Dream 9 - 5/26: FW GP Rd 2 + WTF? Tournament

Post #1 » by **CPT** » Mon Apr 6, 2009 1:46 pm

Thought I'd get the ball rolling early on this one.

Featherweight Tournament Participants:
Abel Cullum
Bibiano Fernandes
Daiki "DJ.talki" Hata
Masakazu Imanari
Yoshiro Maeda
Hiroyuki Takaya
Joe Warren
Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto.

I hope they announce the matchups soon. It will be good to see Kid back in a fight that means something, it's been a whole. Still some quality guys left in this tournament. Would not be at all surprised to see them put 2 of Cullum, Fernandes, and Warren against each other. Get those gaijin out of there.

There are some sweet non-tournament fights as well. There should be about 3 or 4 more added.

Gegard Mousasi vs. Sokoudjou
JZ Calvan vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri

The second fight is great. So I pretty much expect it to get cancelled at some point between now and the event. Probably with about 5 days left.

I've ceased to be excited about Sokodjou, but it will be nice to see Mousasi back in an MMA fight. Will have been the better part of a year since his last one.

Jacare was on the poster for Dream 8 and didn't fight, I wonder if they will get him a fight on this card. Don't know how serious Galesic or The Donger's injuries were, but maybe they get fights on this card as well. You can pretty much mark down Minowaman as fighting.

Post #2 » by **CPT** » Thu Apr 9, 2009 11:53 am

As I mentioned, Jacare is supposed to be on this card, against an opponent to be named later.

http://mmajunkie.com/news/14413/report- ... ream-9.mma

Apparently Paulo Filho will make his Dream debut on this card as well, and he'll be fighting at LHW

http://www.mmafighting.com/news/2009/04 ... but-may-26

The final WEC middleweight champ Paulo Filho will return to Japan when he makes his DREAM debut at DREAM 9 on May 26.

Filho's coach Josuel Distak revealed the former WEC middleweight champ's next fight to TATAME.com. He'll also put his weight issues aside by moving up to light-heavyweight.

Filho was widely recognized as the number two middleweight in the world after teammate Anderson Silva coming to the WEC in August 2007 with an undefeated record in 14 fights. But dispute winning the promotional title, his issues with depression and making weight have put him almost out of the picture in the rankings. In his last fight, Filho lost for the first time in his career in an unanimous decision to Chael Sonnen. When the WEC phased out the middleweight division, the UFC passed on picking up Filho's contract, while signing Sonnen and other middleweight prospects.

Can't say I'm too excited about this, given his last few fights, but it's definitely newsworthy. 16-1 is still 16-1, especially when most of those fights were in Pride or WEC, and the one loss was a decision in one of the strangest fights ever. The fact that he isn't even going to try cutting to MW seems like a move motivated by laziness. He's going to be in horrible shape.

cowboyronnie · Post #3 » by **cowboyronnie** » Thu Apr 9, 2009 6:02 pm

There's more of a need to cut in North America, where your opponent will be rehydrating 10+ pounds. You need to get yourself down to the lightest dvision you can. This may be easier in Japan.

Anyways. Takaya's first round fight made me a fan. I'm looking forward to whom they pair him, Kid and Imanari with. I'm guessing they'll aim for Kid and Imanari to meet in the finals.

Soko's athleticism and power is awesome, all the while he's with a great, technical camp. I've still got hope for him. He's a draw.

cowboyronnie · Post #4 » by **cowboyronnie** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 5:14 am

cowboyronnie wrote:Anyways. Takaya's first round fight made me a fan. I'm looking forward to whom they pair him, Kid and Imanari with. I'm guessing they'll aim for Kid and Imanari to meet in the finals.

Hee hee. Didn't have to wait long.

Norifumi "KID" Yamamoto (17-1) vs. Joe Warren (1-0)
Masakazu Imanari (16-6-1) vs. Bibiano Fernandes (4-2)
Yoshiro Maeda (24-6-2) vs. Hiroyuki Takaya (10-6-1)
Hideo Tokoro (21-16-1) vs. Abel Cullum (14-2)

**** Tokoro got back in. DJ had facial injuries. Shouldn't he himself be busy with a boy band tour? I hate that guy.
-Haha. Warren won't be talking trash before this one, I'd bet.
-I guess someone had to be given the fortunate pairing with Warren, but it's still pretty contrived that Kid would get him. And Warren's skill is as a wrestler. Eek.

Post #5 » by **CPT** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 10:13 am

Glad they got those matchups settled already. I was expecting to have to wait until like 3 days before the event.

Kid should walk through Warren. Ditto for Imanari against Fernandes.

Maeda vs. Takaya should be pretty good. I think Maeda takes it.

I don't have much problem with Tokoro being back in. It was a close enough fight, and Tokoro usually has pretty good fights. I think Cullum takes him out though.

Post #6 » by **CPT** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 3:19 pm

http://mmajunkie.com/news/14733/sokoudj ... ourney.mma

The Japanese-based DREAM organization today announced an open-weight tournament that features, among others, UFC veteran Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, K-1 star Bob Sapp and former Major League Baseball player Jose Canseco.

The eight-man tournament kicks off at DREAM.9.

The event, which also features the second round of the organization's featherweight grand prix and a middleweight title fight between Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza and Jason "Mayhem" Miller, takes place May 26 at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan.

The open-weight tournament, roughly translated as the "World Superman Championship," will continue later this summer with a semifinal round and a grand finale.

Other participants and opening-round match-ups include Sapp vs. Ikuhisa "Minowaman" Minowa, Jan Nortje vs. Sokoudjou, Gegard Mousasi vs. Mark Hunt, and Hong Man Choi vs. Canseco.

Mousasi, who will vacate his DREAM middleweight championship, will be the tournament's smallest competitor. Although he recently stated he wanted to move up a weight class to light heavyweight, Mousasi will still be giving up more than 100 pounds to fighters such as Nortje, Sapp and Choi. He'll give up approximately 60 pounds to Hunt, his opening-round opponent.

Canseco, meanwhile, makes his MMA debut after an MLB career that concluded with a tell-all book about steroid use in baseball (and a subsequent cold shoulder from the industry). Canseco, who claims to be a decorated martial artist, has been competing in exhibition boxing matches as of late. Former NFL player Vai Sikahema recently defeated Canseco via knockout, and former child actor Danny Bonaduce recently fought him to a majority draw.

The full card includes:

* Gesias "JZ" Cavalvante vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri
* Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza vs. Jason "Mayhem" Miller (for vacant middleweight title)
* Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto vs. Joe Warren*
* Bibiano Fernandes vs. Masakazu Imanari*
* Yoshiro Maeda vs. Hiroyuki Takaya*
* Abel Cullum vs. Hideo Tokoro*
* Ikuhisa "Minowaman" Minowa vs. Bob Sapp+
* Jan Nortje vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou+
* Mark Hunt vs. Gegard Mousasi+
* Jose Canseco vs. Hong Man Choi+

W
T
F
?

(I kinda like it, lol)

jTF2 · Post #7 » by **jTF2** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 4:41 pm

I'll watch it!

Cammo101 · Post #8 » by **Cammo101** » Fri May 1, 2009 4:46 am

I will watch it, but it is a (Please Use More Appropriate Word) idea.

Sadly, Mousasi might win.

Post #9 » by **CPT** » Fri May 1, 2009 2:14 pm

Apparently Jose Canseco isn't a sure thing, and Kimbo Slice might be his replacement.

I say they ditch someone else (Jan Nortje, I'm looking at you) and get Kimbo in there anyway.

Cammo101 · Post #10 » by **Cammo101** » Fri May 1, 2009 3:51 pm

CPT wrote:Apparently Jose Canseco isn't a sure thing, and Kimbo Slice might be his replacement.

I say they ditch someone else (Jan Nortje, I'm looking at you) and get Kimbo in there anyway.

Nortje is a much better fighter than Kimbo.

2009NBAChamps · Post #11 » by **2009NBAChamps** » Fri May 1, 2009 5:32 pm

LOL! Jose Conseco???? Wow that would be a spectacle!

Not of MMA, but pure entertainment. God he'll probably get broken in half unless they've paid off Hong Man to lose.

Cammo101 · Post #12 » by **Cammo101** » Fri May 1, 2009 8:22 pm

2009NBAChamps wrote:LOL! Jose Conseco???? Wow that would be a spectacle!

Not of MMA, but pure entertainment. God he'll probably get broken in half unless they've paid off Hong Man to lose.

Is Canseco hurting this bad for money.

Post #13 » by **CPT** » Fri May 1, 2009 9:40 pm

Cammo101 wrote:
CPT wrote:Apparently Jose Canseco isn't a sure thing, and Kimbo Slice might be his replacement.

I say they ditch someone else (Jan Nortje, I'm looking at you) and get Kimbo in there anyway.

Nortje is a much better fighter than Kimbo.

Because this is clearly about who is the best fighter.

Besides, Nortje is pretty horrendous in his own right, so I'm not even sure that's true.

Post #14 » by **CPT** » Sat May 2, 2009 2:05 am

Sorry, looks like the Kimbo story isn't true anyway.

Thought it could be since he was in talks with K-1 before.

Post #15 » by **CPT** » Mon May 25, 2009 11:16 pm

Well this event is happening tonight, and everyone made weight.

Is anyone gonna be watching?

I hate the early times for their events in Japan. The doors open at 5 and the event starts at 6 on weekdays. I know damn well people work in Japan, they could at least make it 7 (which would be 6 AM EST, and a bit easier to swallow for people who want to wake up early and watch). I guess the problem is that the events are like 4-5 hours, and they don't want them to finish around midnight.

Anyway, I'm just bitching because I don't get home until around 6:45. I'm gonna miss the opening ceremony and at least one of the freak show fights

Post #16 » by **CPT** » Mon May 25, 2009 11:35 pm

I just found out that they are tape delaying it on Korean TV and showing it at 9 pm, probably so they can edit the order and make Canseco vs. Hong Man Choi the main event.

(I realize I'm talking to myself here)

Cammo101 · Post #17 » by **Cammo101** » Mon May 25, 2009 11:38 pm

CPT wrote:Well this event is happening tonight, and everyone made weight.

Is anyone gonna be watching?

I hate the early times for their events in Japan. The doors open at 5 and the event starts at 6 on weekdays. I know damn well people work in Japan, they could at least make it 7 (which would be 6 AM EST, and a bit easier to swallow for people who want to wake up early and watch). I guess the problem is that the events are like 4-5 hours, and they don't want them to finish around midnight.

Anyway, I'm just bitching because I don't get home until around 6:45. I'm gonna miss the opening ceremony and at least one of the freak show fights

I'm so going to watch this. It is half pretty good card and half trainwreck. Why would anyone want to miss Jacare vs. Mayhem, JC vs. Kawajiri, Kid fighting, and 4 matches to laugh at.

cowboyronnie · Post #18 » by **cowboyronnie** » Tue May 26, 2009 3:47 pm

I've only watched teh OWGP portions so far. Good.

Post #19 » by **CPT** » Tue May 26, 2009 4:08 pm

The FW tourney fights are awesome, but I'll wait before saying anything more.

Nemesis21 · Post #20 » by **Nemesis21** » Tue May 26, 2009 7:47 pm

Warren upsets Kid at Dream 9

http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/warren ... am-9-17636