DREAM’s inaugural Japan Bantamweight Grand Prix kicks off this Sunday, May 29th, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The opening two rounds of the eight-man tournament will take place in one night, with the winners moving on to face off in the final later this year.
The tournament, which is part of DREAM’s “Fight For Japan” charity event, includes WEC and DREAM veterans as well as past and present DEEP champions. Despite a last-minute lineup change, all quarterfinal bouts will proceed. MMARising.com contributor Dean Marchand previews the card.
Unbeaten featherweight standout Chad “Money” Mendes will have to wait a little longer for his shot at UFC Featherweight Champion José Aldo. Mendes will square off against jiu-jitsu ace Rani Yahya at UFC 133 on August 6th in Philadelphia after Aldo was forced out due to a lingering neck injury.
As one of the top female mixed martial artists in Brazil, 135-pound standout Vanessa Porto is well-respected among the MMA community in her home country. The six-year veteran of the sport has battled the best in Brazil and is eager to make a name for herself once again in North America.
Top welterweight prospect Rory “The Waterboy” MacDonald has agreed to face veteran submission ace Mike “Quicksand” Pyle at UFC 133 on August 6th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The UFC officially announced plans for the matchup today and bout agreements are expected to be signed soon.
BAMMA Middleweight Champion Tom “Kong” Watson successfully retained his title tonight with a third-round knockout of former PRIDE star Murilo “Ninja” Rua at BAMMA 6 in London, England. Watson wore Rua down with leg kicks and eventually finished him off with a head kick and punches.
A second women’s bout has been added to the upcoming Strikeforce card on June 18th in Dallas, Texas. Veteran Julie “Fireball” Kedzie will make her promotional debut against rising star Amanda “Lioness of the Ring” Nunes in a 135-pound matchup. The fight was made official today.
After a series of opponent changes, DREAM Lightweight Champion Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki will now square off with UFC veteran Rich “No Love” Clementi at DREAM: “Fight For Japan” on May 29th. The non-title bout was confirmed by DREAM representative Mike Kogan on Tuesday.
A lightweight bout between former EliteXC champ “King” K.J. Noons and Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal is now official for Strikeforce: “Overeem vs Werdum” on June 18th in Dallas, Texas. The fight was first reported by MMAjunkie.com earlier this month and confirmed by Strikeforce today.