More DREAM Grand Prix Fights Announced
by Robert Sargent
Earlier today, FEG announced three new quarterfinal bouts for the inaugural DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix, including fights featuring top-10 lightweights Tatsuya "Crusher" Kawajiri and Joachim "Hellboy" Hansen.
These fights are in addition to the long-awaited battle between Shinya "Tobikan Judan" Aoki and Gesias "JZ Calvan" Calvancante.
The Aoki-Calvancante rematch was originally scheduled to take place at the M-1 Global co-promoted "Yarennoka!" event on New Year's Eve.
The announced bouts for the quarterfinals of the DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix were Kawajiri vs Kultar "Black Mamba" Gill, Hansen vs Kotetsu Boku and Luis "Buscape" Firmino vs Kazuyuki Miyata.
Kawajiri is coming off of a dominating decision victory over Luiz Azeredo at "Yarennoka!" and Hansen rebounded from a loss to Eiji Mitsuoka in Shooto when he defeated Miyata at K-1's year-end show.
Boku fought five times in 2007. He began with a Draw with Kenichiro Togashi in Shooto, then went 3-1 in the Greatest Common Multiple promotion. The loss came to Artur Oumakhanov, who will also be competing in the DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix.
Miyata, who is perhaps most famous as the recipient of the four-second flying knee KO from Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto in K-1 HERO's, went 2-2 in 2007, with both of his losses to top-10 fighters, in Hansen and Vitor "Shaolin" Ribiero. He may be a dark horse in the tournament, but it seems more likely that he will be an early casualty.
Gill is coming off of a TKO victory - but is only 1-3 in his last four fights - and Firmino has not fought since 2006, as a sought-after rematch with Luiz Azeredo did not come to fruition in 2007.
Calvancante, Aoki and Kawajiri must be considered as the early favourites to win the Grand Prix, but the division is incredibly competitive, and anyone could emerge as the victor.
Other fighters who will be a part of the event include top-10 lightweights, "The Endless Warrior" Mitsuhiro Ishida and Gilbert "El Niņo" Melendez, as well as Caol Uno, Andre "Dida" Amade, Bu Kyung Jung and the aforementioned Oumakhanov. Two other competitors will be named at a later date.
While the Grand Prix may not be quite as stacked with top-10 fighters as it would have been in 2007 in PRIDE, it is still shaping up to be an amazing tournament.
