Showcasing many of their top stars and attractions, DREAM crowned its first Featherweight Grand Prix Champion at Heiwa Dream.11, while Joachim Hansen and Shinya Aoki battled for the Lightweight Championship in the co-main event rubber match.
Also on the card, the finalists in the much-discussed Super Hulk Tournament were determined and Japanese legend Kazushi Sakuraba made a successful return. MMARising.com has live play-by-play of the action as it happened.
In a last-minute addition to tomorrow’s card, Japanese legend Kazushi “The Gracie Hunter” Sakuraba has been added to Heiwa Dream.11 and will face professional boxer Rubin Williams, who is making his mixed martial arts debut.
The bout will be Sakuraba’s first since dropping a Unanimous Decision to fellow Japanese star Kiyoshi Tamura over nine months ago at K-1 Dynamite!! 2008 on New Year’s Eve.
Friday night featured the return of Maximum Fighting Championships for MFC 22: “Payoff,” which saw local star Jason “The Athlete” MacDonald come up short in his bout with Travis “The Serial Killer” Lutter.
Elsewhere on the main card, devastating knockouts and controversial scoring had the crowd abuzz, while Mike Nickels and David Heath stole the show.
As one of the fastest rising prospects in mixed martial arts, former WIBA and IFBA Women’s Flyweight Boxing Champion Elena “Babydoll” Reid is seen by many as the future of the sport. She talks with MMARising.com about her career to date.
There are very few mixed martial artists who are touted as the future of an entire division after just two fights. Reid is one of those few.
From first becoming an overnight sensation with three devastating knockouts in one night to later competing on primetime CBS television, Kaitlin Young has made an impact at every step. She talks with MMARising.com about a return to competition.
With a smile that belies her vicious knockout power, Young first rose to prominence as the 2007 HOOKnSHOOT Women’s Grand Prix Champion.
Quickly establishing herself as a force in the flyweight division, Jessica Pene is one of the top prospects in women’s MMA today. She talks with MMARising.com about her undefeated career to date and preparations for her upcoming fight.
Believing that it is key to take gradual steps up in competition, Jessica has compiled a very impressive record of 6-0-0 with four wins by stoppage since debuting in mixed martial arts in November of 2006.
Already an outstanding wrestler, Gray “The Bully” Maynard has developed into a well-rounded mixed martial artist since his time on the fifth season of The Ultimate Fighter. He speaks with MMARising.com about his career and upcoming fight.
First serving as a training partner of current UFC Lightweight Champion BJ Penn Maynard now works as one of the trainers at the renowned Xtreme Couture gym.
After a successful run as a middleweight, Martin “The Hitman” Kampmann has since become a force in the UFC’s welterweight division. He talks with MMARising.com about his title aspirations and his fight with Paul Daley at UFC 103.
With victories over future title challenger Thales Leites and final WEC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit, Kampmann’s record is an impressive one.