Just one month before it was set to begin, a proposed eight-man DREAM Light Heavyweight Grand Prix has been cancelled. The opening round of the tournament was scheduled for Dream.14 on May 29th, but will no longer take place. Sports Illustrated’s Josh Gross first reported on the cancellation.
DREAM may still crown a 205-pound champion later this year and a revised four-man tournament is a possibility. Reports suggest that the cancellation stemmed from disinterest from the Tokyo Broadcasting System television network in Japan, which airs DREAM events in the country.
Following his recent bout in DREAM, former UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh “The Babyfaced Assassin” Barnett will return to action for the newly formed Impact Fighting Championship promotion on July 10th in Brisbane, Australia. Barnett will face Brazilian brawler Geronimo “Mondragon” dos Santos in a bout that was first reported by Tatame earlier today.
A 114-pound bout between rising star Mika “Future Princess” Nagano and Team Hellboy prospect Celine Haga has been added to the upcoming Jewels: “Eighth Ring” event on May 23rd. MMARising.com can exclusively report that verbal agreements are in place and an official announcement confirming the fight should follow in the coming days.
DREAM officials confirmed today that the upcoming Dream.14 event on May 29th will mark the return of the promotion’s White Cage. The cage, which is comprised of interwoven fish netting, was first used last year at Dream.12 and will once again be paired with a format of three, five-minute rounds.
Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz was arrested earlier this morning on charges of felony domestic violence that allegedly involves his girlfriend, Jenna Jameson. TMZ.com first reported on the developing story, which stems from a 911 call from Jameson’s father that cited a disturbance at Tito and Jenna’s Huntington Beach, California home.
As a result of an injury suffered in training, undefeated rising star Kerry Vera has been forced to withdraw from her upcoming Strikeforce Challengers 8 bout with Julianna “The Venezuelan Vixen” Peña. MMAFighting.com first reported on the fight’s cancellation and Peña will no longer compete.
Picking up another impressive first-round victory, Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson stopped Japanese veteran Masako Yoshida in the first round of their fight tonight at Crowbar MMA: “Spring Brawl.” The win was Waterson’s second in a row since a loss to former SNMMA champ Elena “Babydoll” Reid just over one year ago.
Keeping her undefeated record intact, rising featherweight prospect Shana “Rock Solid” Olsen picked up a hard-fought decision over women’s MMA pioneer Yoko Takahashi tonight. The back-and-forth bout was featured as part of an excellent Cage Fighting Xtreme: “Mayhem In Minneapolis” card.