The 2009 event opened up to a large audience, and has become a propellant in the mixed martial arts world, opening up the eyes to a mainstream audience, by the community taking leaps and bounds in order to legitimize itself as not only a legitimate sport, but one that deserves that same sort of recognition that most others receive, here in these United States.

While some categories have changed, in order to be politically correct, must stay the same. Voting continues until November 26, where till then you can cast your votes online at All winners are determined by a fan vote, and ballots can be cast through Nov. 26 at www.worldmmaawards.com.

The full list, which was formatted by MMAJunkie.com, of finalists includes:

CHARLES “MASK” LEWIS FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

* Anderson Silva
* Brock Lesnar
* Frankie Edgar
* Jose Aldo
* Mauricio “Shogun” Rua

FIGHT OF THE YEAR

* Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen at UFC 117
* Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin at UFC 116
* Leonard Garcia vs. Chan Sung Jung at WEC 48
* Chris Leben vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 116
* Jorge Santiago vs. Kazuo Misaki at Sengoku 14

KO OF THE YEAR

* Anthony Njokuani vs. Chris Horodecki at WEC 45
* Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 110
* Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Lyoto Machida at UFC 113
* Mike Russow vs. Todd Duffee at UFC 114
* Rich Franklin vs. Chuck Liddell at UFC 115

SUBMISSION OF THE YEAR

* Matt Hughes vs. Ricardo Almeida at UFC 117
* Chris Leben vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 116
* Cole Miller vs. Dan Lauzon at UFC 108
* Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen at UFC 118
* Fabricio Werdum vs. Fedor Emelianenko at “Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum”

BEST PROMOTION

* Bellator
* DREAM
* Strikeforce
* UFC
* WEC

LEADING MAN OF THE YEAR

* Bjorn Rebney, Bellator founder and CEO
* Dana White, UFC president
* Joe Silva, UFC VP of talent relations
* Michael Schiavello, HDNet broadcaster
* Scott Coker, Strikeforce founder and CEO

INTERNATIONAL FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

* Alistair Overeem
* Dan Hardy
* George Sotiropoulos
* John Hathaway
* Shinya Aoki

BREAKTHROUGH FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

* Charles Oliveira
* Evan Dunham
* George Sotiropoulos
* John Hathaway
* Jon Jones

FEMALE FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

* Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos
* Megumi “Mega Megu” Fujii
* Miesha Tate
* Sarah Kaufman
* Zoila Frausto

COACH OF THE YEAR

* Cesar Gracie
* Firas Zahabi
* Greg Jackson
* Rafael Cordeiro
* Shawn Tompkins

GYM OF THE YEAR

* American Kickboxing Academy
* American Top Team
* Black House MMA
* Greg Jackson’s Submission Fighting
* Wand Fight Team

RING GIRL OF THE YEAR

* Arianny Celeste
* Brittney Palmer
* Chandella Powell
* Natalie Skyy
* Rachelle Leah

BEST LIFESTYLE CLOTHING BRAND

* Affliction
* Fight Chix
* RVCA
* Silverstar
* TapouT

REFEREE OF THE YEAR

* “Big” John McCarthy
* Dan Miragliotta
* Herb Dean
* Josh Rosenthal
* Mario Yamasaki

MOST MEMORABLE RING ENTRANCE

* Anderson Silva
* Clay Guida
* Jason “Mayhem” Miller
* Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal
* Tom Lawlor

BEST TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT BRAND

* Everlast MMA
* Fairtex
* Hayabusa
* TapouT
* Venum

BEST TECHNICAL CLOTHING BRAND

* Bad Boy
* Hayabusa
* Jaco
* TapouT
* Venum

MEDIA SOURCE OF THE YEAR

* “Inside MMA” on HDNet
* MMAjunkie.com
* MMAWeekly.com
* MMAFighting.com
* Sherdog.com

MMA JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

* Aaron “Tru” Teweles, Freelance
* Ariel Helwani, MMAFighting.com/Versus.com
* Conner Cordova, MMAReligion.com
* Gareth A. Davies, Telegraph.com
* John Morgan, MMAjunkie.com

So, MMA peeps, any surprises here? Anyone you would have liked to seen in some of these categories? Who do you think will take home some of the honors of the night? Sound off in the comments section below.

A bevy of some of the most notable fighters will grace the card, including DREAM lightweight champion Shinya Aoki, who will be returning to Deep after a 6 year absence from the promotion that gave him his start as a professional mixed martial artist.

Among Aoki, Deep 50 will also feature the current DREAM Super Hulk Champion and all around Japanese Icon, Ikuhisa Minowa–whom is affectionately more so recognized as simply “Minowaman”.

Both Aoki and Minowa last competed at DREAM 16 last Saturday, though reached different results. Aoki was featured in a non-title bout against former PRIDE and UFC veteran Marcus Aurelio. A dangerous Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, Aurelio has recently left American Top Team to train under Team Nogueria out of his native Brazil. Aoki seemed to be the more versed grappler, however, as he was able to easily control Marcus on the ground, mounting him on several occasions and eventually secured the unanimous decision victory towards the bouts end.

Shinya is now riding a two fight win streak since a loss to current Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez, which began with a victory over rival Tatsuya Kawajiri in defense of his DREAM title last July.

Minowaman, meanwhile, witness a five-fight win streak snapped when he met the 1-1 and Judo Olympic Gold medalist, Satoshi Ishii. The bout was largely decided by Ishii’s effective ground skills, where he was able to position himself in dominant positions all throughout the bout. Ikuhisa threatened with a leg lock early, however Ishii was in no imminent danger, and the Olympian walked away with his second win in a row, a victory over a legend, and his first in DREAM.

The line up, which will also feature Sengoku and Pride veteran Kazuo Misaki in action, Aoki in a bout against a former Pro Boxer making his MMA debut, and two title fights on the line, is as follows:

Katsunori Kikuno vs Nobuhiro Obiya (LW Title)
Yuya Shirai vs Shigetoshi Iwase (WW Title)
Shinya Aoki vs Yokthai Sithoar (confirmed)
Sanae Kikuta vs TBA
Ikuhisa Minowa vs TBA
Takafumi Otsuka vs Yoshiro Maeda
Ryo Chonan vs Yoshiyuki Yoshida
Toshikazu “ISE” Iseno vs Won Sik “Parky” Park
Kazuo Misaki vs Akira Shoji
Daiki “DJ Taiki” Hata vs Tomomi “Taisho” Iwama
Shoji Maruyama vs Tatsunao Nagakura
Hidetaka Monma vs Yoshihisa Yamamoto
Isao Terada vs Yoshiki Harada
Ryuta Noji vs Hiroshi Nagao

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of this card? For those who are true fans of Japanese MMA, this is a card that you do not want to miss. Sound off in the comments section below.

He takes on all comers, never turns down an opponent, and always comes to fight. And while the former Pride Welterweight Grand Prix Champion has seen the brighter side of things just a few years ago and has recently fallen on back-to-back losses, he’s putting all on the line–and according to Misaki himself, it was his life that was at stake in his last fight with Sengoku Champion, Jorge Santiago.

The Sengoku contender entered his bout with Misaki with fierce determination. After succumbing to a disappointing and controversial knockout loss to K-1 veteran Melvin Manhoef before entering his bout with Santiago (for the second time), a Strikeforce tournament champion and reigning Sengoku middleweight champion, Misaki had all the incentive to go after his foe for another hard five rounds, or die trying.

While Misaki took the action to Santiago early, rocking him on several occasions in the opening rounds, Santiago’s resilience and relentlessness was no match for Kazuo, who prior to the bout had little-to-no training preparation due to a multitude of injuries. While Misaki was likely 3-4 rounds on the judges score cards, he was found in dire straits in the early goings of round five of the title clash. The American Top Team product was able to mount the Japanese fighter early after rocking him with a head kick, followed up with heavy doses of ground and pound etched in with some submission attempts.

With a little over twenty seconds left in the round, it looked like Misaki only needed to survive the last few seconds of the fight before walking away the victor. However, the fighter formerly known as the “Grabaka Hitman” found himself with his second consecutive loss once his corner men threw in the towel, much to the surprise of the fans and media alike.

While Misaki was not in the best of shape coming into the bout, you won’t hear any excuses from the beloved fighter.

“Standing in the ring in whatever condition I’m in is my way of life”, said the famed middleweight, during a press conference put together by the SRC exec’s in a promotional gym, where 8 days after the fight and after a short stint in the hospital post-Santiago. It was the first time Misaki spoke of the fight, since he was unable to attend the post-fight press conference to due to his injuries sustained.

“My full strength was no match for Santiago.”

Misaki, though is convinced his conerman saved his life from impending death, even if it was just 22 seconds left in the bout.

“He (the cornerman that threw in the towel) saved my life so I’m thankful”, said Misaki.

“I don’t think the injury was the cause for my defeat, I lost being in 100% condition at fight day. It’s possible that Santiago might have been injured as well, I lost because my best was insufficient, only mortifying thoughts remain now. I think I would’ve entered the ring even if I lost one of my legs, I’m a fighter who fights, not with technique, but with heart.”

While it was clearly his heart that was on display, it’s going to be a long and winding road for Misaki to reach top billing again. After losing for the second time to Santiago, and both times in the fifth round, you would think Kazuo may be deterred and otherwise disappointed with where he stands in his career.

“He (Jorge Santiago) has become the most important being in my life.”

“Once more, just once more I want the chance to fight Santiago…”

Well apparently, not.

But first, here’s how the Middleweight roster breaks down. Looking at the title picture from left to right, the EA Sports Middleweight roster features Benji Radach, Lyman Good, Matt Lindland, Luke Rockhold, Frank Trigg, Joe Riggs, Kazuo Misaki, Scott Smith, Murilo Rua, Tim Kennedy, Pat Miletich, Jake Shields, Nick Thompson, Melvin Manhoef, Robbie Lawler, Dan Henderson, Gegard Mousasi, Jason Miller, Cung Le, Nick Diaz, Frank Shamrock, and Ronaldo Souza.

It should be noted that eight fighters in the Middleweight division are carry-overs from the already-announced Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight divisions. There’s some debate going around the internet gaming forums as to whether or not this is a cheap move in order to cut the time down on coding and creating different fighters, or a good way to ensure quality cross-division super-fights. I personally think it’s a little of both: I think the roster is a little limited, but the fact that you can play as your favorite fighter in several different weight classes mostly balances that out. Plus, with download-a-fighter being included, I think this game’s roster will be massive once people start creating famous MMA fighters are putting them online for anybody and everybody to download.

Much like the UFC including the famous Madison Square Garden in their “UFC Undisputed” games, it’s recently been confirmed that EA Sports MMA will have the Cowboys Stadium as an in-game venue despite the fact that a major Mixed Martial Arts event has never been booked there. An online image has already surfaced, which you can view here. Even as a huge fan of UFC Undisputed 2009, I think Madison Square Garden was really under-played in both UFC 2009 and 2010. Not so with Cowboys Stadium- the images revealed so far look downright amazing. I may actually get goosebumps when my Create-a-Fighter either defends or tries to get at the Strikeforce Championship in that mega-arena.

The last time I was this excited for a sports game, my hopes met quite the rude awakening. So, even with all the hype I’m buying into, I know that there’s still a chance for EA Sports MMA to let me down in much the same way that UFC Undisputed 2010 let me down. But until that day, I have to say…this is shaping up to be a genre-defining game. Every time I hear something new about this game, it’s something I think I could find myself enjoying immensely. When October 19 hits, I’ve got a pretty good feeling that there’s going to be a new Undisputed Champion of Mixed Martial Arts video games.

But what about you, fans and friends? How high would you rate your anticipation of “EA Sports MMA”?

A Renzo Gracie student, Almeida has made a successful transition to the 170 pound division after a well established career as a middleweight, which has seen him garner wins over the likes of Kendall Grove, Kazuo Misako, and perennial contender Nate Marquardt.

Matt Hughes, has had a long and storied career in the UFC. After making his debut nearly 10 years ago, a 20 second submission loss to nemesis Dennis Hallman, Hughes would then go on to capture the welterweight title with a knockout slam over then champion Carlos Newton, and would then go on to set the precedent for 5 consecutive defenses–the most ever cemented in the welterweight division.

While both have had successful careers, it’s Hughes who will be garnering the most attention come this Saturday, for several reasons dating back since 2000.

In 2000, Hughes was a participant in the Abu Dhabi competitions, where he crossed paths with Ricardo Almedia, winning on points in the grappling tournament. Six years later, at UFC 60, Matt Hughes defeated former multiple-time UFC tournament champion Royce Gracie, and made it look easy. After taking the fight to the floor–which most eluded to being the Gracie’s sweet spot with his obvious ground prowess–the two Hall of Famer’s engaged in what turned into a one-sided beatdown, with Hughes able to secure back mount, and after a failed submission attempt, settled for pounding the legend, before he was saved by the referee.

Thereafter, Hughes would go on to eventually lose his title to current kingpin Georges St. Pierre, and follow up the loss with another to top contender Thiago Alves, before bouncing back with back-to-back wins over foe and former champion Matt Serra, and the aforementioned Renzo Gracie.

In the bout with Renzo at UFC 112, the bout saw Hughes take advantage of the aged Gracie, where after a sluggish start in the third round for the brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master, would eventually signal the end, as the 35-year-old, Hughes would end the welterweight contest after crippling him with leg kicks, and ending it with powerful punches against the fence, marking the first time that the former two-time champion had ended a fight with strikes, on the feet.

While Almeida has attested that he requested this bout, not out of malice or out of a sense of “revenge”, it would be hard to imagine that while his master Renzo, and fellow idol Royce had fallen short to Hughes, that Almeida wouldn’t feel a sense of urgency, to reclaim what was lost.

While Matt is riding a two-fight win streak, and with a “win” over Almeida, it’s Ricardo who appears to have the upper hand. More athletic, explosive, competent striker is Ricardo over his predecessor Renzo, and with time on his side, it seems that Hughes’ run through the Gracie clan may be short lived.

Do you think Hughes still has the upper hand? Or will Ricardo reclaim the Gracie name, and exact revenge?

Misaki strangled judoka Kazuhiro Nakamura (13-10) in a guillotine at 3:03 of round one at Sengoku Ninth Battle in Tokyo August 2.

Manhoef is coming off of a first-round submission loss to eighth-ranked “Ely” Paulo Filho (16-1) at DREAM.10 north of Tokyo July 20.

Masanori Kanehara (5-2) stole the Featherweight Grand Prix Championship in a controversial final that featured Kanehara despite losing his semi-final fight by unanimous decision to Hatsu Hioki (16-3-2) versus Michihiro Omigawa (4-8) who was given a hometown free pass into the finals after majority draw on the cards versus Marlon Sandro (13-1) in the semi-finals.

Strikeforce middleweight champ “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (23-9-2) strangled judoka Kazuhiro Nakamura‘s (13-10) hopes of challenging Sengoku middleweight champion Jorge Santiago (21-7) in a guillotine at 3:03 of round one, leaving Kaz’ out on the mat. Denied a title challenge himself by Sengoku after pleading guilty to interfering with the duties of a public official following a March traffic stop, Misaki said nothing after playing spoiler, refusing the microphone in the ring.

Former UFC welterweight Akihiro Gono (30-15-7) returned to Japan after a 1-2 stint in the big show, but his opponent “The Handler” Dan Hornbuckle (16-2) made it a bitter homecoming with a head kick that left Gono unconcious for several minutes. Gono was carried out of the ring by stretcher and suffered a concussion and neck injury.

Heavyweight Samboist Blagoi Ivanov (1-0) won his MMA debut over Kazuyuki Fujita (13-8), scoring a draw on the cards but taking the split decision victory in Sengoku’s must decision system.

Lightweight Eiji Mitsuoka (15-6-2) tapped Clay French (15-6) in a guillotine choke at 1:51 of round one.

“Kiss” Yoshihiro Nakao (9-2) won a unanimous decision over Korean heavyweight Mu Bae Choi (2-2).

In the Featherweight Grand Prix reserve bout, “Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung (2-0) tapped “Jagger Bomb” Matt Jaggers (12-6) in a triangle choke at 1:25 of round two.

Kitaoka weighed 69.9 kg while Hirota tipped the scales at 70 kg.

The card also features the semi-finals and finals of Sengoku’s featherweight grand prix and all competing fighters also made weight.

Michihiro Omigawa (3-7) weighed 64.9 kg and his undefeated opponent Marlon Sandro (13-0) weighed 64.7 kg. Hatsu Hioki (15-3-2) and his opponent Masanori Kanehara (4-1-) both weighed 65 kg. In the tournament’s reserve fight, “Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung (1-0) weighed 64.8 kg and his opponent “Jagger Bomb” Matt Jaggers (12-5) weighed 64.6 kg.

In a face-off of middleweight title contenders, “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (22-9-2) and Kazuhiro Nakamura (13-9) both weighed 83 kg.

In the anticipated MMA debut of Samboist Blagoi Ivanov (0-0) versus Kazuyuki Fujita (13-7), the rookie weighed 110 kg and the vet outdid him at 112.5 kg.

Welterweight Akihiro Gono (30-14-7) weighed 76 kg and his opponent “The Handler” Dan Hornbuckle (15-2) weighed 75.3 kg.

Lightweight Eiji Mitsuoka (14-6-2) weighed 70 kg while his opponent Clay French (15-5) weighed 69.9 kg.

“Kiss” Yoshihiro Nakao (8-2) weighed 103 kg and his fellow heavyweight opponent Mu Bae Choi (2-1) weighed 109.4 kg.

Fighters.com’s second-ranked lightweight Gomi will face Satoru Kitaoka (21-9-7), and ninth-ranked middleweight Misaki will face Jorge Santiago (18-7).  The first-ever WVR titles in both weight classes will be on the line.

Heavyweight Hidehiko Yoshida (8-6-1) is also on the card.

Gomi will fight for the belt despite losing his last fight versus Red Devil Sports Club’s Sergey Golyaev (8-5) 1 November at Sengoku 6 via split decision.

Kitaoka won the lightweight tournament at the same event by submitting sixth-ranked Eiji Mitsuoka (13-5-2) with a first-round heel hook, then defeating Kazunori Yokota (7-1-2) via unanimous decision.

Misaki last fought in September at Strikeforce versus “Diesel” Joe Riggs (28-10).  Riggs was felled via TKO in round two.

Santiago submitted Siyar Bahadurzada (9-3-1) via first-round heel hook and TKO’d  Kazuhiro Nakamura (12-8) in round three to win the middleweight tournament at Sengoku 6.

Yoshida submitted “Mo” Maurice Smith (13-13) by neck crank at Sengoku 3 in June.

As a child, Bahadurzada immigrated to the Netherlands from war-torn Afghanistan, but became stuck there without a passport as his fight career took off.  In July 2007, he was finally allowed to travel to Japan to fight (and beat) Shiko Yamashita (10-4-3) for the Shooto title.

Fighters.com: Can you describe the difference between your feelings when you first arrived in Holland after leaving Afghanistan, then when you first arrived in Japan to fight after being stuck in Holland?  Holland must’ve been both a place of refuge from war-torn Afghanistan, but then like a cage keeping you from furthering your fight career?

Siyar Bahadurzada: When I first came to Holland I felt like I was given a second chance.  I just went for it and kept trying to make something out of my life.  I learned to speak Dutch in almost six months.  I was [studying] very hard and, besides, not to forget, I’m pretty gifted in learning languages. I can speak several languages very well.

But, when I went to Japan, I felt different.  Coming to Holland was different because I was saved from the war; but, when I came to Japan, I felt like, “Now it is my time to shine.  My 15 minutes of fame is on!”  I feel invincible when I’m in Japan.  Somehow, the environment in Japan drives me to my limits, motivates me to take one step more and go for my dreams!

Anyways, I believe everything happens for a reason.  And, I believe now I am not 10% of what I’m going to be in the next five years.

Fighters.com: You were criticized for celebrating after Santos dislocated his elbow and explained that you were letting off frustrations from hardships before the fight.  Do you care if people accept your explanation or not?

Siyar Bahadurzada: Yes, I do care.  Because I am not what people think I am after seeing that fight.  It’s true.  I did not give a fuck about Cyborg in the ring while his elbow was hurt; but, would it help to run to him and keep telling him that you’re sorry for what happened and this and that while the only one he needs at that moment is a doctor to check on him?

Besides, after the fight I wanted to visit him in the dressing room; but, he was gone to the hospital.  When we went to the hotel, I wanted to visit him in his room.  He was still in the hospital.  Early the next morning, I wanted to visit him again.  I saw his corner men and expressed my sadness for what happened to him in the fight.

Later, when he came back from the hospital, I was in the lobby and met him.  I told him that I was sorry for what had happened and that he gets his rematch whenever he asks me to.  So, I handled the situation my way. Of course, it was not in front of the millions of fans; but, anyways, I did what I thought was right and stand behind my decisions!

People criticized me for what happened in the ring; but, as I said before, my right hand was broken twice and I had an elbow operation.  I did not even jog the last six months and then I got sick in Afghanistan, while I was visiting family for 3 weeks.  I took 4 kinds of antibiotics to heal. That even worsened my conditioning and to summarize it: I trained for ten days for the fight against Cyborg.  What people do not realize is that I took that fight against Cyborg because I knew I would beat him. W hy would I accept a fight like that if I did not believe in myself.  But anyways, there will be a rematch between us and now.  Even if Cyborg does not consider a rematch, which seems to me out of question,  I will insist on that rematch!  Because, I want to prove a lot of people wrong!  I am very much motivated for that rematch!

Fighters.com: Call out who you want to fight next in the Sengoku Middleweight Grand Prix and why?

Siyar Bahadurzada: Jorge Santiago!  Because, I think we will have a great fight.

Fighters.com: If you win the tournament, how can you beat “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (21-8-2) for the Sengoku middleweight title?  Why would the rematch be different than the original fight?

Siyar Bahadurzada: If I win the tournament?  I’d rather say: When I win the tournament, I will come after Misaki!  He is a good fighter; but, I learned a lot from my last fight against him and this time I will not make the same mistake again, that I can promise!  I will beat Misaki this time.  I know it.  He knows it!

Fighters.com: Another naturalized Dutchman, Gegard Mousasi (24-2-1), considers himself the top  middleweight mixed martial artist in Holland.  Is he the best Dutch middleweight?  Do you want to disagree with him?

Siyar Bahadurzada: Right now, he is the best middleweight in Holland, until proven wrong!  He is the DREAM Middleweight Champion and fought great!  He deserved the belt by beating the toughest guys in the tournament!  My compliments for his achievement!  He proved he is the best middleweight in Holland for now; but, I am on my way to become the Sengoku Middleweight Champion, then it’s up to the fans to decide who is the best middleweight in Holland.

Fighters.com: Because of your childhood with little opportunity in Afghanistan, you’ve said you intend to take advantage of every opportunity you have; but, has their been an opportunity you regret not taking full advantage of?

Siyar Bahadurzada: No. I pretty much fought for everything that I have got today.  I am very satisfied with my achievements in the sport, university, and business.  But, I am a perfectionist.  I want to be the best in everything that I’m involved in. So, watch me come up with surprises in the future!

Fighters.com: You told Sherdog in February that the UFC is “treating their fighters like shit.”  Can you give an example of how the UFC mistreats their fighters?

Siyar Bahadurzada: I do not want to go in details on that; but, look at the poster boys of UFC back in the days: Tito Ortiz and Randy “The Natural” [Couture]?  They deserved better than being treated like that!  But, that is my humble opinion.

Fighters.com: How often do you return to Afghanistan and how are you contributing to improving the situation in your nation of birth?

Siyar Bahadurzada: The last nine years I visited Afghanistan once.  I support Bayat Foundation.  It is an organization which helps needy people in Afghanistan.  Once I sent my entire fight purse to Afghanistan for the kids who were cold and did not have clothes and anything to eat.

Fighters.com: Do Afghans recognize you or recognize the sport of MMA?

Siyar Bahadurzada: Yes they do.  I’m their first champion in MMA ever.  They really respect me and treat me like a hero.

Fighters.com: During the time when you were only able to fight in the Netherlands, did you build a strong Dutch following?

Siyar Bahadurzada: Yes.  Lots of people come to my fights because I fight exciting fights! I can fight for 15 minutes and can also KO my opponent in an blink of an eye. I have KO’s and submissions skills.

The winner of the tournament will face Fighters.com’s ninth-ranked middleweight “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2) for the first-ever middleweight belt 4 January in Saitama at Sengoku 7.

Kazuhiro Nakamura (12-8) will face Yuki Sasaki (22-14-1), and Jorge Santiago (18-7) will face “Afghan Killa” Siyar Bahadurzada (14-3-1).

The event already features a lightweight tournament to determine an opponent for Fighters.com’s second-ranked lightweight “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (29-3) at Sengoku 7 for the title.

The bouts remaining in the lightweight tournament are Satoru Kitaoka (21-8-9) versus sixth-ranked Eiji Mitsuoka (14-5-2), and Kazunori Yokota (7-1-3) versus Mizuto Hirota (10-2).

WVR also announced that Fighters.com’s Fighter of the Month “King Mo” Muhammed Lawal (1-0) will fight, although an opponent has not yet been determined.

“GameBred” Jorge Masvidal (14-3) versus Seung Hwan Bang (5-2) is also official.

Joe Doerksen (40-12) revealed through MySpace Tuesday that he has agreed to fight Izuru Takeuchi (25-9-6).

Lawal won his MMA debut in September, TKO’ing the more experienced “Diesel” Travis Wiuff (53-12) in the first round.

Masvidal defeated “Lion” Ryan Schultz (20-11-1) with a first-round TKO at the same event.

Bang lost his last fight via unanimous decision to Gomi in August.

UFC veteran Doerksen won a split decision over John Meyer (5-3) in August.

Shooto and Pancrase veteran Takeuchi won his last fight with a heel hook submission over Junior Santos (0-1) in June.

Fighters.com’s second-ranked lightweight

World Victory Road made the official announcement after last weekend’s event.

Gomi’s opponent will be determined 1 November when Satoru Kitaoka (21-8-9) and sixth-ranked Eiji Mitsuoka (14-5-2), and Kazunori Yokota (7-1-3) and Mizuto Hirota (10-2) face each other in the Lightweight Grand Prix in Saitama.

Misaki’s opponent will be the winner of the Middleweight Grand Prix.  Four fighters remain in that tournament: “Afghan Killa” Siyar Bahadurzada (14-3-1), Jorge Santiago (18-7), Kazuhiro Nakamura (12-8), and Yuki Sasaki (22-14-1).

WVR also announced that they would include Beijing Olympic medalists on the card, as well as fighters from Sengoku 5.

Gomi most recently defeated Seung Hwan Bang (5-2) by unanimous decision in August.

Misaki fought “Diesel” Joe Riggs (28-11) earlier in September, finishing him with a second-round TKO.

“I’m happy with the win,” Misaki said through an interpreter.

There was a frustrating seven-minute build-up to the fireworks finale in which both veterans circled and strategized while  the crowd begged for action.

Riggs struck first in the second round, nailing Misaki with a big left and a kick; but, Misaki countered with a right cross that floored “Diesel”.

Misaki followed Riggs to the mat and landed several shots before referee Josh Rosenthal ended the fight.

“I had my hands covering my head,” argued Riggs after the stoppage.  “But it is what it is.”

Strikeforce Lightweight Champion “Punk” Josh Thomson (16-2) knocked “Archer” Ashe Bowman to the fence with a right and followed up with a flurry before referee Herb Dean ended the fight at 1:14 of round one.

Strikeforce debuting lightweight “Endless Warrior” Mitsuhiro Ishida (17-4-1) also won a quick stoppage over “Silverback” Justin Wilcox by armbar submission at 1:21 of round one.

Terry Martin (18-5) returned from a brutal knockout by “Phenom” Vitor Belfort (17-8) in July and dropped Cory Devela (9-2) with left hook at 2:08 of round three.

Light heavyweight Trevor Prangley (18-5) picked up a UD over “El Toro” Anthony Ruiz (21-12) in a fight he took on late notice.

Luke Stewart (6-1) tapped Jesse Juarez (6-5) in an armbar at4:55 of round one.

Eric Lawson (7-2) tapped Kenneth Seegrist (5-1) in a rear naked choke at 3:07 of round one.

Brandon Magana (6-1) and Jesse Gillespie (2-2) each won split decisions over Brandon Thatch (3-1) and Dave Martin  (0-2) respectively.

Fighters.com’s eighth-ranked middleweight

“I  am looking forward to making my debut for Strikeforce at The Playboy Mansion, an incredible venue that is well-known throughout the world,” said Misaki, a former PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix Champion.

Misaki won a unanimous decisionover “Pink Pounder” Logan Clark(11-2) in Saitama, north of Tokyo, 8 June.

Of Riggs, Misaki said, “[He] is a tremendous competitor.  His style is aggressive like mine so I have no doubt that our fight will be an exciting and memorable one.”

Riggs tapped Matt Dempsey (1-1) in a rear naked choke in Prescott, north of Phoenix, 26 July.

The win was Riggs’s comeback from a back injury suffered in a loss to Cory Devela (9-2) in Tacoma 23 February.

“The back’s great.  It’s 100 percent,”  Riggs said.  “I’m really excited to be healthy again and looking forward to getting back on top.”

Riggs was pegged to fill-in for “Mr. International” Shonie Carter (44-17-7) versus Luke Stewart (5-1) in San Jose 27 June, but was denied a license by Armando Garcia’s California State Athletic Commission.

The UFC seemed intent that sixth-ranked “Thunder” Yushin Okami (21-4-1) miss his de facto UFC top contender challenge of Silva, marketing Cote versus “Cachorrao” Ricardo Almeida (9-3) in Las Vegas 5 July as an eliminator fight even before Okami pulled up lame with a broken hand.

Cote won by split decision.

Okami, who holds a DQ “W” over Silva from 2006, dropped a rank for August on the ascension of fourth-ranked EliteXC Middleweight Champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (16-4).

In Stockton, east of San Francisco, 26 July, Lawler erased the ellipsis left at the end of his May No Contest with “Hands of Steel” Scott Smith (13-5) and etched in a exclamatory second-round TKO over Smith.

To make the scattering of middleweights across promotions more frustrating, the entire top three – Silva, second-ranked “Ace” Rich Franklin (23-3), and third-ranked “Ely” Paulo Filho (16-0) – are throwing their hats into 205-pound bull ring.

Filho, who announced in February that he intends to move to 205-pounds, will rematch Chael Sonnen (20-9-1) in Hollywood, north of Miami, 10 September.

Perhaps Filho’s announcement was amidst his mysterious malaise, for which he’s been successfully treated; but, the WEC will shit-can their middleweight division before the end of 2008 and Filho, who signed with the WEC to avoid a confrontation with his pal Silva, will have to make a decision about which UFC weight class to compete in: the middleweight division Silva rules or the light heavyweight division Silva’s getting his kicks in.

Fifth-ranked Yoshihiro Akiyama (11-1) returned from an eight-month holiday to tap woefully mismatched Katsuyori Shibata (2-5) in Osaka 21 July.

Sixth-ranked “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (16-6) will return from a nine-month holiday to fight Olympic judoka Makoto Takimoto (4-4) at Sengoku in Saitama, north of Tokyo, 24 August.

Trigg’s deal with Sengoku could lead to a rematch versus eighth-ranked “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2), but not before Misaki makes his North American debut versus a yet-to-be-named opponent at Strikeforce 19 September in Los Angeles.

Ninth-ranked “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (9-1) has drawn legit kickboxer “Benkei” Zelg Galesic (9-3) in DREAM’s Middleweight GP, to be fought in Saitama 23 September.

“Mayhem” Jason Miller (21-6) holds steady at tenth without any announced or rumoured bouts.

August Middleweight Rankings

1. “Spider” Anderson Silva (22-4)

“Spider” fights like he’s hacked the matrix, making top-tier opponents look like they’re clumsily swatting at a web. In March he choked out former PRIDE champ Hendo’. His two-year record has both volume and quality with a “W” next to each challenger.

2. “Ace” Rich Franklin (22-3)

Despite two stoppages to Silva, Franklin is still the best of the rest, even according to Silva himself. “Ace” finessed from a Travis Lutter armbar to pick the TUF champ apart in April and outwrestled notoriously powerful Okami for a decision last year.

3. “Ely” Paulo Filho (16-0)

Filho’s perfect rap sheet lists solid foes, but only an ’06 KO of Misaki among top-tenners. Chael Sonnen gave him hell in a controversial stoppage, but Filho missed the March rematch. A strong comeback in the September rematch will solidify Filho’s ranking.

4. “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (16-4)

“Ruthless” rides a five-fight “W” streak since being choked out by Miller in ’06, including a KO of Trigg and stoppages of solid fighters Scott Smith, Murilo Rua, and Joey Villasenor.

5. Yoshihiro Akiyama (11-1)

The Zainichi judoka ran the gauntlet of weight-mismatched spectacles before bursting into 185-pound contention with a KO of Denis Kang. Akiyama drew Misaki on NYE, but the the result was a NC. He choked out Katsuyori Shibata in his July comeback.

6. “Thunder” Yushin Okami (22-4)

Okami has been most active among the top ten in the last two years and comes off a knockout of former UFC champ Evan Tanner.  His only UFC loss was to Franklin, but could’ve conceivably been a “W” had he went after “Ace” before the final two minutes.

7. “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (16-6)

With all Trigg does, you may have missed his comeback at middleweight the last two years, starting with a TKO of Miller and a UD over Misaki. Lawler iced him at Icon, but he’s returned with a quick stoppage of Edwin Dewees. He’s my division wildcard to watch.

8. “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2)

Misaki has made successful hits on Denis Kang and Hendo’, but also dropped decisions to Trigg and Hendo’ and a stoppage to Filho. Regardless, he’s won and lost among the division’s best, and may have added a “W” versus Akiyama if PRIDE rules ruled K-1.

9. “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (9-1)

“Jacare” finally fulfilled the hype surrounding the BJJ world champion by overwhelming Miller on the way to a UD in June, but besides “Mayhem” his record needs bolstered with better opponents.

10. “Mayhem” Jason Miller (20-5)

Always entertaining “Mayhem” has thrown in a stoppage over Lawler and a stoppage by Trigg into a mixed bag of competition the last two years.

But, the cold, hard ledger reveals Hendo’ hasn’t had a win at 185-pounds in two years.

Hendo’s previous rank was filled by tenth-ranked “Mayhem” Jason Miller (20-6), falling a notch to newly ninth-ranked “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (9-1).

Souza debuted in the top ten after pulling off a tight two-round unanimous decision over Miller in DREAM’s Middleweight Grand Prix 15 June.

Also in June Japanese action, “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2) cemented his seventh ranking with a UD over “Pink Pounder” Logan Clark at Sengoku.

Misaki now seeks revenge over new Sengoku add-on, seventh-ranked “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (16-6).

No Sengoku match-up has been announced for Trigg; but, one would assume Misaki’s home nation promotion wants to match the old enemies as soon as Trigg is ready.

Sixth-ranked “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (15-4) was pulling away from “Hands of Stone” Scott Smith (13-4) in the third round of their EliteXC title fight 31 May in Newark, west of New York City, when a thumb to Smith’s eye rendered the result a No Contest.

Lawler held steady in June, as did the entire middleweight top five.

Fighters.com’s Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (21-4) wisely avoided a move to 205-pounds to fight fourth-ranked light heavyweight “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5) in September.

The UFC’s July match-up between “Predator” Patrick Cote (12-4) and “Cachorrao” Ricardo Almeida (9-2) is being marketed as winner-get-Silva.

Baffling, since the UFC’s obvious top contender is fifth-ranked “Thunder” Yushin Okami (22-4), who seems to be lingering in limbo after knocking out former UFC Champion Evan Tanner (32-7) in March.

Fighters.com predicts Okami will draw “Hitman” Martin Kampmann (16-2).

Fourth-ranked Yoshihiro Akiyama (10-1) continues to flirt with DREAM and will probably be the Middleweight GP champion’s first mandatory.

Third-ranked “Ely” Paulo Filho (16-0) is out of rehab and training for a September WEC title defense rematch versus Chael Sonnen (20-9-1).

Second-ranked “Ace” Rich Franklin (22-3) is being pressured by the UFC to move to 205-pounds to clarify their middleweight rankings, but Franklin is resisting.

June Middleweight Rankings

1. “Spider” Anderson Silva (21-4)

“Spider” fights like he’s hacked the matrix, making top-tier opponents look like they’re clumsily swatting at a web. In March he choked out former PRIDE champ Hendo’. His two-year record has both volume and quality with a “W” next to each challenger.

2. “Ace” Rich Franklin (22-3)

Despite two stoppages to Silva, Franklin is still the best of the rest, even according to Silva himself. “Ace” finessed from a Travis Lutter armbar to pick the TUF champ apart in April and outwrestled notoriously powerful Okami for a decision last July.

3. “Ely” Paulo Filho (16-0)

Filho’s perfect rap sheet lists solid foes, but only an ’06 KO of Misaki among top-tenners. Chael Sonnen gave him hell in a controversial stoppage, but Filho missed the March rematch. A strong comeback in the September rematch will solidify Filho’s ranking.

4. Yoshihiro Akiyama (10-1)

The Zainichi judoka ran the K-1 gauntlet of weight-mismatched spectacles before bursting into 185-pound contention with a KO of Denis Kang. Akiyama drew Misaki on NYE, but the end was deemed illegal and the result a NC. He also needs a strong comeback.

5. “Thunder” Yushin Okami (22-4)

Okami has been most active among the top ten in the last two years and comes off a knockout of former UFC champ Evan Tanner.  His only UFC loss was to Franklin, but could’ve conceivably been a “W” had he went after “Ace” before the final two minutes.

6. “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (15-4)

“Ruthless” rides a four-fight “W” streak since being choked out by Miller in ’06, including a KO of Trigg and stoppages of solid fighters Murilo Rua and Joey Villasenor. Upcoming versus Scott Smith won’t prove much unless he loses.

7. “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (16-6)

With all Trigg does, you may have missed his comeback at middleweight the last two years, starting with a TKO of Miller and a UD over Misaki. Lawler iced him at Icon, but he’s returned with a quick stoppage of Edwin Dewees. He’s my division wildcard to watch.

8. “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (19-8-2)

Misaki has made successful hits on Denis Kang and Hendo’, but also dropped decisions to Trigg and Hendo’ and a stoppage to Filho. Regardless, he’s won and lost among the division’s best, and may have added a “W” versus Akiyama if PRIDE rules ruled K-1.

9. “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (9-1)

“Jacare” finally fulfilled the hype surrounding the BJJ world champion by overwhelming Miller on the way to a UD in June, but his besides “Mayhem” his record needs bolstered with better opponents.

10. “Mayhem” Jason Miller (20-5)

Always entertaining “Mayhem” has thrown in a stoppage over Lawler and a stoppage by Trigg into a mixed bag of competition the last two years.

“There are no details as of yet for the WVR card,” Trigg said Monday afternoon.  He also quashed rumours that he will fight “Cyborg” Evangelista Santos (16-11) on 27 June’s Strikeforce card in San Jose.  “I have no Strikeforce fight coming up.”

WVR announced after Sengoku Third Battle Sunday in Saitama, north of Tokyo, that the promotion was “in negotiations” with Trigg.

In February 2007, Trigg won a UD over eighth-ranked “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (19-8-2) at PRIDE 333.

Misaki now fights in Sengoku and challenged, “I would like to get revenge on [Trigg] in the near future.”

Trigg tapped “Babyface” Edwin Dewees (35-12) in a Kimura in the first round on HDNet Fights in December.

Trigg was announced for DREAM’s Middleweight Grand Prix, but denied he agreed to participating and has not fought for the Sengoku rival.

Misaki successfully countered Clark’s aggressive stand-up for the “W”.

Ninth-ranked welterweight “The Goat” Nick Thompson (36-9-1) survived a “Maicon” Michael Costa (9-4) hook that detonated in the second round, leaving “The Goat” on the mat, to tap Costa at 4:13 of the round in a Kimura.

YAMMA Pit Fighting Heayweight Champion “Diesel” Travis Wiuff (53-11) cemented his return to being taken seriously with a first-round knockout of “Ironhead” Kazuyuki Fujita (15-7) at 1:24, a feet never previously achieved.

In the night’s main event, heavyweight Hidehiko Yoshida (8-6-1) ended a three-loss streak by tapping 46-year old kickboxer “Mo” Maurice Smith (12-13) in a neck crank at 2:23 of round one.

Sanae Kikuta (27-6-3) finished off Englishman Chris Rice (12-6), who entered the ring costumed as the Grim Reaper, in a first-round armbar at 3:54.

“Pe de Pano” Marcio Cruz (4-2) also tapped Korean heavyweight Mu Bae Choi (7-3) in a rear naked choke at 4:37 of round one.

Brazilian lightweight Rodrigo Damm (8-1) called out second-ranked lightweight “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-3) after the referee ended “Gamebred” Jorge Masvidal‘s (13-3) night, controversially calling the fight at 4:38 of round two while Masvidal was recovering from a punch that dropped the brawler.

Middleweight Fabio Silva (10-4) knocked out Yoshiki Takahashi (28-23-3) with a knee at :24 of round two.

In April, second-ranked “Ace” Rick Franklin (23-3) finessed out of an armbar executed by TUF champ “Serial Killer” Travis Lutter (9-5) to pick apart the Texan in two rounds, but Franklin has no where to go after two stoppages to Silva.

As mentioned in 3 May’s Bushido Sheet, Franklin was offered a main event versus tenth-ranked “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (22-7) at UFC 85, but turned down the fight.

Franklin continues to consider interesting match-ups at 205-pounds.

Hendo’ dropped a rank in May after his 2006 UD over eighth-ranked “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (19-8-2) fell from his two-year record leaving “Hollywood” without a win at 185-pounds in two years.

His March stoppage to Silva leaves him with few good match-ups but for Franklin.  At this point, Hendo’ just needs a win in the Octagon.

The trail on the “Hitman” Misaki has gone cold since his March submission of Siyar Bahadurzada (13-2-1) at Sengoku.

Third-ranked “Ely” Paulo Filho (16-0) is recovering from a substance abuse problem in Brazil.

He’s scheduled for a rematch with Chael Sonnen (20-9-1) to defend his WEC title, but don’t hold your breath for a Silva versus Filho title unification bout.

Filho and Silva are friends and refuse to fight each other; and, Filho plans to move to 205-pounds win, lose, or draw to Sonnen.

Fourth-ranked Yoshihiro Akiyama‘s (10-1) run at the DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix championship ended before it began when he re-injured a nasal bone fracture in training, causing him to withdraw.

Fifth-ranked “Thunder” Yushin Okami (22-4) remains the most likely candidate to take a swat at “Spider”, but no official word yet.

Sixth-ranked “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (15-4) may be the face of the division when his EliteXC title defense versus “Hands of Stone” Scott Smith (13-4) is broadcast on national television across North America at the end of May.

Ninth-ranked “Mayhem” Jason Miller (21-5) debuted before the Nipponese in May with a first-round TKO of Katsuyori Shibata (2-4), but the “W” does little to propel him forward in the division.

May Middleweight Rankings

1. “Spider” Anderson Silva (21-4)

“Spider” fights like he’s hacked the matrix, making top-tier opponents look like they’re clumsily swatting at a web. In March he choked out former PRIDE champ Hendo’. His two-year record has both volume and quality with a “W” next to each challenger.

2. “Ace” Rich Franklin (23-3)

Despite two stoppages to Silva, Franklin is still the best of the rest, even according to Silva himself. “Ace” finessed from a Travis Lutter armbar to pick the TUF champ apart in April and outwrestled notoriously powerful Okami for a decision last July.

3. “Ely” Paulo Filho (16-0)

Filho’s perfect rap sheet lists solid foes, but only an ’06 KO of Misaki among top-tenners. Chael Sonnen gave him hell in a controversial stoppage, but Filho missed the March rematch. A strong comeback and top-ten challenge will solidify Filho’s ranking.

4. Yoshihiro Akiyama (10-1)

The Zainichi judoka ran the K-1 gauntlet of weight-mismatched spectacles before bursting into 185-pound contention with a KO of Denis Kang. Akiyama drew Misaki on NYE, but the end was deemed illegal and the result a NC. He also needs a strong comeback.

5. “Thunder” Yushin Okami (22-4)

Okami has been most active among the top ten in the last two years and comes off a knockout of former UFC champ Evan Tanner.  His only UFC loss was to Franklin, but could’ve conceivably been a “W” had he went after “Ace” before the final two minutes.

6. “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (15-4)

“Ruthless” rides a four-fight “W” streak since being choked out by Miller in ’06, including a KO of Trigg and stoppages of solid fighters Murilo Rua and Joey Villasenor. Upcoming versus Scott Smith won’t prove much unless he loses.

7. “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (16-6)

With all Trigg does, you may have missed his comeback at middleweight the last two years, starting with a TKO of Miller and a UD over Misaki. Lawler iced him at Icon, but he’s returned with a quick stoppage of Edwin Dewees. He’s my division wildcard to watch.

8. “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (19-8-2)

Misaki has made successful hits on Denis Kang and Hendo’, but also dropped decisions to Trigg and Hendo’ and a stoppage to Filho. Regardless, he’s won and lost among the division’s best, and may have added a “W” versus Akiyama if PRIDE rules ruled K-1.

9. “Mayhem” Jason Miller (21-5)

Always entertaining “Mayhem” has thrown in a stoppage over Lawler and a stoppage by Trigg into a mixed bag of competition the last two years.

10. “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (22-7)

“Hollywood” served Silva his first losing round in two years, but couldn’t follow-up in round two.  Yo-yoing between weight classes has resulted in a mixed record for the last PRIDE champion in two weight classes.  If he wants 185, he’ll have to commit.

1. “Spider” Anderson Silva (21-4)

“Spider” fights like he’s hacked the matrix, making top-tier opponents look like they’re clumsily swatting at a web. In March he choked out former PRIDE champ Hendo’. His two-year record has both volume and quality with a “W” next to each challenger.

2. “Ace” Rich Franklin (22-3)

Despite two Silva stoppage losses, Franklin is still the best of the rest, even according to Silva himself. “Ace” outwrestled notoriously powerful Okami for a decision last July and out-classed “The Athlete” Jason MacDonald before that.

3. “Ely” Paulo Filho (16-0)

Filho’s perfect rap sheet lists solid foes, but only an ’06 KO of Misaki among top-tenners. Chael Sonnen gave him hell in a controversial stoppage, but Filho missed the March rematch. A strong comeback and top-ten challenge will solidify Filho’s ranking.

4. Yoshihiro Akiyama (10-1)

The Zainichi judoka ran the K-1 gauntlet of weight-mismatched spectacles before bursting into 185-pound contention with a KO of Denis Kang. Akiyama drew Misaki on NYE, but the end was deemed illegal and the result a NC. He also needs a strong comeback.

5. “Thunder” Yushin Okami (22-4)

Okami has been most active among the top ten in the last two years and comes off a knockout of former UFC champ Evan Tanner.  His only UFC loss was to Franklin, but could’ve conceivably been a “W” had he went after “Ace” before the final two minutes.

6. “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (15-4)

“Ruthless” rides a four-fight “W” streak since being choked out by Miller in ’06, including a KO of Trigg and stoppages of solid fighters Murilo Rua and Joey Villasenor. Upcoming versus Scott Smith won’t prove much unless he loses.

7. “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (16-6)

With all Trigg does, you may have missed his comeback at middleweight the last two years, starting with a TKO of Miller and a UD over Misaki. Lawler iced him at Icon, but he’s returned with a quick stoppage of Edwin Dewees. He’s my division wildcard to watch.

8. “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (19-8-2)

Misaki has made successful hits on Denis Kang and Hendo’, but also dropped decisions to Trigg and Hendo’ and a stoppage to Filho. Regardless, he’s won and lost among the division’s best, and may have added a “W” versus Akiyama if PRIDE rules ruled K-1.

9. “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (22-7)

“Hollywood” served Silva his first losing round in two years, but couldn’t follow-up in round two.  Yo-yoing between weight classes has resulted in a mixed record for the last PRIDE champion in two weight classes.  If he wants 185, he’ll have to commit.

10. “Mayhem” Jason Miller (20-5)

Always entertaining “Mayhem” has thrown in a stoppage over Lawler and a stoppage by Trigg into a mixed bag of competition the last two years.

“The Babyfaced Assassin” from Seattle tread the path of his catch wrestling forefather Ad Santel Wednesday by submitting Japanese Olympic gold medalist judoka Hidehiko Yoshida (7-6-1) by heel hook at 3:23 of round three at World Victory Road’s inaugural Sengoku fight card in Tokyo.

A century ago, Santel waged war with judoka and proclaimed himself the world judo champion after defeating fifth-degree black belt Tokugoro Ito.

“I revived this rivalry when I fought Kazuhiro Nakamura,” Barnett (21-5) told Sherdog.com. “And, so I’m keeping it going for this century now.”

The fight was the American’s first in MMA since losing a unanimous decision rematch with current interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1) on New Year’s Eve 2006.

His layoff had erased his name from most rankings which require activity in the previous 365-days; but, vanquishing the samurai establishes Barnett’s status as a top five heavyweight.

Also returning to active duty, former PRIDE Lightweight Champion “The Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-3) sliced open “Bang” Duane Ludwig (16-8) of Denver to earn a first round stoppage at 2:28.

Gomi had been out of commission  since tapping to Nick Diaz (15-7) in a gogoplata at PRIDE’s last American card in February 2007.  After Diaz tested positive for smoking a doob’, the outcome was deemed a No Contest by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

“Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (19-8-2) got back to winning Wednesday with a guillotine submission of middleweight Afghan Siyar Bahadurzada (13-2-1) at 2:02 of round two.

Thick-skulled Japanese wrestler Kazuyuki Fujita (15-6) posted a north-south choke tapout of MMA-debuting Aussie kickboxer Peter Graham (0-1).

“Cyborg” Evangelista Santos (16-11) won the second of his two-month trilogy by wrapping Japanese judoka Makoto Takimoto in a heel hook at 4:51 of round one.

Santos will fight Joey Villasenor on a San Jose Strikeforce card at the end of March.

Middleweight Pancrase vet Ryo Kawamura (8-2-2) of Japan won a unanimous decision over formerly undefeated Brazilian Antonio Braga Neto (5-1).

Bodog Fight welterweight king “The Goat” Nick Thompson (35-9-1) also won a unanimous decision over Gracie Barra “Pitbull” Fabricio Monteiro (16-7).