MMA-URLS

UFC 144 Wrap-Up: Edgar, Henderson, Pettis, Lee take home $65k

The UFC returned to the Land of the Rising Sun tonight, delivering an exciting line-up from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Ben Henderson won a decision to become the Lightweight Champion in the headlining bout, while Ryan Bader defeated Quinton "Rampage" Jackson in the co-main event. Mark Hunt picked up his third straight octagon victory, knocking out Cheick Kongo in the opening-round, and Jake Shields outworked Yoshihiro Akiyama to win on the scorecards. Also picking up important main card

Posted in: cheick kongo, henderson, saitama, ryan bader, octagon victory

UFC 144 results: Mark Hunt knocks out Cheick Kongo, wins third straight

SAITAMA, Japan - "The Super Samoan" is officially surging. Former K-1 kickboxing champion Mark Hunt earned his third consecutive win in the UFC by dispatching heavyweight Cheick Kongo with ruthless efficiency in the first round of their UFC 144 bout. The fight took place on UFC 144's main card, which took place at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and aired live on pay-per-view. It followed prelims on FX and Facebook.

Posted in: ufc, kongo, cheick kongo, saitama, saitama japan

UFC 144 results: Jake Shields tops Yoshihiro Akiyama via decision

SAITAMA, Japan - Jake Shields' relentless pressure may have earned him a decision win over Yoshihiro Akiyama. But the margin by which he did it was highly suspect. After three rounds, judges awarded the welterweight every round of the fight. The fight took place on the main card of UFC 144, which took place at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. It aired live on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook.

Posted in: shield, saitama, saitama japan, yoshihiro akiyama, rounds judges

UFC 144 results: Tim Boetsch scores stunning comeback win over Yushin Okami

SAITAMA, Japan - Never count out Tim Boetsch. The tough-as-nails middleweight survived two lopsided and bloody rounds and then shocked a massive crowd that was clearly rooting for Japanese veteran Yushin Okami. The stunning comeback victory was part of UFC 144's pay-per-view main card, which took place at Saitama Super Arena in Saitma, Japan. It followed prelims on FX and Facebook.

Posted in: tim boetsch, saitama, comeback victory, saitma japan, toughasnails middleweight

UFC 144 results: Anthony Pettis blasts Joe Lauzon with 81-second head kick

SAITAMA, Japan - What was expected to be a barnburner turned into a quick and violent knockout for Anthony Pettis. In a featured lightweight bout, the former WEC champion blasted fellow contender Joe Lauzon with an 81-second knockout via head kick. The bout kicked off UFC 144's pay-per-view main card at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. It followed prelims on FX and Facebook.

Posted in: anthony pettis, head kick, saitama, wec champion, saitama japannbsp

UFC 144 results: Takanori Gomi tested but TKOs fellow countryman Eiji Mitsuoka

SAITAMA, Japan - Takanori Gomi was tested, but the veteran lightweight rebounded for a second-round TKO victory over promotional newcomer Eiji Mitsuoka. The back-and-forth bout was the only all-Japanese matchup at UFC 144. The preliminary-card bout aired on FX. It preceded UFC 144's pay-per-view main card at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Posted in: ufc, saitama, preliminarycard bout, backandforth bout, alljapanese matchup

UFC 144 results: Vaughan Lee taps 'Kid' Yamamoto in first round after slugfest

SAITAMA, Japan - The slide of "Kid" continues. After a promising start against fellow featherweight Vaughn Lee, Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto found himself the victim of a first-round submission. The preliminary-card bout was part of UFC 144 and aired on FX. It preceded the pay-per-view main card at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Posted in: kid, japan, saitama, yamamoto, preliminarycard bout

UFC 144 results: Riki Fukuda victorious, delivers Steve Cantwell fifth straight loss

SAITAMA, Japan - Steve Cantwell's fifth attempt at a second UFC victory ended like the previous four: in disappointment. Japanese light heavyweight Riki Fukuda returned from a yearlong injury layoff and topped the former WEC champion via unanimous decision. The preliminary-card bout was part of UFC 144 and aired on FX. It preceded a pay-per-view main card at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Posted in: ufc, saitama, steve cantwell, ufc victory, injury layoff

UFC 144 results: Chris Cariaso tops Takeya Mizugaki via questionable decision

SAITAMA, Japan - So much for regional bias. Bantamweight Chris Cariaso took home a highly questionable decision victory after three rounds with onetime WEC title challenger and Japanese vet Takeya Mizugaki. The preliminary-card bout was part of UFC 144 and aired on FX. It preceded the pay-per-view main card at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Posted in: japan, takeya, saitama, decision victory, preliminarycard bout

Watch tonight's post-UFC 144 press conference live on MMAjunkie.com

SAITAMA, Japan - UFC 144 take place tonight at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. As usual, you can catch a live video stream of the night's post-fight press conference here on MMAjunkie.com at approximately 2 a.m. ET (11 p.m. PT). Expected to take part in tonight's press conference are UFC president Dana White, headliners Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson, and winners from the night's main card.

Posted in: press, video stream, saitama, saitama japan, benson henderson

Ghosts of Saitama: The end of an era when PRIDE closes up shop at the Saitama Super Arena

The roar of the crowd ... the sound of bare feet shuffling against canvas ... the unexplainable electricity inside the building. They are all mere echos today as crowds in the tens of thousands have dwindled down to a fraction of that amount. The Saitama Super Arena, host of this Saturday's (Feb. 25) UFC 144 event, has been home to some of the greatest mixed martial arts (MMA) events in the history of the sport. "Ghosts of Saitama" will take a look at some of those moments, forever preserved and never forgotten. PRIDE never die. It's been long enough that it almost seems like a meaningless meme spouted off on MMA sites when Wanderlei Silva or or one of the Nogueira twins step inside the Octagon. But for the fans who were there, for the fans who either stayed up until the crack of dawn or militantly stayed off the internet until the event aired stateside, it was and still remains a battle cry. The Saitama Super Arena opened its doors to many PRIDE Fighting Championships events for over six years. It did so the final time in April 2007 when PRIDE 34, aptly named Kamikaze, marked the last show under the company's old management. The promotion -- two weeks prior -- had been sold to the Ultimate Fighting Championship's parent company. While a future for PRIDE was promised, everyone -- fighters and fans alike -- knew this was the end. And indeed it was. "Ghosts of Saitama" ends with a look back at PRIDE's final event. It wasn't just the end of a company. It was more than that. It was the end of an era. Despite Wanderlei Silva's presence on the promotional poster, a suspension handed down from the Nevada State Athletic Commission prevented "The Axe Murderer" from competing. He had been brutally knocked out at the company's previous event by Dan Henderson and risked further disciplinary action if he went against the ruling. In fact, the only fighters with significant history with PRIDE that appeared were Don Frye, Ricardo Arona and headliner Kazuyuki Fujita. There was no Silvas, no Sakurabas, no Emelianenkos. The event seemed more a shell of what PRIDE had been than anything. But it was a chance for fans to say goodbye. The show opened with Yoshihiro Nakao taking on Brazilian Edson Drago. The Japanese fighter took advantage of his opponent's inexperienced ground game and was able to score an impressive neck crank submission in the closing minute of the opening round. The next fight was exactly the type of freakshow PRIDE was known -- and either loved or hated -- for. Side attraction boxer Eric Esch -- better known as "Butterbean" -- took over Brazilian counterpart "Zuluzhino." The giant Brazilian was brought into the company two years prior as a possible foil for Fedor Emelianenko but the hype clearly exceeded reality. "Butterbean" -- in one of the most inexplicably hilarious moments in MMA history -- escaped a submission attempt from the Brazilian only to force a tap out seconds later by slapping on an americana armlock. It was dumb. It was ridiculous. It was fun. It was PRIDE. Two of Japan's sons competed in the next couple of fights. Makoto Takimoto took on Croatian kickerboxer -- mini "Cro Cop" he was called -- Zelg Galesic while Akiro Shoji met Dutch bad boy Gilbert Yvel. Takimoto survived some PRIDE-style soccer kicks and stomps before managing to secure a submission five minutes into his bout but Shoji fell short in his bout. The Japanese stalwart impressed -- as he always did -- with his fighting spirit but took huge damage as a result of Yvel's ground and pound. If not for Don Frye and his bout with James Thompson, this event would have barely resembled a PRIDE event. Frye didn't care about titles, he didn't care about moving up the ladder. When he competed in PRIDE, he did so as a showman and bless his heart for it. He played the character of a big, dumb, tough American who seemed to feed off the elated gasps from the Japanese crowd. His pre-fight face off against the Briton saw each man grinding their forehead into the other, an act which actually busted Frye open before the fight even started. "The Predator" rocked the infamously glass-jawed Thompson seconds into the fight and thought the fight was going to be stopped but it continued. Back and forth punches brought back memories of Frye's war with the beautiful Yoshihiro Takayama. The American ended up on his back and ate a huge soccer kick which proved to be the beginning of the end. Brutalized in the corner, the referee was finally forced to stop the fight. It was dumb. It was ridiculous. It was fun. It was PRIDE. A surprise appearance from Kazushi Sakuraba came next. "Saku" had left PRIDE from the Hero's promotion the prior year but made a return to the company that helped him -- and he helped -- prosper. He showed up bearing the guise of famous Japanese pro wrestler Tiger Mask. Despite the mask, everyone could tell "The Gracie Hunter" was in tears. He once again -- as he had in the past -- said he wanted to famous longtime rival Kiyoshi Tamura inside a PRIDE ring. After refusing the bout for years, Tamura joined Sakuraba in the ring and agreed, hugging his countryman inside the Saitama Super Arena. They would finally face off a year and half later. Before he became known as the submission wizard he is today, Shinya Aoki was just a scrappy Japanese fighter who loves to grapple. He made quick work of his opponent at PRIDE 34, securing an armbar in a little over 90 seconds. The most impressive performance of the night came next as Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou stepped inside a PRIDE ring for the second time against a top 10 Brazilian light heavyweight and for the second time walked away with an unbelievable knockout. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira was his victim six weeks prior and Brazilian Top Team product Arona would fall to him that night in Saitama. A vicious uppercut ended Arona's night early and helped "The African Assassin's" hype train reach insane levels. The last fight of the night -- the last fight in PRIDE's history -- was "Ol' Ironhead" taking on Jeff Monson in a bout promoted as a PRIDE vs. UFC match-up. It promised to be the first of many co-promotional bouts but none would end up taking place. The American would score the submission victory and put a quiet, muted end to the most celebrated MMA companies in the sport's history. For the first time, the event was aired live in the United States on pay-per-view (PPV) as opposed to the tape delayed, edited servings that had been the norm. If it was to be the last time we got to enjoy PRIDE, it was only fair we got to see it as it happened. And once it was over, the view went from inside the Saitama Super Arena to a generic cable or satellite screen promoting a replay of the event or another PPV on the schedule backed by some generic muzak. An important chapter in MMA's history had just ended but it seemed the world at large didn't care. PRIDE never die.

Posted in: fight, event, pride, saitama, company

Exclusive UFC 144 Weigh In Photo Gallery

Check out these hot shots of your favorite fighters at Saitama Super Arena in Japan from todays UFC 144 weigh ins.

Posted in: ufc, shot, saitama, arena, in

Read the full article at Heavy MMA

UFC 144 Weigh-In Highlight Video

SAITAMA, Japan -- The UFC 144 weigh-ins took place Saturday morning at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Full results here. Check out the highlights below.

Posted in: ufc, japan, saitama, weighin, saitama japan

Read the full article at AOL Fanhouse

UFC 144 Weigh-In Results: Rampage Jackson Misses Weight

The UFC 144 weigh-ins took place earlier tonight at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Rampage Jackson was only fighter who missed weight, coming in five pounds over his 206 lbs. target. He will be fined 20% of his purse and the fight will go on. Guess he wasn’t kidding when he told Dana White he didn’t want to know what his weight was in his video blog. The weigh-in results: Frankie Edgar (154) vs. Ben Henderson (154) Ryan Bader (205) vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (211) Cheick Kongo (229) vs. Mark Hunt (264) Yoshihiro Akiyama (169) vs. Jake Shields (170) Tim Boetsch (186) vs. Yushin Okami (185) Hatsu Hioki (145) and Bart Palaszewski (146) Joe Lauzon (156) vs. Anthony Pettis (155) Takanori Gomi (155) vs. Eiji Mitsuoka (154) Vaughan Lee (135) vs. Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto (136) Steve Cantwell (185) vs. Riki Fukuda (185) Chris Cariaso (136) vs. Takeya Mizugaki (135) Issei Tamura (145) vs. Tiequan Zhang (146) Fighters in non-title fights are allowed to weigh in one pound over the weight class limit. UFC 144 “Edgar vs. Henderson” will take place tomorrow, Feb. 25, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan and will air live on pay-per-view at 10pm ET/7pm PT. More UFC 116 weigh-in pics at CombatLifestyle.com. Video via MMA Fighting.

Posted in: ufc, vs, weight, saitama, weighin

Ferraro on UFC: Preparing for the main event

Tokyo's finest assets and attractions, including the culture, continue to illuminate themselves in advance of Saturday's UFC 144 in Saitama.

Posted in: ufc, saitama, advance, tokyo, event tokyos

Read the full article at sportsnet.ca

Showdown on MMA: Day 4 in Japan for UFC 144

Tokyo's finest assets and attractions, including the culture, continue to illuminate themselves in advance of Saturday's UFC 144 in Saitama.

Posted in: ufc, showdown, saitama, advance, tokyo

Read the full article at sportsnet.ca

Ghosts of Saitama: Legends rise and fall while heavyweights titans collide at Final Conflict 2005

The roar of the crowd ... the sound of bare feet shuffling against canvas ... the unexplainable electricity inside the building. They are all mere echos today as crowds in the tens of thousands have dwindled down to a fraction of that amount. The Saitama Super Arena, host of this Saturday's (Feb. 25) UFC 144 event, has been home to some of the greatest mixed martial arts (MMA) events in the history of the sport. "Ghosts of Saitama" will take a look at some of those moments, forever preserved and never forgotten. Ask anyone who was a mixed martial arts (MMA) fan before the boom created by The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) for a list of all-time great events and one name will surely find itself on each and every list. Final Conflict 2005 at the Saitama Super Arena. PRIDE Fighting Championships (PRIDE) had, the year prior, collected some of the world's best heavyweight and pitted them against each other to decide who among them was the best. It was Fedor Emelianenko who rose to the top after defeating the likes of Mark Coleman, Naoya Ogawa and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. It should have come to no surprise to anyone as "The Last Emperor" was the reigning heavyweight champion with only one murky loss attached to his name. He had already defeated "Big Nog" to win the title and it seemed the only other heavyweight who could potentially challenge the champion was Mirko Filipovic. But "Cro Cop" was brutally knocked out by Kevin Randleman in the first round and missed his date with destiny. Eager to get back into the title shot hunt, the Croatian went to work. In the 16 months between the Randleman loss and his fight at Final Conflict 2005 with Emelianenko, the kickboxer fought seven times, finishing all but one of his opponents. Aside from the most anticipated heavyweight bout in the sport's short history, the event only presented the last three fights in the 203-pound grand prix. Four men -- Mauricio Rua, Alistair Overeem, Ricardo Arona and current champion Wanderlei Silva -- looked to emerge as the tournament winner. Silva had won the previous in 2003 but Brazilian Top Team rival Arona was looking to unseat him. Little did anyone know it would end up being "The Axe Murderer's" own teammate who would emerge the world's best light heavyweight. Let's take a closer look. The show opened up with a tournament reserve bout between quarterfinalists Kazuhiro Nakamura and Igor Vovchanchyn. The battle-worn Ukrainian fought valiantly but Nakamura proved to be too much of a challenge. The judoka took the decision after 15 minutes of action. "Ice Cold" would never step inside the ring again. His body was too tired, after 10 years of fighting, to continue. Vovchanchyn was an MMA original before the phrase MMA had even been created. He simply was born too soon, arrived in the sport too early to truly be recognized as one of the greats. The next bout, the grand prix semi-final between Arona and Silva, was the 2005 equivalent of the Carlos Condit/Nick Diaz fight. Arona played the role of Condit, a sometimes overlooked but extremely talented fighter to Silva's Diaz, violent, exciting and popular. Like "The Natural Born Killer," Arona stuck to his gameplan. He avoided prolonged striking exchanges and kept Silva on his back as much as possible. It worked. After two rounds, the bell sounded and everyone in the arena and watching at home -- including Arona who laughed in Silva's face -- knew the champion had finally been defeated. Hoping to salvage some honor for their training camp, "Shogun" took on Overeem in the next semi-final bout. Early on, it didn't look good for Chute Boxe. A pre-Ubereem "The Demolition Man" took the fight to his Brazilian opponent and nearly finished him off with his infamous guillotine choke. "Shogun" survived and ended up pounding Overeem out a little over halfway through the first round. The finals were now set. An all Brazilian affair between the two biggest and most honor training camps in the country. Ricardo Arona representing Brazilian Top Team (BTT) taking on Mauricio Rua backed by Chute Boxe. The next two fights saw Fabricio Werdum and Hidehiko Yoshida each pick up submission wins over their opponents. The Brazilian sunk a triangle choke in on Emelianenko training partner Roman Zentsov while the Japanese judoka used his gi to smother and choke out original Ultimate Fighting Championship bad boy David "Tank" Abbott. It was finally time for Fedor versus "Cro Cop." Nearly 50,000 fans packed into the Saitama Super Arena to see the fight. And not a single one was disappointed. From my History in the Making on the historic bout: The champion is still controlling the pace of a fight where Filipovic has looked as timid as most of his own opponents have looked in the past. But a stiff jab from "CroCop" later and Fedor's leg buckles slightly underneath him and the crowd erupts. Mirko, with fire in his step for the first time in the fight, throws one, two, three jabs as Fedor begins to back up. A wild, looping hook from Fedor causes Mirko to duck and he loses his balance. He continues to press the fight and unexpectedly tries to take the Sambo Grand Master down. Fedor reverses this and ends up standing in Mirko's guard. The Russian would prevail leaving "Cro Cop" to once again play second fiddle. He came up short againt "Big Nog" two years before and it wouldn't be until 2006's grand prix where the Croatian would be recognized as the champion he truly was. The show closed with the grand prix finals. Less than three minutes into the bout, Arona narrowly avoided getting stomped in the face by "Shogun" but Rua's hammerfists would find their mark. Clubbing the BTT member in the jaw until unconscious, the young Brazilian went from promising prospect to number one light heavyweight on the planet. Legends rising and fall, mere men ushered into MMA immortality ... all in a night's work for the Saitama Super Arena. More from the "Ghosts of Saitama" series: Ghosts of Saitama: After nearly a decade, the traditional New Year's Eve MMA event in Japan likely comes to an end in 2011 Ghosts of Saitama: In 2004, the world's greatest heavyweights descended upon Saitama Super Arena Ghosts of Saitama: Pride FC wastes no time making its debut at Saitama Super Arena in Japan Ghosts of Saitama: The Japanese New Year's Eve war starts with three blockbuster shows Ghosts of Saitama: ROMANEX, Hero's and DREAM all make their debut at the Saitama Super Arena

Posted in: fight, heavyweight, saitama, arena, arona

Dana White UFC 144 Video Blog (Episode 2)

As UFC President Dana White continues with his customary fight week video blog ahead of UFC 144, he brings viewers back stage for the event's pre-fight press conference at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. White also responds to the theory that the UFC is responsible for "killing Pride FC," insisting that it was the only other promotion he's ever respected.

Posted in: ufc, saitama, pride fc, saitama japan, promotion hes

Ghosts of Saitama: ROMANEX, Hero's and DREAM all make their debut at the Saitama Super Arena

The roar of the crowd ... the sound of bare feet shuffling against canvas ... the unexplainable electricity inside the building. They are all mere echos today as crowds in the tens of thousands have dwindled down to a fraction of that amount. The Saitama Super Arena, host of this Saturday's (Feb. 25) UFC 144 event, has been home to some of the greatest mixed martial arts (MMA) events in the history of the sport. "Ghosts of Saitama" will take a look at some of those moments, forever preserved and never forgotten. Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG) built its empire out of bruised shins, swollen faces and 10 ounce gloves. Through K-1, FEG became one of the premier combat sports promoters. It sold out its live shows, packing arenas with 30, 40 or even 50 thousand people and its television broadcasts raked in viewers by the millions. As human nature tends to be, FEG officials wanted a bit more. PRIDE Fighting Championships (PRIDE) was at the top of the mixed martial arts (MMA) food chain but maybe, just maybe FEG could sneak in and take itself a small slice of that very lucrative pie. It was content to only dip its toes in at first with the one-off ROMANEX show before they dove head first into the MMA playing field with a new company known as Hero's. Despite PRIDE's already established foothold in Japan and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) gaining steam stateside, the fledgling company was still able to build an impressive roster of fighters. Alistair Overeem, Lyoto Machida, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Jake Shields and B.J. Penn were just a few names that fought under the Hero's banner. But, the promotion wasn't long for this world and within three years, the name was dropped and DREAM took its place when FEG brought aboard a bevy of former PRIDE employees looking for work. Armed with a wealth of MMA promotion knowledge, they became a valuable asset to their new company. Aside from FEG's involvement, one common thread ties the three names -- ROMANEX, Hero's and DREAM -- together. Each held their first -- and in ROMANEX's case, the only -- show at the Saitama Super Arena. It was almost as if FEG knew they would need to christen their MMA ventures in that particular building if they wanted them to be taken seriously by fans and pundits. This installment of "Ghosts of Saitama" will take a look at the trio of shows, ROMANEX and Hero's as substitutions for PRIDE and DREAM as its successor. Unfortunately, none panned out as well as anyone -- FEG, fighters or fans -- would have hoped. In May 2004, 20 fighters descended upon the Saitama Super Arena. Among them were former and future UFC champions Machida, Penn and Josh Barnett. Don Frye, Gary Goodridge and Duane Ludwig, all Octagon veterans, also made appearances. ROMANEX wasn't meant to be an ongoing affair. It was an MMA fling for FEG to see how they would do in the market. While MMA bouts had littered kickboxing-centric K-1 events before, this was the first all-out effort to challenge PRIDE. And judging by the lackluster attendance -- around 15,000 fans showed up -- it was obvious trying to loosen PRIDE's grip on the Japanese MMA landscape would be easier said than done. Those fans in attendance did, at least, witness a good show. Machida came the closest he had or would -- until being knocked out by Mauricio Rua -- to losing when he earned a split decision victory over kickboxer turned part-time MMA fighter Sam Greco. Meanwhile, Penn made his first post-welterweight title win appearance when he stepped inside the ring opposite Duane Ludwig. "The Prodigy" made quick work of "Bang," submitting him in less than two minutes. Goodridge and Barnett each took home technical knockout (TKO) wins but Frye left the Saitama Super Arena empty-handed, neither with a win nor with a loss. His opponent, Yoshihiro Nakao, -- best known for planting a kiss on Heath Herring's lips and subsequently being knocked out for getting so fresh -- shot in for an immediate takedown and the two clashed heads. A river of blood began to pour out of "The Predator's" face so the fight was stopped and ruled a No Contest. Internet favorite and pop locking extraordinaire Genki Sudo continued what countryman Kazushi Sakuraba started when he brutally knocked out Royler Gracie, further removing any mystique the Gracie clan may have had left. The main event saw Kazuyuki Fujita kick the ever-loving snot out of Bob Sapp. At this time, Sapp still seemed damn near invincible. A kickboxing knockout at the hands of Mirko Filipovic and a submission loss to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira aside, "The Beast" was still thought of as a viable force when he stepped inside the ring. "Ol' Ironhead" changed that when he continuously booted Sapp in the head while the American basically just curled into a ball on the canvas and said uncle. "The Beast" went from contender to cartoon overnight. 10 months later, FEG's full-time MMA banner debuted. Hero's was the company's answer to the overwhelming success PRIDE was enjoying. Several fighters from ROMANEX transitioned to Hero's including Machida and Penn who faced off against each other in the inaugural event. The overly plump Hawaiian couldn't overcome the size difference and "The Dragon" took home the decision. SHOOTO's past and present met that night as well when Joachim Hansen took on Caol Uno. The former UFC lightweight contender and "Hellboy" nearly made it to the judges before the Norwegian landed a thunderous knee with seconds remaining in the bout. ROMANEX veterans Goodridge, Sudo and Greco also competed and each came up with a stoppage victory. Even Sapp showed up and performed well, knocking out Min Soo Kim in a little over a minute. The main event saw K-1 legend Jerome Le Banner and Japanese/Korean judoka Yoshihiro Akiyama each competing in only their second MMA bouts. Le Banner had plenty of kickboxing experience but the grappling chops of "Sexyama" were thought to play a factor. They didn't. Akiyama was only to get his opponent on the mat momentarily before Le Banner buried two knees into the judoka's skull. As fun as the fights were, another paltry attendance was FEG's reward. They plugged along with Hero's until late 2007 when they joined forces with several of the minds that made PRIDE the success it was. A new name was needed for a new beginning. Thus, DREAM was born. A lightweight grand prix was the selling point of the new promotion's first show. Japanese MMA heavy hitters like Hansen, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Mitsuhiro Ishida and Shinya Aoki were all featured. Each man won their first round bout -- Aoki did so at the next event after a No Contest the first time around -- with "Hellboy" eventually being crowned the champion at DREAM 5. "Cro Cop" also competed, picking up a win after his first disappointing UFC tenure. Stalwarts of the scene Ikuhisa Minowa and Hayato Sakurai also found themselves on the winning end of their bouts. More of a card catered to hardcore fans, the event drew less than 20,000 people to the Saitama Super Arena. The latest event, DREAM 17, did half that number. UFC 144 is nearly a sellout, looking to bring the number baack up to PRIDE era numbers. We can only hope. Saitama Super Arena deserves better. More from the "Ghosts of Saitama" series: Ghosts of Saitama: After nearly a decade, the traditional New Year's Eve MMA event in Japan likely comes to an end in 2011 Ghosts of Saitama: In 2004, the world's greatest heavyweights descended upon Saitama Super Arena Ghosts of Saitama: Pride FC wastes no time making its debut at Saitama Super Arena in Japan Ghosts of Saitama: The Japanese New Year's Eve war starts with three blockbuster shows

Posted in: mma, event, feg, saitama, arena

As UFC 144 Approaches, Bart Palaszewski Not Lacking Confidence

Bart Palaszewski will put his well-rounded skills and 50 professional fights worth of experience to a serious test when he faces the gifted Hatsu Hioki at UFC 144 “Edgar vs. Henderson” on Saturday at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan

Posted in: ufc, saitama, hatsu hioki, bart, wellrounded skills

Ghosts of Saitama: The Japanese New Year's Eve war starts with three blockbuster shows

The roar of the crowd ... the sound of bare feet shuffling against canvas ... the unexplainable electricity inside the building. They are all mere echos today as crowds in the tens of thousands have dwindled down to a fraction of that amount. The Saitama Super Arena, host of this Saturday's (Feb. 25) UFC 144 event, has been home to some of the greatest mixed martial arts (MMA) events in the history of the sport. "Ghosts of Saitama" will take a look at some of those moments, forever preserved and never forgotten. Yesterday we took a look back at 2011's New Year's Eve (NYE) event at the Saitama Super Arena, a show that very well could be the last in the near-decade long tradition. Indeed, the future looks grim from where we sit. It wasn't the case eight years prior when groups headed by Antonio Inoki, K-1 parent company Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG) and Pride Fighting Championships (Pride), each decided to go to all-out television war on Dec. 31, 2003. Bom-Ba-Ye. Dynamite!!. Shockwave. Three huge events that had millions of combat sports fans glued to their television sets at home and more than 100,000 people packed into three different stadiums. Saitama Super Arena, of course, was one of them. The building played host to Pride's Shockwave event, also holding the honors for the next three years. It was supposed to be the dawn of a new age in mixed martial arts (MMA) and combat sports in general. And while it seemed to fulfill that very promise for the next couple of years, it also inevitably led to the downfall of the sport in Japan. Let's dive right in: Shockwave was a star-studded event naturally headlined by Japanese all-star Kazushi Sakuraba taking on the younger of the Brazilian twins, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. An Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) rematch also took place as Octagon originals Don Frye and Gary Goodridge locked horns for a second time. This time "Big Daddy" came out on top with a thunderous head kick that put "The Predator" immediately to sleep. Americans Quinton Jackson and Heath Herring each took on and defeated overmatched competition. In "Rampage's" case, it was Ikuhisa Minowa, a fighter he likely outweighed by 20 points. For "The Texas Crazy Horse," it was Giant Silva, a fighter who likely outweighed him by 100 but whose MMA skills were rudimentary at best. Akira Shoji would end up getting viciously knocked out by Murilo Rua only two months after Mauricio Rua achieved the same result. It seemed the Rua family had Shoji's number. Fellow Japanese fighters Yuki Kondo and Kiyoshi Tamura fared better aganist their competition, however. Kondo bested Brazilian legend Mario Sperry while longtime Sakuraba rival Tamura was able to submit Ray Sefo's baby brother Rony. A fight between Hayato Sakurai and fellow countryman Daiju Takase went the judges who scored "Mach" as the victor. The Gracie family earned back some respect for Brazil before the night was done. Daniel Gracie submitted his opponent with relative ease and while the result of Royce Gracie's bout with Hidehiko Yoshida is a draw, it was only the special rule set that defined it as such. After allowing the judoka to take his back the previous year and elicit a stoppage through a possibly dubious choke, the UFC Hall of Famer was not going to rest on his laurels. During their first bout, Yoshida employed the ezekiel choke using his gi. Staying in position for a few moments, the Japanese fighter then alerted the referee that Gracie had passed out. The bout was called and Yoshida popped up to his feet. The problem was so did Gracie. It seemed like the entire country of Brazil poured into the ring then to protest the stoppage so 16 months later, two fighters found themselves back where they started. Only this time, Gracie had a score to settle and a point to prove. The fight is officially a draw but in reality, it was a one-sided beatdown. The UFC legend dominated his opponent from bell to bell and despite not coming out with a win, he still earned back some of the respect he had lost the year before. It became the fight the event has become best known for. The bout was booked because Pride officials were eager to get both fighters back into the ring to settle the score after the scandalous ending to their first match-up over a year prior at a Pride/K-1 co-promoted event. Their hope was to make money while also hoping to quell any controversy. But controversy remained. Two names surprisingly absent from the Shockwave card were those of popular kickboxer turned MMA fighter Mirko Filipovic and Pride's heavyweight champion at the time Fedor Emelianenko. "Cro Cop" mysteriously took the night off while "The Last Emperor" actually appeared at Inoki's Bom-Ba-Ye event. The details surrounding those situations would eventually lead to Pride's downfall. Allegations of crooked promoters and even dirtier managers with the Yakuza having its fingers in everything. Two years after this event, the murky details began to surface and Pride wouldn't survive the fallout. It helps cast a shadow over this event since the competitiveness of Pride officials to put on the biggest and best show possible is also what led to the company's demise. The main event was Pride ace Sakuraba taking on the relatively fresh face of "Lil Nog." While older brother -- by 23 seconds -- was already an established name on the Pride circuit, Rogerio Nogueira had only stepped inside the promotion's ring three times. The two had a great fight. Really, it will probably go down as when two of the greatest fighters to never hold a major title met inside the ring. The pomp and the spectacle would reach even greater heights in the ensuing years -- Shockwave 2005 boasts nearly 50,000 fans in attendance -- but it all began in 2003 at the Saitama Super Arena. In a way, it's also where it began to end. More from the "Ghosts of Saitama" series: Ghosts of Saitama: After nearly a decade, the traditional New Year's Eve MMA event in Japan likely comes to an end in 2011 Ghosts of Saitama: In 2004, the world's greatest heavyweights descended upon Saitama Super Arena Ghosts of Saitama: Pride FC wastes no time making its debut at Saitama Super Arena in Japan

Posted in: fighter, event, year, pride, saitama

Ghosts of Saitama: After nearly a decade, the traditional New Year's Eve MMA event in Japan likely comes to an end in 2011

The roar of the crowd ... the sound of bare feet shuffling against canvas ... the unexplainable electricity inside the building. They are all mere echos today as crowds in the tens of thousands have dwindled down to a fraction of that amount. The Saitama Super Arena, host of this Saturday's (Feb. 25) UFC 144 event, has been home to some of the greatest mixed martial arts (MMA) events in the history of the sport. "Ghosts of Saitama" will take a look at some of those moments, forever preserved and never forgotten. We all assumed it would never end. Beginning in 2003, Japanese combat sports -- both mixed martial arts (MMA) and kickboxing -- shone brightest on the last day of the year. Events clocking in at five, six or even seven hours full of pomp and pageantry ushered tens of thousands of fans into the New Year each and every December 31. As the years passed, the MMA boom across the Pacific went from a sizzle to a simmer. The amount of New Year's Eve (NYE) events went from three to two and then finally to one in 2007, with Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, being its home beginning the following year. As fans and fighters entered 2012, it wouldn't seem remiss to even question if there was any heat left at all in what appeared to be a corpse. DREAM, the last bastion of the spectacular heights the sports reached in Japan, promoted only three shows last year, down from four the year prior. But, it seemed there would always be NYE. It was a tradition, dagnabit. And resources were frantically pooled to ensure the show would see the light of day. Less than eight weeks ago, Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG) -- promoter of DREAM and K-1 -- held what very well may be the last NYE card fans will get to enjoy. Quite a few of them -- myself included -- realizing this might be the final chance to see MMA as what it once was gave their DVR the night off and stocked up on the energy drinks and junk food. They prepared for an all-nighter just like in the old days. After all the joy NYE had given fans, it was the least that could be done in return. Even before it began, a somber tone surrounded the event at the Saitama Super Arena. After the previous year's incarnation drew such poor ratings, television powerhouse Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) opted -- for the first time since the NYE events began in 2003 -- not to carry the show. Without TBS' muscle, FEG and Japanese legend Antonio Inoki struggled to garner much interest. Undaunted, they pressed forward and continued with the "Fight for Japan" theme DREAM had started earlier in the year. Stateside, the event began a little past midnight on Dec. 31, 2011, and continued into the morning light. For the Japanese fans in attendance, they made their way into Saitama Super Arena in the early afternoon only to see the show's conclusion -- the dawning of the New Year -- mere moments after the main event of Fedor Emelianenko taking on Satoshi Ishii ended. "The Last Emperor" scored a quick knockout against the overmatched Japanese judoka and in doing so, picked up his second straight win after dropping three fights for Strikeforce. Hours earlier, the festivities began with a brutal knockout slam courtesy of Yusup Saadulaev. He put Hideo Tokoro to sleep in a reserve bout for the one-night grand prix to crown DREAM's first bantamweight champion. In the tournament proper, former World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) star Antonio Banuelos and Bibiano Fernandes each earned the judges' nod to advance to the finals where the Brazilian became a two-division champ after stopping Banuelos in less than 90 seconds. Two K-1 MAX kickboxing bouts took place as did two DREAM MMA fights. Japanese stalwarts Tatsuya Kawairi and Hayato Sakurai each picked up a win that night. The two sports were -- like they were last year -- fused together when DREAM and DEEP veteran Katsunori Kikuno took one cosplay aficionado Yuichiro Nagashima. The anime-loving kickboxer had score an impressive knockout over Shinya Aoki seconds into the MMA round the previous year after the submission wizard spent the entire kickboxing round fooling around and killing time. Nagashima wouldn't be so lucky this year as Kikuno took the bout much more seriously than his predecessor and scored a second round technical knockout (TKO) for MMA. The most dominant women's MMA fighter showed up to do her thing, too. Megumi Fujii added another arm to her trophy case after picking up a quick submission win over her opponent. Meanwhile, two DREAM champions made successful title defenses. Hiroyuki Takaya -- who had won the featherweight title from the aforementioned Fernandes -- retained against Takeshi Inoue while Aoki kept his stranglehold on the Japanese lightweight scene by outpointing Satoru Kitaoka. The highlight of the evening for many were the Inoki Genome Federation (IGF) rules bouts that took place. IGF is Inoki's professional wrestling promotion and as such, each of the four bouts was a display of Japan's take on the sport otherwise known as puroresu. There was the wacky -- Kazuyuki Fujita submitting Peter Aerts with a Boston Crab and Jerome Le Banner pounding out former UFC champ Tim Sylvia -- and then there was the awesome. The latter comprised a tag-team match between the team of Kazushi Sakuraba and Katsuyori Shibata taking the team of Atsushi Sawada and Shinichi Suzukawa. Then there was the insanely fun catch-wrestling display Josh Barnett and Hideki Suzuki put on, which delighted old school fans of Pride Fighting Championships' predecessor Union of Wrestling Forces International (UWFi). On top of all that, you had Inoki coming out on a cross during an intermission performance that only the giant-jawed legend could have dreamt up. It was that type of showmanship and over-the-topness that NYE was known for. And we may never see it again.More from the "Ghosts of Saitama" series: Ghosts of Saitama: In 2004, the world's greatest heavyweights descended upon Saitama Super Arena Ghosts of Saitama: Pride FC wastes no time making its debut at Saitama Super Arena in Japan

Posted in: mma, dream, event, year, saitama

MMA Link Club: Heating up for UFC Japan 2012

All eyes head towards Saitama Super Arena this weekend.

Posted in: head, saitama, arena, eye, eyes head

Read the full article at Fight Opinion

Ghosts of Saitama: Pride FC wastes no time making its debut at Saitama Super Arena in Japan

The roar of the crowd ... the sound of bare feet shuffling against canvas ... the unexplainable electricity inside the building. They are all mere echos today as crowds in the tens of thousands have dwindled down to a fraction of that amount. The Saitama Super Arena, host of this Saturday's (Feb. 25) UFC 144 event, has been home to some of the greatest mixed martial arts (MMA) events in the history of the sport. "Ghosts of Saitama" will take a look at some of those moments, forever preserved and never forgotten. The Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, officially opened its doors on Sept. 1, 2000. Three months later, Pride Fighting Championships (Pride) held its first event in the building. It was the beginning of a near seven-year long relationship, one that would bring fans fights like Wanderlei Silva's second shellacking of Quinton Jackson and the wild brawl between Don Frye and Yoshihiro Takayama. And it all started at Pride 12 known in the states as "Cold Fury." More than 25,000 fans packed into the Saitama Super Arena to watch the event, which was more than six months removed from the finals of the 2000 grand prix. Pride's popularity surged in the period right after Mark Coleman became the world's best heavyweight and events like "Cold Fury" helped continue the momentum the promotion was enjoying. With ace Kazushi Sakuraba in its corner, there seemed nothing Pride could do to prevent its from being the biggest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion in the world. His "Gracie Hunter" moniker came full circle at this event, while a Brazilian and an American went toe-to-toe to help decide who the Japanese legend would face next. Two future and two former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) titleholders fought at the event, helping along the theory that Pride is where champions came to fight. Let's take a closer look at the historic event: UFC 13 tournament winner Guy Mezger was having more trouble across the Pacific than he had inside the Octagon. After losing a split decision to Japanese stalwart Akira Shoji, he entered the 2000 grand prix and faced off against Sakuraba in the opening round. The bout went all 15 minutes and to a judges' decision. In a fight many felt the Lion's Den had done enough to win, the scorecard read a "draw." One angry Ken Shamrock later and Mezger had forfeited the bout. A decision win four months later surely helped his confidence, but the devastating knockout loss he suffered to "The Axe Murderer" a few months after didn't help matters. Nearly a year into his Pride career and Mezger was sitting on a 1-3 record. Mezger helped tilt the numbers more in his favor with a brutal knockout over Alexander Otsuka in less than two minutes. Future UFC welterweight and heavyweight champions Carlos Newton and Ricco Rodriguez made appearances, each picking up a unanimous decision wins over their opponents, while former middleweight contender Ricardo Almeida made his MMA debut in a winning effort over Shoji. Heath Herring continued his impressive run after a come-from-behind upset win over Tom Erikson a few months before by defeating Enson Inoue. Pride 2000 grand prix quarterfinal opponents Kazuyuki Fujita and Mark Kerr each stepped inside the ring, but like that evening in Tokyo seven months prior, Fujita come out a winner, while "The Smashing Machine" came up short. "Ol' Ironhead" bested Gilbert Yvel over 10 minutes, while Kerr fell to Igor Vovchanchyn in 15 minutes. Kerr would, of course, be deeply affected by personal and substance abuse issues in the ensuing years, finding success only twice more in his career before retiring in 2009. The two big fights on the event would end up being Wanderlei Silva taking on Dan Henderson and the headliner of Kazushi Sakuraba and Ryan Gracie. At the time, both Silva and "Hendo" were relative newcomers to the sport and had hardly achieved the legendary status each enjoys today. But, both were still exciting scrappers and the match up didn't disappoint. Unable to get the Brazilian onto his back, Henderson was forced to stand and bang with "The Axe Murderer." For all his wrestling accolades, "Hendo" did well for himself on his feet and it'd be no surprise if this performance -- combined with his brutal knockout of Renzo Gracie three months later -- is what gave the Team Quest fighter the confidence he needed in his stand up to become the knockout machine we all know and love today. The main event saw Sakuraba solidify his "Gracie Hunter" nickname when he defeated his fourth member of the vaunted "first family of MMA." He nearly snapped Royler's arm at Pride 8, dominated Royce for 1.5 hours at the grand prix and then made good on his previous threat when he dislocated Renzo's elbow at Pride 10. His performance against Ryan was more Royce than Royler and Renzo as the Japanese legend was unable to submit the Brazilian, but still had no trouble defeating him. "Saku" didn't even seem to take the younger Gracie seriously and seemed more interested in entertaining the audience with bits than anything else. Pride 12 wouldn't have the same air as future events, but it was a more than fitting beginning to what would become the promotion's legacy at the Saitama Super Arena. More from the "Ghosts of Saitama" series: Ghosts of Saitama: In 2004, the world's greatest heavyweights descended upon Saitama Super Arena

Posted in: event, month, pride, saitama, arena

Ghosts of Saitama: In 2004, the world's greatest heavyweights descended upon Saitama Super Arena

Posted in: nogueira, pride, saitama, prix, emelianenko

Rejuvenated Ryan Bader Isn’t Fazed By 'Rampage' Jackson’s Japanese Fan Base

Ryan Bader was 18 years old when Quinton “Rampage” Jackson made his Pride Fighting Championships debut against Kazushi Sakuraba at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on July 29, 2001.

Posted in: kazushi sakuraba, saitama, championships debut, bader, saitama japan

Seven-fight main card set for UFC 144 in Japan

The UFC announced Tuesday that the main card for next weekend’s UFC 144 in Saitama, Japan will consist of seven fights on a four-hour PPV.

Posted in: ufc, card, japan, saitama, saitama japan

Read the full article at sportsnet.ca

UFC 144 ‘Edgar vs. Henderson’ In-Depth Preview

UFC 144 “Edgar vs. Henderson” takes place on Saturday, February 25, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan and will air live on pay-per-view at 10pm ET/7pm PT. The official UFC 144 fight card can be found in our fight cards section.

Posted in: ufc, fight, vs, saitama, saitama japan

UFC 144 ‘Edgar vs. Henderson’ Trailer

Posted in: ufc, fight, vs, saitama, saitama japan

Fedor Emelianenko KO's Satoshi Ishii in Round 1

Fedor Emelianenko ended 2011 on a high note, defeating Satoshi Ishii via KO in Round 1, as part of DREAM's New Year's Eve fight card at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Ishii looked strong during the first seconds of the fight, unleashing several striking combinations and leg kicks that troubled "The Last Emperor". However, when the pair clinched, Ishii was unable to execute a takedown, giving Emelianenko the opportunity to continue the fight in stand-up. The Russian unleashed combination after

Posted in: ishii, satoshi ishii, emelianenko, fight, saitama

Dream ‘Genki Desu Ka!’ Live Results and Play-by-Play (1 a.m. ET)

Sherdog.com will report from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan at approximately 1 a.m. ET with play-by-play and live results of Dream's ‘Fight for Japan: Genki Desu Ka! New Year's Eve 2011!’, which features three Dream title bouts, and is headlined by a heavyweight clash between Fedor Emelianenko and 2008 Olympic gold medalist Satoshi Ishii.

Posted in: dream, saitama, fedor emelianenko, heavyweight clash, saitama japan

DREAM ‘New Year! 2011′ Fedor vs. Ishii Promo

DREAM “New Year! 2011″ takes place on Saturday, Dec. 31, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan and will air on HDNet. The latest DREAM New Year! 2011 fight card can be found in our fight cards section.

Posted in: dream, year, saitama, saitama japan, dream ‘

Fedor-Ishii Confirmed for Dream NYE Event in Saitama

Fedor Emelianenko will make his return to the Land of the Rising Sun on New Year’s Eve.

Posted in: year, return, saitama, land, emelianenko

UFC 144 tickets for 'Edgar vs Henderson' on sale soon for Saitama Super Arena on Feb. 26 in Japan

Tickets for UFC 144: "Edgar vs. Henderson," which was recently made official for the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012, will go on sale to the general public on Fri., Dec. 10, 2011. Fans can get an early jump on ticket sales through UFC Mobile, which is offering a special pre-sale beginning today (Nov. 28), followed by WOWOW and Nikkan Sports on Tuesday (Nov. 29). UFC 144 will be headlined by a 155-pound title fight featuring Ben Henderson, fresh off his unanimous decision win over Clay Guida, taking on reigning lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. In addition, Jake Shields returns to action against Yoshihiro Akiyama, while Anthony Pettis and Joe Lauzon collide in what promises to be an exciting lightweight attraction. And what Japanese fight card would be complete without the addition of Quinton Jackson? "Rampage" will take on Ryan Bader in a light heavyweight tilt. UFC 144 tickets can be purchased through StubHub.com (Note: StubHub often has seats available even if the event is "sold out"). It will also be available to watch on Sat., Feb. 25, 2012, live via pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET, due to time zone differences. For the latest UFC 144 news and notes be sure to check out our complete archive right here.

Posted in: ufc, sale, ticket, saitama, yoshihiro akiyama

Ryan Bader vs. Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson set for UFC 144 in Japan

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson will get his wish. UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta today revealed to ESPN.com that the promotion has granted the former champion his request for a fight in Japan, and Ryan Bader will now oppose him at UFC 144. UFC 144 is set for Feb. 26 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Broadcast plans for the event have yet to be announced.

Posted in: ufc, japan, saitama, ryan bader, bader

Aoki, Kawajiri Earn Taps; Cabral Chokes Sakuraba at Dream 17

SAITAMA, Japan -- Dream lightweight champion Shinya Aoki racked up another submission finish in the main event of Dream 17 at the Saitama Super Arena, this time over former WEC lightweight champion “Razor” Rob McCullough.

Posted in: dream, champion, aoki, saitama, tap

DREAM.17 results: Aoki defends; Banuelos, Fernandes, Imanari, Marques advance

DREAM lightweight champion Shinya Aoki earned his six-consecutive MMA victory by submitting striking specialist "Razor" Rob McCullough in the first round of ther Saturday encounter. The matchup, which played out as most MMA pundits predicted, served as the featured contest of DREAM.17, which took place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The evening's 11-bout lineup aired live on HDNet.

Posted in: dream, saitama, marques advance, saturday encounter, mma pundits

DREAM.17 Weigh-In Results

The DREAM.17 weigh-ins took place earlier this morning in Saitama, Japan. All fighters made weight, however it took Abel Cullum four extra hours to hit his mark after Typhoon Roke delayed his arrival. The weigh-in results: Shinya Aoki (69.8 kg/153.9 lbs) vs. Rob McCullough (69.8 kg/153.9 lbs) Tatsuya Kawajiri (64.9 kg/143.1 lbs) vs. Joachim Hansen (65 kg/143.3 lbs) Caol Uno (64.9 kg/143.1 lbs) vs. Takeshi Inoue (65 kg/143.3 lbs) Kazushi Sakuraba (75.8 kg/167.1 lbs) vs. Yan Cabral (76 kg/167.6 lbs) Satoru Kitaoka (70 kg/154.3 lbs) vs. Willamy Freire (69.4 kg/153 lbs) Kazuhiro Nakamura (83.8 kg/184.7 lbs) vs. Gerald Harris (84 kg/185.2 lbs) Ikuhisa Minowa (87 kg/191.8 lbs) vs. Baru Harn (115 kg/253.5 lbs) Hideo Tokoro (61 kg/134.5 lbs) vs. Antonio Banuelos (61 kg/134.5 lbs) Bibiano Fernandes (60.8 kg/134 lbs) vs. Takafumi Otsuka (60.8 kg/134 lbs) Masakazu Imanari (60.8 kg/134 lbs) vs. Abel Cullum (62.8 kg/138.4 lbs) Yusup Saadulaev (60.8 kg/134 lbs) vs. Rodolfo Marques (61 kg/134.5 lbs) DREAM.17 takes place later tonight at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan and will air live on HDNet at 3am ET. Image via DREAM

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Dream 17 Live Results and Play-by-Play (3 a.m. ET)

Sherdog.com will report from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, at approximately 3:00 a.m. ET with play-by-play and live results of Dream 17, which features the quarterfinals of Dream world bantamweight grand prix.

Posted in: result, dream, saitama, arena, quarterfinal