DREAM: Heiwa Dream.3 Results & Recap
by Robert Sargent
Certainly the best event to date in 2008, Heiwa Dream.3 featured excellent matches from start to finish, with Tatsuya Kawajiri, Eddie Alvarez and Caol Uno all advancing to the next round of the DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix.
The event served as the first true step back to major prominence for mixed martial arts in Japan, after Dream.1 and Dream.2 suffered from controversy and lacklustre fights.
DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix Bouts
Caol "Uno Shoten" Uno vs "The Endless Fighter" Mitsuhiro Ishida
Uno came out looking better than he has in many years, dating back to the days when he battled BJ Penn to a Draw in the UFC, as he repeatedly stuffed takedown attempts from Ishida and eventually submitted Ishida in the second round.Round one began with the fighters circling each other cautiously before Uno began to land hard leg kicks. After a brief pause following a low blow from Ishida, Uno landed a solid combination that dropped Ishida. Uno stuffed a takedown attempt and squirmed out of another, and Ishida began bleeding badly from his nose. Uno continued to defend takedown attempts, a feat which few fighters can manage against Ishida, and landed punches and knees.
Uno continued to dominate the striking exchanges as the round neared the midpoint, and a wild punching exchange took place in the corner. Uno stunned Ishida with another hard right, but Ishida finally scored a takedown. Uno looked to lock on a Kimura, but Ishida transitioned into an armbar escape. Uno dropped Ishida with another punch and Ishida took Uno to the ground, working from Uno's half-guard. Ishida took Uno's back and looked for a rear naked choke, but was unable to secure it before the end of the round.
Round two began slowly, but Uno landed a solid knee to the head of Ishida. Ishida managed to get Uno down and take his back, but Uno squirmed and took Ishida's back, locking in a modified rear naked choke for the victory. A highly impressive performance from Uno. Afterwards, Ishida's training partner, Tatsuya Kawajiri, expressed a desire to face Uno in the near future.
Winner: Caol Uno by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 1:39 of round two. He improves to 25-10-4 and advances in the DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix.
Eddie Alvarez vs Joachim "Hellboy" Hansen
In what must easily be considered Fight of the Year thus far, Alvarez and Hansen engaged in an all-out war for 15 minutes, with Alvarez emerging with a very close but Unanimous Decision victory.Alvarez dropped Hansen with a left-right combination less than 30 seconds into the fight, setting the tone for the rest of the match. Alvarez pounced and landed a few strikes on the ground, but Hansen's defence was solid. Hansen attempted an armbar, but Alvarez escaped and got back to his feet. Alvarez continued to dominate with punches, dazing Hansen again and taking him down. Hansen began to fare better on the feet, landing punches and a knee, but Alvarez was unfazed. Alvarez scored another takedown, then dropped Hansen with a punch after both fighters returned to their feet.
Hansen recovered from the punch quickly, coming back with punches of his own. Alvarez scored another takedown and landed punches, but began bleeding from the nose. Both fighters exchanged solid strikes before Alvarez took Hansen back down. The process repeated, with another wild striking exchange and an Alvarez takedown. Hansen used a triangle to trap both of Alvarez's legs on the ground, preventing Alvarez from moving at all. Alvarez landed a series of punches from top position and Hansen countered with upkicks. Both fighters landed solid punches in the final two minutes, with Hansen beginning to take an advantage with knees and leg kicks. An incredible round.
Hansen scored a takedown early in the second round and looked for a guillotine choke, to no avail. Hansen pushed Alvarez back with his feet, moving to mount position as Alvarez scrambled to regain half-guard. Hansen locked on a shoulder lock, but Alvarez again escaped. Hansen landed a series of punches, then took Alvarez down with a rolling Kimura. Alvarez squirmed free, but found himself in another Kimura seconds later. Hansen transitioned into an armbar and Alvarez rolled and narrowly managed to escape. The final minute saw Hansen stuff a takedown attempt and Alvarez countered with a head kick and four punches just before the bell.
In the end, Alvarez emerged victorious with a somewhat surprising Unanimous Decision, in a fight that was easily close enough to warrant a Split, but Hansen stated after the fight that Alvarez was the toughest opponent he had ever faced. That is quite a compliment, given that Hansen has faced (and often beaten) many of the best strikers in the lightweight division, including Takanori Gomi and Gesias Calvancante.
Winner: Eddie Alvarez by Unanimous Decision after two rounds. He improves to 14-1-0 and advances in the DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix.
Tatsuya "Crusher" Kawajiri vs Luis "Buscape" Firmino
Kawajiri did as he often does, dominating the duration of the fight with effective striking and ground and pound, with Firmino unable to do much of anything except try to defend.Firmino attempted a takedown early on, but wound up slipping to the mat himself. He tried to reverse position, and Kawajiri eventually squirmed back to his feet. After a clinch, Firmino tried for a heel hook, but Kawajiri escaped and began to land strikes from top position. This continued for quite some time, with Kawajiri landing punches and knees to the head of Firmino. Kawajiri landed more knees as the fighters got back to their feet halfway through the round.
Kawajiri dropped Firmino with a punch with about four minutes remaining in round one, then landed more strikes from top position as Firmino tried to recover. Firmino could do little more than use his legs to keep Kawajiri at a distance. After more punches from Kawajiri, Firmino nearly managed to reverse position, but Kawajiri worked back to his feet. Firmino managed to get Kawajiri back down in the corner, but spent more time holding Kawajiri in place than doing any damage. Kawajiri got back to his feet and defended takedown attempts until the bell.
Round two was more of the same, with Kawajiri stuffing a takedown attempt and taking top position on the ground. Kawajiri began to land a series of lefts and knee strikes to the head of Firmino as Firmino tried to defend. Firmino got back to his feet after another flurry from Kawajiri, but Kawajiri promptly slammed him back down to the mat. Kawajiri once again punished Firmino on the ground, then landed a knee as the fighters got back to their feet. Kawajiri pounced after Firmino failed a takedown attempt, briefly getting mount, but Firmino reversed and took Kawajiri's back until just before the bell.
The final minute was not enough for Firmino to come back on the scorecards, and Kawajiri emerged with a clear-cut Unanimous Decision victory, making it two for two against Firmino.
Winner: Tatsuya Kawajiri by Unanimous Decision after two rounds. He improves to 22-4-2 and advances in the DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix.
Non-Tournament Bouts
Nick Diaz vs Katsuya Inoue
After first being on, then off, then back on, this welterweight (168 pounds) fight did indeed take place, with Diaz looking considerably larger than he has in his recent lightweight bouts.As usual, Diaz came out aggressively, throwing wild punches to the head and body as Inoue retreated. This continued for the first two minutes, with Diaz also landing knees to the legs of Inoue. Inoue began to land solid counterpunches as Diaz's reckless style often allows, but Diaz continued to press forward. Diaz landed more shots to the body, but made absolutely no effort to dodge or block the counterpunches from Inoue. Diaz continued to pepper Inoue's face with punches, drawing blood from Inoue's nose. Diaz landed more body punches and then took Inoue down.
On the ground, Diaz continued to land strikes, keeping Inoue on the defensive, but Inoue did manage to get back up to his feet. Time was called to check the nose of Inoue, with Diaz landing more punches after the restart. Time was again briefly called after Diaz inadvertently kicked Inoue in the jaw on the ground, but no penalty was levied. Diaz pushed forward again with a merciless assault, landing punches as Inoue fought back with hard shots of his own. However, Diaz began to take control and badly dazed Inoue with a punch. After another 30 seconds of non-stop barrage, Inoue's corner threw in the towel and Diaz was awarded with the victory.
Diaz will now move on to face Hayato "Mach" Sakurai for the vacant DREAM Welterweight Championship later this year, after his upcoming fight in EliteXC. One thing is for certain, Diaz will not be able to leave his face unguarded against Sakurai or it will be lights out in a hurry.
Winner: Nick Diaz by TKO (Corner Stoppage - Towel) at 6:45 of round one. He improves to 16-7-0, 1 ND.
Daisuke Nakamura vs Bu Kyung Jung
Nakamura came out wearing the retro Pancrase attire of shin guards and wrestling boots, clearly having no fears of leg locks from Jung, and did what Shinya Aoki and Mitsuhiro Ishida had not managed, by stopping Jung in the second round.The fighters exchanged strikes early on, with Nakamura looking confident. Jung pulled guard and worked for a quick armbar, but Nakamura escaped and landed strikes from the top. Jung landed upkicks and looked for a triangle choke, with Nakamura countering and moving back to Jung's guard. Nakamura dropped back for a heel hook or achilles lock, and Jung rose back to his feet. Jung came forward with wild striking, but fell after a counterpunch from Nakamura. Nakamura attempted an armbar and Jung countered into a triangle attempt. Another heel hook attempt from Nakamura failed, with Jung trying a Kimura and Nakamura escaping.
Nakamura pulled guard near the middle of the round, trying for an armbar. Jung escaped, but Nakamura took top position and landed punches from half-guard. Jung kept Nakamura from doing much damage for the next two minutes, using his legs to keep Nakamura at bay. The fighters continued to attempt and reverse submissions, with both getting back to their feet with two minutes left. Nakamura snapped Jung's head back repeatedly with jabs, using his superior striking, then countered a takedown from Jung with a heel hook attempt. Nakamura transitioned to a toe hold and Jung used kicks to escape. Nakamura tried for one more heel hook just before the bell. A very good round of action.
Round two opened with a hard leg kick from Nakamura and a takedown from Jung. Nakamura quickly reversed into a tight armbar, but Jung somehow managed to escape. Back on the feet, Nakamura landed a few jabs and then a vicious right cross that crumpled Jung. Nakamura landed a few follow-up hammerfist strikes before the referee could intervene.
Winner: Daisuke Nakamura by KO (Punch) at 0:58 of round two. He improves to 14-9-0.
DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix Reserve Bout
"Marvellous" Melvin Manhoef vs Dae Won Kim
The fact that Manhoef was even able to compete in this fight was more compelling than the short fight itself. Having lost by TKO in a kickboxing match with Remy Bonjasky just two weeks prior, Manhoef spent a week in the hospital after surgery to stop internal bleeding and still insisted on competing against Kim in this "reserve match" for the DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix.Much to everyone's surprise, including Manhoef, Kim came out aggressively striking, hurting Manhoef with two punches early on after Manhoef had stuffed two takedown attempts. Kim scored a takedown after dazing Manhoef, but Manhoef remained calm and eventually managed to reverse position and get Kim down. Manhoef landed a knee to the cheek of Kim on the ground, then two hammerfists and another knee to what appeared to be the back of Kim's head, and the referee stopped the fight.
The second knee seemed to be an illegal strike, but it was the first one that badly dazed Kim and decided the fight. Manhoef now has 20 of 21 victories by (T)KO and will advance in the DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix should another competitor be injured and unable to compete.
Winner: Melvin Manhoef by TKO (Knees and Punches) at 4:08 of round one. He improves to 21-4-1.
DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix Bout
Jason "Mayhem" Miller vs Katsuyori Shibata
Miller, eccentric as ever, came out to the ring with a posse of Japanese breakdancers, including one who proceeded to spin on his head for about 15 seconds while an amused Miller looked on.Once the bell rang, Miller was mostly business, launching knees and punches in the opening seconds. Shibata countered with a couple of solid punches himself, then locked on a guillotine, but Miller squirmed free and landed punches from the top. Miller moved to mount position, then posed for the camera with a peace sign, before continuing to punish Shibata with punches. Miller looked for an armbar from mount and Shibata rolled to escape. Miller landed an elbow strike, legal in North America but illegal in Japan, and was warned.
Remembering that knees to the head, illegal in North America, were perfectly legal in Japan, Miller began to land knees and punches to the head of Shibata on the ground. Miller trapped Shibata's arms and landed a series of lefts to the face. After more knees and punches from Miller, he moved to side-control as Shibata began to bleed from under his left eye. After getting full mount once again, Miller landed a barrage of rights and the referee mercifully stopped the fight.
Winner: Jason Miller by TKO (Punches) at 6:57 of round one. He improves to 21-5-0 and advances to the next round of the DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix.
Non-Tournament Bout
Takeshi Yamazaki vs Shoji "Noboru Samurai" Maruyama
While Hansen vs Alvarez may be the Fight of the Year so far, this featherweight bout has to be considered as one of the Undercard Fights of the Year, as both fighters fought non-stop in this back-and-forth contest.Shoji, the reigning Lightweight King of Pancrase, came out very aggressively, landing a knee and then attempting a flying knee immediately after. Yamazaki scored a takedown after a brief clinch, moving to mount and looking for a keylock. Yamazaki landed punches and hammerfists and Shoji regained guard. Yamazaki began to strike wildly with punches from top position as Shoji landed some surprisingly hard punches from the bottom. Shoji got back to his feet and drilled Yamazaki with a punch to the liver. Yamazaki managed to get Shoji back down and the fighters once again exchanged punches, with Shoji again landing hard shots from the bottom.
Shoji rose back to his feet and scored a trip takedown of his own, moving to mount position and landing punches and a hard knee strike to the face of Yamazaki. Yamazaki managed to reverse position and worked from side-control, then took mount. Shoji simply picked Yamazaki up and spun him around, putting Yamazaki on the bottom and landing some vicious punches from the top. Both fighters smiled as they returned to their feet.
Following a clinch in the corner, Yamazaki took Shoji down again and worked from half-guard, but Shoji used a backwards sommersault to escape, then took Yamazaki's back. Yamazaki twisted and took full mount once again, locking on an extremely deep armbar which Shoji had to roll not once but twice to escape from. Shoji landed strikes just before the bell in an incredibly entertaining first round. How Shoji managed to escape the armbar is truly a mystery.
Shoji attempted a double flying knee early in round two, then Yamazaki scored a takedown and Shoji immediately reversed. Shoji landed a knee to the face before Yamazaki twisted and put Shoji on the bottom. Yamazaki looked for a keylock, but Shoji used an omoplata to nearly throw Yamazaki through the ropes. The fight was restarted and Shoji landed a head kick, but Yamazaki used the opportunity to take Shoji down once again. Just as he had done a minute earlier, Shoji reversed position and landed strikes before Yamazaki grabbed his leg and stood up.
Shoji attempted another running knee and Yamazaki took him down. After a scramble, Yamazaki held Shoji against the corner and looked for a Kimura. The bell sounded to end the fight and the judges awarded Yamazaki with a hard-fought Unanimous Decision in a close fight that was filled with counters from both fighters.
Winner: Takeshi Yamazaki by Unanimous Decision after two rounds. He improves to 14-7-2.
From bell to bell, this was an event of the same calibre as PRIDE events from years passed, and is a huge step in resurrecting mainstream mixed martial arts in Japan.
