OSAKA, Japan -- Kazushi Sakuraba has become a tradition unto himself on New Year’s Eve, as he has competed on that date for the last four years. Expect his streak to end in 2009.

Sakuraba, 40, does not believe it will be possible for him to compete at Fighting and Entertainment Group’s end-of-the-year “Dynamite” show on Dec. 31, despite the fact that he left his hard-fought submission victory over Zelg Galesic at Dream 12 on Sunday with a clean bill of health.

“There’s no damage to my brain and also my bones are fine,” said Sakuraba during a post-fight press conference on Tuesday. “It’s just a bruise on my temple. After I go back to Tokyo, I’ll go to a doctor again. I’m sorry. I didn’t drink last night, so I’m not funny today.”

Hidden behind a pair of sunglasses, Sakuraba reiterated his respect for Galesic, who may have suffered a broken leg as a result of the kneebar to which he succumbed.

“After the fight, I made a comment that I would like to repeat,” Sakuraba said. “My opponent is a very good fighter. It was not a long fight, but I thought it was a great experience to fight him.”

Sakuraba did have one issue with the Croatian, however.

“When I shook his hand before the show, his hand was really hot and sweaty,” he said. “I didn’t want him to punch me with that hand. I was conscious all the time, but it was very painful. I was thinking of giving up because of the damage I was getting from his punches.”

All four Japanese victors at Dream 12 were sporting post-fight injuries. Sakuraba (head), Yoshiro Maeda (foot), Tomoya Miyashita (eye) and Katsuyori Shibata (abdomen) all sustained some damage. Maeda and Shibata expressed their desires to fight on the “Dynamite” show, now little more than two months away.

Maeda put together one of the best performances of his career, as he submitted former World Extreme Cagefighting bantamweight champion Chase Beebe in the first round.

“Yesterday was my first cage fight in Japan,” Maeda said. “It was very spacious, and it was a very nice cage. I like the cage, so I didn’t feel any stress or pressure.”

Alvarez Gives Cage Glowing Review

Consider Bellator Fighting Championships lightweight titleholder Eddie Alvarez a fan of the much-hyped “white cage” utilized at Dream 12. Alvarez gave the new material rave reviews following his submission victory against Deep champion Katsunori Kikuno.

“When they first described the matrix -- the cage -- I was thinking that it would be like a cage in the United States, but I realized that it had a lot more bounce,” Alvarez said. “I like it. You don’t take a lot of damage if you get taken down against it, and it has a lot of spring and you can use that to take your opponent down. I compared it in the United States to playing football on NFL turf. It was very professional. It was like nothing I’ve every fought in before.”

The debuting enclosure used a material primarily used for Japanese tuna fishing, rather than the traditional steel.

Alvarez found the going rough against Kikuno, who pinned his arms and neck in a standing crucifix for several moments in the first round.

“Unfortunately, early in the fight, I got caught in a very awkward, very weird position, and I didn't perform throughout the rest of the fight the way I wanted to,” Alvarez said. “My neck hurts. I’m going to go home and see a chiropractor.”

The Philadelphia native indicated he may look to try his hand at K-1 in order to hone his striking skills, just as a number of Dream lightweights have done in the past.

Overeem Looks Ahead, Zaromskis Cites Luck

Despite his status as one of the few compelling opponents for Fedor Emelianenko, Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem shifted his focus back to K-1 competition following his quick submission win over EliteXC veteran James Thompson.

“I’m happy that the fight went as it went and I have no injuries,” Overeem said. “I’m fit for preparation for the K-1 finals [on Dec. 5]. I expected to strike more, as I’ve only been training striking lately, but a quick submission win was also wonderful.”

Dream welterweight champion Marius Zaromskis pointed to luck after his third straight brutal head kick knockout. This time, he felled Korean Myeon Ho Bae in a non-title affair.

“I can’t say a lot about what happened; it was a short fight,” he said. “When I came here, I was very excited to see the castle [next to Osaka Castle Hall]. Then I went in the cage. I was, like, ‘This is wonderful.’ The atmosphere was very nice, and I felt it was lucky. White cage and a white castle -- it’s good luck.”