MMAFrenzy.com » Shinya Aoki

WVR Cancels New Years Eve Sengoku, Likely To Co-Promote With FEG For Dynamite!! 2009

Justin H — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:21:39 +0000

World Victory Road, the promotion behind the “Sengoku” titled fight events has reportedly canceled it’s scheduled New Years Event. The event would have featured the replacement of the name “Sengoku” with “Sengoku Raiden Championships” for the MMA events, and gone head to head with FEG’s “Dynamite!!2009″ New Years Eve event. Instead it appears that WVR will be teaming up with FEG to promote Dynamite!!2009, according to a report Josh Gross.

WVR had been scheduled to hold a press conference concerning the event, and a forth coming TV deal for the promotion this week, however that press conference was canceled, starting rumors that the NYE show was in danger of being canceled. Since that time, however, BloodyElbow has confirmed with multiple sources that the event has been scrapped.

FEG held a press conference today announcing Andy Souwer as the final opponent for retiring K-1 legend Masato, at the “Dynamite!!” New Years Eve event, which remains the fight card’s only confirmed bout. During the conference they claimed that they had not had any talks with WVR, and otherwise skirted the topic. Other bouts rumored for the event include Super Hulk Tournament Finale of Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Ikuhisa Minowa, and a lightweight title defense by Shinya Aoki against Tatsuya Kawajiri.

Last year’s Dynamite!!2008 obtained lower than expected ratings, and the possibility of two New Years Eve MMA events both drawing heavily this year was not likely. The only fight that had thus been scheduled for the Sengoku show could certainly help bolster the numbers for Dynamite!!2009 if the two companies do, in fact, combine efforts this year. That bout would be the MMA debut of 2008 Olympic gold medal winning Judoka, Satosho Iishi against fellow Judoka, and MMA veteran, Hidehiko Yoshida.

K-1/DREAM “Dyanamite!! 2009″ Officially Announced

Justin H — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:00:14 +0000

The officials over at FEG and DREAM officially made an expected announcement today that they will be holding their annual New Years Eve show again this year, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. K-1 executive Sadaharu Tanikawa said that the event would follow last year’s hybrid format, including both K-1 bouts and Dream MMA bouts, to fill out an eighteen fight card.

One of the expected K-1 bouts is a farewell fight for two-time champion Masato, in a third contest with Andy Souwer, an opponent he has never defeated.

Among the expected MMA contests rumored for the event are a Dream lightweight title bout between recently crowned champion Shinya Aoki, and the also popular Tatsuya Kawajiri, and the championship bout of the “Super Hulk Tournament” between Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou and Ikuhisa Minowa.

Other rumored participants at the New Years Eve event are Jerome Le Banner, Alistair Overeem, Kazushi Sakuraba, Hayato “Mach” Sakurai, Tim Sylvia, Kiyoshi Tamura, Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto, and Badr Hari.

Pictured: Saitama Super Arena

DREAM 11 Results: Fernandes Tops Takaya To Win Featherweight GP, Aoki Submits Hansen to Capture DREAM Title

Kris Karkoski — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:39:15 +0000

Bibiano Fernandes upset Joe Warren in the DREAM featherweight grand prix semifinals then topped Hiroyuki Takeya in the main event of DREAM 11 on Tuesday to become the promotion’s featherweight champion.

In other notable action at the Yokohama Arena in Kanagawa, Japan, Shinya Aoki became DREAM’s lightweight champ by submitting title-holder Joachim Hansen in the closing seconds of their co-headlining matchup, veteran Kazushi Sakuraba easily submitted newcomer Rubin Williams, and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou and Ikuhisa Minowa advanced to the Super Hulk tournament finale.

The complete results for DREAM 11 were:

Bibiano Fernandes vs. Hiroyuki Takaya via split decision
2009 Featherweight Grand Prix Final
Shinya Aoki def. Joachim Hansen (c) via submission (armbar) — Round 1
DREAM Lightweight Championship
Kazushi Sakuraba def. Rubin Williams via submission (kimura) — Round 1
Tatsuya Kawajiri def. Melchor Manibusan via TKO (strikes) — Round 1
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou def. Bob Sapp via TKO (strikes) — Round 1^
Ikuhisa Minowa def. Hong Man Choi via submission (heel hook) — Round 2^
Bibiano Fernandes def. Joe Warren via technical submission (armbar) — Round 1*
Hiroyuki Takaya def. Hideo Tokoro via TKO (strikes) — Round 2*
Kazuyuki Miyata def. Daiki “DJ.taiki” Hata via unanimous decision+

^ Super Hulk Tournament Semifinal
* 2009 Featherweight Grand Prix Semifinal
+ 2009 Featherweight Grand Prix Reserve Bout

Pictured: Bibiano Fernandes

DREAM 11 Weigh-In Results: Joachim Hansen, Shinya Aoki on Weight for Title Bout

Kris Karkoski — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:32:25 +0000

DREAM today held weigh-ins for tomorrow’s DREAM 11 event, which takes place at the Yokohama Arena in Kanagawa, Japan and airs live in North America on HDNet.

Headliners Joachim Hansen, the promotion’s lightweight champ, and challenger Shinya Aoki were both on weight for their main event matchup, as were featherweights Bibiano Fernandes, Joe Warren, Hiroyuki Takaya, and Hideo Tokoro, who will all be in action on Tuesday in the conclusion of DREAM’s 2009 featherweight grand prix.

The official weigh-in results for DREAM 11 were:

Joachim Hansen (c) (150.4) vs. Shinya Aoki (153.9)
DREAM Lightweight Championship
Kazushi Sakuraba (184) vs. Rubin Williams (181.9)
Tatsuya Kawajiri (154.1) vs. Melchor Manibusan (152.6)
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (220.5) vs. Bob Sapp (341.7)^
Hong Man Choi (319.7) vs. Ikuhisa Minowa (193)^
Bibiano Fernandes (138) vs. Joe Warren (138)*
Hiroyuki Takaya (138.9) vs. Hideo Tokoro (138.5)*
Kazuyuki Miyata (138.5) vs. Daiki “DJ.taiki” Hata (138.5)+

^ Super Hulk Tournament Semifinal
* 2009 Featherweight Grand Prix Semifinal
+ 2009 Featherweight Grand Prix Reserve Bout

Pictured: Joachim Hansen

Gegard Mousasi Off DREAM 11, “JZ” Cavalcante vs. Nakamura Announced for October 6

Kris Karkoski — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:00:54 +0000

A shoulder injury likely suffered in an August grappling exhibition against Fedor Emelianenko has forced Gegard Mousasi out of DREAM’s “Super Hulk” tournament and a semifinals matchup against Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, which had been set to take place at DREAM 11 on October 6 at the Yokohama Arena in Kanagawa, Japan.

Mousasi, the Strikeforce light heavyweight champion and former DREAM middleweight title-holder, was submitted by Fedor with an armbar in the August 28 exhibition at M-1: Breakthrough.

Hong Man Choi and Ikuhisa Minowa will meet in the other “Super Hulk” semifinal bout at DREAM 11, while a replacement opponent will soon be announced for Sokoudjou.

The promotion also announced on Wednesday that lightweights Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante (14-3-1) and Daisuke Nakamura (20-10) would meet at the event, which will be televised in North America on HDNet.

The current card for DREAM 11 features:

Joachim Hansen (c) vs. Shinya Aoki
DREAM Lightweight Championship
Featherweight grand prix final
Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante vs. Daisuke Nakamura
Bibiano Fernandes vs. Joe Warren*
Hiroyuki Takaya vs. Hideo Tokoro*
Kazuyuki Miyata vs. Daiki Hata#
Hong Man Choi vs. Ikuhisa Minowa^
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. TBA^

* Featherweight grand prix semifinal
# Featherweight grand prix reserve bout
^ “Super Hulk” semifinal

Joachim Hansen and Shinya Aoki To Fight For Third Time at DREAM 11

Kris Karkoski — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:34:08 +0000

DREAM lightweight champion Joachim Hansen will meet top lightweight Shinya Aoki for the third time on October 6 at DREAM 11 in Kanagawa, Japan, the promotion has announced.

Aoki submitted Hansen with a gogoplata in late-2006 in their first meeting in PRIDE, but Hansen evened the series last July with a TKO of Aoki to win the DREAM belt.

Since his loss to Hansen, Aoki (21-4) has won 4 of his 5 fights, losing only to Hayato Sakurai at welterweight while winning all 4 of his lightweight bouts, including a unanimous decision victory over Vitor Ribeiro at DREAM 10 on Monday.

Hansen (19-7-1) has not competed since winning the title, withdrawing from a scheduled matchup with Gesias Calvancante at Dynamite!! 2008 on New Years Eve at the last minute after reportedly suffering a concussion while warming up for the fight. He’s since recovered and will square off with Aoki in his first title defense.

DREAM 11 also features the semifinals and finale of the DREAM featherweight grand prix, as well as the semis of the promotion’s open weight Super Hulk tournament. Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza are also expected to fight for a third time at the event to crown a new middleweight champ, with Calvancante also rumored to be in action on the card.

Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for the latest DREAM news and DREAM rumors.

[Pictured: Joachim Hansen]

DREAM 10 Results: Zaromskis Upsets Sakurai and High to Win Welterweight GP

Kris Karkoski — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:31:34 +0000

Marius Zaromskis won the DREAM welterweight grand prix and became the promotion’s first-ever 76kg champion on Sunday by upsetting Hayato “Mach” Sakurai and Jason High with back-to-back knockouts at DREAM 10 in Saitama, Japan.

After sending Sakurai to the canvas with a head kick and finishing him off with punches in the semis, Zaromskis used another head kick, this time early in the first-round, to knock off High and finish his surprising run by winning the tournament.

The Cage Rage veteran Zaromskis improves to 11-2 with 4-straight victories following his DREAM 10 wins, while High, who defeated Andre Galvao to advance to the finals, falls to 8-2 and Sakurai drops to 35-9-2.

In other DREAM 10 action, Shinya Aoki topped Vitor Ribeiro by unanimous decision in a lightweight bout that failed to live up to expectations, TUF 7 cast member Jesse Taylor defeated Dong Sik Yoon, who was unable to continue due to a left ankle injury, and former WEC champ Paulo Filho submitted kickboxer Melvin Manhoef in the opening round of their middleweight matchup.

The official results for DREAM 10 were:

Marius Zaromskis def. Jason High via knockout (kick) – Round 1
Shinya Aoki def. Vitor Ribeiro via unanimous decision
Jesse Taylor def. Dong Sik Yoon via TKO (injury) – Round 1
Paulo Filho def. Melvin Manhoef via submission (armbar) – Round 1
Katsunori Kikuno def. Andre “Dida” Amade via TKO (punches) – Round 1
Jason High def. Andre Galvao via split decision*
Marius Zaromskis def. Hayato “Mach” Sakurai via TKO (strikes) – Round 1*
Tarec Saffiedine def. Seichi Ikemoto via unanimous decision+

* Welterweight grand prix semifinals
+ Welterweight grandprix reserve bout

Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for the latest DREAM news and DREAM rumors.

[Pictured: Marius Zaromskis]

DREAM 10 Weigh-In Results: Sakurai Struggles, But All 14 Fighters Make Weight

Kris Karkoski — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:57:26 +0000

Though it wasn’t without a notable struggle, all 14 fighters successfully made weight on Sunday for DREAM 10, which takes place overnight in Saitama, Japan and airs live on HDNet.

Welterweight grand prix participant Hayato “Mach” Sakurai struggled to reach the 76kg limit for his semifinals bout against Marius Zaromskis, but eventually dropped the necessary weight for his third weigh-in attempt.

The rest of the card, including Andre Galvao, Jason High, and Zaromskis, who will compete alongside Sakurai in the welterweight GP, as well as lightweight opponents Shinya Aoki and Vitor Ribeiro successfully made weight on their first attempts.

The official weigh-in results for DREAM 10 were:

Shinya Aoki (153.6 lb./69.8 kg) vs. Vitor Ribeiro (153.8 lb./69.9 kg)
Jesse Taylor (185.7 lb./84.4 kg) vs. Dong Sik Yoon (186.6 lb./84.8 kg)
Paulo Filho (184.8 lb./84 kg) vs. Melvin Manhoef (184.4 lb./83.8 kg)
Andre “Dida” Amade (154 lb./70 kg) vs. Katsunori Kikuno (154 lb./70 kg)
Andre Galvao (167.2 lb./76 kg) vs. Jason High (167.2 lb./76 kg)*
Hayato “Mach” Sakurai (167.2 lb./76 kg) vs. Marius Zaromskis (166.8 lb./75.8 kg)*
Tarec Saffiedine (166.8 lb./75.8 kg) vs. Ikemoto Seichi (166.8 lb./75.8 kg)+

* Welterweight grand prix semifinals
+ Welterweight grandprix reserve bout

Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for the latest DREAM news and DREAM rumors.

[Pictured: Hayato "Mach" Sakurai]

Fight Card Set for Monday’s DREAM 10 Event in Japan

Kris Karkoski — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:00:52 +0000

DREAM has released the finalized fight card and bout order for Monday’s DREAM 10 event, which takes place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan and airs live on HDNet.

The official fight card in reverse bout order is:

Welterweight grand prix final
Shinya Aoki vs. Vitor Ribeiro
Jesse Taylor vs. Dong Sik Yoon
Paulo Filho vs. Melvin Manhoef
Andre “Dida” Amade vs. Katsunori Kikuno
Andre Galvao vs. Jason High*
Hayato “Mach” Sakurai vs. Marius Zaromskis*
Tarec Saffiedine vs. Ikemoto Seichi+

* Welterweight grand prix semifinals
+ Welterweight grandprix reserve bout

Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for the latest DREAM news and DREAM rumors.

Aoki-Ribeiro, Filho-Manhoef Confirmed for DREAM 10

Kris Karkoski — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:21:04 +0000

Lightweights Shinya Aoki and Vitor Ribeiro and middleweights Paulo Filho and Melvin Manhoef will square off at DREAM 10 on July 20th in Saitama, Japan, the promotion announced on Tuesday.

Aoki (20-4), who was originally rumored to be rematching lightweight champion Joachim Hansen on the card, had won three-straight bouts before moving up to welterweight to take on Hayato Sakurai, suffering a TKO loss in just 27-seconds at DREAM 8 in April. An accomplished grappler, Ribeiro (20-2) returned to action in April following a September 2007 loss to Gesias Calvancante, defeating Katsuhiko Nagata via first-round TKO at DREAM 8.

Filho (16-1), a former WEC middleweight champion, checked into rehab for substance abuse following his controversial title defense over Chael Sonnen in late-2007. After missing weight for their rematch, Filho looked unimpressive in suffering a unanimous decision loss to Sonnen in a non-title bout last November. A kickboxer, Mahoef has won six of his last seven bouts, earning all six victories by first-round (T)KO.

DREAM also added a lightweight bout between Katsunori Kikuno and Andre Amade to the July 20th card.

Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for the latest DREAM news and DREAM rumors.

[Pictured: Shinya Aoki]