'EA Sports MMA' Game Adds Aoki, Yoshida

EA Sports announced additional signings for its EA Sports MMA interactive arts video game earlier with week with Shinya Aoki and Hidehiko Yoshida at a press conference in Japan.

Both fighters were victorious in their New Year’s Eve bouts at K-1 and Dream’s co-promoted “Dynamite: The Power of Courage 2009” at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Aoki earned a brutal first-round technical submission by hammerlock over Sengoku lightweight champion Mizuto Hirota. Yoshida out-pointed fellow Olympic judo gold medalist Satoshi Ishii, who was making his MMA debut.

Aoki, Dream’s lightweight champion, is also expected to make his U.S. debut with Strikeforce in the first quarter of 2010. Strikeforce and Dream share a strategic talent-sharing alliance.

EA Sports MMA, which will also feature Strikeforce as a “premiere league” in the game, will be released in fall 2010.

EA Sports MMA’s growing list of signed athletes now includes Randy Couture, Brett Rogers, Jake Shields, Fedor Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi, Renato "Babalu" Sobral, Jay Hieron, Jason "Mayhem" Miller Muhammed Lawal.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia and Strikeforce middleweights Benji Radach and Tim Kennedy have also announced their involvement with the game in past interviews.

Strikeforce commentators Mauro Ranallo and Frank Shamrock, as well as ring announcer Jimmy Lennon, will represent their real-life roles in the game. Iconic referee “Big” John McCarthy will oversee the pixilated fights.

EA Sports said in November that the company is still recruiting fighters and personalities for the game, which could include additional international athletes, as well as female fighters.

“EA Sports MMA” Participants

Fedor Emelianenko
Randy Couture
Gegard Mousasi
Renato "Babalu" Sobral
Jay Hieron
Tim Sylvia
Benji Radach
Tim Kennedy
Jason "Mayhem" Miller
Muhammed Lawal
Frank Shamrock
Cung Le
Scott Smith
Josh Thomson
Gilbert Melendez
Matt Lindland
Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza
Robbie Lawler
Nick Thompson
Hidehiko Yoshida
Shinya Aoki
Frank Shamrock
Mauro Ranallo
Jimmy Lennon
“Big” John McCarthy