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Japanese MMA Discuss Japanese MMA in here, such as DREAM, Shooto, and World Victory Road and any other Japanese MMA federation.
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03-15-2008, 04:25 PM
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#1 (permalink)
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The Samurai Files
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 550
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Some of the DREAM.2 MWGP Participants Officially Announced
http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/...5900&zoneid=13
Quote:
- DREAM MIDDLEWEIGHT GRAND PRIX FIGHTERS NAMED
Saturday, March 15, 2008 - by MMAWeekly.com
Dream on Saturday not only held the first round of its Lightweight Grand Prix, but it also announced several of the participants for its Middleweight Grand Prix.
Returning to the Saitama Super Arena on April 29, Dream’s middleweight tournament now officially includes among its participants: Kazushi Sakuraba, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Masakatsu Funaki, Dong-Sik Yoon, Taiei Kin, Shungo Oyama, and Ikuhisa Minowa.
Sakuraba, interestingly enough, holds victories over Funaki, Yoon, and Minowa. He was also involved in a controversial match with Akiyama. Akiyama had initially won the bout with Sakuraba, but it was later ruled a no contest when it was revealed that Akiyama had illegally applied a lotion to his skin that made him slippery.
Funaki’s loss to Sakuraba on Dec. 31, 2007, marked his return to active mixed martial arts competition after more than seven years of inactivity.
Maintaining a 10-1 professional record with two no contests, Akiyama’s most recent bout was a no contest with Kazuo Misaki at the Dec. 31 Yarennoka event in Japan. Akiyama was knocked out by a Misaki soccer kick, which upon review was deemed an illegal blow because Akiyama was ruled to be a downed opponent at the time the kick landed.
Yoon lost the first four bouts of his career, but has rebounded of late, putting together three straight victories against solid competition.
A karate stylist, Kin has had a short career in MMA, with a 2-2 record. The first bout of his career was a loss to Akiyama.
Oyama is a journeyman fighter that has constantly bounced back and forth between winning and losing in his career. His most recent performance was an impressive finish of Carlos Newton at a K-1 Hero’s event late last year.
Another career journeyman, Minowa last competed on Saturday’s inaugural Dream event. He dispatched Kwan Bun Lee with a kneebar little more than a minute into the bout.
Although neither was officially announced by Dream, No. 4 ranked middleweight Denis Kang and Japanese fighter Kiyoshi Tamura are both rumored to be part of the Middleweight Grand Prix field, as well.
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So far we have:
- Kazushi Sakuraba
- Yoshihiro Akiyama
- Masakatsu Funaki
- Dong-Sik Yoon
- Taiei Kin
- Shungo Oyama
- Ikuhisa Minowa
- Denis Kang
- Kiyoshi Tamura
Also, DREAM is recruiting some European fighters for this event as well. So, we'll see exactly which fighters they add in the near future. Not quite a stellar line up like they had for the LWGP, but it should be fun nonetheless.
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03-15-2008, 05:29 PM
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#2 (permalink)
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Banned
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Cambridge, ON
Posts: 8,796
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Yes, Dong-Sik is still alive! He's one of my prospects!
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03-15-2008, 05:44 PM
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#3 (permalink)
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Bohab For Life!
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Jumping Guard On Hellga
Posts: 2,083
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Yeah baby! The Donger is in the tourney 
__________________
Self-proclaimed leader of the Bao Quach bandwagon
On the Handsome bandwagon
It's Hellga time!
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03-15-2008, 06:03 PM
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#4 (permalink)
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Banned
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Cambridge, ON
Posts: 8,796
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sirdilznik
Yeah baby! The Donger is in the tourney |
I expect him to Dongbar his way to victory!  |
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03-15-2008, 06:05 PM
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#5 (permalink)
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Bantamweight
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 693
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Funakis fighting again?
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03-15-2008, 06:58 PM
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#6 (permalink)
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-I came|I saw|I failed-
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: The plazzVan
Posts: 9,734
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Not a bad line up, but could be a tad bit better. Too bad Misaki isn't in this.
I can see Kang vs Akiyama II comfortably at the finals, they're the freshest of the oldies.
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03-15-2008, 07:02 PM
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#7 (permalink)
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Bantamweight
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 693
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Quote:
Originally Posted by plazzman
Not a bad line up, but could be a tad bit better. Too bad Misaki isn't in this.
I can see Kang vs Akiyama II comfortably at the finals, they're the freshest of the oldies.
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heard they had zelg and gegard in there somewhere too on another thread actually... |
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03-15-2008, 07:04 PM
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#8 (permalink)
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-I came|I saw|I failed-
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: The plazzVan
Posts: 9,734
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Oh yeah Zelg is supposed to fight as well, but he's definitely failed to live up to his reputation and I don't see him getting past the good grapplers.
Mousasi is supposed to fight as well, same with Suluev.
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03-15-2008, 07:06 PM
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#9 (permalink)
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Banned
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 6,809
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Since there is no Misaki(which is a shame) we may get to see Knag fight Aki again. I hope Kang kills him.
I really hope Saku and Funaki are like having a rematch or something, cos neither of them belong in this GP.
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03-15-2008, 07:07 PM
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#10 (permalink)
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MMA Fanatic
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 19
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Does anyone what happened to the rumors of Matt Lindland entering this GP?
__________________
Favorite Fighters
1. Rampage
2. Crocop
3. Wanderlei
4. Anderson
5. Kang
6. Alvarez
7. GSP
8. Shogun
Rampage and Wanderlei WILL fight again, and I WILL support them both!
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Some of the DREAM.2 MWGP Participants Officially Announced
