More Dream.7 Fights Announced

by Robert Sargent

In addition to the opening round of the first DREAM Featherweight Grand Prix, FEG has announced two more fights for Heiwa Dream.7, as Mitsuhiro Ishida will take on Daisuke Nakamura and WAMMA Lightweight Champion Shinya Aoki faces David Gardner.

Ishida (17-4-1) rebounded from his disappointing loss to Caol Uno at Dream.3 with a quick submission win in Strikeforce, while Nakamura (19-9-0) has won eight straight fights.

The battle between Ishida and Nakamura should be a very interesting one, as Ishida's wrestling all but ensures that he will take the fight to the mat as quickly as possible. However, Nakamura's submission prowess is among the best of any current DREAM competitor, and Ishida will need to be wary.

The bout between Aoki (19-3-0, 1 NC) and Gardner (16-10-0) seems to be a mismatch on paper, and likely will be once the bell rings. Aoki is the top submission specialist in the lightweight division, if not in all of MMA, while Gardner's only hope for victory is a haymaker knockout.

Still, Gardner has absolutely nothing to lose in his fight with Aoki, and a win over the WAMMA Undisputed Lightweight Champion would shoot Gardner into instant stardom. The bout will be contested at a catchweight of 163 pounds, as Aoki prepares for his highly-anticipated welterweight rematch with Hayato "Mach" Sakurai.


Though tournament star Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto is out with injury and will not compete until the second round of the Grand Prix, Dream.7 will feature the likes of leg lock specialist Masakazu "Ashikan Judan" Imanari and Atsushi Yamamoto in the night's star-studded main event.