Issue 037
May 2008
March 15, 2008, Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, Japan
Text: Andrew Garvey Photos: Courtesy Gongkaku
On New Year ’s Eve 2007, a new Japanese fight promotion ‘Yarennoka’ debuted, claiming to revive the dormant Pride Fighting Championships. Many rejoiced but those in the know were sceptical. Then it emerged that FEG, owners of K-1, were involved and things got interesting.
On March 15th at the iconic Saitama Super Arena, FEG presented a ‘new’ promotion that happened to share a few things in common with Pride. The white ring, the blue gloves, the same round structure as Pride: Bushido (10 minute first round, 5 minutes for the second), even the screeching ring announcer. Thanks to FEG, which disbanded its K-1 HERO’s MMA offshoot to make this happen, the show even had a TV deal, with a same day, edited broadcast on Japan’s TBS network. The names have changed but suddenly, big time Japanese MMA is back and it’s only fitting the first DREAM event would showcase the first round of a lightweight Grand Prix first promised by Pride FC back in 2006.
A dream match gone horribly wrong
Shinya Aoki, formerly a Pride poster boy, and the 2007 K-1 Hero’s lightweight tournament champion Gesias Calvancante (billed as JZ Calvan in Japan) are two of the sport’s very best. Originally meant to face each other at ‘Yarennoka’, an injury postponed the fight to widespread disappointment. But that was nothing compared to the anti-climax when they finally faced off in the main event of the first DREAM show. An exceptionally talented, flexible submission artist, 24-year-old Aoki had won nine straight fights, including an outrageous gogoplata submission win over Joachim Hansen. Also 24, JZ had won eight in a row and blends formidable submission skills with the kind of pathological aggression usually only found in cheap horror films. This should have been incredible.
A slight figure in his garish tights, Aoki looks physically fragile, particularly next to the muscular JZ, and seemed desperate to avoid the Brazilian’s kicks and punches. But equally, once JZ had bulled Aoki to the mat, he wanted no part of the ground game. A frustrated Aoki went for a double leg takedown. JZ sprawled and drove a pair of elbows down into Aoki’s shoulder/neck area. Aoki slumped to the mat and since the second blow was clearly an illegal, if unintentional, one the fight was halted. Obviously in distress, and later saying he could barely move his right arm, Aoki couldn’t continue. The fight was waved off after 3:46 as a no contest that left a second round lightweight Grand Prix slot up in the air.
Cro Cop awakes from his UFC nightmare with an easy win
On September 10th 2006, Mirko Cro Cop annihilated Wanderlei Silva and Josh Barnett to lift the Pride openweight Grand Prix title. Six days later Tatsuya Mizuno made his MMA debut. Fast-forward 18 months and Mizuno was thrown in against a fighter that DREAM were promising would see a career resurrection. Signed by the UFC to a six-fight deal amid tremendous hype, Cro Cop dispatched Eddie Sanchez but was destroyed by Gabriel Gonzaga and looked feeble in his decision loss to Cheick Kongo. Subsequently released from his UFC contract, Cro Cop won quickly here but the opposition was meagre and the fight itself lamentable. Mizuno had no chance, being overwhelmed by Cro Cop’s precise punches and was pounded to defeat in 56 utterly predictable seconds. Still, the Saitama faithful got to clap along to Cro Cop’s riotously camp ‘Wild Boys’ theme song, just like the old days, and had a great time doing it.
Hellboy and Alvarez shine
On a night of disappointments and mismatches, Norway’s Joachim ‘Hellboy’ Hansen and Philadelphia’s Eddie Alvarez proudly stood tall, having great fights and giving their respective opponents a proper battering en route to slots in the next round of the lightweight Grand Prix. Hansen took an unarguable decision over the talented yet inconsistent Kotetsu Boku. Flooring Boku early with a left hand, Hansen repeated the trick in the final minute of a very entertaining scrap. The Norwegian dominated, throwing Boku around like a grappling dummy, bashing away with punches and repeatedly trying for submissions. On their feet Boku scored with some crisp punches but it was clear Hansen was the better, more powerful fighter in his best performance since his destructive 2005 heyday.
Eddie Alvarez and Andre ‘Dida’ Amade had ‘WAR’ written all over it. Alvarez is an aggressive fighter. Dida may have mental health issues that manifest themselves in a need to tear the heads off everyone in his way. Sadly, for the more slightly built and wild-swinging Brazilian, Alvarez recovered from an early knockdown and used his strength, wrestling skill and controlled aggression to pound out a TKO win 6:47 into a high energy, enthralling fight.
More Lightweight Grand Prix action
Few expected former Pride: Bushido star Tatsuya Kawajiri to have much trouble with K-1 Hero’s regular Kultar ‘Black Mamba’ Gill. Gill is a tall, dangerous striker but is widely viewed as one-dimensional. Kawajiri picked up a clear unanimous decision victory but Gill was actually the one who impressed. His vastly improved takedown and submission defence constantly frustrated a flat, uninspired Kawajiri in a disappointingly slow fight.
The less said about Mitsuhiro Ishida and Katsuhiko Nagata, the better. They both picked up wins and progressed in the tournament but their bland, ‘safety-first’ approaches of taking their opponents down and grinding out slow, dull decision-victories won them no admirers. Nagata soundly defeated Artur Oumakhonov but will have real trouble as the Grand Prix continues. Ishida, coming off his superb New Year’s Eve win over Gilbert Melendez, was a monstrous disappointment. His opponent Bu Kyung Jung had previously pushed Shinya Aoki to the limit but Ishida’s cautious win disappointed because he’s capable of far more.
An exceptionally talented Japanese wrestler and former K-1 Hero’s staple, Kazuyuki Miyata dominated much of his fight with Brazil’s Luiz Firminho but still ended up tapping out after former Pride FC Bushido regular Firminho took his back and finished with a rear naked choke 7:37 into the fight.
And finally….
Trivia fans take note, the first ever DREAM fight was a feeble one as the eccentric Ikuhisa Minowa made short work of the blubbery Bum Chan Kang. The inexperienced Korean had no business being in the ring with a veteran of over 70 MMA fights and ‘Minowaman’ kneebarred him for the 85-second victory. The hugely talented Hayato Sakurai outclassed Hidetaka Monma, using precise low kicks before felling his lanky opponent with a left hand and pounding out a TKO win 4:12 into the first round.
Full results
Ikuhisa Minowa def Bum Chan Kang via Submission (Kneebar)
1:25 Rd1
Hayato Sakurai def Hidetaka Monma via TKO (Punches) 4:12 Rd1
Joachim Hansen def Kotetsu Boku via Unanimous Decision
Luiz Firmino def Kazuyuki Miyata via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) 7:37 Rd1
Katsuhiko Nagata def Artur Oumakhanov via Unanimous Decision
Mitsuhiro Ishida def Bu Kyung Jung via Unanimous Decision
Mirko Filipovic def Tatsuya Mizuno via TKO (Punches) 0:56 Rd1
Eddie Alvarez def Andre Amade via TKO (Punches) 6:47 Rd1
Tatsuya Kawajiri def Kultar Gill via Unanimous Decision
Gesias Calvancante vs Shinya Aoki: No Contest
...
