The White Cage returned tonight as DREAM presented Dream.14 from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The eight-fight event was headlined by a non-title welterweight matchup between Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz and Japanese legend Hayato “Mach” Sakurai.

Also on the card, Kazushi “The Gracie Hunter” Sakuraba faced another member of the famed Gracie clan, Ralek, while former DREAM Lightweight Champion Joachim “Hellboy” Hansen battled Hiroyuki “Streetfight Bancho” Takaya. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the event.

 

Non-Title Bout

Nick Diaz vs Hayato “Mach” Sakurai

Round 1:
Diaz came forward right away, but was cracked by a counter hook. Sakurai landed more punches, but Diaz took him down. Sakurai struck from his back and Diaz stood up. He returned to Sakurai’s half-guard and Sakurai threw more hammerfists from the bottom. Sakurai regained butterfly guard and Diaz began to target the body. Sakurai got to his feet and Diaz landed knees on the way.

Sakurai scored with a right hand and Diaz pressed him against the cage. A right hook to the temple landed for Diaz and Sakurai took him down. Sakurai threw short punches from Diaz’s guard and Diaz spun for an armbar. Sakurai tried to roll to escape, but rolled into the cage. He had nowhere to go and was forced to submit. Good win for Diaz.

Winner: Nick Diaz by Submission (Armbar) at 3:54 of round one. He improves to 22-7-0, 1 ND.

 

Ralek Gracie vs Kazushi “The Gracie Hunter” Sakuraba

Round 1:
Gracie dropped Sakuraba with a glancing left hand early in the fight, but Sakuraba quickly recovered and tried for a Kimura on the ground. Gracie took his back and Sakuraba attempted a second Kimura. He spun through into an armbar and Gracie defended. Sakuraba remained patient and maintained his grip, then threw a hammerfist and rolled into an armbar again.

Gracie once again defended the submission attempt as Sakuraba remained relentless. Gracie escaped and worked from Sakuraba’s half-guard. He moved to side-control and landed a knee to the head. Gracie threw punches to the head and body and moved to mount. Sakuraba regained half-guard and Gracie worked for an ankle lock at the bell. Very close round. Gracie steals it late. 10-9 Gracie.

Round 2:
Sakuraba countered front kicks from Gracie with a hard counterpunch to the body. Gracie sent him off-balance with a body kick and Sakuraba replied with punches that cut Gracie beside the eye. Gracie scored a takedown, but Sakuraba worked back to his feet. Gracie suplexed Sakuraba to the mat and landed punches from the top. Sakuraba tried to scramble, but Gracie kept him down.

Gracie moved to side-control and landed punches and knees. He added hammerfists as well and Sakuraba once again tried to scramble to his feet. Gracie stayed in side-control and tried to move to mount. Sakuraba defended and regained half-guard. Gracie threw short left hands and briefly got to mount. Gracie landed punches and tried for an armbar before the bell. 10-9 Gracie.

Round 3:
Sakuraba began the final round with a leg kick and backed Gracie around the cage. Gracie threw a high kick and followed with a second one. Sakuraba replied with a combination as the crowd cheered in support. Gracie landed a front kick and Sakuraba sidestepped a takedown attempt. He scored with punches as Gracie backed up to the cage. More front kicks landed for Gracie and Sakuraba countered with a left hand.

The fighters exchanged punches and Sakuraba landed a nice leg kick. A right hook scored for the Japanese legend, but Gracie took him down. Sakuraba worked for a Kimura from his back and used it to sweep, but his foot got caught in Gracie’s fight shorts. The referee halted the action to fix the shorts, but Sakuraba lost all momentum in the process and Gracie escaped. He worked for an armbar of his own in the final seconds and Sakuraba narrowly escaped at the bell. 10-9 Gracie.

Winner: Ralek Gracie by Unanimous Decision after three 5:00 rounds. He improves to 3-0-0.

 

Hiroyuki “Streetfight Bancho” Takaya vs Joachim “Hellboy” Hansen

Round 1:
The fighters traded leg kicks to open the fight and Takaya landed a pair of right hands. More leg kicks followed and Hansen threw a lead right hook. Hansen scored with a one-two and Takaya fired back with a flurry and a body kick. Both fighters landed right hands and Takaya threw a head kick that missed. Hansen replied with a body kick. Takaya shot in for a takedown and Hansen stuffed it. He used a standing front headlock to reverse Takaya against the cage.

Hansen looked for a takedown of his own, but Takaya stayed on his feet. Hansen landed knees in close and once again tried to take Takaya down, but could not and the fighters were separated. Takaya landed a leg kick and a right hand. Hansen fired back with a right hook and a knee. He threw a body kick and another right hand. Takaya staggered Hansen with a one-two and dropped him with a right. He knocked Hansen out cold with follow-up punches on the ground. Huge win for Takaya.

Winner: Hiroyuki Takaya by KO (Punches) at 4:27 of round one. He improves to 13-8-1.

 

Intermission:

During the event’s intermission, it was announced that DREAM Lightweight Champion Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki will defend his title against Tatsuya “Crusher” Kawajiri at Dream.15 on July 10th. Both Aoki and Kawajiri gave their thoughts on the fight to the crowd in attendance.

 

Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto vs Federico “Kiko” Lopez

Round 1:
Lopez fell while throwing a head kick, but got back to his feet. A hard leg kick landed for Yamamoto and Lopez fired back with another kick to the upper body. Time was called after a kick strayed low from Yamamoto. Action resumed and Lopez pushed Yamamoto off-balance with a front kick. An instant later, he was floored by a counter right hand from Yamamoto, who knocked Lopez out cold with more punches on the ground. Much-needed victory for the Japanese superstar.

Winner: Norifumi Yamamoto by KO (Punches) at 1:41 of round one. He improves to 18-3-0, 1 NC.

 

“Wicky” Akiyo Nishiura vs Hideo Tokoro

Round 1:
Nishiura pushed forward with his unorthodox style and Tokoro kept him at bay with jabs and a leg kick. Nishiura continued to stalk him around the cage and countered a body kick with a short hook. Nishiura dropped Tokoro with a short counterpunch and followed with hammerfists on the ground. Tokoro recovered and battled back to his feet. Nishiura floored Tokoro again with a right hook behind the ear. Tokoro turtled and Nishiura teed off with punches until the referee stopped the fight. Impressive win for Nishiura.

Winner: Akiyo Nishiura by TKO (Punches) at 2:51 of round one. He improves to 11-5-1.

 

Kazuyuki Miyata vs Takafumi Otsuka

Round 1:
Otsuka immediately closed the distance and threw leg kicks and a jab. The fighters briefly clinched and quickly separated. Quick strikes were exchanged and another clinch followed. Miyata backed away and jumped in with a flying knee. Otsuka sidestepped and scored with a hard kick to the body. Miyata took Otsuka down briefly, but Otsuka scrambled back to his feet.

The fighters were separated and Otsuka threw a kick to the body and a counter hook. A front kick followed for Otsuka and he put together a combination of kicks and punches. Miyata clinched, but Otsuka broke free with a knee. Miyata landed a knee, but was taken down. The fighters exchanged strikes in the final seconds. Close round. 10-9 Otsuka.

Round 2:
Quick jabs were exchanged in the second round and Otsuka landed two body kicks. He threw another kick and stuffed a takedown. The fighters clinched and Otsuka kneed his way free. He followed with a leg kick, but ate an uppercut in close. Miyata tried to take Otsuka down, but Otsuka had none of it. Otsuka landed a front kick and Miyata countered with an overhand right.

The fighters clinched and both fighters stuffed takedown attempts from the other. Miyata landed a knee during one exchange and both scored with punches. Miyata followed with a kick-punch combo and Otsuka shot in for a takedown. Miyata countered with a Kimura attempt and Otsuka escaped to his feet. The fighters traded kicks and Otsuka landed punches to the head and body. Another razor-thin round. 10-9 Otsuka.

Round 3:
Quick strikes landed for both fighters in the final round and Otsuka connected with a hard left hook and a flying knee. Otsuka kept the pressure on, but Miyata defended with a guillotine choke. Otsuka escaped and landed a knee to the body. Miyata jabbed in and Otsuka threw more knees. Miyata landed a right hand and Otsuka cracked him with a one-two. Miyata threw a flying knee and a left hand, then a leg kick.

A right hook to the temple scored for Otsuka and he caught a kick from Miyata. Otsuka threw a leg kick and clinched. Miyata took Otsuka down briefly and transitioned to his back. Otsuka stood and Miyata tried to suplex him. Otsuka defended, but wound up on the ground. Miyata worked from Otsuka’s half-guard and tried to move to mount. Otsuka defended very well until the bell. Great round. 10-9 Miyata.

Another extremely close fight that could go to either fighter.

Winner: Kazuyuki Miyata by Split Decision after three 5:00 rounds. He improves to 9-7-0.

 

Kenji Osawa vs Yoshiro Maeda

Round 1:
Osawa landed a nice leg kick early on and followed with a head kick that Maeda blocked. The fighters exchanged spinning strikes and time was called after an accidental low blow from Maeda. The fight resumed and Maeda scored with an uppercut and a one-two. Leg and body kicks landed for Osawa and Maeda connected with a right hook and another uppercut. He followed with knees in close. A combination and a leg kick found the mark for Maeda and Osawa replied with a kick of his own.

Maeda landed a left hook and a kick to the ribs. Osawa answered with a right hand to the body and a hard punch to the jaw. Maeda threw a head kick and a flurry of punches, then clinched and tried for a takedown. He tripped Osawa to the mat, but Osawa swept and stood up. Maeda landed powerful knees and threw short left hands in close. He tripped Osawa to the mat again before the bell. Close round. 10-9 Maeda.

Round 2:
Osawa opened the second round with a pair of hard right hooks, but Maeda countered and tried for a takedown. He wound up on his back and Osawa worked from the top. Maeda kept Osawa trapped in partial butterfly guard and Osawa pushed him up against the cage. Maeda struck from his back and got back to his feet. Osawa flurried with punches and Maeda answered with knees in a Thai clinch.

Maeda attempted a pair of takedowns, but met with little success. He kept Osawa pressed up against the cage, but could not take him down. The action slowed as the fighters battled for position in the clinch and the referee separated them. Osawa landed a combination before the bell. Another very close round. 10-9 Maeda, barely, due to cage control.

Round 3:
The fighters traded punches in the final round and Maeda backed Osawa up with a head kick that was blocked. Maeda clinched, but little transpired and the fighters were separated. Maeda threw a one-two and Osawa missed with a head kick. A body kick and knees scored for Maeda and he continued to target the midsection. Osawa answered with a punch to the body as well, but ate a counter left hand.

Maeda took Osawa down, but Osawa quickly worked back to his feet. A stalemate followed in a clinch and the fighters were separated again. Osawa threw a leg kick and a one-two, but Maeda answered with a hard kick to the body. Two more kicks landed for Maeda and Osawa countered with short punches in close. Maeda landed knees and Osawa scored with a combination. Maeda threw a head kick at the bell. A third close round. 10-9 Maeda.

Razor-thin rounds throughout and the decision could go either way.

Winner: Kenji Osawa by Split Decision after three 5:00 rounds. He improves to 16-9-2.

 

Ikuhisa “Minowaman” Minowa vs Imani Lee

Round 1:
Minowa ducked under a one-two early in the opening round and looked to find his range against the much larger Lee. One minute into the round, Minowa shot in and scored a takedown. Lee latched onto a weak guillotine choke and Minowa escaped. Lee tried to work back to his feet, but Minowa kept him down against the wire meshing of the White Cage.

Minowa worked for a Kimura, but Lee fought it off. Minowa tried to move to mount and did so. He threw punches with his left hand, then postured up and rained down more punches. Lee rolled over and Minowa secured a modified rear-naked choke. Lee held on briefly, but tapped out within seconds.

Winner: Ikuhisa Minowa by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 4:16 of round one. He improves to 46-30-8.

 

Capped off by an impressive victory for Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz, Dream.14 was a solid event inside the confines of the White Cage. Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto picked up a much-needed win, while Hiroyuki “Streetfight Bancho” Takaya shocked many by knocking out Joachim “Hellboy” Hansen.

 

(Photo Credit: DREAM)