Dream champion
Shinya Aoki will lock horns with Sengoku titleholder
Mizuto Hirota in a showdown between two of the world’s top lightweights at K-1 “Dynamite Power of Courage 2009” on Dec. 31 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
Aoki last appeared in October when he submitted
Joachim Hansen with a second-round armbar, avenging his technical knockout loss to the Norwegian in the 2008 Dream lightweight grand prix. The 26-year-old has posted five wins in six fights and holds notable victories over
Vitor Ribeiro, Bellator champion
Eddie Alvarez and American Top Team dynamo
Gesias Cavalcante. Aoki has delivered 13 of his 22 wins by submission and has solidified his place as one of the most feared ground fighters in the sport.
Hirota, 28, has secured back-to-back quality stoppage wins over former Sengoku champion
Satoru Kitaoka and Strikeforce veteran
Mitsuhiro Ishida. A 2008 knockout victory against former International Fight League titleholder
Ryan Schultz strengthens his resume, which includes eight finishes. Hirota has never been finished in 16 career bouts.
The Aoki-Hirota match was not the only high-profile tilt added to the K-1 mix on New Year’s Eve.
Tatsuya Kawajiri will meet
Kazunori Yokota in another pivotal lightweight bout.
The 31-year-old Kawajiri has won six of his last seven fights, the lone defeat coming to Alvarez in the 2008 “Fight of the Year.” He counts victories over Cavalcante, Ribeiro, Hansen and UFC veterans
Per Eklund and
Yves Edwards among his 25 conquests. Kawajiri last competed two months ago, when he stopped the overmatched
Melchor Manibusan on first-round strikes at Dream 11.
Yokota will carry a three-fight winning streak into the match. The 31-year-old outpointed the respected
Eiji Mitsuoka at Sengoku “Eleventh Battle” last month, maintaining the momentum he gained with a spectacular knockout of Schultz earlier this year. Yokota owns other noteworthy victories over Hirota and Sengoku featherweight ace
Michihiro Omigawa.
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