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Kazushi Sakuraba, less than three weeks after he submitted boxer
Rubin Williams, will lock horns with
Zelg Galesic at Dream 12 “The Cage of the Rising Sun” this Sunday at Osaka Castle Hall in Osaka, Japan. The 40-year-old Pride Fighting Championships veteran replaces an injured
Melvin Manhoef.
In the twilight of his distinguished career, Sakuraba snapped a two-fight losing streak when he submitted the debuting Williams with a first-round kimura at Dream 11 on Oct. 6. He holds notable victories against one-time UFC heavyweight titleholder
Kevin Randleman, UFC hall of famers
Ken Shamrock and
Royce Gracie and former UFC light heavyweight champions
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and
Vitor Belfort. Sakuraba has delivered 17 of his 24 career wins by submission.
Galesic, meanwhile, has not competed since he tapped out to a
Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza armbar in the Dream middleweight grand prix semi-finals more than a year ago. The 30-year-old Croatian has never gone the distance in 13 career bouts.
In another late addition to the Dream 12 lineup, welterweight champion
Marius Zaromskis will tackle
Myeon Ho Bae in a non-title matchup.
Spawned by the London Shootfighters camp, Zaromskis tore through the Dream welterweight grand prix earlier this year, as he defeated
Seichi Ikemoto,
Hayato “Mach” Sakurai and Affliction veteran
Jason High en route to the title. The 29-year-old Lithuanian will carry a four-fight winning streak into Dream 12.
Bae last competed in June, when he posted a unanimous decision victory
Yusaku Tsukumo at Deep “42 Impact.” A veteran of the M-1 Challenge circuit, he has not been finished in more than three years and has won seven of his last eight fights.
Eddie Alvarez vs.
Katsunori Kikuno
Kazushi Sakuraba vs.
Zelg Galesic
Paulo Filho vs.
Dong Sik Yoon
Marius Zaromskis vs.
Myeon Ho Bae
Yoshiro Maeda vs.
Chase Beebe
Keisuke Fujiwara vs.
Tomoya Miyashita
Kuniyoshi Hironaka vs.
Won Sik Park
Katsuyori Shibata vs.
Tokimitsu Ishizawa
Alistair Overeem vs. TBA
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