Dream Debuts with Loaded Lightweight GP
Dream Debuts
Mar 13, 2008
With an impressive assortment of talent in tow and the resources to
back up its bluster, Dream may turn out to be the proverbial
phoenix rising from the ashes left behind by the collapse of
Pride.
Following the formula of its doomed predecessor, the promotion has put together a stacked grand prix highlighting some of the best fighters the lightweight division has to offer.
Throw in an undercard featuring Cro-Bauer and one of the original
Shooto aces as well as my rather unconventional solution for
Ikuhisa Minowa
(Pictures)'s still unannounced
opponent, and you've got every reason to clean out the bank account
and head across the ocean.
That or you could just read this preview and tell your friends how much you liked it. In fact, go with that second option. Trust me on this one.
On a card loaded with lightweight ramifications, the opening round battle between Paraestra pupil Shinya Aoki (Pictures) and ATT assault tank Gesias "JZ" Calvancante may play the most pivotal role in determining both the short- and long-term future of a division that has grown stagnant post-Pride implosion.
Jumping between the welterweight and lightweight divisions has kept Aoki (14-2) in the public eye. Last year saw the "Tobikan Judan" topple Akira Kikuchi (Pictures) for a second time and notch an uneventful submission win over the perpetually anonymous Brian Lo-A-Njoe (Pictures).
A fitting resolution to the year was beyond Aoki's reach, however, as judo convert Bu Kyung Jung (Pictures) forced the Japanese grappling phenom to the time limit before dropping a unanimous decision. Coasting to a decision nod won't be an option for Aoki against the lightweight division's answer to Megatron.
Perhaps the only thing missing from Calvancante's arsenal is the ability to transform into a Walther P38, but that hasn't kept Calvancante (14-1-1) from leveling his competition like a bunch of B-team Autobots.
His assault began under the K-1 Hero's banner with lightning-quick destructions of Hidetaka Monma (Pictures), Hiroyuki Takaya (Pictures) and Rani Yahya (Pictures). However, it wasn't until the Hero's Grand Prix that the world realized what this lightweight upstart could really do.
A vintage schoolyard bullying cemented Calvancante's place amongst the elite, as he relieved both Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro and Andre "Dida" Amade of their lunch money en route to winning the Hero's GP.
Taking a second straight tournament will mean getting past one of MMA's premier grapplers in Aoki. While Calvancante could certainly land in trouble should this fight hit the mat, he holds a distinct advantage should the bout remain standing.
Given Calvancante's recent preference for blitzing opponents on the feet, Aoki will have to rely on a suspect chin and non-existent wrestling skills to flip this fight in his favor. Pulling guard has always been a viable option for Aoki, but testing Calvancante's ground and pound isn't likely to net anyone a W. Look for Calvancante to unload his payload early and often, as Aoki ends up taking both a few fists and a loss square on the chin.
Content with his success in MMA, expect "JZ" to announce a revamped "Best of Both Worlds Tour" featuring himself and Paul Kelly (Pictures).
Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures) vs. Kultar Gill (Pictures)
Long noted for their headache-inducing approach to matchmaking, the Japanese matchmakers have outdone themselves this time by pitting former Shooto welterweight champion Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures) against an already injured Kobe "Black Mamba" Bryant of the L.A. Lakers.
OK, the truth is that "The Crusher" will make his Dream debut against the most fistically inclined of the sporting world's black mambas, Canada's own Kultar Gill (Pictures) (9-6). No offense to Roger Mayweather.
Just one of several K-1 converts peppered throughout the inaugural Dream card, not much is expected of Gill, who has struggled of late, having lost four of his last six bouts. Tackling the likes of Kawajiri is hardly the best way to get back on track, but Gill is being afforded the opportunity to launch himself into the lightweight conversation should he pull off a Haseem Rahman.
Kawajiri (20-4-2) is simply looking to keep his name in the conversation and perhaps set up future showdowns with the other premier lightweights in this tournament. A rare opportunity for Kawajiri, who has been inactive of late with his only recent bout being a decision over ninja ballerina Luiz Azeredo (Pictures) -- a solid win by any measure, but hardly the fuel for another run at the top of the division.
That run could begin here against an opponent ill equipped to thwart Kawajiri's clinical ground-and-pound approach. While Gill is a solid kickboxer, his takedown defense is lacking. And once on the ground, he seems about as comfortable as Roger Clemens under oath.
The disparity on the ground will simply be too great for Gill to overcome. Kawajiri casually dominates with ground and pound en route to a TKO stoppage late in the first round.
All bets are off if renowned snake lover Slash shows up and distracts Kawajiri with a face-melting guitar solo. Hey, anything is possible in Japan.
Joachim Hansen (Pictures) vs. Kotetsu Boku (Pictures)
While the opening round of any tournament usually yields a host of mismatches that will hopefully lead to compelling future fisticuffs, Dream delivers at least one bit of compelling action by pairing a Viking grappler with a gangsta boxer. Can't go wrong with that.
The Viking grappler half of the equation is manifest in the form of Shooto castaway Joachim Hansen (Pictures) (16-6-1), who is looking to rebound from an erratic 2007 campaign. Submission wins over Jason Ireland (Pictures) and Kazuyuki Miyata (Pictures) served as reminders of his grappling acumen, but a decision loss to Eiji Mitsuoka (Pictures) in his Shooto return cast serious doubt on his place in the lightweight division.
Equally in limbo is Kotetsu Boku (Pictures) (13-4-1), whose 2007 saw a successful run in GCM come to a disappointing close with a split decision loss to fellow tournament competitor Artur Oumakhanov (Pictures). A draw against the lightly regarded Kenichiro Togashi (Pictures) certainly hasn't helped Boku overcome the perception that he is simply another one-dimensional striker in a division full of multifaceted foes awaiting him.
Hansen is one such foe. His unusual combination of slick grappling and unorthodox but ultimately effective striking often befuddles opponents. While Boku is the far superior boxer, he is often content to score points on the feet while Hansen's vicious assortment of knee strikes can end a fight at any given moment.
Landing such a blow on Boku is likely beyond Hansen's ability, but keeping this fight on the feet may be beyond Boku's own abilities. Always lacking in takedown defense, Boku hardly splits the difference with strong grappling, as the bulk of his losses have come thanks to a suspect ground game.
Watch for Hansen to keep Boku honest on the feet just long enough to score a takedown and unleash a vicious barrage with the mighty Mjolnir. That or Hansen locks in a rear-naked choke.
Following the formula of its doomed predecessor, the promotion has put together a stacked grand prix highlighting some of the best fighters the lightweight division has to offer.
Advertisement
That or you could just read this preview and tell your friends how much you liked it. In fact, go with that second option. Trust me on this one.
Shinya
Aoki (Pictures) vs. Gesias Calvancante
(Pictures)
On a card loaded with lightweight ramifications, the opening round battle between Paraestra pupil Shinya Aoki (Pictures) and ATT assault tank Gesias "JZ" Calvancante may play the most pivotal role in determining both the short- and long-term future of a division that has grown stagnant post-Pride implosion.
Jumping between the welterweight and lightweight divisions has kept Aoki (14-2) in the public eye. Last year saw the "Tobikan Judan" topple Akira Kikuchi (Pictures) for a second time and notch an uneventful submission win over the perpetually anonymous Brian Lo-A-Njoe (Pictures).
A fitting resolution to the year was beyond Aoki's reach, however, as judo convert Bu Kyung Jung (Pictures) forced the Japanese grappling phenom to the time limit before dropping a unanimous decision. Coasting to a decision nod won't be an option for Aoki against the lightweight division's answer to Megatron.
Perhaps the only thing missing from Calvancante's arsenal is the ability to transform into a Walther P38, but that hasn't kept Calvancante (14-1-1) from leveling his competition like a bunch of B-team Autobots.
His assault began under the K-1 Hero's banner with lightning-quick destructions of Hidetaka Monma (Pictures), Hiroyuki Takaya (Pictures) and Rani Yahya (Pictures). However, it wasn't until the Hero's Grand Prix that the world realized what this lightweight upstart could really do.
A vintage schoolyard bullying cemented Calvancante's place amongst the elite, as he relieved both Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro and Andre "Dida" Amade of their lunch money en route to winning the Hero's GP.
Taking a second straight tournament will mean getting past one of MMA's premier grapplers in Aoki. While Calvancante could certainly land in trouble should this fight hit the mat, he holds a distinct advantage should the bout remain standing.
Given Calvancante's recent preference for blitzing opponents on the feet, Aoki will have to rely on a suspect chin and non-existent wrestling skills to flip this fight in his favor. Pulling guard has always been a viable option for Aoki, but testing Calvancante's ground and pound isn't likely to net anyone a W. Look for Calvancante to unload his payload early and often, as Aoki ends up taking both a few fists and a loss square on the chin.
Content with his success in MMA, expect "JZ" to announce a revamped "Best of Both Worlds Tour" featuring himself and Paul Kelly (Pictures).
Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures) vs. Kultar Gill (Pictures)
Long noted for their headache-inducing approach to matchmaking, the Japanese matchmakers have outdone themselves this time by pitting former Shooto welterweight champion Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures) against an already injured Kobe "Black Mamba" Bryant of the L.A. Lakers.
OK, the truth is that "The Crusher" will make his Dream debut against the most fistically inclined of the sporting world's black mambas, Canada's own Kultar Gill (Pictures) (9-6). No offense to Roger Mayweather.
Just one of several K-1 converts peppered throughout the inaugural Dream card, not much is expected of Gill, who has struggled of late, having lost four of his last six bouts. Tackling the likes of Kawajiri is hardly the best way to get back on track, but Gill is being afforded the opportunity to launch himself into the lightweight conversation should he pull off a Haseem Rahman.
Kawajiri (20-4-2) is simply looking to keep his name in the conversation and perhaps set up future showdowns with the other premier lightweights in this tournament. A rare opportunity for Kawajiri, who has been inactive of late with his only recent bout being a decision over ninja ballerina Luiz Azeredo (Pictures) -- a solid win by any measure, but hardly the fuel for another run at the top of the division.
That run could begin here against an opponent ill equipped to thwart Kawajiri's clinical ground-and-pound approach. While Gill is a solid kickboxer, his takedown defense is lacking. And once on the ground, he seems about as comfortable as Roger Clemens under oath.
The disparity on the ground will simply be too great for Gill to overcome. Kawajiri casually dominates with ground and pound en route to a TKO stoppage late in the first round.
All bets are off if renowned snake lover Slash shows up and distracts Kawajiri with a face-melting guitar solo. Hey, anything is possible in Japan.
Joachim Hansen (Pictures) vs. Kotetsu Boku (Pictures)
While the opening round of any tournament usually yields a host of mismatches that will hopefully lead to compelling future fisticuffs, Dream delivers at least one bit of compelling action by pairing a Viking grappler with a gangsta boxer. Can't go wrong with that.
The Viking grappler half of the equation is manifest in the form of Shooto castaway Joachim Hansen (Pictures) (16-6-1), who is looking to rebound from an erratic 2007 campaign. Submission wins over Jason Ireland (Pictures) and Kazuyuki Miyata (Pictures) served as reminders of his grappling acumen, but a decision loss to Eiji Mitsuoka (Pictures) in his Shooto return cast serious doubt on his place in the lightweight division.
Equally in limbo is Kotetsu Boku (Pictures) (13-4-1), whose 2007 saw a successful run in GCM come to a disappointing close with a split decision loss to fellow tournament competitor Artur Oumakhanov (Pictures). A draw against the lightly regarded Kenichiro Togashi (Pictures) certainly hasn't helped Boku overcome the perception that he is simply another one-dimensional striker in a division full of multifaceted foes awaiting him.
Hansen is one such foe. His unusual combination of slick grappling and unorthodox but ultimately effective striking often befuddles opponents. While Boku is the far superior boxer, he is often content to score points on the feet while Hansen's vicious assortment of knee strikes can end a fight at any given moment.
Landing such a blow on Boku is likely beyond Hansen's ability, but keeping this fight on the feet may be beyond Boku's own abilities. Always lacking in takedown defense, Boku hardly splits the difference with strong grappling, as the bulk of his losses have come thanks to a suspect ground game.
Watch for Hansen to keep Boku honest on the feet just long enough to score a takedown and unleash a vicious barrage with the mighty Mjolnir. That or Hansen locks in a rear-naked choke.
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