Sunday at DREAM.3 in Tokyo, Eddie Alvarez (14-1), "Crusher" Tatsuya Kawajiri (22-4-2), and "Uno Shoten" Caol Uno (25-10-4) advanced to the DREAM.5 semi-finals of the Lightweight Grand Prix. Fighters.com's tenth-ranked middleweight "Mayhem" Jason Miller (21-5) and Nick Diaz (16-7) also picked up wins. "Mayhem" easily pounded out Masakatsu Funaki-trained Katsuyori Shibata (2-4) in 6:57 to add himself and a bit of respectability to the Middleweight Grand Prix to be continued at DREAM.4. In the Lightweight GP's biggest upset, Uno was too slick for Fighters.com's fifth-ranked lightweight "Endless Fighter" Mitsuhiro Ishida (16-4-1) on his feet, then, surprisingly, on the mat. "Uno Shoten" wrapped Ishida up in a rear naked choke during a scramble on the ground, ending the "Endless Fighter" at 1:39 of the second round. Alvarez won an exciting unanimous decision over "Hellboy" Joachim Hansen in an upset predicted by Fighters.com. Kawajiri advanced to DREAM.5 in the expected "W" over "Buscape" Luiz Firmino (12-4), but wasn't able to stop the tough Brazilian. Some fighters get rusty after a prolonged absence.  "Mean for no reason" (as labeled by "Punk" Josh Thomson (14-2)) Diaz was pissed after six months of inactivity.  He unloaded on welterweight King of Pancrase Katsuya Inoue (16-6-3) for nearly seven minutes, causing Inoue's corner to throw in the towel. Diaz earned a DREAM welterweight title shot with the dominating "W". Welterweight Daisuke Nakamura (14-9) served Korean judoka Bu Kyung Jung (0-3) his first stoppage loss with a knockout at 1:05 of round two. "Marvelous" Melvin Manhoef (21-4-1) TKO'd another Korean judoka, Dae Won Kim (4-4), at 4:08 of round one. Lightweight Takeshi Yamazaki (14-7-2) won a unanimous decision over Shoji Maruyama (6-3-1). ...

"Tobikan Judan" Shinya Aoki (15-2), clad in spandex armor, is expected to surf atop the DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix, and, when his last opponent taps, take home the big prize. That's what most believe, but, not so long ago, most believed the world was flat, or, at best, the rounded shell of a very large turtle.  Since "time and chance happeneth to all", let's take a quick peek at what could happen. On 11 May, we'll see if one the following warriors has the equipment to give Aoki his first loss since 2005.  Since several of these fighters (complete with difficult-to-pronounce names) aren't quickly recognized among the North American MMA mainstream, where Affliction brands and "GSP" references are as common as stop signs, all the more reason to break'em down. Which lightweight might stop the flexible "Tobikan Judan"? From least likely to most: Katsuhiko Nagata (4-2)    Aoki, after suffering injuries in his decision win over "JZ" Gesias Calvancante (14-2) at DREAM.2, will face Nagata at DREAM.5.    Nagata is one busy fighter as long as he's on top. A silver-medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2000 Olympics, Nagata can clinch well and might toss Aoki to the mat.  But, what happens when Aoki's on his back?  Brer Rabbit and the brier patch come to mind. Aoki should hand Nagata his first submission loss. Eddie Alvarez (13-1) v "Hellboy" Joachim Hansen (17-6) Alvarez is fireworks, blood, and guts.  He's always been dangerous, but after losing to Fighters.com's ninth-ranked welterweight "The Goat" Nick Thompson (35-9) in Bodog and his subsequent weight drop, he's unpredictable as well. Before Thompson pounded him out, Alvarez had one gear and one direction: forward with fists flying.  He's a smarter fighter now with improved takedowns, though his lust for hitting hard is still on board. Hansen had the skills to give third-ranked lightweight "The Fireball Kid" Takanori Gomi (28-3) his first-ever lost.  Those skills have only gotten better. "Hellboy" has brutal leg kicks, which is what toppled Alvarez in Bodog.  But, Hansen isn't nearly as lanky as Thompson; and, Alvarez will get the better of the Norwegian if Hansen employs his kicks.  If Alvarez manages a single-leg, don't expect him to play in Hansen's ever-dangerous guard.    Alvarez should likely pound this one out, but, if he ends up with Aoki under him, his ground game won't be enough to keep himself clean of armlocks and triangles galore. "Endless Fighter" Mitsuhiro Ishida (16-3-1) v "Uno Shoten" Caol Uno (24-10-4) There's not much Uno can't do well.  He is exciting and capable of showing up on someone's back when neither the opponent, nor the crowd expects it. He's slick and fun and will keep this fight interesting with bursts of opposition.    Fifth-ranked lightweight Ishida is a great wrestler and doesn't get punched much while waiting for a shot.  He moves very well.  His footwork will keep him out of trouble when the fight is standing; and, he'll power through the submission attempts.  And, although he's not super exciting (or, maybe because he's not), Ishida will likely stay on top, throwing just enough leather to keep the ref from forcing the duo to their feet. Should Ishida wrestle out a 'W', he might face off with Aoki; but, it's not enough to just put Shinya on his back. "Crusher" Tatsuya Kawajiri (21-4-2) v "Buscape" Luiz Firmino (12-3) Firmino moves well enough off his back and has good cardio.  And, his back is exactly where Kawajiri could put him quickly as Firmino seems to have problem giving up takedowns. Once down, though, Firmino must work for submissions, and; Kawajiri will make it everything but easy.  Firmino will take a lot of damage, with only brief respites thanks to the occasional submission attempt that will never be sunk.    Kawajiri is a thick beast of a wrestler and tough to submit.  Gomi got him with a rear naked choke, but only after he was hurt with body shots, left hands to the face, and knees that drove him down and ripened him for a tap-out. Kawajiri still punches like a wrestler when standing, but is a dangerous contender for this Grand Prix.    If Kawajiri takes Firmino by TKO or late decision, he could prove more than a handful on the ground for Aoki...should they meet. "Crusher" postures well and hits hard, but with control.  If he doesn't expose his legs when he's on top, Kawajiri will be the fighter to push Aoki the hardest.    Unlike the myth of a flat Earth, Kawajiri is one fighter who's for real and his name, tricky as it seems now, could become a household moniker if he's the one to topple "Tobikan Judan". ...

"JZ" Gesias Calvancanti (14-1-1) and "Tobikan Judan" Shinya Aoki (14-2) will try to avoid a third malfunction when they rematch 29 April at DREAM.2 the promotion announced at its website today. Their first scheduled matchup was to be last New Year's Eve at Yarenokka, but "JZ" bailed with a bum knee. In the Lightweight Grand Prix at DREAM.1, the two division standouts only tussled for about four minutes before an errant Calvancanti elbow dug into the back of Aoki's head.  The fight was stopped and declared a No Contest when Aoki couldn't continue. And, if my kanji literacy isn't too far off, DREAM also announced the Lightweight Grand Prix's next round of bouts. At DREAM.3 11 May, the winner between Calvancanti and Aoki will fight Katsuhiko Nagata (4-2) who surprised Artur Oumakhanov (7-3) in the first round. Eddie Alvarez (13-1) and "Hellboy" Joachim Hansen (17-6-1) will matchup in another Grand Prix bout. Another matchup features a rematch between "Buscape" Luiz Firmino (12-3) and "Crusher" Tatsuya Kawajiri (21-4-2). Kawajiri won a 2005 unanimous decision over Firmino in PRIDE. Finally, "Uno Shoten" Caol Uno (24-10-4) got a bye into a second-round fight with "Endless Warrior" Mitsuhiro Ishida (16-3-1). ...

Saturday's DREAM.1 at Saitama Super Arena was the whole Japanese MMA shabang from tip to toe. The K-1/former-PRIDE collaboration featured mismatches of size and skill, world-class MMA, late stoppages, carnival theatrics, a tournament format, and the banshee herself, Lenne Hardt, introducing it all. The card featured the opening round of DREAM's lightweight grand prix in which Eddie Alvarez (13-1), "Buscape" Luiz Firmino (12-3), "Hellboy" Joachim Hansen (17-6-1), "Endless Fighter" Mitsuhiro Ishida (16-3-1), "Crusher" Tatsuya Kawajiri (21-4-2), and Katsuhiko Nagata (4-2) all advanced to the next round. The tournaments seventh and most anticipated match-up betwen "Tobikan Judan" Shinya Aoki (14-2) and "JZ" Gesias Calvancante (14-1-1) ended in a No Contest. In non-tournament bouts, "Mach" Hayato Sakurai (32-7-2) and "Cro Cop" Mirko Filipovic both won first round TKOs and "The Punk" Ikuhisa Minowa won a first round submission. Ishida and Korean judoka Bu Kyung Jung (0-2) fought the most competitive bout with Ishida squeezing a unanimous decision over the MMA rookie. The Japanese wrestler, Ishida, whirled around Jung for the first two minutes, peppering leg kicks into the Korean's thighs.  On Jung's lunging clinch attempt, Ishida slammed him to the mat. On the mat, inside Jung's tightly closed guard, Ishida heaved him into the air and slammed him again before raising back to his feet. Jung followed and lunged to clinch again, but Ishida ducked.  Jung slammed face first into the corner, Ishida pouncing atop him. From a full guard body lock, Jung transitioned into an armbar as the Japanese fighter tried to yank free.  It was close, and Jung took the opportunity to kick the struggling wrestler in the face before Ishida broke free.  Another powerful Ishida slam countered Jung's near miss. As the ground game went on, Ishida's spurts of G'n'P became more effective as the Korean filed through submissions, but the ref stood them anyway. Backed into a corner, Ishida threw a clumsy left roundhouse kick Jung blocked as Ishida slipped.  This time it was Jung who pounced, locking Ishida's head beneath his armpit for another tight neck crank submission attempt. Again, Ishida popped free, both fighters slick with sweat by that point, and worked an effective ground'n'pound until the ref stood the fighters. This time it was Ishida who lunged for a single leg takedown and Jung pulled guard, then slipped a slick armbar on the wrestler.  Again, the "Endless Fighter" slipped free and hammered on the judoka to the first round bell. The second round began as the first, with Ishida avoiding a head-on collision by circling.  Ishida shot for the same single leg takedown that got him in trouble near the end of round one and Jung again pulled guard and sucked up arms at angles looking for submissions.  Ishida countered by grinding fists into Jung's face until the ref stood them up. Ishida made it a trilogy with a third identical takedown and Jung responded as he had to the first two.  Both fighters exchanged leather while Jung worked his high guard into a weak triangle choke, but wasn't able to lock his leg beneath his knee. The bout ended with both exhausted fighters pitty-patting each other on the mat. An argument could be made to give the judoka the win, but the judges saw Ishida's aggressive ground'n'pound as the deal breaker and awarded him a unanimous decision. In another exciting tournament fight, at the bell Alvarez and "Dida" Andre Amade (6-3-1) stormed to the center of the ring throwing leather.  The American shot a single leg and stood-up with the ankle he had snatched.  He swept Dida's other foot from beneath him and dumped the BJJ black belt on his back. The ref stood Dida and he immediately resumed throwing haymakers, catching Alvarez square on the chin with two big left hooks, then dropping him with a third as the American retreated. But on the mat Alvarez's superior wrestling positioned him for a two-minute vicious ground'n'pound onslaught that lead to the TKO stoppage at 6:47 of round one.  Dida was simply overpowered and out-positioned. Tattooed Norwegian Hansen resembled a snow leopard feasting on Kotetsu Boku (13-5-1) of Krazy Bee.  Since becoming the first MMA fighter to tap in a gogoplata in 2006, the former kickboxer Hansen has been all out on the mat.  He took Boku to the ground and paired an octopus-like submission game with brutal ground'n'pound for the entire 15 minutes.  The decision was unanimous for Hansen. "Buscape" of Brazilian Top Team found a rear naked choke on undersized Kazuyuki Miyata (5-7) at 7:37 of round one. In a mild upset, Nagata took a unanimous decision over the Russian Artur Oumakhanov (7-3). Kawajiri earned the sixth spot in round two of DREAM's lightweight grand prix with a unanimous decision over surprisingly durable "Black Mamba" Kultar Gill (9-7) of Canada. The tournament's most hyped match-up fizzled when Aoki took an errant elbow to the back of the head from Calvancanti after much ado about nothing.  There's been no clarification about a rematch or whether either fighter will advance in the tournament. Hidetaka Monma (14-8-3) was never in his fight with Sakurai, but evidently the ref was unaware of the mismatch.  From the top position, Sakurai pounded Monma in the head 20-seconds longer than necessary before the referee called a stoppage at 4:12 of round one. I'm hereby dividing the MMA universe into two halves.  Those, like me, who're disgusted to witness "Cro Cop" as a characterture of himself matched up against veritable heads-on-a-tee like Tatsuya Mizuno (3-3) and those who lust to see the former PRIDE OWGP champ served-up such heads for entertainment, not sport.  "Cro Cop", in an awkward performance, TKO'd Mizuno at :56 of round one. And in the last of the three rings that made-up non tournament action at DREAM.1, Minowaman swung from half mount into a kneebar to submit overweight Korean Bum Chang Kang (1-2) at 1:25 of round one. DREAM.2 follows on 29 April with the first round a a middleweight grand prix. ...

The DREAM.1 Lightweight Grand Prix now has four fights, but the main event continues to be the first round match-up between "JZ" Gesias Calvancanti and the "Tobikan Judan" Shinya Aoki. Canadian "Black Mamba" Kultar Gill will post his 9-6 record versus Japanese "Crusher" Tatsuya Kawajiri, 20-4-2. Kawajiri's record includes a DQ "W" over fellow Grand Prix competitor Joachim Hansen.  "Black Mamba" broke a three-loss skid in K-1 and Bodog with a first round TKO of Hideo Tokoro in K-1 Hero's Middleweight Tournament in his last fight. Kazuyuki Miyata, 5-6, emerges from a rear naked choke loss to Hansen on K-1's New Year's Eve card to face-off with "Buscape" Luiz Firmino, 11-3. Firmino's record lists a 2005 unanimous decision loss to Kawajiri in PRIDE Bushido. "Hellboy" Joachim Hansen of Norway locks horns versus Norifumi Yamamoto's Krazy Bee trainee Kotetsu Boku. Hansen holds the distinction of being the first MMA fighter submitted in a gogoplata performed by Aoki in PRIDE.  Boku's 13-4-1 record includes victories over former UFC lightweight contender Hermes Franca and Eiji Mitsuoka, who was the last fighter to douse out "Hellboy". ...