Dream Announces Bantamweight Grand Prix for May 29
Mike Whitman Apr 15, 2011
Fighting and Entertainment Group on Friday announced that Japanese
MMA promotion Dream will go forward with its rumored bantamweight
grand prix in 2011.
The tournament will reportedly kick off May 29 from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The draw is expected to feature eight fighters: Masakazu Imanari (Pictured), Kenji Osawa, Takafumi Otsuka, Darren Uyenoyama, Hideo Tokoro, Keisuke Fujiwara, Yoshiro Maeda and Atsushi Yamamoto. The matchups will reportedly be decided by a random lottery next week.
Also scheduled for the May 29 event, which has been dubbed “Fight for Japan,” are several non-tournament bouts which could contain such names as Dream lightweight champion Shinya Aoki, former champion Joachim Hansen, Mitsuhiro Ishida, Caol Uno, Katsunori Kikuno and Akiyo Nishiura. The first and second rounds of the tournament will reportedly take place in May, with the final currently scheduled for July.
Dream’s most recent event, Dream 16, took place on Sept. 25. The event was headlined by the final of the light heavyweight grand prix between Gegard Mousasi and Tatsuya Mizuno. Mousasi submitted Mizuno with a first-round rear-naked choke to win the tournament and capture the promotion’s 205-pound title.
The tournament will reportedly kick off May 29 from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The draw is expected to feature eight fighters: Masakazu Imanari (Pictured), Kenji Osawa, Takafumi Otsuka, Darren Uyenoyama, Hideo Tokoro, Keisuke Fujiwara, Yoshiro Maeda and Atsushi Yamamoto. The matchups will reportedly be decided by a random lottery next week.
Also scheduled for the May 29 event, which has been dubbed “Fight for Japan,” are several non-tournament bouts which could contain such names as Dream lightweight champion Shinya Aoki, former champion Joachim Hansen, Mitsuhiro Ishida, Caol Uno, Katsunori Kikuno and Akiyo Nishiura. The first and second rounds of the tournament will reportedly take place in May, with the final currently scheduled for July.
Dream’s most recent event, Dream 16, took place on Sept. 25. The event was headlined by the final of the light heavyweight grand prix between Gegard Mousasi and Tatsuya Mizuno. Mousasi submitted Mizuno with a first-round rear-naked choke to win the tournament and capture the promotion’s 205-pound title.
Related Articles
