Since dropping from welterweight for the DREAM Lightweight GP, Alvarez has been relentless in a stoppage of Amade, UD over Joachim, and TKO of Tatsuya Kawajiri.  Only an injury prevented him from securing the DREAM title.

4. “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (19-7-1)

“Hellboy” shocked Aoki with a TKO in a rematch of the fight that introduced the gogoplata to MMA.  He also holds a UD over Boku, but decision losses to Alvarez and Mitsuoka hint at inconsistency.

5. “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (32-3-1)

“Muscle Shark” had been on the shelf for nearly a year since decisions over Franca and Florian.  In his return, Penn outclassed the wrestler to a TKO, leaving both top UFC lightweights with slim competition within the promotion.

6. Eiji Mitsuoka (13-5-2)

Mitsuoka followed up a majority decision over Hansen in Shooto by handing SpiritMC 155-pound champ Kwang Hee Lee  his first loss in Sengoku.  Only a SD loss to Boku in Cage Force tarnished his two-year record.

7. “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (10-3)

Florian is a finisher since losing a UFC title challenge to Sherk by UD. “KenFlo” is ready for a second title challenge after a dominant UD over top UFC contender Roger Huerta.

8. Kotetsu Boku (13-5-1)

Boku risks being labled a fluke.  After a SD over Mitsuoka, Boku has dropped consecutive decisions to Artur Oumakhanov and Hansen.

9. “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-3)

Aoki had eleven straight wins, including MMA’s first gogoplata stoppage over Hansen, topped only by MMA’s first gogoplata stoppage from the mount over Katsuhiko Nagata.  But, Hansen exacted revenge with a TKO in the DREAM GP final.

10. “JZ” Gesias Calvancante (14-2-1)

“JZ” has brushed Andre Amade, Vitor Ribeiro, and Nam Phan off his shoulders with stoppages since a MD over Caol Uno in ’06, part of 13 straight without a loss until losing a UD to Aoki in April.

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.

Aoki quickly pressed his advantage and put Hansen on the mat, running through his repertoire of locks and chokes.  Hansen defended and worked into top position inside Aoki’s guard.

Pow!  Hansen tore into Aoki with punches from the top and a big left stunned the “Tobikan Judan”.  Hansen quickly finished off the helpless favorite with strikes at 4:19 of round one to win DREAM’s first Lightweight Championship.

Akiyama Has Something Up His Sleeve

Yoshihiro Akiyama (11-1) returned from an eight-month stint on the DL to choke out Katsuyori Shibata (2-5) with the sleeve of his gi at 6:34 of round one.

Shibata held his own for the first half of the round as he exchanged with the heavily-favoured Akiyama.

However, once the fighters went to the mat, Akiyama was able to get on top, get into mount, and put Shibata to sleep.

Overeem Taps Hunt

“Demolition Man” Alistair Overeem (28-11) accepted the challenge from Kiwi kickboxer Mark Hunt (5-4) on three-days’ notice and gave little notice to Hunt before tapping him in a keylock at 1:11 of round one.

It was Hunt who took Overeem to the mat to begin the fight; but, Overeem used the position to his advantage.

Hironaka Wins DREAM Debut

Fresh from a poor showing in the Octagon, Kuniyoshi Hironaka (12-5) stopped a two-fight losing streak with a solid straight that gashed  Motoki Miyazawa‘s (4-1) left eye.

The fight had been a fairly even stand-up war; but, the cut prompted a doctor stoppage in favor of Hironaka at 8:57 of round one.

Other Fights

Featherweight Joseph Benavidez (8-0) remained undefeated after tapping “Kodo” Junya Kudo (6-2-2) in a guillotine choke at 2:42 of round one.

Welterweight Daisuke Nakamura (15-9) followed a straight right to Andy Ologun (1-1) into a takdown and slick armbar to tap Ologun at 3:41 of round one.

Though issued a yellow card for low blows, featherweight Hideo Tokoro (22-13-1) won a unanimous decison over Takeshi Yamazaki (14-8-2).

Yoshihiro Akiyama (10-1; 2 NC) v Katsuyori Shibata (2-4)

“Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (17-7-1) v “Black Mamba” Kultar Gill (9-7)

Kuniyoshi Hironaka (11-5) v Motoki Miyazawa (4-0)

Mark Hunt (5-3) is also slated to fight, but no opponent has been named.

Fighters.com’s fourth-ranked middleweight Akiyama has not fought since New Year’s Eve, when he faced eighth-ranked “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2; 1 NC).  Akiyama was KO’d by an illegal soccer kick, ending the fight in a No Contest.

Shibata lost his last four fights, to Ralek Gracie  (2-0), “Gracie Hunter” Kazushi Sakuraba (24-11-1; 2 NC), Min Suk Heo (2-5), and most recently to tenth-ranked “Mayhem” Jason Miller (21-6) at DREAM.3 in May.

Hansen, a PRIDE and Shooto veteran from Norway, is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Eddie Alvarez (14-1) at DREAM.3.

Gill, from Canada, last fought at DREAM.1 in March where he lost to “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (22-4-2) in a unanimous decision.

Hironaka hopes to recover from a two-fight losing streak, both second-round TKOs in the UFC by “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (15-3) in September and Jonathan Goulet (22-9; 1 NC) in April, although that fight earned him a $75K “Fight of the Night” bonus.

Miyazawa has won all four of his fights at the Greatest Common Multiple events.

PRIDE veteran Hunt was submitted in his last two fights, in 2006, via first-round kimura, first by Fighters.com’s sixth-ranked heavyweight “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (27-1), then to fifth-ranked “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (22-5).

Fighters.com’s tenth-ranked middleweight “Mayhem” Jason Miller (21-5) and Nick Diaz (16-7) also picked up wins.

“Mayhem” easily pounded out Masakatsu Funaki-trained Katsuyori Shibata (2-4) in 6:57 to add himself and a bit of respectability to the Middleweight Grand Prix to be continued at DREAM.4.

In the Lightweight GP’s biggest upset, Uno was too slick for Fighters.com’s fifth-ranked lightweight “Endless Fighter” Mitsuhiro Ishida (16-4-1) on his feet, then, surprisingly, on the mat.

“Uno Shoten” wrapped Ishida up in a rear naked choke during a scramble on the ground, ending the “Endless Fighter” at 1:39 of the second round.

Alvarez won an exciting unanimous decision over “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen in an upset predicted by Fighters.com.

Kawajiri advanced to DREAM.5 in the expected “W” over “Buscape” Luiz Firmino (12-4), but wasn’t able to stop the tough Brazilian.

Some fighters get rusty after a prolonged absence.  “Mean for no reason” (as labeled by “Punk” Josh Thomson (14-2)) Diaz was pissed after six months of inactivity.  He unloaded on welterweight King of Pancrase Katsuya Inoue (16-6-3) for nearly seven minutes, causing Inoue’s corner to throw in the towel.

Diaz earned a DREAM welterweight title shot with the dominating “W”.

Welterweight Daisuke Nakamura (14-9) served Korean judoka Bu Kyung Jung (0-3) his first stoppage loss with a knockout at 1:05 of round two.

“Marvelous” Melvin Manhoef (21-4-1) TKO’d another Korean judoka, Dae Won Kim (4-4), at 4:08 of round one.

Lightweight Takeshi Yamazaki (14-7-2) won a unanimous decision over Shoji Maruyama (6-3-1).

That’s what most believe, but, not so long ago, most believed the world was flat, or, at best, the rounded shell of a very large turtle.  Since “time and chance happeneth to all”, let’s take a quick peek at what could happen.

On 11 May, we’ll see if one the following warriors has the equipment to give Aoki his first loss since 2005.  Since several of these fighters (complete with difficult-to-pronounce names) aren’t quickly recognized among the North American MMA mainstream, where Affliction brands and “GSP” references are as common as stop signs, all the more reason to break’em down.

Which lightweight might stop the flexible “Tobikan Judan”?

From least likely to most:

Katsuhiko Nagata (4-2)
  
Aoki, after suffering injuries in his decision win over “JZ” Gesias Calvancante (14-2) at DREAM.2, will face Nagata at DREAM.5.
  
Nagata is one busy fighter as long as he’s on top. A silver-medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2000 Olympics, Nagata can clinch well and might toss Aoki to the mat.  But, what happens when Aoki’s on his back?  Brer Rabbit and the brier patch come to mind.

Aoki should hand Nagata his first submission loss.

Eddie Alvarez (13-1) v “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (17-6)

Alvarez is fireworks, blood, and guts.  He’s always been dangerous, but after losing to Fighters.com’s ninth-ranked welterweight “The Goat” Nick Thompson (35-9) in Bodog and his subsequent weight drop, he’s unpredictable as well.

Before Thompson pounded him out, Alvarez had one gear and one direction: forward with fists flying.  He’s a smarter fighter now with improved takedowns, though his lust for hitting hard is still on board.

Hansen had the skills to give third-ranked lightweight “The Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-3) his first-ever lost.  Those skills have only gotten better.

“Hellboy” has brutal leg kicks, which is what toppled Alvarez in Bodog.  But, Hansen isn’t nearly as lanky as Thompson; and, Alvarez will get the better of the Norwegian if Hansen employs his kicks.  If Alvarez manages a single-leg, don’t expect him to play in Hansen’s ever-dangerous guard.
  
Alvarez should likely pound this one out, but, if he ends up with Aoki under him, his ground game won’t be enough to keep himself clean of armlocks and triangles galore.

“Endless Fighter” Mitsuhiro Ishida (16-3-1) v “Uno Shoten” Caol Uno (24-10-4)

There’s not much Uno can’t do well.  He is exciting and capable of showing up on someone’s back when neither the opponent, nor the crowd expects it. He’s slick and fun and will keep this fight interesting with bursts of opposition.
  
Fifth-ranked lightweight Ishida is a great wrestler and doesn’t get punched much while waiting for a shot.  He moves very well.  His footwork will keep him out of trouble when the fight is standing; and, he’ll power through the submission attempts.  And, although he’s not super exciting (or, maybe because he’s not), Ishida will likely stay on top, throwing just enough leather to keep the ref from forcing the duo to their feet.

Should Ishida wrestle out a ‘W’, he might face off with Aoki; but, it’s not enough to just put Shinya on his back.

“Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (21-4-2) v “Buscape” Luiz Firmino (12-3)

Firmino moves well enough off his back and has good cardio.  And, his back is exactly where Kawajiri could put him quickly as Firmino seems to have problem giving up takedowns.

Once down, though, Firmino must work for submissions, and; Kawajiri will make it everything but easy.  Firmino will take a lot of damage, with only brief respites thanks to the occasional submission attempt that will never be sunk.
  
Kawajiri is a thick beast of a wrestler and tough to submit.  Gomi got him with a rear naked choke, but only after he was hurt with body shots, left hands to the face, and knees that drove him down and ripened him for a tap-out.

Kawajiri still punches like a wrestler when standing, but is a dangerous contender for this Grand Prix.
  
If Kawajiri takes Firmino by TKO or late decision, he could prove more than a handful on the ground for Aoki…should they meet.

“Crusher” postures well and hits hard, but with control.  If he doesn’t expose his legs when he’s on top, Kawajiri will be the fighter to push Aoki the hardest.
  
Unlike the myth of a flat Earth, Kawajiri is one fighter who’s for real and his name, tricky as it seems now, could become a household moniker if he’s the one to topple “Tobikan Judan”.

Their first scheduled matchup was to be last New Year’s Eve at Yarenokka, but “JZ” bailed with a bum knee.

In the Lightweight Grand Prix at DREAM.1, the two division standouts only tussled for about four minutes before an errant Calvancanti elbow dug into the back of Aoki’s head.  The fight was stopped and declared a No Contest when Aoki couldn’t continue.

And, if my kanji literacy isn’t too far off, DREAM also announced the Lightweight Grand Prix’s next round of bouts.

At DREAM.3 11 May, the winner between Calvancanti and Aoki will fight Katsuhiko Nagata (4-2) who surprised Artur Oumakhanov (7-3) in the first round.

Eddie Alvarez (13-1) and “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (17-6-1) will matchup in another Grand Prix bout.

Another matchup features a rematch between “Buscape” Luiz Firmino (12-3) and “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (21-4-2).

Kawajiri won a 2005 unanimous decision over Firmino in PRIDE.

Finally, “Uno Shoten” Caol Uno (24-10-4) got a bye into a second-round fight with “Endless Warrior” Mitsuhiro Ishida (16-3-1).

The K-1/former-PRIDE collaboration featured mismatches of size and skill, world-class MMA, late stoppages, carnival theatrics, a tournament format, and the banshee herself, Lenne Hardt, introducing it all.

The card featured the opening round of DREAM’s lightweight grand prix in which Eddie Alvarez (13-1), “Buscape” Luiz Firmino (12-3), “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (17-6-1), “Endless Fighter” Mitsuhiro Ishida (16-3-1), “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (21-4-2), and Katsuhiko Nagata (4-2) all advanced to the next round.

The tournaments seventh and most anticipated match-up betwen “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (14-2) and “JZ” Gesias Calvancante (14-1-1) ended in a No Contest.

In non-tournament bouts, “Mach” Hayato Sakurai (32-7-2) and “Cro Cop” Mirko Filipovic both won first round TKOs and “The Punk” Ikuhisa Minowa won a first round submission.

Ishida and Korean judoka Bu Kyung Jung (0-2) fought the most competitive bout with Ishida squeezing a unanimous decision over the MMA rookie.

The Japanese wrestler, Ishida, whirled around Jung for the first two minutes, peppering leg kicks into the Korean’s thighs.  On Jung’s lunging clinch attempt, Ishida slammed him to the mat.

On the mat, inside Jung’s tightly closed guard, Ishida heaved him into the air and slammed him again before raising back to his feet.

Jung followed and lunged to clinch again, but Ishida ducked.  Jung slammed face first into the corner, Ishida pouncing atop him.

From a full guard body lock, Jung transitioned into an armbar as the Japanese fighter tried to yank free.  It was close, and Jung took the opportunity to kick the struggling wrestler in the face before Ishida broke free.  Another powerful Ishida slam countered Jung’s near miss.

As the ground game went on, Ishida’s spurts of G’n'P became more effective as the Korean filed through submissions, but the ref stood them anyway.

Backed into a corner, Ishida threw a clumsy left roundhouse kick Jung blocked as Ishida slipped.  This time it was Jung who pounced, locking Ishida’s head beneath his armpit for another tight neck crank submission attempt.

Again, Ishida popped free, both fighters slick with sweat by that point, and worked an effective ground’n'pound until the ref stood the fighters.

This time it was Ishida who lunged for a single leg takedown and Jung pulled guard, then slipped a slick armbar on the wrestler.  Again, the “Endless Fighter” slipped free and hammered on the judoka to the first round bell.

The second round began as the first, with Ishida avoiding a head-on collision by circling.  Ishida shot for the same single leg takedown that got him in trouble near the end of round one and Jung again pulled guard and sucked up arms at angles looking for submissions.  Ishida countered by grinding fists into Jung’s face until the ref stood them up.

Ishida made it a trilogy with a third identical takedown and Jung responded as he had to the first two.  Both fighters exchanged leather while Jung worked his high guard into a weak triangle choke, but wasn’t able to lock his leg beneath his knee.

The bout ended with both exhausted fighters pitty-patting each other on the mat.

An argument could be made to give the judoka the win, but the judges saw Ishida’s aggressive ground’n'pound as the deal breaker and awarded him a unanimous decision.

In another exciting tournament fight, at the bell Alvarez and “Dida” Andre Amade (6-3-1) stormed to the center of the ring throwing leather.  The American shot a single leg and stood-up with the ankle he had snatched.  He swept Dida’s other foot from beneath him and dumped the BJJ black belt on his back.

The ref stood Dida and he immediately resumed throwing haymakers, catching Alvarez square on the chin with two big left hooks, then dropping him with a third as the American retreated.

But on the mat Alvarez’s superior wrestling positioned him for a two-minute vicious ground’n'pound onslaught that lead to the TKO stoppage at 6:47 of round one.  Dida was simply overpowered and out-positioned.

Tattooed Norwegian Hansen resembled a snow leopard feasting on Kotetsu Boku (13-5-1) of Krazy Bee.  Since becoming the first MMA fighter to tap in a gogoplata in 2006, the former kickboxer Hansen has been all out on the mat.  He took Boku to the ground and paired an octopus-like submission game with brutal ground’n'pound for the entire 15 minutes.  The decision was unanimous for Hansen.

“Buscape” of Brazilian Top Team found a rear naked choke on undersized Kazuyuki Miyata (5-7) at 7:37 of round one.

In a mild upset, Nagata took a unanimous decision over the Russian Artur Oumakhanov (7-3).

Kawajiri earned the sixth spot in round two of DREAM’s lightweight grand prix with a unanimous decision over surprisingly durable “Black Mamba” Kultar Gill (9-7) of Canada.

The tournament’s most hyped match-up fizzled when Aoki took an errant elbow to the back of the head from Calvancanti after much ado about nothing.  There’s been no clarification about a rematch or whether either fighter will advance in the tournament.

Hidetaka Monma (14-8-3) was never in his fight with Sakurai, but evidently the ref was unaware of the mismatch.  From the top position, Sakurai pounded Monma in the head 20-seconds longer than necessary before the referee called a stoppage at 4:12 of round one.

I’m hereby dividing the MMA universe into two halves.  Those, like me, who’re disgusted to witness “Cro Cop” as a characterture of himself matched up against veritable heads-on-a-tee like Tatsuya Mizuno (3-3) and those who lust to see the former PRIDE OWGP champ served-up such heads for entertainment, not sport.  “Cro Cop”, in an awkward performance, TKO’d Mizuno at :56 of round one.

And in the last of the three rings that made-up non tournament action at DREAM.1, Minowaman swung from half mount into a kneebar to submit overweight Korean Bum Chang Kang (1-2) at 1:25 of round one.

DREAM.2 follows on 29 April with the first round a a middleweight grand prix.

Canadian “Black Mamba” Kultar Gill will post his 9-6 record versus Japanese “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri, 20-4-2.

Kawajiri’s record includes a DQ “W” over fellow Grand Prix competitor Joachim Hansen.  “Black Mamba” broke a three-loss skid in K-1 and Bodog with a first round TKO of Hideo Tokoro in K-1 Hero’s Middleweight Tournament in his last fight.

Kazuyuki Miyata, 5-6, emerges from a rear naked choke loss to Hansen on K-1′s New Year’s Eve card to face-off with “Buscape” Luiz Firmino, 11-3.

Firmino’s record lists a 2005 unanimous decision loss to Kawajiri in PRIDE Bushido.

“Hellboy” Joachim Hansen of Norway locks horns versus Norifumi Yamamoto‘s Krazy Bee trainee Kotetsu Boku.

Hansen holds the distinction of being the first MMA fighter submitted in a gogoplata performed by Aoki in PRIDE.  Boku’s 13-4-1 record includes victories over former UFC lightweight contender Hermes Franca and Eiji Mitsuoka, who was the last fighter to douse out ”Hellboy”.