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

Bantamweight John Hosman (15-4-1) will replace Kenji Osawa (16-7-2) versus Brasilian Rani Yahya (13-3) at WEC 42 in Las Vegas 9 August. Hosman has kicked around small Midwestern promotions since 2005, fighting often in the XFO and Extreme Challenge, and will be debuting in the WEC. He tapped Billy Jochum (7-2) in an armbar at Fight Club one in Chicago last Saturday. Yahya tapped Edward Wineland (13-6-1) in a rear naked choke at WEC 40 in Chicago last April. He's 3-1 in the WEC. Osawa suffered a foot injury training to fight Yahya causing him to pull out of the fight. ...

"Natural Born Killer" Carlos Condit (23-4) can take his WEC welterweight title defense over Hiromitsu Miura (9-5) in Las Vegas Sunday night one of two ways. At 4:43 of round four, Condit touched - and, maybe that's all too literal of a description - Miura with a knee to the noggin. Miura's body and heart gave in to a brutal back-and-forth battle.  He dove for Condit's ankle, and that was it.  He had nothing left. Several times, Condit could've similarly surrendered on the receiving end of clean punches from the one-time middleweight, but didn't. That's why Condit is a champion and Miura isn't, both tonight and in general. However, before the fight Condit made clear that he didn't feel like Miura should be on the other side of the cage from him. Isn't that always the preface to a brutal back-and-forth battle? ...

Fighters.com was at Body English inside the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas Saturday for the WEC weigh-ins. Everyone made weight, except for WEC lightweight title challenger "Wrecking Ball" Marcus Hicks (8-0), who needed an hour to drop one pound before stepping into the cage across from Champ "Worm" Jamie Varner (14-2). Curiously, WEC Light Heavyweight Champion Brian Stann (6-0) weighed 201 1/2 pounds, causing "Version 2.5" Rory Singer (11-8) to shout from the crowd, "201!  What!?" Stann's opponent, Steve Cantwell (5-1), weighed-in at the 205-pound limit. Refresh Fighters.com tonight for live coverage from The Joint in Las Vegas. ...

Iraq war vet "All American" Brian Stann (6-0) added WEC brass to his Marine Corps Silver Star Wednesday night in Las Vegas, ending "Rhino" Doug Marshall's (7-3) two-fight campaign atop the light heavyweight division. On the undercard of 33, lightweight "Wrecking Ball" Marcus Hicks (8-0) swung through formerly undefeated "9mm" Ed Ratcliff (6-1) in 1:42. Steve Cantwell (5-1) impressed in a first round rear naked choke deconstruction of 205-pound "Wrecking Machine" Tim McKenzie (11-5). Top middleweight contender Chael Sonnen (20-9-1) scored a unanimous decision after a three-round workout with late replacement Bryan Baker (6-1). "Cleat" Rich Crunkilton (16-2) went into the trenches with lightweight Sergio Gomez (7-2) to score a unanimous decision. Also on the card, Hiromitsu Miura (9-4), Brock Larson (23-2), Alex Serdyukov (7-4), and "The Pink Pounder" Logan Clark (10-1) added wins to their respective records. Bantamweights Kenji Osawa (13-7-2) and American Top Team's Chris Manuel (6-0-2) reached a split draw by scores of 29-28 for Osawa, 29-28 for Manuel, and 28-28. The main event between Stann and Marshall spanned the most action-packed 1:35 of the televised card. At the bell, Stann marched forward while a more cautious Marshall circled in a hurky-jerky Muay Thai stance. Stann scored first, a kick to Marshall's thigh.  Marshall countered with the same, but Stann grazed a right hook across the "Rhino's" horn. Again, the light heavies traded leg kicks, but Marshall's counter was checked by a statuesque "All American", sending the champion off-balance into the cage. Stann was just too powerful as Marshall wrapped a Thai clinch around the back of his opponent's neck at the cage, but wasn't strong enough to control Stann's head. Marshall broke the clinch with a right haymaker and Stann countered with a spot-on left hook that dropped Marshall to his ass. Stann followed Marshall to the mat with a barrage of fists, but referee Herb Dean waved the battle finished as Marshall struggled to avoid the onslaught. Stann burst into tears upon victory.  "This belt represents all my Marines and my friends who couldn't be here right now, who died in combat with me." Stann looked polished in victory after spending time with Team Quest to prepare and will be a tough customer for future challengers. Another tough customer, lightweight Marcus Hicks, treated formerly undefeated Ed Ratcliff to a man-sized, first-round whoopin'. After a clumsy standing guillotine against the cage by Hicks, "The Wrecking Ball" broke the clinch with an uppercut, then retreated with looping roundhouse that landed flush on Ratcliff's chin. Hicks pressed and dumped shell-shocked "9mm" on the mat in a double-leg takedown.  This time Hicks's guillotine would bite deep and Ratcliff tapped. The 5'6", stocky Texan, Hicks, improves his high-pressure strategy with every outing. After suffering a 41-second TKO premier in the WEC c/o newly-crowned champion, Stann, Steve Cantwell has followed with consecutive first round stoppages. A Cantwell right high kick partially landed and backed up Tim McKenzie, a light heavyweight with a win over former division champion Doug Marshall. Cantwell followed with a right piston, left hook combo that dropped McKenzie. On the mat, Cantwell wrestled into the full mount where still-dazed McKenzie rolled to his stomach under Cantwell's looping G'n'P. Cantwell easily dug-in a rear naked choke causing McKenzie to tap once and weakly. Chael Sonnen appeared ready for WEC Middleweight Champion "Ely" Paulão Filho (16-0); but, late replacement for Filho, Bryan Baker wasn't prepared for Sonnen. Sonnen out-positioned and banged Baker in three rounds fought mostly on the mat. In another three-round decision, Rich Crunkilton won unanimously in a bloody slog with Sergio Gomez also fought mostly on the mat because of Gomez's inability to clear his feet during Crunkilton's textbook takedowns. The blood started flowing in the first frame, obviously from a Crunkilton elbow to the back of Gomez's head unseen by referee Herb Dean. Miura knocked out Blas Avena (2-2) at 2:35 of the first round. "The Natural" John Alessio (22-11) was disqualified in 1:50 after kneeing middleweight Larson in the noggin while his knees were down. Welterweight Serdyukov blemished Ryan Stonitsch's (8-1) perfect record in the kickboxer's WEC debut with a triangle choke submission at 1:35 of round one. "The Pink Pounder" rebounded from a loss to TKO WEC rookie middleweight Scott Harper (8-4) at 4:37 of round one. ...