Dream 16 FEG’s Last MMA Show until New Year’s Eve’s ‘Dynamite’

Dream 16 on Sept. 25 will be the last mixed martial arts event scheduled by Japanese promoter Fighting and Entertainment Group in 2010, according to FEG USA President Mike Kogan and HDNet Fights CEO Andrew Simon.

Confusion arose on Wednesday as to whether or not FEG would stage Dream 17 on Oct. 25. Kogan and Simon told Sherdog.com that Dream 17 was never officially scheduled and that the promotion had only planned for Dream 16 on Sept. 25 at Nippon Gaishi Hall in Nagoya, Japan. The annual K-1 ‘Dyanamite’ show will go forward as planned on New Year’s Eve.

“Dream 17 was not scheduled,” Kogan said. “Dynamite will happen in December, of course.”

Speculation pointed to an Oct. 25 date for Dream 17, which Simon told Sherdog.com was actually the date for FEG’s next K-1 Max show. That event, which will air live on HDNet, does not yet have a confirmed venue.

Apart from a poster release, Dream 16 still has not been made official by FEG, and aside from a bout between Gegard Mousasi and Tatsuya Mizuno for the vacant Dream light heavyweight title, no fights have been announced. However, Dream Event Producer Keiichi Sasahara confirmed to Kobudo TV that the event would feature nine to 10 bouts -- some of which may include fighters from rival promotion Sengoku Raiden Championship -- and would air on primetime television via the Tokyo Broadcasting System.

The show, which will serve as Dream’s 2010 primetime debut in Japan, will air following boxer Daiki Kameda’s WBA 112-pound title defense against former champion Takefumi Sakata. The last time the Japanese MMA giant followed a boxing title fight on television was with Dream 9; that aired immediately after Daisuke Naito defended his WBC flyweight championship against Xiong Zhao Zhong, pulling an average 16.2 percent rating.

Amid rumors of financial instability, an embattled FEG made headlines earlier this month after MMAFighting.com reported that veteran Gary Goodridge had yet to be paid for his 2009 New Year’s Eve bout against Mousasi. Less than a week later, Dream featherweight champion Bibiano Fernandes told Brazilian outlet Tatame he had not been paid for his March title defense against Joachim Hansen.

FEG officials responded to requests for comment from Sherdog.com by stating the pending press conference to officially announce Dream 16 and its matchups would also be used to address the Goodridge and Fernandes claims.