At the risk of sounding like a total perv, I heard Gina had to "disrobe" to make weight. Insert Butt-head snicker here - heh-heh, heh-heh.

According to Sherdog.com, Daley and Shields started shoving each other and had to be pulled apart.

A svelte Arlovski vs. a ... um, not-so-svelte Nelson.

Posted in Andrei Arlovski CBS DREAM News Gina Carano Jake Shields Kelly Kobold Paul Daley ProElite Roy Nelson

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This happened repeatedly in his fight with Cheick Kongo in the UFC and just recently, with his fight against Alistair Overeem at DREAM.6. I just hope Cro Cop has had all the kids he wants.

Although bloodied, Cro Cop wanted to fight on, but ringside doctors thought otehrwise, as this post from from bloodyelbow.com says:
Cro Cop Wanted to Fight On: "I Knew My Time Would Come"

"Alaister was ahead on points, however its a 15 minute fight and i knew my time would come" said Mirko.

Mirko wanted to continue to fight, however the ringside doctor prevented him from continuing.

"I'm angry it ended this way, it seemed as if he was the dominant one, however i wasn't in trouble for a second and was waiting for my opportunities. I prepared very well because I thought the match could last a while. I thought i would knock him down in the end."

His manager Zvonimir Lučić confirmed that he wanted to continue the fight however the ringside officials prevented it as a precaution.

His manager stated that the injury is not a serious one. He doesn't know when the rematch will take place however Mirko's team want one as soon as possible.

It is thought that Dream could host an event in Korea, before the NYE event.

Posted in Alistair Overeem DREAM News M. "Cro Cop" Filipovic

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Gegard Mousasi, whose last name sounds very similar to "Musashi" as in Miyamoto Musashi, Japan's master swordsman (and author of The Book of Five Rings), won the DREAM middleweight grand prix. In his first fight, he defeated Melvin Manhoef by triangle. Manhoef was quoted later as saying he was surprised Mousasi didn't stand up with him, as Mousasi had said he was going to do. Um, Melvin, that's called the "bait-and-switch". Everybody knows you're one of the best middleweight strikers in the world, but don't have much of a ground game. How do you win at MMA? Exploit your opponent's weak points.

Then Mousasi went on to face Ronaldo Jacare Souza in the finals. Most people thought Souza would take it all, but, similar to The Spanish Inquisition, nobody expected the up-kick.

Posted in DREAM News Gegard Mousasi Melvin Manhoef Ronaldo Jacare Souza

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An interview with Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic, who fights at DREAM.6 against Alistair Overeem on Sept. 23, from nightmare of battle:

CroCop returns to the ring for the first time since his dream debut and exactly two years after winning the Pride OWGP..

Re Overeem comments:
"I was prepared to fight anyone at my debut in Dream but Overeem want available"

"Provocation its part of the sports, however it would be wise of him to save his energy for the ring"

"The most likely winners of the two heavyweight matches me and Kharitonov will face of for the HW title match."

Note: "Might Mo" Siglia vs. Sergei Kharitonov also face off at DREAM.6

Posted in Alistair Overeem DREAM News M. "Cro Cop" Filipovic Mighty Mo Siglia Sergei Kharitonov

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Reminds of the game "hangman" ...

It's official - Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic will take on Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem in what can only be called a "grudge match" at DREAM.6 on Sept. 23. (BTW, I don't believe this is a title fight).

With the addition of this fight, we have the strongest DREAM card to date in the Japanese organziation's short history. Not only do we have this explosive heavyweight clahs, there's the finals of the middleweight grand prix.

The history between Overeem and Cro Cop is short but razor-sharp. The two fought in PRIDE for several years, but I've heard nothing about their relationship then. Although their was cross-over among PRIDE's two main weight classes, Overeem (light heavyweight) and Cro Cop (heavyweight) never fought.

Overeem's recent comments about Filipovic seem to have come out of left field, accusing Cro Cop, who has had one fight in Japan following his UFC exodus, of ducking him. Overeem has gone so far as to call Cro Cop a "douchebag." Maybe he means it; maybe he's just trying to hype the fight. Not sure on that one.

Cro Cop's response was to ask for DREAM to make the fight happen. Now we're going to see if Overeem can back up what he's been saying. He's had success as of late transitioning from LHW to HW, although his opponents have not been top-notch. Cro Cop, on the other hand, has struggled in the UFC, getting knocked out by Gabriel Gonzaga and schooled (along with some groin shots) by Cheick Kongo.

But I think this is just what Cro Cop needs. I think Overeem has awakened a sleeping giant. Overeem has always had trouble with his cardio. In Cro Cop, he is looking at a kickboxer of at least equal caliber. And Cro Cop, when he's on, has an extra large gas tank to boot. My preciction: left high kick to the head and a free trip to the morgue for Overeem, courtesy of Cro Cop.

Also on the card:
Nick Diaz vs. Hayato "Mach" Sakurai

middleweight grand prix finals:
Ronaldo jacare Souza vs. Zelg Galesic
Melvin Manhoef vs. Gegard Mousasi

grand prix reserve match:
Dong Sik Yoon vs. Andrews Nakahara

Hideo Toro vs. Atsushi Yamamoto
Sergei Kharitonov vs. Mighty Mo

Posted in Alistair Overeem DREAM News Japan MMA M. "Cro Cop" Filipovic

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Overeem

Cro Cop

Ted's Take: This is good. I want to see an enraged Cro Cop get back to the form he once had in PRIDE. Overeem's been talking smack, calling Cro Cop a "douchebag" and accusing Cro Cop of ducking him. We'll see what happens, but it sounds like the biggest fight to hit Japan since PRIDE was dismembered.

from sherdog.com:
Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem (Pictures) confirmed to Sherdog.com that he will meet former Pride Open Weight Grand Prix winner Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (Pictures) at Dream 6 on Sept. 23 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

"The fight is definitely happening, and I'm really glad," the 28-year-old Dutchman said. "I am already training very hard, and I'm 100 percent certain that it will not go the distance. I don't care if it is going to be by knockout or by submission, I don't want the fight to go to a judges' decision. I want to finish Mirko Cro Cop."

Overeem would not divulge if he had received a contract yet for the heavyweight bout.

Should the fight come to fruition, it would be Filipovic's first appearance inside a ring since his first-round obliteration of overmatched Japanese grappler Tatsuya Mizuno (Pictures) in March. Overeem, meanwhile, has stayed busy in recent months, as he knocked out Korean Ssireum fighter Tae Hyun Lee (Pictures) in June and submitted dangerous New Zealand kickboxer Mark Hunt (Pictures) in July.

Posted in Alistair Overeem DREAM News Japan MMA M. "Cro Cop" Filipovic

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DREAM, the Japanese MMA organization that rose up from the ashes of PRIDE, rolls on, having determined their grand prix lightweight champion in Joachim "Hellboy" Hansen and now is set to crown its middleweight grand prix champion.

In one bracket, we have Melvin Manhoef vs. Gegard Mousasi.

On the other side, there's Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza vs. Zelg Galesic.

Here's the quick and dirty: Manhoef is a feared striker, but has been susceptible to anything ground-related. Mousasi seems comfortable either standing or grappling. I see Mousasi getting the submission or decision win by ground dominance.

Jacare is a tough submission wizard, but I don' t think he's ever faced a striker on the level of Galesic, who is known as "Little Mirko." So, it's gonna be Mousasi vs. Galesic in the finals, with Mousasi taking home the grand prix championship.

Posted in All about MMA DREAM News Japan MMA MMA Mixed Martial Arts

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Seems like every MMA pundit on the Internets has a radio show, so I figured what the heck. Here's the first edition of The MMA Explosion Radio Show. Took me a while to think up that title ... Anyway, I'm joined by Tom Joyce, my co-worker here at The Daily Record and videographer/producer virtuoso. Have a listen.

powered by ODEO

Posted in Adrenaline MMA News Affliction News All about MMA DREAM News EliteXC News Japan MMA MMA MMA in York Mixed Martial Arts PA MMA UFC News WAMMA News

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From mmaweekly.com:
In a bizarre turn of events in Osaka, Japan, Joachim Hansen became the Dream lightweight champion stopping Shinya Aoki in front of an energized crowd at the Osaka Jo Hall.

These two met at Pride Shockwave 2006 with Aoki submitting Hansen, but on this occasion, with the Dream Lightweight Grand Prix title on the line, it was Hansen that came out victorious.

Eddie Alvarez had earned his shot in the final by defeating Tatsuya Kawajiri earlier in the night, but could not compete against Aoki due to an injury suffered in the Kawajiri bout.

DREAM.5 Results:
-Joachim Hansen def. Shinya Aoki by TKO at 4:16, R1

-Alistair Overeem def. Mark Hunt by Submission (Armbar) at 1:11, R1

-Yoshihiro Akiyama def. Katsuyori Shibata by Submission (Sleeve Choke) at 6:34, R1

-Hideo Tokoro def. Takeshi Yamazaki by Unanimous Decision, R2

-Kuniyoshi Hironaka def. Motoki Miyazawa by TKO (Doctor Stoppage) at 8:57, R1

-Joseph Benavidez def. Junya Kudo by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 2:42, R1

-Joachim Hansen def. Kultar Gill by Submission (Armbar) at 2:33, R1

-Eddie Alvarez def. Tatsuya Kawajiri by TKO at 7:35, R1

-Shinya Aoki def. Caol Uno by Unanimous Decision, R2

-Daisuke Nakamura def. Andy Ologun by Submission (Armbar) at 3:41, R1

Posted in All about MMA DREAM News MMA Mixed Martial Arts

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This is happening on Monday and has a few names you might recognize. Should be good, and we get to see who will be the top lightweight in the organization. Then, maybe with some cross-promotional events, we can have that champion go against champs from Strikeforce, EliteXC, Cage rage, WAMMA, etc. There is already one cross-promotional fight on the DREAM.5 card: We have Alistair Overeem, who is the Strikeforce heavyweight chmapion, on the card against former K-1 powerhouse Mark Hunt.

Here's the line-up:
For the lightweight grand prix championship:
Shinya Aoki vs. Caol Uno
Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Eddie Alvarez
(semis and finals held the same night)

Reserve bout:
Joachim Hansen vs. Kultar Gil

Other fights:
Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Katsuyori Shibata
Motoki Miyazawa vs. Kuniyoshi Hironaka
Mark Hunt vs. Alistair Overeem

Posted in All about MMA DREAM News EliteXC News Japan MMA MMA Mixed Martial Arts Strikeforce News WAMMA News

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