Video of the Day - Cro Cop v. Bernardo

Here is Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic kickboxing Mike Bernardo in K-1's, "World Grand Prix '99 Opening Round" which took place on 10/5/99. Mirko would go to the finals of the Grand Prix via three TKO wins, eventually losing to kickboxing legend Ernesto Hoost.

Video of the Day - Nagata v. Cro Cop

Here is Yuji Nagata fighting Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic in the "Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2001 - K-1 vs. Inoki" which took place at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan on 12/31/01. This is Mirko's 3rd MMA fight.

Cro Cop (30-11-2) is coming off back to back TKO's of Satoshi Ishii (12-4) to earn a spot back in the UFC. He next fights Gabriel Gonzaga (16-9) this Saturday at Fight Night Poland.

Cro Cop Elbow

Here is the Cro Cop elbow that cut open Satoshi Ishii which eventually led to a stoppage at IGF which took place on 8/22/14 in Tokyo, Japan. I will post the full fight video once it comes available.


Full fight:

Video of the Day - Cro Cop v. Fujita

Here is Mirko Cro Cop against Kazuyuki Fujita at the K-1: Andy Hug Memorial Fights from 8/19/01. This was Mirko's first MMA fight after having a succesful K-1 kickboxing career.

Mirko fights Roy Nelson at UFC 137. Replay at 1:10 is awesome.

Video of the Day - Cro Cop v. Sapp

Here is Bob Sapp fighting Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic in K-1 World Grand Prix 2003 on 3/30/03 in the Saitama Super Arena in Japan.

Mirko next fights Frank Mir at UFC 119.

UFC 119 Indy Preview

On September 25, 2010 in Indianapolis, Indiana, Frank Mir and Mirko Cro Cop will fight in the main event of UFC 119 at the Conseco Fieldhouse. This PPV event will also feature free pre-lim fights on Spike TV.

For Mirko Cro Cop (27-7-2), a win over Frank Mir would be the biggest of his UFC career. Cro Cop, a former K-1 kickboxer, has had a rocky road in the UFC, going 4-3. Cro Cop has defeated the likes of Pat Barry, Anthony Perosh and Eddie Sanchez in the UFC. Expect Cro Cop to be defending the takedown and looking to use his kicks.

(Cro Cop head kick of Wanderlei Silva)

In Pride, Cro Cop was in his prime, winning the 2006 Open Weight Grand Prix with TKO wins over Minowaman, Hidehiko Yoshida, Wanderlei Silva and Josh Barnett. Cro Cop also has KO wins over Igor Vovchanchyn, Mark Coleman and Aleksander Emelianenko.

Frank Mir (13-5) is in need of a win to remain relevent in the UFC after dropping his past two high profile contests via TKO to Shane Carwin and Brock Lesnar, mixing in submission win against Cheick Kongo. Mir should look to use the same strategy he used against Kongo on Cro Cop, looking for takedowns and submissions early and often.

(Mir knee-bar of Brock Lesnar)

Mir earned fame in the mixed martial arts world for his arm breaking submission of Tim Sylvia to claim the UFC Heavyweight title at UFC 48. After the win, Mir was stripped of his title after a devastating motorcycle accident. Mir's second career defining moment came after kneebarring Brock Lesnar at UFC 81. Mir has other wins over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira for the interim UFC title, Pete Williams and Roberto Traven.

Ryan Bader will be fighting Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in the co-main event. Bader, the TUF 8 LHW champ, is an all-american wrestler from Arizona State University. Bader (11-0, 4-0 UFC) has two KO's and two decision wins in his time in the UFC.

(Ryan Bader Promo Pic)

Antonio Nogueira (19-3, 2-0 UFC), aka the Lil Nog, is coming off a controversial split decision win over Jason Brilz. The striker and BJJ blackbelt has KO wins over Alistair Overeem, Luis Cane and Vladdy Matyushenko. His other victories include Dan Henderson, Guy Mezger and Kazushi Sakuraba.

Here is a look at the full line-up of bouts:

MAIN CARD

Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic v. Frank Mir
Ryan Bader v. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Chris Lytle v. Matt Serra
Evan Dunham v. Sean Sherk
Melvin Guillard v. Jeremy Stephens

SPIKE PRE-LIMS

C.B. Dollaway v. Joe Doerksen
Joey Beltran v. Matt Mitrione

PRELIMS (Select bouts air on delay if time allows)

Pat Audinwood v. Thiago Tavares
Steve Lopez v. Waylon Lowe
T.J. Grant v. Julio Paulino
Mark Hunt v. Sean McCorkle

UFC 110 - Cain Delivers

As the dust settles on UFC 110, several fighters maneuvered closer to title shots in their respective weight classes. Most notably, Cain Velasquez threw some of his own thunder from down under, brutally knocking Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira out of the title picture.

Cain looked fast and explosive in his bout, throwing quick kicks to the leg, body and head of Nogueira, with most leg kicks finding their mark. As both fighters threw big hooks near the end of the first round, Velasquez' found its mark first and Nogueira was finished. With the win, Cain may get Brock Lesnar should the winner of Frank Mir v. Shane Carwin get injured. A potential fight with the winner of Gabriel Gonzaga v. Junior Dos Santos could be next for Cain.

(Cain Velasquez pictured)

Wanderlei Silva finally got back in the win column, defeating TUF 3 winner Michael Bisping in a 185 pound clash. Wandy was calm in his attack, looking pretty sharp with his kickboxing. Wandy was able to floor Bisping near the end of the third, and almost lock in an arm-in guillotine at the end of the second. Look for Wandy to fight someone like Alan Belcher, Nate Marquardt, Yoshiro Akiyama or Chael Sonnen next.

(Wanderlei Silva pictured)

George Sotiropoulos scored the biggest upset of the night as the native Australian dominated TUF 2 champ and former title contender Joe Stevenson. Sotiropoulos' reach and ground game proved too much for Stevenson. George now is 5-0 in the UFC and will look for a big test in his next bout. Perhaps the winner of Kenny Florian v. Takanori Gomi, or a bout with Tyson Griffin or Gray Maynard.

In other action, TUF 8 champ Ryan Bader kept his undefeated streak alive, tagging Keith Jardine in the third round to score a KO. Mirko Cro Cop also got in the win column, beating up an outclassed Anthony Perosh.

FULL RESULTS

Cain Velasquez def Antonio Nogueira via KO (punches) R1, 2:20
Wanderlei Silva def Michael Bisping via unanimous dec
George Sotiropoulos def Joe Stevenson via unanimous dec
Ryan Bader def Keith Jardine via knockout (punch) R3, 2:10
Mirko "Cro Cop" def Anthony Perosh via TKO (cut) R2, 5:00
Krzysztof Soszynski def Stephan Bonnar via TKO (cut) R3, 1:04
Chris Lytle def Brian Foster via sub (knee-bar) R1, 1:41
C.B. Dollaway def Goran Reljic via unanimous dec
James Te Huna def Igor Pokrajac via TKO (strikes) R3, 3:26

UFC 110 Preview

UFC 110 airs from Sydney, Australia on February 21, 2010 in the UFC's first venture down under. There are numerous fights with title implications, though no belts will be on the line.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez- Expect Cain Velasquez, the two time All American wrestler from ASU, to look to get the fight to the ground early and often. He will look to throw punches and elbows in bunches from the guard. The explosive Velasquez (7-0, 5-0 UFC) has six TKO's on his resume, defeating Ben Rothwell, Cheick Kongo and Ben Morris in his last three fights.

(Cain Velasquez pictured)

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1, 3-1 UFC) is a legend of the MMA world after his epic run in Pride. Big Nog's UFC results have been somewhat mixed, as has battled staff infections and nagging injuries. In his last fight, Nog battled UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture, defeating him via decision. Nog also has victories over Tim Sylvia, Sergei Kharitonov, Mirko Filipović, Mark Coleman and Dan Henderson in his career.

(Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira pictured)

Michael Bisping vs. Wanderlei Silva- This 185 pound tilt will push the winner one step closer to the title. Both are primarily stand-up fighters who will be swinging for the fences. TUF 3 champ Michael Bisping (18-2, 8-2 UFC) will be looking to get his second straight win after TKO'ing Denis Kang in his last fight. Bisping also has UFC wins over Eric Schafer and Chris Leben.

(Michael Bisping pictured)

Wanderlei Silva (32-10,2-5 UFC) was a legend in the Pride organization, known for his brawling Muay Thai arsenal. However, Wandy has been on a slide as of late, losing 5 of his last 6 fights. Wandy is the former Pride Middleweight Champ (205) having defeated Rampage Jackson, Kazushi Sakuraba, Guy Mezger and Minowaman in his career.

(Wanderlei Silva pictured)

George Sotiropoulos vs. Joe Stevenson- This fight pits two excellent grapplers against each other. Stevenson (31-10, 8-4 UFC) has the distinct experience advantage and has battled much better competition. Stevenson, a TUF 2 winner, has looked revitalized since joining Greg Jackson's camp, going 2-0 defeating Spencer Fisher and Nate Diaz.

(Joe Stevenson pictured)

George Sotiropoulous is a solid grappler who will be fighting on his home court in Australia. George was on Team Serra during TUF 6, KO'ing Jared Rollins and submitting Richie Hightower before getting KO'd by runner-up Tommy Speer. Since joining the UFC, he has gone 4-0 submitting Billy Miles, George Roop and Jason Dent.

Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Anthony Perosh- Ben Rothwell, Cro Cop's original opponent has withdrawn from the fight due to illnes. Cro Cop (25-7, 2-3 UFC) has not looked good in his UFC career, but should rebound against Perosh. Cro Cop is a former K-1 kickboxer and Pride superstar was on top of his game in 2006, winning the Pride Open Weight Grand Prix, defeating Josh Barnett, Wanderlei Silva, Minowaman and Hidehiko Yoshida.

(Cro Cop KO's Aleks Emelianenko)

Ryan Bader vs. Keith Jardine- This fight pits TUF 8 winner and All-American wrestler Ryan Bader (10-0, 3-0 UFC) against TUF 2 veteran and unorthodox striker Keith Jardine (15-6, 6-5 UFC). Expect Bader to utilize his wrestling to overwhelm Jardine. Bader has defeated Eric Schafer, Vinny Magalhães and Carmelo Marrero in his UFC career.

Jardine has been up and down in his UFC career, scoring monster wins over Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin and Brandon Vera, while being KO'd by Thiago Silva, Wanderlei Silva and Houston Alexander.

UNDER CARD

Stephan Bonnar vs. Krzysztof Soszynski
Brian Foster vs. Chris Lytle
C.B. Dollaway vs. Goran Reljic
Igor Pokrajac vs. James Te Huna

UFC 103 Review

UFC 103's preliminary card might have been loaded with slow decisions, but the Spike TV teaser matches and the PPV card was loaded with fireworks. Vitor Belfort, Junior Dos Santos and Josh Koscheck all pushed their way up the UFC contender ranks.

Vitor Belfort def Rich Franklin via TKO (strikes) R1, 3:02- Vitor Belfort looked fast and precise as he picked apart Rich Franklin for the TKO victory. Belfort landed what looked to be a glancing blow, but threw punch after punch as Franklin hit the canvas. With Franklin turtled up, the ref had to call the fight.

With the victory, Vitor Belfort has pushed his name directly to the top of the challengers to Anderson Silva. An ecstatic Belfort thanked Jesus before saying he missed the "UFC vibe" and that he would fight anyone Dana White and Joe Silva put in front of him.
*MMA Blaster readers choose Franklin incorrectly 20-25

(Vitor Belfort pictured)

Junior Dos Santos def Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic via sub (verbal) R3, 2:00- Dos Santos pushed his name up the heavyweight ladder as he picked up a huge win against MMA legend Mirko Cro Cop. In the beginning of the fight, Dos Santos did his best work in the clinch utilizing his dirty boxing. After a big knee and a couple punches found their mark Cro Cop had no choice but to verbally submit.

Paul Daley def Martin Kampmann via TKO (punches) R1, 2:31- Daley rocked Kampmann early and often, blasting him with devastating hooks. After taking a nasty combination that had Kampmann stunned the ref called the fight. While Kampmann was still standing, the stoppage was justified as he couldn't defend himself.

Josh Koscheck def Frank Trigg via TKO (punches) R1, 1:25- Koscheck worked through Frank Trigg with ease in this fight, pushing him back in contention at 170 pounds. A big right handed landed flush, knocking Trigg to the canvas. Once he was there, Koscheck threw punches until the ref jumped in to save Trigg.

Tyson Griffin def Hermes Franca via KO (punches) R2, 3:26- Tyson Griffin looked like the stronger fighter, utilizing his strength and boxing to win this fight. In the second, a ruthless display of ground and pound by Tyson Griffin ended Franca's night.

(Tyson Griffin pictured)

Efrain Escudero def Cole Miller via TKO (punches) R1, 3:36- After a feeling out process for the first two minutes, TUF 8 LW champ Efrain Escudero landed a big 1-2 punch combination sending Miller to the mat. Escudero put together more punches before the ref saved Miller from more punishment.

Tomasz Drwal def Drew McFedries via submission (RNC) R2, 1:03- In the first, both fighters were content throwing punches on standing. Near the end of the round, Drwal laid down some serious punishment on McFedries before attempting a submission. With McFedries looking a little dazed to start the second, Drwal landed a big left hand and followed McFedries to the ground before he got his back and locked in the fight ending rear naked choke.

Jim Miller def Steve Lopez via TKO (injury) R2, 0:48
Nick Lentz def Rafaello Oliveira via unanimous dec
Eliot Marshall def Jason Brilz via split dec
Vladimir Matyushenko def Igor Pokrajac via unanimous dec
Rafael Dos Anjos def Rob Emerson via unanimous dec
Rick Story def Brian Foster via submission (arm-triangle) R2, 1:09
*Story wins Submission of the Night bonus. Each fighter wins Fight of the Night bonus.

UFC 99 Review

UFC 99 featured the promotions first journey into German soil. The fight card featured many decisions, much to dismay of the rowdy crowd. Overall, there were some solid fights in Ben Saunders v. Mike Swick and Franklin v. Silva.

Results:

Dan Hardy def Marcus Davis via Dec (Split)- This fight was very close as the fight could have easily been called a draw. The fight was hyped a little too much as the fireworks didn't really happen. Davis probably took the first with a trip takedown and inflicting the most damage. In the second, Hardy dropped Davis with a knee and in the third Hardy looked more fresh opening a cut on Davis' nose.

Spencer Fisher def Caol Uno via Dec (Unanimous)- This fight generated quick a few boo's from the German crowd that was probably getting a little bored with the decisions. I thought Uno and Fisher were close through two rounds, and Uno stole the third round with a takedown and ground and pound.

Mike Swick def Ben Saunders via TKO (Punches) R2, 3:47- This fight turned out to be one of the more entertaining bouts on the card. Swick and Saunders seemed evenly matched lanky fighters for 170 pounds. Swick was the quicker fighter of the night, getting takedowns and doing more damage with his strikes. Saunders got off a couple knees, but wasn't able to match Swick. In the second, Swick began to dominate, landing a flush right to the temple of Saunders. Swick followed it up with a massive flurry to win the TKO.
*Swick wins KO of the Night bonus.

Mirko Filipovic def Mustapha al Turk via TKO (Punches) R1, 3:06- Mirko Cro Cop was the more precise and game fighter, damaging Al-Turk from all different angles. After defending a takedown, Cro Cop dropped Al-Turk with punches. Going in the guard, Cro Cop landed some ground and pound before allowing Al-Turk to stand. From there, it looked as if Cro Cop landed a nasty eye poke, which wasn't seen by the ref and ended in Cro Cop punishing Al-Turk for the TKO.

Cain Velasquez def Cheick Kongo via Dec (Unanimous)- Velasquez was struck twice hard by Kongo which stunned him standing. Unfortunately for Kongo, as soon as that happened, Cain took Kongo to the ground and landed numerous strikes. Cain scored about ten takedowns throughout the fight. He will likely fight Shane Carwin for a title shot.

Rich Franklin def Wanderlei Silva via Dec (Unanimous)- Franklin was the more precise fighter this night, landing strikes and getting takedowns. In the second, Franklin was able to drop Silva with a stiff jab, but took his own big punch from Silva moments later. Near the end of the second, Franklin landed a nice head kick. In the third, the match was pretty even with Franklin probably getting a takedown to seal the fight.
*Franklin wins Fight of the Night bonus.

Undercard-

John Hathaway def Ricky Story via Dec (Unanimous)
Stefan Struve def Denis Stojnic via Sub (Rear-Naked Choke) R2, 2:37
Paul Kelly def Roli Delgado via Dec (Unanimous)
Paul Taylor def Peter Sobotta via Dec (Unanimous)
Dennis Siver def Dale Hartt via Sub (Rear Naked Choke) R1, 3:23
Terry Etim def Justin Buchholz via Sub (Brabo Choke) R2, 2:38
*Etim wins submission of the Night bonus.


(Rich Franklin pictured)

UFC 99 Preview

UFC 99 has a 6 fight main card, headlined by former UFC MW Champ Rich Franklin against former Pride LHW Champ Wanderlei Silva at a catch-weight of 195 pounds. Also on the card is former Pride superstar Mirko Cro Cop. Rising ASU wrestling star Cain Valasquez will take his undefeated

MAIN CARD

Rich Franklin (24-4) vs. Wanderlei Silva (32-9)- Both fighters are well versed strikers who have brawled with the best in the world. Look for this fight to be a stand-up war, as Wanderlei will look for big punches and knees in the clinch. Franklin will try to utilize his reach and counter-punch.

Wanderlei Silva is known to the MMA world as a brawler having devastating punches and knees. Wanderlei won the Pride LHW Championship over MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba at Pride 13. He has victories over Rampage Jackson, Dan Henderson, Keith Jardine and Yuki Kondo.

(Wanderlei Silva pictured)

Rich Franklin won the UFC's MW Championship with a TKO over Evan Tanner at UFC 53. He would go on to defeat Nate Quarry and David Louiseau before being crushed by Anderson Silva. Since then he picked up victories over Jason MacDonald and Yushin Okami before losing to Anderson Silva again and deciding to move to the LHW division defeating Matt Hamill and Travis Lutter.

(Rich Franklin pictured)

Cheick Kongo vs. Cain Velasquez- The winner of this match will probably meet Shane Carwin for a potential title shot in the heavyweight division. Cain Valasquez (5-0, 3-0 UFC) has looked excellent in his UFC career, defeating Brad Morris, Jake O'Brien and Dennis Stojnic. Cheick Kongo has been prone to excellent wrestlers, and Cain will be looking for a takedown and ground and pound.

(Cain Valasquez pictured)

Cheick Kongo (14-4, 7-2 UFC) has won three straight UFC fights since his split decision loss to Heath Herring. Kongo will look to utilize his striking and sprawl to keep the fight standing. Kongo has career wins over Cro Cop, Mustapha Al-Turk and Antoni Hardonk.

(Cheik Kongo pictured)

Ben Saunders vs. Mike Swick
Marcus Davis vs. Dan Hardy
Spencer Fisher vs. Caol Uno
Mustapha al Turk vs. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic

UNDER CARD

Justin Buchholz vs. Terry Etim
Dale Hartt vs. Denis Siver
Peter Sobotta vs. Paul Taylor
Roli Delgado vs. Paul Kelly
Denis Stojnic vs. Stefan Struve
John Hathaway vs. Rick Story

FEG Fields Dynamite NYE Show

FEG, the same group behind Dream and K-1 will host an annual New Years Eve show on December 31st in Saitama Super Arena in Japan. The event will most likely be broadcast on HDNet at an odd time, so make sure to set your DVR. There are 4 bouts that will be fought under K-1 kickboxing rules. It will be interesting to see top ten fighters Kawajiri(155) and Mousasi(185) fight under K-1 rules. It has been interesting as fights keep getting added as we get closer to fight time.

MMA Fights

Hong Man Choi vs. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic- Cro Cop is fighting for the first time since his notorious fight with Alistair Overeem. That was called a no contest after repeated Overeem knees to Cro Cop's groin. Cro Cop's career seemed to have peaked in 2006 when he won the Pride Absolute Grand Prix with wins over Josh Barnett, Wanderlei Silva, Hidehiko Yoshida, and Ikuhisa Minowa. Since then he has won over Eddie Sanchez and Tatsuya Mizuno, while not looking himself against Cheick Kongo, Gabriel Gonzaga and Alistair Overeem.

(Cro Cop KO of Don Caras, Jr.)

Hong Man Choi has not fought MMA since a loss last New Years Eve to Fedor. Choi at 7'2" 300 pounds or so will have a distinct size advantage. It will be interesting to see what Cro Cop's gameplan will be. It might be to take Choi down, but Cro Cop will have to take punishment to use that manuever. Interesting fight.

(Hong Man Choi throwing a kick in K-1)

Mark Hunt vs. Jerome Le Banner- Expect this fight to be a stand-up war. Both fighters excelled in K-1 kickboxing competition. Hunt will be carrying a weight advantage going into the fight. Le Banner beat Junichi Sawayashiki before losing to eventual winner Remy Bonjasky in the 2008 K-1 Grand Prix this year. Le Banner has a 3-1 MMA record and a 74-16 kickboxing record. Among his three MMA victories are Yoshihiro Akiyama and Jimmy Abriz.
*Le Banner has repordedly withdrawn at the last minute due to the flu. Melvin Manhoef will take his place.

(Jerome Le Banner pictured)

Hunt has a prior KO victory over Le Banner in K-1 during his championship run. Hunt is looking for his first win since 2006 as he has lost three MMA fights in a row to Fedor, Alistair Overeem, and Josh Barnett, all top competition. Hunt has notable wins in MMA over Tsuyoshi Kohsaka, Cro Cop, Dan Bobish and Wanderlei Silva. A highly decorated kickboxer, Hunt won the K-1 World Grand Prix in 2001.

(Mark Hunt pictured)

Eddie Alvarez vs. Shin'ya Aoki- This is the fight most fans are clamoring about as two of the best lightweights will tangle. Alvarez is generally ranked as the number 2 lightweight behind BJ Penn. Alvarez has had a breakout year, notching 4 wins including Joachim Hansen, Tatsuya Kawajiri and Ross Ebanez.

(Eddie Alvarez pictured)

Aoki, a submission wizard, has also had an excellent year, going 4-1 with a win over JZ Calvancante. Aoki has one of the top submissions of the year over Katsuhiko Nagata with a mounted gogoplata. Aoki also has wins over Joachim Hansen, Caol Uno, Jason Black and George Sotiropoulos.

(Aoki choking out Clay French)

Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Kiyoshi Tamura- Sakuraba is an MMA Legend having wins over Rampage Jackson, Vitor Belfort, Royce Gracie, Renzo Gracie, Masakatsu Funaki, Kevin Randleman and Carlos Newton. He had a three fight winning streak going before losing to knock-out artist Melvin Manhoef at Dream 4. This will be Sakuraba's first fight in 6 months.

(Sakuraba cartwheel guard pass on Vitor Belfort)

While Kiyoshi Tamura is not very well known in the United States, his resume speaks for itself. The 39 year old former pro wrestler, catch wrestler and mixed martial artist has gone 32-13 in his mma career. He is tough with wins over Ikuhisa Minowa, Pat Miletich, Renzo Gracie, Dave Menne and Maurice Smith.

(Tamura getting an armbar on Rony Sefo)

Gesias "JZ" Calvancante vs. Joachim Hansen- Calvancante's 2008 was not very spectacular as the lightweight was in a no-contest against Shinya Aoki, then lost a unanimous decision to Aoki in Dream 1 and 2. Calvancante is a strong stand-up fighter, and I would expect this fight to be nothing less. JZ has wins over Vitor Ribeiro, Nam Phan, Caol Uno and Rani Yahya. Hansen won a majority decision over JZ in 2004.

(JZ Calvancante pictured)

Joachim Hansen is always a fan favorite with his killer instincts and slug it out mentality. He recently defeated Shinya Aoki for the Dream lightweight tournament championship. Hansen has quick hands, notching him victories over Luiz Azeredo, Masakazu Imanari, Takanori Gomi and Rumina Sato.

(Joachim Hansen pictured)

"Kinniku Mantaro" vs. Bob Sapp- Wow is all I have to say about this match-up. With the Japanese crowd loving to be entertained, this match will feature Japanese wrester Akihito Tanaka wearing a mask of anime charater Kinniku Mantaro. Bob Sapp is already enough of a character. This match will be interesting to say the least.



Semmy Schilt vs. Siala "Mighty Mo" Siliga- This is a fight between two excellent stand-up oriented fighters. Schilt has won the K-1 Grand Prix, and Mighty Mo is renowned for his punching power. Schilt will have the size advantage as he stands 6'11".

Daisuke Nakamura vs. Hideo Tokoro - These are two veteran Japanese fighters. Nakamura (18-9) is a Pride, Dream, M-1 and Deep veteran who owns 11 submission victories. Tokoro (21-14) is a Dream, K-1 and Shooto veteran who owns 13 submission victories.

Hayato "Mach" Sakurai vs. Katsuyori Shibata
Andy Ologun vs. Yukio Sakaguchi
Ikuhisa "Minowaman" Minowa vs. Errol Zimmerman

K-1 Fights

Alistair Overeem v. Badr Hari- This fight was recently signed. Hari, an elite K-1 level kickboxer, advanced to the 2008 K-1 Grand Prix finals before getting DQ'd in a match against Remy Bonjasky. Hari, in a very strange sequence, took Bonjasky to the ground, threw some punches, and then a foot stomp. Hari, who completely disregarded K-1 rules, never fully explained the incident. Hari has around 78 kickboxing victories to around 8 defeats. He is a former K-1 HW champ.

Alistair Overeem has seen some controversy this year as well, when he had a fight ruled a no contest after repeatedly striking Mirko Cro Cop in the groin. Overeem had a sizable advantage on the judges scorecards when he used that tactic. Overeem has a 4 fight win streak, having beat Paul Buentello, Tae Hyun Lee, Mark Hunt and Gary Goodridge all before the end of the second round. His kickboxing record is around 4 wins to 2 defeats, but hasn't competed in professional kickboxing in a long time.

My guess is that K-1 wants to get these fighters for the publicity they will generate. Alistair has to be getting paid mega dollars to take this match under K-1 rules.

Hiroya vs. Shimada Shota
Kusakabe Ryuya vs. Urabe Koya
Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Kozo Takeda
Gegard Mousasi vs. Musashi
Artur Kyshenko vs. Yoshihiro Sato

Dream 6 Middleweight GP Final

For any of you that have a DVR and HDNet, you may want to record Dream 6 which is airing around 3 AM Eastern. For the rest of us, we will be scouring the internet tomorrow morning for the fights. All fighters have reportedly made weight for the event. The 185 pound tournament is down to the final four, and the last two matches of the tournament will be held.

Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Alistair Overeem- This main event features two of the top heavyweight strikers in the game. The winner will reportedly get a shot at Dream's Heavyweight belt.

Shinya Aoki vs. Todd Moore- Shinya is one of the top mma grapplers in the business. He has a gogoplata victory over Joachim Hansen and Katsuhiko Nagata.

Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Masanori Tonooka- Akiyama is a legit top ten fighter in the 185 pound weight class.

Kuniyoshi Hironaka vs. Hayato "Mach" Sakurai- Sakurai is an extremely dangerous fighter. Look for a

Masakatsu Funaki vs. Ikuhisa Minowa- A battle between two longtime mma veterans. Funaki better be on the lookout for the kneebar.

Jimmy Ambriz vs. Sergei Kharitonov- Finally we get to see Sergei Kharitonov back in an mma fight. He has been out of the game since September of 07.

Adriano Martins vs. Keita Nakamura- Nak is looking to rebound from a poor showing in the UFC. Nak went 0-3 in the UFC with three decision losses. He is 14-0 outside the octogon.

*Zelg Galesic vs. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza- This is the second fight of the 185 pound grand prix. Souza is one of the most impressive grapplers in mma. Souza beat Iam Murphy and Mayhem Miller to get to the top four. Galesic is an impressive muay thai fighter who beat Magomed Sultanakhmedov and Taiei Kin to make the top four.

*Melvin Manhoef vs. Gegard Mousasi- Manhoef is one of the most powerful strikers in the game today. Give him one inch and he will put you on your back seeing stars. Manhoef TKO'd Dae Won Kim and Sakuraba to reach the final four. Mousasi triangle choked Denis Kang and won a unanimous decision over Dong Sik Yoon to make the final four.

+Andrews Nakahara vs. Yoon Dong Sik- This is the alternate bout for the 185 pound tournament in case one of the winners is injured.


*photo of Shinya Aoki

(*) indicates 185 pound tournament bout, (+) alternate match

Dream Results - Rd 1

The first round of the lightweight Grand Prix went down on Saturday night, and there are now even more questions surrounding the event. The potential blockbuster fight between Shinya Aoki and JZ Calvancante faded into an oblivion after JZ threw at least one illegal elbow. The elbow struck Aoki in the neck. After the event, he explained that he would have returned and fought but he was unable to move his right arm.

I have seen most of the fights on Daily Motion and Ultimate MMA Videos. Eddie Alvarez looks to be the dark horse of the tournament. Here are the results.

Non-Tournament Bouts:

Hayato "Mach" Sakurai def. Hidetaka Monma via TKO (strikes) - R1 4:12
Ikuhisa Minowa def. Bum Chan Kang via sub (kneebar) - R1 1:25
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic def. Tatsuya Mizuno via TKO (strikes) - R1 0:56

Tournament Bouts:

JZ Calvancante v. Shinya Aoki no contest (illegal elbow) - R1 3:46
Tatsuya Kawajiri def. Kultar Gill via unanimous decision
Eddie Alvarez def. Andre Amade via TKO - R1 6:47
Mitsuhiro Ishida def. Bu Kyung Jung via unanimous decision
Katsuhiko Nagata def. Artur Oumakhanov via unanimous decision
Luiz Firmino def. Kazuyuki Miyata via sub (rear-naked choke) - R1 7:37
Joachim Hansen def. Kotetsu Boku via unanimous decision

*There are 6 fighters who have advanced, if it is a 16 man tourney you would need 8 for the second round. It will be interesting to see what they do with Aoki and Calvancante, technically, they could pass both to the next round.

Dream LW Tournament

Since Pride's demise after being purchased by the UFC, 3 new promotions popped up to try to compete with K1 for Japan's top MMA promotion. World Victory Road, Dream and M1. So far M1 has been a one trick pony. WVR hasn't really come out in the US, I have been able to catch the Josh Barnett fight and the Gomi fight.

Dream is interesting because of the lightweight tournament they have staged. There are 14 fighters that have been all but confirmed for the 16 man tournament. There has been no word on how they were paired. It doesn't look like it was seeded because Aoki and JZ are probably the top two. Other favorites are Ishida, Kawajiri and Hansen.

Main Bouts:

Mirko Filipovic (22-6) vs. Tatsuya Mizuno (4-2)- After two straight losses in the UFC Cro-Cop desperately needs a win to get back on track. Mizuno has fought all his matches in Pancrase and is stepping in for Nakao.


*Cro Cop high kick

Hayato Sakurai (31-7) vs. Hidetaka Monma (14-7)- Sakurai is known for fights in Pride/Shooto/Deep and his title loss to Matt Hughes in the UFC. Two fights ago, Sakurai knocked out Mac Danzig prior to his TUF run. Monma will come into the fight heavy than Sakurai and doesn't have wins over the same level of competition.

Tournament Bouts:

Gesias Calvancante (14-1) vs. Shinya Aoki (14-2)- JZ's only loss was to Joachim Hansen, since winning 12 straight. He has fought mainly in K1. Shooto champ Aoki is a BJJ/Judo black belt who has fought mainly in Shooto and Pride. He has 9 victories in a row including a rare gogoplata of Joachim Hansen, and recent decision over tourney member Jung. I'd put both in the top 5 of the LW division.

Tatsuya Kawajiri (20-4) vs. Kultar Gill (9-6)- Kawajiri is a Shooto champion and Pride veteren who has a victory over tourney member Firminio and is regarded as a top five of the LW division. Gill's last fight was a KO win in K1. Prior to that he lost three straight.

Mitsuhiro Ishida (15-3) vs. Bu Kyung Jung (0-1)- Ishida is a Pride/Shooto veteren with a victory over tourney member Boku and is a top ten LW. Jung is a judo expert who lost a decision to Aoki in his only MMA bout.

Kazuyuki Miyata (5-6) vs. Luiz Firmino (11-3)- Miyata has fought his last 10 in K1, including a win over tourney member Gill. Firmino hasn't fought since a win in Pride in November of 2006. His biggest win is probably over Masakazu Imanari (14-5)in Pride.

Eddie Alvarez (12-1) vs. Andre Amade (6-2)- Alvarez has recently fought in Bodog and ShoXC with his only loss to Nick Thompson (35-9) at 170. Amade has fought his last four in K1, including a win against Caol Uno.

Artur Oumakhanov (7-2) vs. Katsuhiko Nagata (3-2) - Artur's two losses were in his last fight in Pancrase to Shoji and a K1 loss to Amade. All of Nagata's bouts are in K1, losses to Uno and Akiyama, wins against above .500 competition.

Kotetsu Boku (13-4) vs. Joachim Hansen (16-6)- Boku has wins in Shooto/K1/GCM. Hansen is a Pride/Shooto/K1 vet who just beat tourney member Miyata in K1, and is the only person to beat JZ Calvancante.


*Hansen v. Aoki in Pride