Dream Debuts with Loaded Lightweight GP
Ishida returns
Mar 13, 2008
Mitushiro Ishida vs. Bu Kyung Jung (Pictures)
Because all promising judo converts must first be subjected to MMA's version of Heracles' labors, Bu Kyung Jung (Pictures) is being set up to play the Stringer Bell to Mitsuhiro Ishida (Pictures)'s Omar.
That is to say Ishida (15-3-1) is being afforded the opportunity to
trounce Kyung and move on in a tournament that some feel he is
primed to win. A fair stance given Ishida's return from a yearlong
layoff saw him score a surprising decision over fellow Shooto
alumnus Gilbert
Melendez (Pictures). Just how ready Ishida is to
assume the role of kingpin is debatable, however, as a one-sided
thrashing at the hands of Takanori Gomi (Pictures) still haunts the T-Blood
product.
No such circumstances surround Kyung (0-1). He is simply learning on the job with his training consisting of going against the very best his division has to offer.
An excess of grappling ability is a fine starting point for an MMA career, but it is poor armament for a bout against a veteran competitor who happens to be among the best this sport has to offer. No one should be surprised if Kyung manages to offer his fair share of solid submission attempts, but securing such a submission on Ishida will prove nigh impossible for the young judoka.
Early promise for Kyung will give way to a rather uneventful TKO stoppage in Ishida's favor. Ishida will exact his methodical ground and pound until his opponent can offer nothing but a feeble and ineffective defense.
Should Kyung manage the extraordinary, we can all proclaim him the Kenard of our own little Baltimore-based drama.
Kazuyuki Miyata (Pictures) vs. Luiz Buscape
No tournament is complete without the prerequisite dark horses primed to cast the expectations of the MMA cognoscenti asunder as they advance farther than anyone could have imagined.
Two such hopefuls are the perpetually mismatched Kazuyuki Miyata (Pictures) and his equally luckless opponent, Luiz "Buscape" Firmino.
For Miyata (5-6), this tournament represents an opportunity to transcend his sub-.500 record and cash in on the obvious talent that made him an intriguing prospect in the first place. A gifted athlete with a strong wrestling background, he has been the victim of poorly conceived matchmaking throughout his career. He has been consistently put up against far more experienced, grappling-oriented opponents designed to exploit his suspect submission defense.
More of the same may await Miyata against BTT product Firmino (11-3), who, while never living up to his legendary training lineage, has fashioned himself into one of the division's more reliable gatekeepers. Being the lightweight equivalent of St. Peter is hardly every fighter's dream, though, and "Buscape" is undoubtedly looking to recast himself as a more central figure in the MMA world.
A win over Miyata would be but the first step in what stands to be an arduous process, but that does nothing to change the fact that Firmino is precisely the kind of fighter that has always given Miyata fits. Skillful on the ground and competent enough on his feet to survive whatever Miyata may throw at him, Firmino should have no trouble dispatching Miyata early with a submission.
Now all Firmino has to do is live up to a tradition that dates all the way back to some of the sport's most noted pioneers. Can we get Philip Pirrip to be Firmino's life coach?
Eddie Alvarez (Pictures) vs. Andre Dida
Standing out among the usual suspects in this tournament is American export Eddie Alvarez (Pictures). He will cross the Pacific in hopes of acting as the proverbial monkey wrench in Dream's carefully laid plans.
Similar goals are likely simmering in the mind of Andre "Dida" Amade (6-2-1), who rose to fame after a Cinderella-like run in the recent Hero's lightweight Grand Prix.
An easy win over highly regarded Russian prospect Artur Oumakhanov (Pictures) was surprising enough, but notching a unanimous decision over Japanese legend Caol Uno (Pictures) in the tournament's opening round served as notice that K-1 had stumbled across a potential star in the making.
Although Amade went on to lose in the tournament finals against Gesias Calvancante (Pictures), that has done little to slow the Brazilian's momentum going into his current tournament endeavor.
While Alvarez (12-1) lacks his opponent's tournament-tested mettle, he has rapidly developed into one of the Northeast's more promising youngsters despite competing as an undersized welterweight throughout his career. Now that he has made the move to the lightweight division, it may only be a matter of time before his talent takes over and propels him to the greatness so many have come to expect of him.
Luck already smiled on Alvarez when he avoided being slotted against any of the tournament favorites. In Amade he faces an opponent against whom he can dictate the terms of the fight.
Should the striking go against Alvarez, his superior wrestling will be too much for Amade to resist, and he can turn the bout into a ground-and-pound affair with Amade's face serving as a canvas for his crimson-stained brushstrokes.
That scenario is the one most likely to play itself out, and it will end in Alvarez's favor as he advances with a unanimous decision. Don't pity Amade's fate, however. With a nickname like "Dida," I'm sure he could make the Brazilian national soccer team based on strength of pseudonym alone.
Artur Oumakhanov (Pictures) vs. Katsuhiko Nagata (Pictures)
Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to your "What the … ?" match of the evening. Every tournament has one, and Dream will be no exception as disappointing SK Absolute prospect Artur Oumakhanov (Pictures) has been slotted to face the equally disappointing Katsuhiko Nagata (Pictures).
Known as much for being the brother of Puroresu star Yuji Nagata as for his Olympic wrestling pedigree, Nagata (3-2) has yet to match the success he found as an amateur wrestler in MMA.
A silver medalist at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Greco-Roman wrestling, he entered MMA with the sort of background that has translated into great success for several others. That success has yet to come for Nagata, who lost his first two professional matches and has yet to notch what could be considered a noteworthy victory.
Notching wins hasn't been a problem for Oumakhanov (7-2). He actually bested fellow tournament competitor Kotetsu Boku (Pictures) in their GCM bout last year. Rather, it's been Oumakhanov's troubling propensity for racking up unexpected losses that has held back the sambo suplex specialist.
First up was a TKO loss to Andre Amade (Pictures), which was followed by a perplexing loss to the unknown Shoji Shoji (Pictures) via knockout. In a span of six months, Oumakhanov went from MMA darling to discarded prospect.
Making some noise in the most hotly anticipated tournament of the year would certainly get Oumakhanov back in the good graces of those who once sang his praises. Nagata won't be the one to break up the party either.
Watch for Oumakhanov to bully around the undersized Nagata for most of the bout as he works his way toward a unanimous decision. All bets are off if Yuji pulls off a vintage NJPW run-in.
Because all promising judo converts must first be subjected to MMA's version of Heracles' labors, Bu Kyung Jung (Pictures) is being set up to play the Stringer Bell to Mitsuhiro Ishida (Pictures)'s Omar.
Advertisement
No such circumstances surround Kyung (0-1). He is simply learning on the job with his training consisting of going against the very best his division has to offer.
The first course proved promising when Kyung provided Shinya Aoki (Pictures) with a far stiffer challenge than
expected, although the bout eventually served to highlight Kyung's
own inexperience in true fistic endeavors.
An excess of grappling ability is a fine starting point for an MMA career, but it is poor armament for a bout against a veteran competitor who happens to be among the best this sport has to offer. No one should be surprised if Kyung manages to offer his fair share of solid submission attempts, but securing such a submission on Ishida will prove nigh impossible for the young judoka.
Early promise for Kyung will give way to a rather uneventful TKO stoppage in Ishida's favor. Ishida will exact his methodical ground and pound until his opponent can offer nothing but a feeble and ineffective defense.
Should Kyung manage the extraordinary, we can all proclaim him the Kenard of our own little Baltimore-based drama.
Kazuyuki Miyata (Pictures) vs. Luiz Buscape
No tournament is complete without the prerequisite dark horses primed to cast the expectations of the MMA cognoscenti asunder as they advance farther than anyone could have imagined.
Two such hopefuls are the perpetually mismatched Kazuyuki Miyata (Pictures) and his equally luckless opponent, Luiz "Buscape" Firmino.
For Miyata (5-6), this tournament represents an opportunity to transcend his sub-.500 record and cash in on the obvious talent that made him an intriguing prospect in the first place. A gifted athlete with a strong wrestling background, he has been the victim of poorly conceived matchmaking throughout his career. He has been consistently put up against far more experienced, grappling-oriented opponents designed to exploit his suspect submission defense.
More of the same may await Miyata against BTT product Firmino (11-3), who, while never living up to his legendary training lineage, has fashioned himself into one of the division's more reliable gatekeepers. Being the lightweight equivalent of St. Peter is hardly every fighter's dream, though, and "Buscape" is undoubtedly looking to recast himself as a more central figure in the MMA world.
A win over Miyata would be but the first step in what stands to be an arduous process, but that does nothing to change the fact that Firmino is precisely the kind of fighter that has always given Miyata fits. Skillful on the ground and competent enough on his feet to survive whatever Miyata may throw at him, Firmino should have no trouble dispatching Miyata early with a submission.
Now all Firmino has to do is live up to a tradition that dates all the way back to some of the sport's most noted pioneers. Can we get Philip Pirrip to be Firmino's life coach?
Eddie Alvarez (Pictures) vs. Andre Dida
Standing out among the usual suspects in this tournament is American export Eddie Alvarez (Pictures). He will cross the Pacific in hopes of acting as the proverbial monkey wrench in Dream's carefully laid plans.
Similar goals are likely simmering in the mind of Andre "Dida" Amade (6-2-1), who rose to fame after a Cinderella-like run in the recent Hero's lightweight Grand Prix.
An easy win over highly regarded Russian prospect Artur Oumakhanov (Pictures) was surprising enough, but notching a unanimous decision over Japanese legend Caol Uno (Pictures) in the tournament's opening round served as notice that K-1 had stumbled across a potential star in the making.
Although Amade went on to lose in the tournament finals against Gesias Calvancante (Pictures), that has done little to slow the Brazilian's momentum going into his current tournament endeavor.
While Alvarez (12-1) lacks his opponent's tournament-tested mettle, he has rapidly developed into one of the Northeast's more promising youngsters despite competing as an undersized welterweight throughout his career. Now that he has made the move to the lightweight division, it may only be a matter of time before his talent takes over and propels him to the greatness so many have come to expect of him.
Luck already smiled on Alvarez when he avoided being slotted against any of the tournament favorites. In Amade he faces an opponent against whom he can dictate the terms of the fight.
Should the striking go against Alvarez, his superior wrestling will be too much for Amade to resist, and he can turn the bout into a ground-and-pound affair with Amade's face serving as a canvas for his crimson-stained brushstrokes.
That scenario is the one most likely to play itself out, and it will end in Alvarez's favor as he advances with a unanimous decision. Don't pity Amade's fate, however. With a nickname like "Dida," I'm sure he could make the Brazilian national soccer team based on strength of pseudonym alone.
Artur Oumakhanov (Pictures) vs. Katsuhiko Nagata (Pictures)
Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to your "What the … ?" match of the evening. Every tournament has one, and Dream will be no exception as disappointing SK Absolute prospect Artur Oumakhanov (Pictures) has been slotted to face the equally disappointing Katsuhiko Nagata (Pictures).
Known as much for being the brother of Puroresu star Yuji Nagata as for his Olympic wrestling pedigree, Nagata (3-2) has yet to match the success he found as an amateur wrestler in MMA.
A silver medalist at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Greco-Roman wrestling, he entered MMA with the sort of background that has translated into great success for several others. That success has yet to come for Nagata, who lost his first two professional matches and has yet to notch what could be considered a noteworthy victory.
Notching wins hasn't been a problem for Oumakhanov (7-2). He actually bested fellow tournament competitor Kotetsu Boku (Pictures) in their GCM bout last year. Rather, it's been Oumakhanov's troubling propensity for racking up unexpected losses that has held back the sambo suplex specialist.
First up was a TKO loss to Andre Amade (Pictures), which was followed by a perplexing loss to the unknown Shoji Shoji (Pictures) via knockout. In a span of six months, Oumakhanov went from MMA darling to discarded prospect.
Making some noise in the most hotly anticipated tournament of the year would certainly get Oumakhanov back in the good graces of those who once sang his praises. Nagata won't be the one to break up the party either.
Watch for Oumakhanov to bully around the undersized Nagata for most of the bout as he works his way toward a unanimous decision. All bets are off if Yuji pulls off a vintage NJPW run-in.
Related Articles
