The promotion was set to make it’s anticipated return for “DREAM 17: Fight for Japan”, which is set to kickoff on May 29th at the Saitama Super Arena Hall in Saitama, Japan. The event is set in conjunction with several charities in an effort to help expedite the relief efforts to aid the since fallen country.

McKee, a recent UFC cast out, recently spoke about the bout and officials made it official earlier this week, however now Antonio will be forced to withdraw from the event thanks to circumstantial issues that will not allow him to compete in Japan.

HdNet, the regular television carrier for DREAM events here in the U.S., recently tweeted the news of McKee’s subsequent removal from the event: “INSIDE MMA BREAKING NEWS-Antonio McKee out against Aoki in Japan. Maybe this will get me some followers?”.

Mike Kogan, the U.S. Representative for DREAM, has spoken with MMAJunkie.com and stated that McKee’s issue has been labeled as trouble attaining a visa to travel to Japan, but Kogan is biting.

“There’s a travel agent in L.A. since this morning ready to get all the paperwork processed and have his visa processed by Thursday,” said Mike.

“He would have had plenty of time. So if it’s a visa issue, he can get it done. If it’s not, then his people need to come up with a better excuse.”

It seems as though Kogan is suggesting that “Mandingo” is second-guessing the decision in taking the bout against Aoki–and why wouldn’t he? McKee is on the road to redemption following a not-so impressive performance against Jacob Volkmann in his last outing at UFC 125 this past January. However, Antonio’s strengths play right into Aoki’s game. McKee, a touted wrestler, often times wins his matches by grinding out his opponents and occasionally with end bouts either by submission of ground-and-pound, though his 18 decision wins among his 25 victories overall would suggest otherwise.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the news? Is McKee looking for the easy way out against “The Baka Survivor” or is it truly visa related? Sound off in the comment section below.

The former MFC lightweight champion, Antonio was originally expected to make his return to the Maximum Fighting Championships earlier this year in a title bout against the resurgent Drew Fickett, however a subsequent knee injury left him unable to accept the bout.

Inevitably, MFC stripped McKee of his title and they will now pit Fickett against fellow UFC veteran Hermes Franca for the now vacant 155-pound title. While the promotion suggests that the vacation of Antonio’s title was “mutual”, McKee suggests otherwise, however in the meantime the 40-year-old will return to action come this May to take on “The Baka Survivor”, Shinya Aoki.

In an interview with MiddleEasy.com, McKee stated that as far as he knows, he will be next on deck for the Jiu-Jitsu specialist. There have been many rumors circling around as to who face Shinya come this May for “DREAM 17: Fight for Japan”, with former WEC champion Jamie Varner having also been talked about for the future bout, though McKee now seems but a lock for the event.

“I had to get my passport taken care of, I got my passport taken care of, as I was told right now ‘get ready, start training for him and be ready to go come May 29th’, so that’s what I’m doing”, said Antonio.

“I think he’s a very dangerous opponent and right now it’s his time, but at the same time what do I’ve got to lose? I’m just going to go over there, beat Aoki up and come back.

“After I beat Aoki, I’ll be back on the planet again.”

McKee would have been Aoki’s third opponent switch since he was announced for the card. Originally, Willamy Friere, another UFC veteran, was expected to tangle with the Japanese sensation, though passport issues have detained him. Jamie Varner has allegedly not been served with any contract suggesting that he would be part of the show, and now the bout has fallen on Antonio’s lap, which he has taken with ease.

DREAM 17 takes place at the Saitama Super Arena Hall in Saitama, Japan on May 29th and will serve as the kickoff for the upcoming bantamweight grand prix.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think about the match-up? Who do you favor? Sound off in the comment section below.

What better way to help then to add one of Japan’s most well-known commodities in grappling ace Shinya Aoki to the card, as he will now be taking on UFC veteran Willamy Freire in the upcoming card.

DREAM 17, the promotion’s first foray back into the mixed martial arts world following it’s last event in December of last year: “Dynamite!! 2010″, will take place on May 29 at the Saitama Super Arena Hall in Saitama, Japan.

Willamy “Chiquerim” Freire was last seen in action under the UFC banner when he met with wrestling powerhouse Waylon Lowe at “UFC: Fight for the Troops 2″ this past January. Lowe was able to tag Freire on the feet with deep digging hooks and takedown Willamy time and time again where eventually he earned the decision win over the Brazilian. Willamy was one-and-done with the promotion, and saw an 11-fight win streak snapped in the process.

Aoki, meanwhile, is currently on a four-fight win streak in his professional mixed martial arts career, which includes two first-round submissions over the likes of perennial top-10 fighter Tatsuya Kawajiri and most recently Lyle Beerbohm. Shinya met with the lightweight prospect at the most recent Strikeforce event, which took place in San Diego earlier this month. Aoki managed to cinch up a neck-crank on the once beaten Beerbohm, which forced “Fancy Pants” to tap out. It marked the first and only submission loss of Beerbohm’s career.

Willamy, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, is well-versed on the ground as well, though he would much rather prefer to keep the fight standing against Aoki, whom has bested even the best grapplers at their own game ie: Vitor Ribeiro, Marcus Aurelio, and Caol Uno, among others.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the match-up? Who do you favor? 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.

Nick Diaz and Gilbert Melendez, teammates under the infamous Cesar Gracie brand, were both successful in their respective title bouts, with Diaz laying claim as one of the best and most dangerous welterweight fighters in the world with his first-round TKO over UFC castout Paul Daley, and Gilbert with his highly anticipated rematch with Japanese sensation Tatusya Kawajiri, which resulted in a one-sided TKO win for “El Nino”.

While the two men were perhaps among the nights most impressive winners, they were also among the top-earners for the entire event.

Here are the full fighter payouts, which are courtesy of MMAJunkie.com by way of the California State Athletic Commission:

Nick Diaz: $175,000 (no win bonus)
def. Paul Daley: $65,000

Gilbert Melendez: $150,000 (no win bonus)
def. Tatsuya Kawajiri: $97,612.50

Gegard Mousasi: $150,000
drew Keith Jardine: $25,000

Shinya Aoki: $73,637.50 (no win bonus)
def. Lyle Beerbohm: $10,000

Robert Peralta: $4,000 (includes $2,000 win bonus)
def. Hiroyuki Takaya: $2,740

Virgil Zwicker: $3,000 ($1,000 win bonus)
def. Brett Albee: $1,000

Joe Duarte: $2,000 ($1,000 win bonus)
def. Saad Awad: $1,500

Herman Terrado: $1,500 ($500 win bonus)
def. A.J. Matthews: $1,000

Rolando Perez: $3,000 ($1,000 win bonus)
def. Tom Peterson: $1,000

Casey Ryan: $2,000 ($1,000 win bonus)
def. Paul Song: $750

So, MMA peeps, any surprises here? What stands out first for me is Mousasi’s payday. So, had he won, how much money would he have made? Should his pay scale be more than that of Nick Diaz? Sound off in the comment section below.

The “Baka Survivor” Shinya Aoki has long been reveered as one of the top lightweight fighters in the world, having defeated a bevy of the sports elite fighters, including the likes of Eddie Alvarez, Tatsuya Kawajiri, and Joachim Hansen (to name a few), he has not been able to make his mark over here in the United States.

Aoki had his chance this past Saturday when he reentered the Strikeforce cage for the second-time, taking on then 16-1 lightweight prospect in Lyle Beerbohm on the main-card of the Showtime televised card. And though many were banking on Beerbohm to record the upset win, Aoki proved his naysayers wrong as managed to make successful second-first impression, earning his first win under the Strikeforce banner.

Beerbohm looked to have a premeditated game plan in line for the Japanese Jiu-Jitsu specialist, which initially he had hoped to emulate the style of Gilbert Melendez, who soundly defeated the DREAM lightweight champion in April of last year with a unanimous decision win. However, Lyle mad a critical error early on that proved detrimental in the later moments of the bout.

Lyle immediately shot into the clinch against the Judo black belt, pressing him against the cage where Aoki waited patiently for the right moment to engage Beerbohm to the mat. After faking a hip toss, Aoki turned into Lyle and out grappled “Fancy Pants” to the mat with an effective takedown which landed him into half-guard. From there, Aoki was able to secure the neck of Lyle who was attempting to get back to his feet, and once both hooks were sunk in, Shinya immediately began attacking the neck, contorting Lyle’s head in a very uncomfortable position. Just a few short moments later, Beerbohm was forced to tap from the neck-crank submission, and with the win, Aoki put himself back on the map in the Strikeforce lightweight class.

While not one of his best submission wins, what was impressive was the fact that, despite the tragedies facing him and his family in his native Japan, Aoki was able to record a submission win (which took just 93-seconds) over a very-talented Beerbohm upon his reentry into the U.S. on the heels of one of the worst natural disasters in recent history.

Hat’s off to you, Mr. Aoki.

Sound off in the comment section below.

The Cecil Peoples Award For The Best Display Of Utter Blindness And Ineptitude: The judges who scored the bout between Gegard Mousasi and Keith Jardine a Draw. I keep having to hand this award out, and it keeps infuriating me each and every time. Even with Mousasi losing a point for an illegal upkick, there’s no way this fight was anything other than a commanding victory for Mousasi. Gegard got taken down a few times, but Jardine was a bloody, bruised mess by the end of this fight. It was another fight plagued by horrendous judging, and a further reminder of why I’m so very glad that most Strikeforce fights nowadays don’t go to the judges.

The Phoenix Award: Shinya Aoki, who breathed new life into his career with a thrilling first-round submission over Lyle Beerbohm. Aoki displayed that his ground game is still as flawless as ever, and that he could one day possibly be a major star in Strikeforce. Strikeforce is definitely in need of more stars in their Lightweight division, and so long as Aoki is used correctly and given opponents where his ground game is allowed to shine, Aoki could become Strikeforce’s Lightweight “submission magician”.

The Evil Mirror Universe Award: This is a reference to a classic Star Trek episode, and it goes to Gilbert Melendez because of how he rocked a goatee and showed up a very different fighter at “Diaz vs. Daley”. Melendez was always tough and loved to brawl, but he showed up to this event wanting to knock Tatsuya Kawajiri’s head off. It honestly startled me to see Gilbert Melendez go headhunting, and in fact, this was only the third first-round stoppage of his career. While his performance was radically different than what I’m accustomed to, it was also a fantastic performance, so it deserves to be highlighted as much as possible.

The “So Close And Yet So Far Away” Award: Paul Daley, for hurting and nearly finishing Nick Diaz several times throughout their epic first-round encounter. Daley had Diaz in a whole lot of trouble at several different points in this fight, but somehow he was unable to bring the fight to a close. He certainly came close, but whether it was Diaz’s ability to adapt when the fight went to the ground (even if the fight went to the ground because Diaz was floored) or Diaz’s near-impenetrable chin, the fight did not end with Daley as champion. But it certainly could have.

So that’s what I think, fans and friends. And remember, it’s all in good fun… mostly. What about you? Any thoughts/opinions ready to be shared?

5. Shinya Aoki’s domination of Lyle Beerbohm.

Shinya Aoki is an interesting case of “what should have been”. Or at least, that’s generally how fans thought of him before this fight with Lyle Beerbohm. Now fans are thinking of Aoki as a case of “what still might be”. Shinya Aoki may never be a multi-dimensional threat, but last night he proved that no one save for the best in the world can hang with him on the ground. So long as Strikeforce utilizes him correctly, they can look forward to many more first-round submissions. Aoki’s heartfelt performance combined with an emotional post-fight celebration was a great way to start the night.

4. Gilbert Melendez’s “Hellbows”.

I’ve made it no secret that I loathe Mauro Ranallo. But I agreed with him on this matter: Gilbert Melendez’s vicious, vicious elbows, the ones that put an end to his fight with Tatsuya Kawajiri, deserve to be called “Hellbows”. I remember emphatically telling my friend “This is what you get when you allow elbows on the ground!” It was a very dramatic finish, and if it weren’t for the Zuffa brass doing away with the Strikeforce-only rule that prevented such a strike, it may never have happened. I for one am very, very glad that elbows to the head on the ground are now legal in Strikeforce.

3. Keith Jardine taking Gegard Mousasi to a three-round decision.

Let’s put aside our feelings of anger over this fight going to a Majority Draw. If you can do that, then answer me this: how tough is Keith Jardine? The man took the fight on ultra-short notice, and he still managed to take down Mousasi several times throughout the fight. He finished the fight a swollen, bloody, and tired mess… but he did not go down. He did not submit and he was not knocked out. Jardine has the heart of a warrior, and seeing him reaffirm that at “Diaz vs. Daley” was honestly a great moment even when taking into account the horrendous decision.

2. Gilbert Melendez’s call to unify the UFC and Strikeforce championships.

I want it, you want it, everyone wants it. But Gilbert Melendez voiced it. It’s one thing for fans and journalists to get together and call for action. It’s another thing entirely when one of your most high-profile champions, one of your biggest stars, takes the microphone in front of a live audience, in front of hundreds of thousands of fans watching live on Showtime, and asks for some unification bouts. Melendez’s performance will have everybody talking for weeks to come, but his post-fight call to arms for a “Strikeforce vs. UFC” war will likely have people talking for months.

And my personal pick for the best moment of Strikeforce: “Diaz vs. Daley” is…

1. Nick Diaz finishing Paul Daley.

In February 2006, Paul Daley lost by TKO due to a dislocated thumb. It was the first and only TKO on Daley’s record. That was the case… until last night. Last night, Nick Diaz fought Paul Daley’s game, survived Paul Daley’s best shots, and then served up his own unique form of brutal punishment. Whether it was the killer body blows or the hard shots right to the dome, Daley ended the fight staggered and defeated, needing help to even make it onto his corner’s stool. Nick Diaz dropping and stopping Paul Daley was by far the best moment of “Diaz vs. Daley”.

So there you have it, fans and friends: those are the moments I’ll be remembering from “Diaz vs. Daley”. But what about you? What do you think everyone will be talking about in the days/weeks to come?

Next for Lyle Beerbohm: I’ll make this short and sweet: Lyle Beerbohm is headed back to Strikeforce’s “Challengers” series of shows. I hate to say that about a man I’ve found so entertaining, but there’s really no other option for him after Shinya Aoki made such quick work of Beerbohm. I definitely think Beerbohm could one day be a major player in Strikeforce, but for now, he’s best served filling the co-main or main event slots of a “Challengers” show.

Next for Shinya Aoki: Aoki’s future is a bit uncertain. Aoki’s home is the Japanese-based DREAM promotion, but Japan is still dealing with its numerous tragedies, and DREAM has been plagued with rumors of its financial demise for the last several months. If not Japan, Aoki’s next fight will definitely take place in Strikeforce, since Aoki breathed new life into his career at “Diaz vs. Daley”. Aoki may not be ready for another shot at Gilbert Melendez, but he proved that he’s still very much the “Master of Flying Submissions”.

Next for Keith Jardine/Gegard Mousasi: Each other, which is why I’m grouping them together. Keith Jardine will likely postpone his move to Middleweight for one more fight, in order to give fans a firm winner. I know Gegard Mousasi can beat Keith Jardine, and I think we all know Mousasi should have won that fight. But at “Diaz vs. Daley”, Jardine showed that he’s still game, and that he can take on anyone at any time. I say: give Jardine a full camp to prepare, and let’s see who wins the rematch.

Next for Gilbert Melendez: What’s left in Strikeforce’s Lightweight division? “El Nino” has pretty much done it all, and his performance at “Diaz vs. Daley” was one of the most dominating of his career… and Melendez was coming off nearly a year-long layoff. Melendez needs to take on Bellator’s Eddie Alvarez, because there’s very few people left in Strikeforce that could conceivably pose a threat to him.

Next for Paul Daley: “Semtex” will likely take one or two fights in Britain before making his Strikeforce return in the late summer or early fall. Expect Daley to get some more (T)KO’s on his record and then show up ready to take on someone like KJ Noons or Evangelista Santos. So long as Daley makes weight and isn’t involved in any more post-fight shenanigans, Daley will have a home in Strikeforce so long as Strikeforce remains Strikeforce.

Next for Nick Diaz: Much like Gilbert Melendez, I’m struggling to find a worthy opponent for Nick Diaz in Strikeforce. Diaz is now the most dominant Strikeforce title holder in the history of the promotion. I supposed Tyron Woodley would be an interesting match-up. But I think it’s high time that Nick Diaz moves up to Middleweight or a 180-pound catchweight. Whoever he fights there is up to him.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. But what about you? What do you see happening in the near and not-so-near future of the big winners and losers of “Diaz vs. Daley”?

Virgil Zwicker defeats Brett Albee via TKO at 1:46 of Round 1. Joe Duarte defeats Saad Awad via armbar submission at 2:45 of Round 2. Herman Terrado defeats AJ Matthews via TKO at 4:16 of Round 1. Rolando Perez defeats Edgar Cardenas via Unanimous Decision. Casey Ryan defeats Paul Song via triangle at 1:39 of Round 1. Robert Peralta defeats Hiroyuki Takaya via Split Decision. Shinya Aoki defeats Lyle Beerbohm via submission at 1:33 of Round 1. Gegard Mousasi and Keith Jardine fight to a Majority Draw. Gilbert Melendez defeats Tatsuya Kawajiri by TKO at 3:14 of Round 1. Nick Diaz defeats Paul Daley via TKO 4:57 of Round 1.

I was very, very surprised that it only took Shinya Aoki a minute and a half to submit Lyle Beerbohm. But it was a pleasant surprise. For all his flaws, part of me still very much enjoys watching Shinya Aoki fight. This fight once again proved that Aoki’s ground game is without question one of the best in the sport. It was a dramatic performance for the Japanese fighter, and with the rumored downfall of the Japanese-based DREAM promotion, I can see Aoki finding a new home and new life in Strikeforce.

I thought Gegard Mousasi would win this fight. I knew Keith Jardine would make him work for it. What I didn’t know is that my respect for Jardine would grow higher while my hopes around Mousasi being a good opponent for current champion Dan Henderson crashed and burned. Mousasi displayed great striking, as always, but Mousasi also displayed an inability to deal with takedowns. I was very surprised that the fight ended in a Draw, and I think that was the final straw in killing Mousasi’s comeback hype.

Ring rust may be real… but Gilbert Melendez is much, much realer. Without a doubt, he deserves to be ranked near the top of the Lightweight division… not just in Strikeforce, but in all of MMA. I honestly don’t know what’s left for him in Strikeforce. I want Melendez to finally get the chance to fight Bellator’s Eddie Alvarez. But no matter what happens, Melendez proved tonight that he’s one of Strikeforce’s best fighters.

And in the main event, Nick Diaz and Paul Daley simply gave Strikeforce fans the best round of the year so far, one of the best rounds of the past several years in fact. I was biting my nails when Diaz decided to strike with Daley, and I was very, very worried about Paul Daley stopping Nick Diaz. He certainly came close. But then Nick Diaz did what he does best, he landed a crazy number of shots, remained focused, remained tough, and finished Paul Daley. It was an amazing performance, and there can be no doubt: Nick Diaz is the best fighter in Strikeforce.

Overall, this was a great night of fights for Strikeforce. Shinya Aoki grabbed a very dramatic finish, while Gegard Mousasi and Keith Jardine was a tough war that really displayed Jardine’s heart. And there’s one word that perfectly describes Gilbert Melendez’s performance: perfect. And as for Nick Diaz, what’s left to say? Love him or hate him, loathe him or revere him, Nick Diaz is for real. He’ll fight your fight and knock you out. Laugh at his interviews if you want, but no amount of money will ever convince me to step into a cage against Nick Diaz. Not even for a minute.

And what about you, fans and friends? What did you think of “Diaz vs. Daley”?

Is it wrong that I still like Shinya Aoki? I know he’s been faltering a lot lately, I know he’s done some stupid things, I know his stand-up is utterly atrocious. But I still love it when he gets a fight to the ground and is able to work his wizardry. This is the guy that gave us the Mounted Gogoplata, remember? Aoki may have taken a tumble down the rankings, but when he gets the fight in his comfort zone he’s a very entertaining and incredibly dynamic performer. So part of me does still honestly hold out hope for the “Tobikan Judan”.

I feel like some of my comments I’ve made towards Keith Jardine could be construed as disrespectful, so I apologize if it came off that way and I would like to once again state that I consider myself a fan of Keith Jardine. It is quite saddening that my opinion of him has become so deflated. At one point, I considered Jardine a very under-rated and under-appreciated fighter. But now? It’s going to be a long, hard road back to relevancy, and Gegard Mousasi is a former champion. Part of me really, really hopes Jardine pulls off the upset, but the other 99% of me knows that that’s almost impossible.

Am I a bit angry at Gilbert Melendez? Maybe I am. He did take almost a year off, and his fight with Eddie Alvarez never materialized. It may be unfair to blame Melendez considering how insanely difficult it must be to make a co-promotional champion vs. champion super-fight happen, but I just generally don’t like it when a fighter takes a prolonged absence that isn’t injury-related. I’ve made some exceptions, of course, but normally I don’t. However, I will say that a rusty Melendez should be more than capable of beating Tatsuya Kawajiri so long as he doesn’t get caught and puts Kawajiri on his back with regularity.

Nick Diaz isn’t knocking out Paul Daley. I’m sorry, but, it’s just not happening. I’m one of the biggest Diaz supporters out there, but Nick Diaz’s style prides itself on cumulative damage that takes a few rounds to really start hurting the opponent. That just isn’t going to work against a striker like Daley, who has demonstrated an iron chin for most (if not all) of his entire career while also demonstrating true one-hit knockout power. Diaz is far, far more likely to submit Daley than he is to (T)KO him. And no matter what, I’m still in Nick’s corner and I can’t wait to see him win again.

And that’s that, fans and friends: my final say on “Diaz vs. Daley”. But what about you? Any last thoughts on the card?

5. This will be the first “Arena Series” event under the Zuffa umbrella.

While “Challengers 15” holds the distinction of being the first-ever Strikeforce event now that Strikeforce exists as a subsidiary of Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC, this will be the first major show of Strikeforce’s “Zuffa Era”. “Challengers 15” didn’t feature a whole lot of changes, other than the obvious rule change about elbows to the head on the ground now being allowed, but that could be due to the fact that “Challengers” is and always will be the “B” show. There’s still a chance that we could see some pretty big changes to the way Strikeforce presents itself, and that’s a pretty alluring reason to give this show a watch.

4. What’s left of Shinya Aoki?

A few years ago, Shinya Aoki’s ground game was approaching “legendary” status. It didn’t matter that he had terrible stand-up because he always found a way to get the fight to the ground and work his magic. Then several things all happened to cause Aoki’s star to come crashing back down to earth: he got KO’d by Hayato Sakurai and then had an atrocious match with Vitor Ribeiro, he became a “bad boy” only to get dominated by Gilbert Melendez, and on New Year’s Eve 2010, he embarrassed himself before getting KO’d once again. Now Aoki is set to face Lyle Beerbohm, a rising star that is hungrier than ever considering he just lost for the first time ever. It’ll certainly be interesting to see if Aoki has anything left to give, because if he doesn’t, this fight should prove once and for all that Aoki’s one-dimensionality has finally caught up to him.

3. How on earth does Keith Jardine survive against Gegard Mousasi?

I like Keith Jardine, I really do. But Jardine just barely put two wins together after losing five, count ‘em, five straight fights. It’s great that Jardine is on a two-fight win-streak, but when you put it into context, those wins are the beginning of a long, hard climb out of “rock bottom”. This fight against Mousasi just isn’t one that Jardine needs if he wants to keep the win-streak going. Jardine is tougher than almost anybody and will also fight everybody, so he definitely gets my respect for taking this fight. I can’t see him winning, but part of me hopes he proves me wrong, and all of me knows that he’s going to make it a fun fight no matter what happens.

2. Will Gilbert Melendez dominate even though he’s been gone for almost a year?

With the skill and technique he’s demonstrated in Strikeforce so far, Gilbert Melendez could stay a champion for a long, long time. But it’s been almost a year since he last fought, and as I keep saying, ring rust is very real. Tatsuya Kawajiri is still a good fighter, and he can still be a threat to Melendez if Melendez shows up rusty. And getting to see which Gilbert Melendez shows up at “Diaz vs. Daley” is one of the biggest reasons to check out this show.

And the number one reason to watch Strikeforce: “Diaz vs. Daley” is…

1. Diaz. Daley. ‘Nuff said.

Now this is a main event. In one corner, you’ve got the powerful champion that’s absolutely wrecked everyone he’s ever been paired up against in Strikeforce. In the other, you’ve got a man with over twenty KO’s on his record and a very high-profile mean streak. If Diaz takes this fight to the ground, this could be one of the most dominating performances of the year. If it turns into a brawl, it could be one of the best brawls of the year. There’s only one way to find out, and that’s definitely the main reason to tune in and watch “Diaz vs. Daley”.

So there you have it, fans and friends: five great reasons to tune in and see “Diaz vs. Daley”. What about you? As the date draws ever-closer, what are you most looking forward to for this event?

Nick Diaz vs. Paul Daley: This one’s the million-dollar question of the night. Here’s how I think it will go: I think Diaz will put the ego away and focus on his counter-striking. Daley will land, but he’ll never land with the kind of power to one-hit KO Diaz. He might stagger Diaz, but Nick will go into survival mode and take Daley down. If Daley doesn’t land that kind of shot, Diaz will take him down anyway just because he can. Once Diaz realizes how easy it is to put Daley on his back, he’ll keep doing it. Nick Diaz wins by Submission in Round 3, possibly Round 2.

Gilbert Melendez vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri: Although he’s primarily known as a striker, the last time “Crusher” Kawajiri (T)KO’d anyone was in 2009. In fact, the last time he was able to string together at least two straight (T)KO wins was in 2006. Worse yet, Melendez already holds a victory over Kawajiri. There’s a chance that Melendez will show up rusty and Kawajiri will nail a KO blow, but I just don’t see that happening. Gilbert Melendez will win this one by Unanimous Decision.

Gegard Mousasi vs. Keith Jardine: It’s too much and too soon for “The Dean of Mean”. Since getting the boot out of the UFC on the heels of a four-fight losing-streak that saw him get KO’d twice, Jardine has gone 2-1 on the regional circuit, beating two non-entities and losing to Trevor Prangley. It truly pains me to say this, but I don’t think Jardine has done anything to deserve a fight with a former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion. If Jardine wins this one, I’d be beyond shocked. I’d even be surprised if he makes it out of the first round, which I don’t think he will. Gegard Mousasi wins by first-round TKO.

Shinya Aoki vs. Lyle Beerbohm: If this was a few years ago, back when Aoki was tearing people’s limbs off with reckless abandon, I’d immediately call for Beerbohm to lose by submission. But not only has Aoki slowed down a bit, several of his glaring weaknesses continue to be exploited, namely his relatively weak chin and his nearly-nonexistent stand-up game. I think Beerbohm will have to fight through some submission attempts, and I won’t rule out Aoki grabbing something and forcing the tap, but my gut and my head are in agreement: Beerbohm will more than likely be able to dominate Aoki standing as well as on the ground, all the while avoiding and/or eventually breaking any submission attempts. Lyle Beerbohm wins by Unanimous Decision.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. But what about you? Who do you see winning, and why, at Strikeforce: “Diaz vs. Daley”?

The Event: Strikeforce: “Diaz vs. Daley”, currently scheduled for April 9, 2011 at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, California. The main card will be broadcast live on the Showtime network starting at 10:00 PM ET.

Why You Should Care: This is the first “Arena Series” event after Zuffa’s surprise purchase of the Strikeforce promotion. Also, two championships are on the line, with two of Strikeforce’s biggest and brightest stars taking on some pretty tough challenges. As if that wasn’t enough, former UFC star Keith Jardine makes his Strikeforce debut by taking on former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Gegard Mousasi.

What to Look Forward to in the Main Event: Nick Diaz vs. Paul Daley is being marketed as one of the biggest matches of the year, both for Strikeforce and for MMA in general. While it may not quite measure up to some of the UFC’s mega-matches planned for this month and beyond, it’s definitely one of the biggest matches Strikeforce could make at this point in time. At least for Strikeforce, it doesn’t get much bigger than putting your best, most marketable, most notorious champion against an iron-fisted knockout artist that is almost as notorious.

What to Look Forward to in the Co-Main Event: Gilbert Melendez looks to make the second defense of his Strikeforce Lightweight Championship after unifying the belt back in 2009. Much like his first defense, Melendez will take on a Japanese import. But unlike his fight against Shinya Aoki, Tatsuya Kawajiri is an exciting brawler that loves to knock people out. And Melendez has been out for almost a year. It’s a fight where anything is possible, and it should be one of the night’s most entertaining bouts.

Why You Should Watch This Card: Simply put: there are two titles on the line, featuring two of Strikeforce’s best fighters facing legitimate, tough challengers to their championships. You’ve also got the aforementioned Jardine/Mousasi bout, which should be a real proving point for both men. It remains to be seen what happens if Jardine wins, but if Mousasi wins he’ll most likely be getting a shot at the title. And you’ve even got ground wizard Shinya Aoki taking on Lyle Beerbohm, who recently suffered his first loss in a great fight with Pat Healy.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch This Card: Here’s some rare criticism of Strikeforce: if all four of these televised fights go the way assorted fans are predicting they’ll go, we’re in for a night of mismatches. Don’t believe me? If Nick Diaz takes Paul Daley to the ground, it’s all over. If Gegard Mousasi can keep the fight standing against Keith Jardine, it’s all over. If Gilbert Melendez can outwrestle Tatsuya Kawajiri, it’s all over. If Shinya Aoki can get and keep Lyle Beerbohm on the ground, it’s all over. All of the fights could be competitive, or they could end up being like the recent Anthony Johnson vs. Dan Hardy fight. I’m not saying they will turn out like that, and I definitely still have a lot of faith in Strikeforce, but I do feel the need to point out that the possibility is there.

Closing Thoughts: In the end, I think Strikeforce’s recent track record of incredible shows more than earns them the benefit of the doubt for this show. In fact, I’ll go one step further: I think this could end up being one of the best Strikeforce events of 2011. Not only do I think the fights will live up to their potential, I think a few of them will even exceed it. I’m very pumped for this show, and I look forward to tuning in and watching live.

And what about you, fans and friends? What are your thoughts on “Diaz vs. Daley”?

The native Hawaiian was originally expected to square off against budding contender Jorge Masvidal, however with the recent tragedies in Japan, it looks like KJ may have the opportunity to put himself right back into title contention as he is now back in camp, preparing for a possible showdown with top prospect, Lyle Beerbohm.

“Fancy Pants” was originally expected to face off with DREAM lightweight champion Shinya Aoki, however the Judoka’s participation in the contest has come under question after his native Japan has seen a series of tragedies occur, including tsunami’s and earthquakes galore.

KJ was last seen in action when he vied for the strikeforce welterweight title against current champ Nick Diaz, a man that Noons has defeated earlier in his career with EliteXC. The Stockton native was able to exact revenge, and take home a decision win in a highly entertaining five-round bout. Since then, Noons has been mending from several injuries from said bout, including a broken jaw. Now he is back in full form, and discussed the possibility of his return next month with MMAJunkie.com:

“A couple of days ago the card was full,” began Noons.

“There was no TV room left. But now because of all the bad news that happened in Japan, I don’t know the status of Kawajiri and Aoki. So I’m just training. I might be back on the card. I’m not on it officially yet.”

Should Noons return to form and pick up an impressive win over the likes of Beerbohm, whom has only suffered his one career defeat in a contentious bout with UFC veteran Pat Healy last February, it could put him right back in line for a shot at the title–but this time, in the lightweight division.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the possible new match up? Unfortunately for Aoki, it looks like his dreams of becoming a top fighter here stateside might have to wait. Sound off in the comment section below.

Courtesy of Strikeforce itself, there’s plenty of new info on their upcoming show on April 9. According to Strikeforce’s latest press release, the following four matches are now official for Strikeforce: “Diaz vs. Daley”.

In the main event, Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz defends the belt against British knockout artist Paul Daley. Also, Gilbert Melendez will put his Strikeforce Lightweight Championship on the line against “The Crusher”, Japan’s Tatsuya Kawajiri. In another co-promotional effort between Strikeforce and the Japanese-based DREAM promotion, Lyle Beerbohm will face Shinya Aoki. And finally, it’s been confirmed that Mike Kyle will face Gegard Mousasi at “Diaz vs. Daley”, with the winner most likely getting the first shot at Dan Henderson’s newly-won Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship.

With just four matches, Strikeforce has already put together an event I have no intention of missing. These are fights literally exploding with potential. Lyle Beerbohm is coming off a fantastic (though losing) performance against Pat Healy, while Shinya Aoki is a dreaded submission master even though his stand-up isn’t anything to write home about (and that’s putting it lightly). Although both fighters have their flaws, this is a fight where their styles match up perfectly, so I’m expecting an excellent and supremely technical ground war.

I also love the idea of Mike Kyle vs. Gegard Mousasi, I think Mousasi is an incredibly tough opponent for Kyle while a win over Kyle will restore most of Mousasi’s luster. Many still think that Mousasi will one day be the future of the division, and many are now once again interested in Mike Kyle after a dramatic performance against Antonio Silva at Heavyweight, a bout that Kyle came very close to winning.

I’m also glad to see Gilbert Melendez back in action, although to be perfectly honest, I would have much rather had the long-hyped and fiercely-debated “champion vs. champion” bout between him and the Bellator FC Lightweight Champion, Eddie Alvarez. But this is not said to disrespect Kawajiri, I simply think that’s a better match. But it’s Kawajiri we’ll be getting, and I think he’s a pretty good replacement. He’s incredibly tough, a knockout artist, and one of Japan’s best.

And in the main event, we see two of the best strikers in Strikeforce battle it out with a championship on the line. This is a very interesting, potentially catastrophic match-up for Diaz. Nick usually has to take a couple to fire him up and really get him into his groove, but when you face someone that has one-hit KO power from virtually any angle, those are shots you can’t afford. I do think Nick Diaz can wear Daley down and even finish him, but I also think that Daley is going to have ample time to land that one huge sledgehammer that has made him so famous. It’ll likely be a strong candidate for “Fight of the Year”, and I can see myself biting my nails from the first second to the last.

And what about you, fans and friends? How excited are you for “Diaz vs. Daley”?

5. Vitor Ribeiro

Unfortunately for “Shaolin”, Ribeiro is now on a three-fight losing streak. I think Couture would be a very interesting opponent for the former highly-regarded prospect. It would be an interesting stand-up fight, and both men would likely benefit from the experience. On the ground it’s anyone’s ballgame, as Ribeiro has twelve wins by submission. If Ribeiro wins, he basically saves his career and pulls it off of life support. If Couture wins, he’s beaten a very decorated ground specialist and a former “Challengers” headliner.

4. David Douglas

“Tarzan” had an equally impressive showing at “Challengers 14”. It took Douglas barely over a minute to finish his opponent, and with an added five pounds of muscle (Douglas fought at a catchweight of 150 at “Challengers 14), Douglas would be a pretty tough test for Ryan Couture. Douglas has power, speed, fluidity, and lots of raw potential. This would be a real proving point for both fighters.

3. Jorge Gurgel

Gurgel seems to be on the decline, but he’s still a tough test for a surging fighter like Couture. If Couture wants to test his stand-up, Gurgel will be right there willing to give and take. If it goes to the ground, Gurgel is an incredibly skilled submission master. This fight would go a long way towards proving where both men stand in Strikeforce’s increasingly-crowded Lightweight division.

2. Carlo Prater

Wow, there’s impressive debuts, and then there’s snatching a guy up in a D’Arce the second the fight gets underway. This would be an awesome fight on the ground, I can see both men basically setting the cage on fire because of how fast they move on the ground. Both men have long limbs and impressive squeezing power, and it’s likely that both men won’t tap and will have to be choked unconscious. This match would be awesome to watch.

And the number one fighter I’d like to see Ryan Couture face is…

1. Shinya Aoki

I admit, Aoki takes the number one spot purely because I think this would be an amazing ground fight. Aoki has never had good stand-up, but on the ground, he’s a submission wizard. This would be a defining moment for Couture if he were to win it, because let’s be honest and give credit where credit is due, not many people can hang with Aoki on the ground. If Couture ends up proving that he can, it would be a gigantic feather in his cap.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? Is Couture ready for a step up in competition? Why or why not? And who would you like to see him fight?

Josh Thomson, the former Strikeforce lightweight champion, was previously rumored to be facing current DREAM lightweight titleholder Shinya Aoki at last year’s year-end extravaganza dubbed “Dynamite!! 2010″. However Aoki ultimately fought in an exhibition bout with K-1 fighter “Jienotsu” Nagashima, losing by knockout in the second-round of their mixed rules match.

Thomson inevitably faced off against perennial top contender Tatsuya Kawajiri that night, losing a dominating decision to “The Crusher”. Now, both Aoki and Thomson could face off in a pivotal 155-pound match-up targeted for Japan.

MiddleEasy.com has included the rumored lightweight fight in their special “Sunday Rumor Mill” edition this past weekend, which could set up a potential rematch for either man with current Strikeforce lightweight titleholder Gilbert Melendez in the foreseeable future, should either man record an impressive victory in their next outing.

Thomson has tangled with “El Nino” twice before. Initially dominating Melendez who turned in an uninspired performance against “The Punk” some years ago. However the Cesar Gracie protege stormed back in December of 2009, dominating the American Kickboxing Academy star in a five-round war that charted several “Fight of the Year” lists.

Aoki is all too familiar with Melendez as well. In his lone appearance under the San Jose based promotion, as well as in the United States, the submission specialist was thwarted at every attempt to bring the fight to the ground against Melendez in their initial meeting in April of last year. Gilbert took home an easy decision win over the Japanese star, dominating every round on the judges score cards.

Both men bounced back from the loss to Melendez with consecutive wins in their respective organization’s before suffering their recent setbacks. So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the potential match-up? How do you see the fight going? Sound off in the comment section below.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5. Phil Baroni – The Trickshot Spammer

This is the guy who tries to always do the 360 noscope, or the across-the-map throwing knife/tomahawk, or any number of seemingly-impossible feats of gaming awesomeness.  Nine out of ten times it embarrassingly backfires in a most heinous way, but whenever that tenth time rolls around, the Trickshot Spammer will practically blow your ears out because of how hard they’re screaming into the mic and calling themselves legendary. The same could be said for Phil Baroni, who usually ends up on the wrong side of a bad KO, but once that tenth time rolls around, he shouts “I’m the best eva!” about fifty thousand times.

4. Anderson Silva-– zzirGrizz

If you don’t know who this man is, put his name into a YouTube searchbar along with the words “The Matrix”. To make a long story short, Grizz is the type of player that doesn’t talk, he simply does. And he’s the best he is at what he does. And what he does is come up with amazing ways to kill you, ways so incredibly difficult that you’re almost honored to be on the receiving end of such an ultra-embarrassing kill. The same could be said for Anderson Silva, who’s always coming up with new ways to viciously and dramatically separate his opponents from consciousness. And while both have stumbled along the way, both are generally regarded as being at the very top of their chosen profession.

3. Junior dos Santos – Sandy Ravage

Again, YouTube him if you haven’t heard of him. Sandy is the type of player with the insane score you wish you could have but don’t think is possible, until you see that he’s been able to reach that score. He’s the guy who gets at least fifteen kills for every death, he’s the kind of guy that can enter a losing game and single-handedly proceed to bring his team back from the brink and make it look easy while doing so. Plain and simple, Sandy Ravage is an engine of destruction. And so is Junior dos Santos. I truly, truly shudder to think what would happen if these two were to meet.

2. Shinya Aoki – The Tryhard Crybaby

There are tryhards (those that take the game too seriously), and there are crybabies (those that whine non-stop), and then there is the rare and incredibly infuriating mix of the two. This is the gamer that lives and dies by his highscore, and if you somehow manage to beat him, consider him your enemy for life. That pretty much sums up Shinya Aoki’s abrupt turn into a bad-boy: when the Japanese crowd turned on him, he flicked them off and went out of his way to lash back at them for daring to cheer another fighter. And much like Aoki, it’s hilarious when all of the Tryhard Crybaby’s taunts and boasts ends up backfiring on him, because he’s usually subject to such intense ridicule that he immediately leaves the game and runs crying to his mother.

And finally, we have…

1. Chael Sonnen – GUN1T123

Now and forever, the crowning achievement of both the gamer and the fighter will be mired in controversy. Chael Sonnen’s dominant near-victory over Anderson Silva will be always tarnished by the fact that he was on steroids when it happened, and fans continue to ridicule him for it. Shaggy, a.k.a. GUN1T, will forever be remembered as the YouTube commentator that became famous for getting the “world’s fastest nuke”, which basically means that he got a very high amount of kills in a very short amount of time, only for it later to be revealed that he had faked the whole thing. Both the fighter and the gamer have shown real skill before their scandals, but both have come to be defined by their momentary, albeit incredibly high-profile, lapses in judgment.

And so there you have it, fans and friends: ten MMA fighters and what they’d be like if they played COD. Now that it’s all over, what’s your opinion?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Made evident by it’s home grown star, Shinya Aoki, the promotion has helped produce some of Japan’s greatest rising stars and has cemented it’s place in the Japanese mixed martial arts industry, especially with Saturday’s night of fights. (or Sunday morning, depending on where you are)

The promotion was in rare form, when it was able to secure some of the biggest names in the sport for one night, and what a night it was.

Here is the fight card in it’s entirety, thanks to Sherdog.com.

1 Kazumasa Sugawara defeats Yoshihiro Sasaki TKO (Punches) 1 2:27
2 Takahiro Ashida defeats Shun Fukazawa TKO (Punches) 2 1:49
3 Yusaku Nakamura defeats Isao Terada KO (Punch) 2 3:48
4 Hiroshi Nakamura defeats Tatsumitsu Wada Decision (Unanimous)
5 Ryuta Noji defeats Hiroshi Nagao TKO (Knees) 1 1:33
6 Hidetaka Monma defeats Yoshihisa Yamamoto Submission 1 1:07
7 Shoji Maruyama defeats Jin Suk Jung TKO (Punches) 1 2:58
8 Yoshiyuki Nakanishi defeats Katsuyori Shibata TKO (Punches) 1 4:06
9 Yoshiro Maeda defeats Takafumi Otsuka Decision (Majority)
10 Ryo Chonan defeats Jun Hee Moon TKO (Punches) 3 2:57
11 Ikuhisa Minowa defeats Chang Hee Kim Submission 1 2:07
12 Sanae Kikuta defeats Lee Sak Kim TKO 1 1:21
13 Shinya Aoki defeats Yokthai Sithoar Submission 1 1:00
14 Masakazu Imanari defeats Daiki Hata Decision (Majority)
15 Yuya Shirai defeats Shigetoshi Iwase Decision (Unanimous)
16 Katsunori Kikuno defeats Nobuhiro Obiya Decision (Split)

The DREAM lightweight champion, Shiny Aoki, extended his winning streak to three in a row when he took on former professional boxer, Yokthai Sithoar (try saying that five times fast). It was an easy going for the “Grabaka Survivor” when he was able to work the fight to the ground (his domain) immediately, with little effort. There, Aoki was able to lock a fight ending Keylock, forcing the tap just 60 seconds inside of the first round.

Also on the card, Deep lightweight champion and DREAM fighter Katsunori Kikuno now made it two in a row when he defeated a spirited Nobuhiro Obiya. Having only been defeated by the likes of Eddie Alvarez and Gesias Cavalcante in his professional career, many pegged Obiya to be an easy win for the dynamic striker in Kikuno, however Obiya hung tough, and lost only by way of points when the bout went to the judges score cards.

Ikuhisa Minowa, or simply “Minowaman” returned to the win column after a disappointing loss to the 2008 Judoka Olympian Gold Medalist, Satoshi Ishii at DREAM 16. The Super Hulk Champion came back in true form, when he defeated the over matched Chang Hee Kim, inside of the first round with an arm bar submission, needing just a little over two minutes. Kim now falls to 0-2 against his 80-plus fight veteran.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SA: I don’t! (laughs).

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

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

:::: Favorite Fighters ::::

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

GD: How much weight do you cut?

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

(except Randy Couture)

SA: (Smiles and nods)

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

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

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.

According to a report by Sherdog, the primetime network broadcast of “DREAM.16”, which was shown on the Tokyo Broadcasting System, pulled in an average 11.9 rating with a peak of 18.1, which occurred during the hastily-added Satoshi Ishii vs. Ikuhisa Minowa bout. According to the report, this placed DREAM in fourth place for the night, losing out to a variety show, a mystery series, and a TV showing of a 2006 film. The report also states that the rating is in the “good but not great” range, and that all eyes are on the end-of-year super-show “Dynamite” to determine once and for all if Japanese MMA will remain on network TV and in the public consciousness for the foreseeable future.

I think DREAM.16 was a mixed bag, but ultimately one that I enjoyed quite a lot. It is a card I spent several hours watching in the absolute dead of the night, after all. Placing fourth may not have been the resounding trumpet call return-to-arms that many hardcore Japanese MMA fans hoped it would be, but it is a good number and, at the very least, DREAM cracked the top five. The bad thing about that, though, is that TV officials are so fickle these days no matter what continent or country they hail from. Ratings can always be bigger, and if “Dynamite” disappoints, we’ll be looking at the very real possibility of MMA being pulled off of national TV.

I can’t stress enough how harsh of a blow that would be to DREAM as well as Japanese MMA as a whole. Putting it plainly, Japanese MMA can’t afford to become an “underground sport” again. At least, not if it wants to have any relevancy in the global MMA scene. Shinya Aoki once famously said (and I’m paraphrasing here) that Japan is now “a colony” to American Mixed Martial Arts. And I have to agree with him. The prognosis is looking bleaker and bleaker. Almost all of DREAM’s best stars have found work and relevancy in other promotions, and DREAM has lacked a true breakout star, one that gained his fame and relevancy in DREAM and DREAM alone, since its inception.

I honestly hope that “Dynamite” demolishes the competition and that DREAM is given another shot at wowing the general public, because at the end of the day, DREAM is the flag-bearer for Japanese MMA. It may pale in comparison to PRIDE FC, it may not have history behind it like the longer-running but smaller-scale MMA promotions, but right now it is undoubtedly the biggest promotion in Japan and has the most money available to produce the best possible cards. Both due to its importance and the fact that I’ve liked DREAM’s outings more often than not, I wish them all the best and hope that Japanese MMA can make an epic comeback.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think the future holds? Did DREAM 16 simply prolong the inevitable, or was it a step in the right direction?

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.

Here’s how it all went down at “DREAM.16” at the Nippon Gaishi Hall in Nagoya, Japan (results courtesy of MMA 4 Real). Light-Heavyweight Championship: Gegard Mousasi defeats Tatsuya Mizuno via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 6:10 of Round 1. Jason Miller defeats Kazushi Sakuraba via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) at 2:09 of Round 1. Shinya Aoki defeats Marcus Aurelio via Unanimous Decision. Satoshi Ishii defeats Ikuhisa Minowa via Unanimous Decision. Hiroyuki Takaya defeats Chase Beebe via KO (Punches) at 1:45 of Round 1. Michihiro Omigawa defeats Cole Escovedo via Submission (Inverted Armbar) at 2:30 of Round 1. Joachim Hansen defeats Hideo Tokoro via Submission (Triangle Choke) at 2:48 of Round 1. Kazuyuki Miyata defeats Takeshi Inoue via Unanimous Decision. Mitsuhiro Ishida defeats Akiyo Nishiura via Split Decision. Yusuke Kawaguchi defeats James Thompson via Split Decision.

I was lucky enough to catch the event as it was just getting underway. Or perhaps “unlucky” is a more fitting term, because the first few opening fights were quite boring. Kawaguchi and Thompson both gassed so badly in their fights that it was downright laughable. Ishida did nothing but hold onto his opponent and proved that the “lay and pray” epidemic is sweeping across the world and not simply confined to America. The first fight I honestly had any interest in was the Hansen fight, and even that fight got downright boring as the majority of it saw Hideo Tokoro recuperate from several below-the-belt shots.

That’s another strange thing about this card- it would appear that several folks really wanted to play dirty at “DREAM.16”. There were a lot of groin shots during the opening matches, to the point where I wondered if the tormented ghost of Cheick Kongo had been randomly possessing the DREAM 16 participants. I know I shouldn’t laugh, but it happened so frequently that it was all I could really do.

I think Omigawa’s dramatic submission over Escovedo kicked the card into high gear, because once it happened, all the fights that followed were actually very enjoyable. Takaya’s dramatic KO of Chase Beebe was one of the best moments of the night. The fight between Minowaman and Ishii was a bit on the long side and came dangerously close to boring at times, but ultimately I enjoyed it. Shinya Aoki may also soon be criticized for competing in a boring fighter after he recently criticized wrestling-based American Mixed Martial Artists for their boring fight style, but I found his victory over Aurelio quite convincing and decently entertaining.

It broke my heart to see Sakuraba lose, but I’m glad that Miller got a big win over his idol. I got a big kick out of both men’s entrances, as usual, they spared no expense to give fight fans a treat. I really wanted Saku to win this fight, but I think I as well as just about everyone else knew that Miller was a step or two above him at this point in Saku’s career. I don’t know where Sakuraba goes from here, but so long as he keeps fighting I’ll keep watching.

Mousasi’s victory surprised absolutely no one and was over very quickly, so I have little to say about it. I am glad he’s back in the win column, though. Overall, I really enjoyed DREAM 16. If this is their last card in a while or their last card entirely, they didn’t go down without a fight.

And what about you, fans and friends? What did you think of DREAM 16?

Here’s what Aoki had to say on the subject: “…When we look at martial arts in its most extreme form, we need to win by submission or knockout… The American wrestling style – punching a little bit, getting a takedown and moving to side control to win the round has no risk. It’s an easier fight. It’s just using the judges. They don’t even have to worry about injuries or anything like that. There is no risk… I’m a huge fan of the UFC, but I think that it hasn’t been very interesting lately. There are good fighters of course but not so many interesting fights. They punch a little bit, then get a takedown and every round is just a repetition of that. Japanese MMA is totally different. We go for knockouts and submissions from the beginning and going for the decision isn’t an option.”

I actually disagree with Aoki for a number of reasons. For one, I think the UFC has more exciting fights than any other promotion out there. The WEC certainly comes close, but nothing really tops the UFC’s atmosphere and big-money fights. I think there are a few stinkers here and there, some bad matches that go a long way towards making you want to switch the channel, but if we’re being perfectly honest, when was the last honest-to-goodness bad UFC show? Some might be lackluster, some might not live up to their potential, but the UFC always does their best to produce interesting fights that the fans want to see. And more often than not, they deliver.

Also, I disagree with Aoki’s stance on MMA being vastly different in Japan than in the United States. Trust me: “lay and pray” crosses all boundaries, no country is immune to the problem of a fighter playing it safe and winning a round through ground domination. In Japan, it’s just far more likely that a submission expert will use “lay and pray” tactics than a wrestler, and at least a submission specialist goes for submissions every once in a while. Aoki shouldn’t throw stones while inside a glass house, either: if he’s got something to say about one-dimensional wrestlers, maybe someone should point out how utterly one-dimensional he himself is. Without hyperbole, Shinya Aoki has some of the most atrocious stand-up I’ve ever seen. It’s utterly abysmal. For proof, try and find a video of his DREAM 10 fight against Vitor Ribeiro. Aoki’s standup is so horrendous that the Japanese fans boo him back when he was still the squeaky-clean baby-faced do-gooder that could do no wrong.

I think you can argue that Dan Hardy’s original statements were 50% truth and 50% sour grapes, but in regards to Aoki, I think the percentage of negativity for the sake of negativity is quite a lot higher.

But what do you think, fans and friends? What’s your opinion on Shinya Aoki’s opinion?

However, the American Top Team product has recently pulled out of the tournament–an 8-man one night tourney featuring notables Drew Fickett, “Krazy Horse”, and Richard Crunkilton among others–citing a lingering elbow injury.

Ironically enough, though Aurelio said that the Shine Fights execs knew of him injury for over two weeks now, the Brazilian claims he still has intentions of facing grappling ace Shinya Aoki in DREAM 16 on September 25th.

Aurelio spoke exclusively with MMAJunkie.com, and claims that “Right now, it looks like I can’t fight a girl”, said the Pride and UFC veteran.

Fellow UFC veteran Shannon Gugerty has stepped on short notice to fill in for Aurelio for the 155-pound Grand Prix, which was originally taking place in Virginia however due to licensing issues has moved to a Native American Reserve in Oklahoma, where Athletic Commissions hold no jurisdiction.

It’s strange that while “Maximus” was unable to participate in the tournament, he feels he will be able to return to action just a little over two weeks later to face the aforementioned Japanese superstar.

“I can’t do anything with my right arm,” said the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. “I have no strength at all to push. I don’t like to go to fight like that.”

None the less, Aurelio expresses regret in the injury, and says that his intentions were always to fight in both the Grand Prix then venture to japan to face Aoki–he had no shady motives in mind.

“It’s really bad for me because I wanted to be in a situation where I could fight (in) both (Shine and DREAM),” said the Brazilian while continuing to speak to MMAJunkie. “But right now, my big problem is not deciding if I’m going to fight in Shine or DREAM; my big problem is making sure if I’m going to be able to fight”.

Though the opportunity to fight in Shine has passed him by, Marcus is looking forward to prospects of fighting in Japan, where he picked up the biggest win of his career some years ago, when he defeated then Pride lightweight champion Takanori Gomi by arm-triangle choke in a non-title fight. Since then, Marcus has seen mixed results in his career, completing two stints in the UFC with an overall record of 2-4.

Aurelio is hoping that he’ll be healthy and ready to go come September 25th.

“I’m going to do my best to fight (in) DREAM,” Aurelio said. “Every day, my manager, he talks to them. I have two or three weeks for the (DREAM) fight. I think I’ll be OK. I’m going to have a chance to have another shot in my elbow, and I’m just keeping my conditioning now. There’s not much (else) I can do.”

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of Aurelio’s move? Though he’s seems genuine, do you think there were any ulterior motives in mind for his sudden turn around? Marcus had some issues with with the Shine Fights CEO Jason Chambers when he initially accepted the fight for DREAM, when he garnered no permission from Shine who holds an exclusive contract with the Brazilian. Let your opinions on the matter at hand known below.

MMAWeekly.com has reported that a stipulation in Auerlio’s contract with the Shine Fights promotion, who is having an insurmountable amount of problems of their own to deal with outside of the ATT fighter, which lays claim to Marcus fighting for their organization solely unless granted permission beforehand.

“I can confirm that we do have an exclusive deal with Marcus Aurelio”, stated Shine Fights CEO Jason Chambers while speaking with MMAWeekly in regards to Marcus’ contract.

“I want to be fair with our agreement; I want our fighters to be fair. Our agreements are exclusive, within that there is language that speaks to giving permission to fight in other organizations. So a fighter can fight somewhere else, as long as we give that approval,” Chambers said.

“I can confirm that I have not given any approval for Marcus Aurelio to fight in Dream.”

The bout in question, would have (or is, depending on how things shake out) taken place on September 25th, at the Nippon Gaishi Hall in Nagoya, Japan.

Marcus made his way to the Japanese organization after an initial release from the UFC, where the Brazilian went 2-4 inside the octagon. He was invited into the worlds largest promotion after an initial stint overseas with Pride, which saw “Maximus” pick up a submission victory over then lightweight champion Takanori Gomi, in a non-title fight.

The 37-year-old is riding a two-fight win streak, and has won four of his last five bouts overall. Aoki had been eyeing this bout as an inadvertent statement, laying claim to a potential victory over a man who defeated the Japanese sensation, Gomi–who remains one of the more popular fighters in his native Japan, largely due to his Shooto roots and his legendary bouts with Pride.

Aoki and Gomi were on a collision course to meet over the last several years, but the bout failed to materialize, hence the nostalgia in a bout with Aurelio.

It looks like Marcus’ chances of fighting in DREAM will largely ride on his previous commitment with Shine Fights, where he was to partake in the 8-man one night tournament on September 10, just over two weeks prior to the proposed match up with the Japanese grappling ace.

“There’s definitely a possibility Marcus Aurelio fights in Dream,” Chambers stated. “If you see him fight Sept. 10 in our pay-per-view, those chances are greatly improved.”

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of Aurelio’s decision? Which fight(s) would you rather see the Brazilian partake in? And do you think should a bout with Aoki materialize, how do you like his chances? Voice your opinions below.

In an interview with SB Nation, Gray Maynard said the following: “Who is stopping them? Name a name and I’ll bow down, but who is stopping these guys? That’s why I can’t pay attention to these people. If you’re a true sports fan who enjoys MMA and really try to understand it, you’ll get it. Look at Edgar. He’s only ever lost to myself. Huerta has never been stopped. Pretty much the same thing with Nate Diaz. Florian did get stopped by Penn, but you see what I mean. It’s an excuse, but that’s just how it is. I’m asking for the top guys. The decisions are just part of it.”

I agree with Maynard in theory, but not in practice. I think getting a decision win should absolutely not be held against you. You did your job, you won your fight, you deserve your acclaim. How backwards does it sound that fighters who tough it out and fight hard all three rounds are getting ostracized like they had a Scarlet Letter? Fighters should be praised for having the cardio, mental fortitude, toughness, and heart to go the distance, and those that do so and still dominate their opponents deserve even more praise. That’s the theory.

In practice, though…people want to see fights finished! You simply can’t ignore what the mainstream wants, and the mainstream wants to see awesome KO’s or slick submissions. We’ll even settle for a wild brawl or an active ground game. But these no-stoppage shut-outs are unappealing to fans who crave action in their sports. You can call it backwards thinking all you like, but the mainstream MMA fan holds true to one core belief: “intricacies be damned, we’re here for a fun show”. There will always be fans, especially MMA fans, that go in just for the blood, guts, and glory. You can hold your head high with the knowledge that true fans appreciate what you do and respect your ability to do it, but at the end of the day, exciting fighters sell Pay-Per-Views.

Perhaps this wouldn’t even be such a big issue if Maynard was correct in his belief that most Lightweights don’t finish their fights. But that’s the thing: they do! There are a lot of Lightweight fighters (and fighters that had runs at Lightweight) known for their stoppage victories: Kenny Florian, BJ Penn, Sean Sherk, Shinya Aoki, Jamie Varner, Donald Cerrone, Ben Henderson, Josh Thomson, KJ Noons, Anthony Pettis…just to name a few! They may not dominate the division, but they’re out there.

I’ll make one thing clear before I go: I don’t have a problem with Gray Maynard. I think he’s a fantastic athlete, and I think his rematch with Edgar will be far more entertaining than what any of the doomsayers are predicting it to be. I just don’t like that Maynard answered the question of why he doesn’t finish anybody with another question, which was “Does anybody finish anybody at Lightweight?” Because the simple answer is: yes. Yes they do. And if you really want people to stop calling you boring, why not try and finish a fight every once in a while? It couldn’t hurt.

And what do you think, fans and friends? How important is it to you that fighters finish fights, and are you excited for Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard 2?

5. Marius Zaromskis vs. Dan Hardy

It’s a shame that people have mostly forgotten about Marius Zaromskis, since I became a huge fan of his due to his destruction of several people in the Japanese-based DREAM. Zaromskis hasn’t been heard of since he was TKO’d at the hands of Evangelista Santos, but he’s still a very tough fighter with incredibly powerful high kicks. Against Dan Hardy he’d face another strong-willed power-striker, and this one would likely see both men absorb a lot of damage before somebody gets knocked out.

4. Ronaldo Souza vs. Chael Sonnen

Now this is a fight that fans can really sink their teeth into. Souza fights out of the same camp as UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, so you have a guaranteed rivalry right there. Both men have good-but-not-great striking, but since they’re evenly matched, it would be pretty entertaining to see them trade blows. If it goes to the ground, Souza is nicknamed “Jacare” (Alligator) for a reason, while Chael Sonnen’s ability to dominate on the ground needs no introduction, based on his near-total shutout of Anderson Silva at UFC 117. It would simply be a highly, highly competitive match.

3. Shinya Aoki vs. George Sotiropoulos

This one would have to take place in Japan, though, so both men could utilize their magic submission pants. There’s no doubt that George would have the advantage striking, since Aoki’s stand-up has always been atrocious. But if/when it goes to the ground, this has the potential to be one of the most entertaining ground battles in years.

2. Junior dos Santos vs. Antonio Silva

It’s the technical striking of JDS going up against the power of “Bigfoot”, and I think both men would turn in a great performance. Antonio Silva wants to be taken seriously so badly that I think he would show up in great shape and with a great gameplan for this fight, while Junior Dos Santos has quickly become the best pure striker in the Heavyweight division of MMA as a whole, not just the UFC. Someone is going to sleep in this fight, and it would be quite a spectacle to see the super-fast and super-slick JDS trying to cope with Silva’s massive frame, long reach, and serious punching power.

And the #1 spot goes to…

1. Muhammed Lawal vs. Rashad Evans

Both men have awesome wrestling skills, with striking that is good for the most part and great on occasion. As talented as both men are on the ground, I have a feeling that their impressive wrestling backgrounds would basically cancel each other out and force this into a stand-up brawl. Both Lawal and Evans have a lot of power in their hands, and I can see this one getting quite vicious before all is said and done. And if someone does get an advantage on the ground, look for some very harsh Ground and Pound. It’s not a traditional choice by any stretch of the imagination, but I would love to see this fight.

So that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? Other than the obvious, what are some UFC vs. Strikeforce fights you’d like to see?

DREAM lightweight champion “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (24-5) forced “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (26-6-2) to tap out in an Achilles lock at 1:53 of their DREAM.15 title fight in Saitama Saturday.

Aoki returned from a drubbing by Strikeforce champion “El Niño” Gilbert Melendez (18-2) at Strikeforce in Nashville April 17 to defeat his longtime Japanese rival.

Aoki bit first and deep, shooting for a single-leg takedown.  Kawajiri stuffed it and attempted to reverse to top position, but that was just fine with Aoki.  Aoki flowed with the transition and pulled Kawajiri atop him.  By the Kawajiri realized he didn’t want to be anywhere on the mat with Aoki, Aoki had gobbled up Kawajiri’s left leg and was rolling with a heel hook.

Kawajiri rolled in defense and Aoki transitioned into an Achilles lock.  Kawajiri dotted Aoki’s left eye with two heel kicks with his free leg, but Aoki bit harder on Kawajiri’s left leg.

Kawajiri grimaced in pain.  For a moment it seemed as Aoki had worn himself out on the grip, but with one final tug he forced Kawajiri to tap out.

Aoki’s title defense was the main event on a seven-fight card that gradually and unintentionally developed the theme of rejected fighters from United States promotions UFC and Strikeforce.  Aoki was once regarded as a rival to former UFC champion  “Prodigy” BJ Penn (15-5-1), but was exposed as woefully one-dimensional at Strikeforce versus Melendez.

Earlier in the evening, “Uno Shoten” Caol Uno (25-13-5) announced his return to DREAM after a 0-2-1 run in the UFC.  Dutch kickboxer  ”No Mercy” Melvin Manhoef (23-6-1) returned to DREAM off of a first-round knockout loss to former EliteXC middleweight champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (17-6) at Strikeforce in Miami in January, only to lose to unheralded Tatsuya Mizuno (8-5).  UFC rejects Kazuhiro Nakamura (15-1) and Michihiro Omigawa (11-8-1) each walked away with wins at DREAM.

The era of Japanese MMA rivaling American MMA on an equal footing is over, even in the lower weight classes, and the Japanese sport is now unquestionably a minor league to both the UFC and Strikeforce.

I’ll start with what is quickly becoming one of Strikeforce’s biggest advantages: their Women’s division. In short, Strikeforce’s women’s division has consistently given us some of the best fights of the night. Given the fact that Women’s MMA is a relatively new phenomenon, nothing really needs to be changed. There’s already some growing dissatisfaction among MMA purists that Strikeforce’s Middleweight wrecking machine Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos has no real competition to truly measure herself up against, but that’s hardly Strikeforce’s fault. While it may shine a harsh light on the fact that all other Middleweights are playing catch-up to Cris Cyborg, seeing Santos dominate again and again has yet to lose its appeal.

With his recent thrashing of Shinya Aoki, Gilbert Melendez has quickly earned the rank of “Best Lightweight Not in the UFC”. Many are pointing to an epic showdown with Bellator Fighting Championships Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez as a dream-match that would go a long way towards cementing the legitimacy of the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship. While I also believe that Melendez vs. Alvarez would be a fantastic match, I think Strikeforce should go one step further and forge an actual alliance with Bellator in the same vein as their alliance with the Japanese-based DREAM promotion. This would give Strikeforce a considerably deeper pool of talent while also showcasing Bellator FC, which has gained a cult following due to its penchant for highlight-reel knockouts and submissions but lacks true mainstream exposure.

For Strikeforce’s Welterweight Division, it is in Strikeforce’s best interest to build up Welterweight champion Nick Diaz, despite the fact that he remains one of the sport’s most polarizing fighters. For all his faults, Nick Diaz stands out as arguably the greatest Welterweight not named Georges St-Pierre. Diaz’s unorthodox but highly effective “punches in bunches” strategy combined with his vastly underappreciated ground game has resulted in seven straight wins since 2007, with seemingly no end in sight. Diaz is a rare exception to the rule: a controversial fighter that’s actually worth the trouble.

With the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship now vacated, a Middleweight Tournament is a no-brainer. With no names or format revealed as of yet, I’ll wait to see how this all turns out before giving my opinion on how Strikeforce should move forward with their Middleweight division.

While not as earth-shattering as Fedor Emelianenko’s recent loss, Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal’s victory over former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Gegard Mousasi did cast the future of Strikeforce’s Light Heavyweight Division in doubt. Even with his bad boy attitude and strong wrestling skills, “King Mo” remains a relative newcomer. Strikeforce’s best option is to keep “King Mo” active against the stiffest competition possible. If Mo is able to weather the storm and beat several tough opponents either by highlight-reel stoppage or hard-fought decision, he will bring credibility both to himself and to his championship.

The future of Strikeforce’s Heavyweight division is far from uncertain. Despite calls for an immediate Fedor/Werdum rematch, Fabricio Werdum deserves his shot at Heavyweight gold. It may never generate as much interest or make as much money as an Alistair Overeem vs. Fedor Emelianenko dream match, but Overeem/Werdum needs to happen. As for Fedor Emelianenko, it doesn’t matter who his next opponent is. Fans will be so interested in seeing how Emelianenko rebounds from his first-ever legitimate loss that they will tune in no matter what.

Simply put, Strikeforce deserves to be where it is: despite some stumbling blocks, the promotion always tries to put together the best cards possible. When all is said and done, the future of Strikeforce is actually quite bright.

So what do you think, fans and friends? What does Strikeforce need to do to hold or even re-gain your attention?

The talk of this fight taking place all started when Melendez appeared on “Inside MMA” on HDNet. Melendez recently beat Shinya Aoki (19-5), a man many believed to be a top three fighter in the lightweight division. Now Melendez believes the fight between him and Alvarez could be for the number one ranking.

“I think he’s an amazing fighter, and that’s why I call out Eddie Alvarez,” Melendez said. “Let’s unify those titles. I’d love to fight that guy and test myself. I think if I could beat him, I could be No. 1 and vice versa.”

Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney jumped behind Melendez seeing the chance for a major fight that indeed would have major implications in the divisional hierarchy.

“I will do everything I can to get Gilbert what he asked for,” Rebney stated. “Gilbert wants the fight, Eddie wants the fight, and I want the fight. All we have to do is get Scott Coker on board, and together, we can make this happen. Eddie wants to fight the best, and Gilbert wants to fight the best, and there is no reason why any promoter or network should stand in the way of that.”

Scott Coker agreed that they need to put this fight together for the benefit of the fans and since Bellator and Strikeforce have already worked together it should not be hard to make come to terms.

“We’ve lent them three or four fighters already, and we had a brief conversation about (loaning) Roger Huerta, but the terms, conditioning, time just weren’t right,” Coker said. “But we’d love to work with them.”

This all hinges on Eddie winning his first title defense this fall when he will fight the winner of Toby Imada (26-14) versus Pat Curran (11-3).

Eddie Alvarez may just be the most underrated fighter in all of MMA. He keeps knocking down everything put in front of him and Fighters.com feels it is time he gets the recognition he deserves.

Recognition that would come from a cross-promotional super-fight fans have been waiting to see. When Pride FC was still around talk always surrounded Pride champs versus UFC champs. The fans and media alike wanted this to happen and we never truly got to see it unfold. Now these fights are starting to take place with fights like the aforementioned Aoki versus Melendez.

Fighters.com believes that if anything can save the inevitable sinking ship that has become Strikeforce it will be fights like this. Scott Coker needs to continue to work with Dream and Bellator in order to give fans match-ups that will not only put butts in the seats but also bring in the viewers. Something they have not been able to do their last two events.

Fighters.com hopes for the sake of the sport we get to see this fight at the beginning of next year. Stay tuned for further updates.

The winners of these fights will face each other in the Season Two finals in June with the winner earning the right to face Fighters.com third-ranked and Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez (17-2) in a title fight.

Rebney made the announcement today at a presser at the Wang Theatre, where he was joined by Curran and Alvarez, whose much-anticipated Bellator Super Fight with former UFC contender “The Dentist” Josh Neer (27-9-1) headlines the May 6th Boston card.

“As a fan, I can’t wait for our May 6th show in Boston,” Rebney said.  “Alvarez vs. Neer should be explosive, with Eddie making his first appearance in the U.S. since he won our lightweight title last summer.  Huerta vs. Curran just got really interesting coming off of Pat’s one punch KO of previously undefeated Mike Ricci. Toby’s world class submission wrestling vs. Carey’s world class wresting should be a great fight as well.”

The fallout from recent lightweight fights has the rankings in a mess right now and leaves Alvarez in a position to take the number one spot after the consensus one and two both lost. “The Prodigy” BJ Penn (15-6-1) lost his title at UFC 112 while second-ranked “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (19-5) lost in his American debut on the Strikeforce: Nashville card.

Fighters.com believes that Alavarez is one of the most overlooked fighters in the lightweight division. His only two losses come at the hands of Aoki in 2008 and “The Goat” Nick Thompson (38-11-1) back in 2007.

Bellator has been putting together tough fights in this highly anticipated season and fans are flocking to the tournament format to recapture some of the nostalgia from the early days of the UFC and of Pride Fighting Championships.

Strikeforce lightweight champion “El Nino” Gilbert Melendez (19-2) stunned Dream champion “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (19-5) in a strategic unanimous decision at Strikeforce: Nashville Saturday night by judges’ scores of 50-45 three times.  Fighters.com scored the fight for Melendez 49-46, giving Aoki round one.

The fight was repetitive and Melendez came into the fight with a perfect strategy.

Aoki circled outside as Melendez through straights to Aoki’s body.  Aoki shot for single-leg takedowns 18 times, all stuffed by Melendez.

In round one, Aoki was able to pull Melendez into his guard, but Melendez quickly stood out Aoki’s sweet spot.

But, by round two Melendez was more confident and dove into Aoki’s guard after stuffing the shots.  Aoki attempted to work wrist control, but Melendez stayed just out of reach of submissions while lunging forward with big right hands.

By the end of round two, Aoki’s nose was bloodied and his face swelling.

The cycle repeated throughout the fight, with Melendez landing more shots and Aoki looking less confident from his back.

In the final round, after Aoki shot, Melendez had the referee stand him immediately and winged big shots at Aoki’s head.  Melendez landed a big straight right before the final bell, leaving Aoki on his back as the fight ended.

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)

Martial arts have always revolved around respect and has been the selling point for may parents who enroll their children in arts such as karate, tae kwon do or jiu jitsu. It was no surprise to me when I watched the sport of MMA start to blossom that we witnessed the same respect seen in dojos around the world. Now the sport is pushing to become more main stream and with that push we are watching respect for ones fellow combatant slowly begin to degrade and I have to wonder why this is the case.

MMA, in it’s push to become a top tier sport, needs to ride high on the back’s of it’s best athletes. Fighters such as Fighters.com and UFC welterweight champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2), middleweight champion Spider” Anderson Silva (25-4), lightweight champion “The Prodigy” BJ Penn (15-5-1) and Fighters.com top-ranked heavyweight “The Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (31-1). These men are the elite in MMA and as such must carry the burden of being the face of the sport. Ambassadors to the general public as well as to the people in charge of legalizing the sport in those states that are still behind the times. People all across the country are watching and some tune-in to find out what all the fuss is about.

When a fighter such as UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar (4-1) acts more like a clown after a win like he did at UFC 100, it causes some to tune out and others to feel they were right to not support something like what they just witnessed. After beating Fighters.com third-ranked heavyweight Frank Mir (13-4) Lesnar decided to run around the Octagon and flip off the crowd in attendance at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. He got in the face of Mir as Mir was being attended to by his corner and the ringside physicians. Then after all of this he decided to blast the UFC’s main sponsor of the night, Bud Light, and talk about climbing on top of his wife. Exactly what I expected from a former pro wrestler but not what we expect to see in MMA. Yes, it is cage fighting but it has become it’s own martial art and should be respected.

I understand that fighters need to market themselves to sell fights and some take the role as villain in these pre-fight interviews we so often see. However, many of these men admit to doing just that, selling a fight. Once the fight is over these men can often be seen congratulating one another and showing much respect for the person they just went to war with inside the Octagon. Some fighters believe that your last fight should be all that is needed to sell your next fight and I tend to agree but I also see the value in whipping up a war of words. The war of words and the role of villain should end once they step inside and are prepared to fight.

Touching gloves is a pre-fight ritual that is a show of respect. It is something we see often in boxing, muay thai and other combat sports. This is where all the pre-fight banter should come to an and end. A majority of the time it does but on those rare occasions two men enter who just do not like one another and thus we do not see the touching of gloves. What I would like to point out is that during these rare fights, at the end we see them shake hands and congratulate one another. It ends there and nothing further is needed to be said. This is respect and the actions of Fighters.com second-ranked “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-4) at DREAM’s New Year’s Eve event, DYNAMITE 2009 was a complete lack of not only respect but class.

After breaking the arm of Mizuto Hirota (9-3) he then decided to channel his inner Lesnar and flip off Hirota and the entire audience. The breaking of one’s limb can occur in MMA when the pride of one fighter gets in the way of him tapping out. I do not think Aoki is the only one at fault for what happened as the ref should have stepped in and stopped the fight. It was the actions afterward that brought the negative attention once again to our great sport.

If MMA is to truly become a main stream sport we need ensure fighters get back to showing respect for one another post-fight rather than showing a complete lack of respect for the other fighter, the fans and the sport. This is not pro wrestling and if this decline continues the critics will continue to associate the sport with just that.

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.