Croatian middleweight “Benkei” Zelg Galesic (8-3) will fight Japanese MMA hero “Gracie Hunter” Kazushi Sakuraba (22-13-1) at DREAM.12 in Osaka October 25, DREAM officially announced Monday. Sakuraba was originally scheduled to fight “Marvelous” Melvin Manhoef (22-5-1), but Manhoef bailed with an injury. ...

It took “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (10-1) only 1:27 to earn a spot in the DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix final with a submission of "Benkei" Zelg Galesic (9-4) in Saitama, north of Tokyo, Tuesday night. The fight got underway quickly as Jacare slammed Galesic to the mat and controlled from the side until he was able to mount. "I went for a kick, missed it, and found myself on my back," said Galesic. Galesic reversed positions; but, "Jacare" caught him in an armbar and Galesic was forced to tap. Galesic explained, "He done some sort of leg triangle mount and my arm popped out." ...

Thanks to Jurojin boss Ino Alberga, Fighters.com served-up questions with rising middleweight Gegard Mousasi (22-2-1), who will trade strikes with “Marvelous” Melvin Manhoef (22-4-1) in Saitama, north of Tokyo, 23 September in DREAM's Middleweight GP semi-final. If Mousasi defeats the Dutchman, he'll move into the final the same night versus the winner of Fighters.com's eighth-ranked middleweight "Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (9-1) and “Benkei” Zelg Galesic (9-3). Fighters.com: After defeating Denis Kang (29-10-1) at DREAM.2 in 29 April, you called out "Marvelous" Melvin Manhoef (22-4-1) for your next fight and had called him out even before then.  Why has Manhoef been on your hit list? Gegard Mousasi: I consider myself a young, up-and-coming fighter, who has to fight the strongest opponents.  Besides that, it was also a personal thing for me to get more exposure in Holland.  In Holland, most of the people only know "Hurricane" Gilbert Yvel (33-12-1), "Demolition Man" Alistair Overeem (28-11), and Melvin Manhoef, all of whom I very much respect and with some of them I have had regular trainings.  By fighting Melvin , the people in Holland (and, of course, the rest of the world) will recognize that Holland has a new kid on the block.  I need to prove something in Holland! Fighters.com: Manhoef comes out aggressively at the bell.  Does he leave himself open at his initial charge? Gegard Mousasi: I agree that he is very aggressive when he comes out.  Every fighter will have his weakness; but, I consider Melvin as one of the best strikers in the 185-pound category.  But, that makes it more exciting to take the challenge.  I know I can fight him standing up.  He will have problems with my reach. Fighters.com: How will you use your extra four inches over Manhoef as an advantage? ...

Fighters.com's seventh-ranked middleweight "Twinkle Toes" Frank Trigg (17-6) made a successful comebackwith an anti-climactic unanimous decision over Makoto Takimoto (4-5) in Saitama, north of Tokyo, 25 August and plans to fight Falaniko Vitale (26-8) 3 October in Denver. Trigg also welcomed a son, Stone, to his family in September.  Congratulations from Fighters.com. The remainder of the Middleweight Top Ten was on holiday last month...well, at least at middleweight. Top contender "Ace" Rich Franklin (23-3) made a successful return to light heavyweight in Atlanta 6 September.  He remains wishy-washy about his future in either division. But, before Franklin could move-up to 205, Fighters.com's Middleweight Champion "Spider" Anderson Silva (22-4) beat him there.  Franklin must wonder whether Silva is going to move to Cincinnati and start teaching high school math too. Silva is preparing to defend his Fighters.com and UFC titles versus "Predator" Patrick Cote (13-4) in Chicago 25 October. Third-ranked "Ely" Paulo Filho's (16-0) WEC title defense versus Chael Sonnen (20-9-1) was postponed from tonight to 5 November due to Hurrican Ike. Fourth-ranked EliteXC champ "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (16-4) is rumored to be considering a rematch versus Joey Villasenor (26-6), whom Lawler KO'd in 22 seconds in 2006. ...

The middleweight top ten whirls like a dervish across the UFC, WEC, EliteXC, DREAM, Sengoku, and Strikeforce, leaving Fighters.com's Middleweight Champion "Spider" Anderson Silva (22-4) to defend versus "Predator" Patrick Cote (13-4) in Chicago 25 October. The UFC seemed intent that sixth-ranked "Thunder" Yushin Okami (21-4-1) miss his de facto UFC top contender challenge of Silva, marketing Cote versus "Cachorrao" Ricardo Almeida (9-3) in Las Vegas 5 July as an eliminator fight even before Okami pulled up lame with a broken hand. Cote won by split decision. ...

DREAM on Thursday officially announced three fights that will take place at DREAM.6 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, 23 September. “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (9-1) and “Benkei” Zelg Galesic (9-3) will take part in the Middleweight Grand Prix, as will “Marvelous” Melvin Manhoef (22-4-1) and Gegard Mousasi (22-2-1), who all fought at DREAM.4 in June. Also announced is a featherweight match-up between Hideo Tokoro (21-13-1) and Atsushi Yamamoto (11-5-1). “Jacare” defeated “Mayhem” Jason Miller (21-6) via unanimous decision at DREAM.4. Galesic got a TKO victory over Taiei Kin (3-3) when Kin injured his elbow. Manhoef TKO’d “Gracie Hunter” Kazushi Sakuraba (24-11-1) in the first round in July. Mousasi most recently won a unanimous decision over Dong Sik Yoon. Tokoro fought at DREAM.4 and DREAM.5, earning unanimous decision victories over Darren Uyenoyama (4-2) and Takeshi Yamazaki (14-8-2). Yamamoto, a Pancrase and Shooto veteran, lost his last fight unanimous decision to Masakatsu Ueda (8-0-1) in March. ...

Fighters.com's Lightweight Champion "Tobikan Judan" Shinya Aoki (16-2) further expanded the common MMA repertoire Sunday at DREAM.4 when he tapped Katsuhiko Nagata (4-3) in a gogoplata from the full mount at 5:12 of round one. Adorning his sprayed-on, gaudy long johns, Aoki scored two takedowns, mounting Nagata on the second.  Aoki pounded his victim as Nagata bucked. Aoki wasn't going anywhere! He smothered Nagata and slipped his foot out of nowhere into the pretzel that ended the fight, advancing Aoki to the Lightweight Grand Prix semi-finals. “If you want to be the legend, you have to kill the legend," "Marvelous" Melvin Manhoef (22-4-1) said after slaying "Gracie Hunter" Kazushi Sakuraba (24-11-1) with a kick in the first round and advancing to the Middleweight Grand Prix semi-finals. "That’s what I did today.” Manhoef finished the Japanese legend with a knee to Sakuraba's head from side control followed by hammerfists to his face before the referee ended the fight. ...

Friday, DREAM released its DREAM.4 Middleweight Grand Prix match-ups to be fought in Tokyo 15 June. Fighters.com's ninth-ranked middleweight "Mayhem" Jason Miller (21-5) will fight Brazilian BJJ enigma "Jacare" Ronaldo Souza (8-1). Fast-rising Gegard Mousasi (21-2-1) will face Korean judoka Dong Sik Yoon (4-4). MMA legend "Gracie Hunter" Kazushi Sakuraba (24-10-1) is matched versus "Marvelous" Melvin Manhoef (21-4-1). Finally, "Benkei" Zelg Galesic (8-3) will fight Taiei Kin (3-2). ...

"Tobikan Judan" Shinya Aoki (15-2) won a unanimous decision over "JZ" Gesias Calvancante (14-2-1) in a Lightweight Grand Prix bout. The rest of the card were fights in the Middleweight Grand Prix. Gegard Mousasi (21-2-1) submitted Denis Kang (29-10-1) in a triangle choke at 3:10 of round one. Taiei Kin (3-2) won a unaninmous decision over "The Punk" Ikuhisa Minowa (39-28-8). "Benkei" Zelg Galesic (8-3) submitted Magomed Sultanakhmedov (4-2) by armbar at 1:40 of round one. "The Gracie Hunter" Kazushi Sakuraba (24-10-1) sumbitted Andrews Nakahara (0-1) by neck crank at 8:20 of the first round. "Jacare" Ronaldo Souza (8-1) submitted Ian Murphy (0-1) by rear naked choke at 3:38 of the first round. Kiyoshi Tamura (32-14-1) TKO Masakatsu Funaki (38-13-1) in 57 seconds. Dong Sik Yoon (4-4) won a unanimous decision over Shungo Oyama (7-11). ...

DREAM has announced additional fights on their 29 April DREAM.2 card featuring a Middleweight Grand Prix. Fighters.com's seventh-ranked middleweight "Twinkle Toes" Frank Trigg (16-6) will welcome Brazilian jiu-jitsu stud "Jacare" Ronaldo Souza (7-1) to the big leagues. Trigg, a former WFA and Icon champion, is the favorite to win the tournament.  He comes off a 1:40 Kimura submission of former UFC tough guy "Babyface" Edwin Dewees (34-12) in December. "Jacare" is on a seven-fight "W" streak after losing his MMA debut by KO in 2003.  The ADCC absolute division runner-up last submitted Wendell Santos (0-1) in October.  Souza has never fought competition like "Twinkle Toes". "The Punk" Ikuhisa Minowa (39-27-8) will stand across the DREAM ring from Taiei Kin (2-2) on the same card. Croation "Benkei" Zelg Galesic (7-3) has been matched against Russian Magomed Sultanakhmedov (4-1). Finalyly, veteran PRIDE and K-1 judoka Dong Sik Yoon (3-4) will fight Shungo Oyama (7-10) in the tournament's opening round. Three other Middleweight Grand Prix fights were announced previously. ...