Dream 9 Recap & Results

Early Tuesday morning, Dream 9 took place from the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan. The first half of the fight card included the Super-Hulk (Open Weight) Tournament, where not one of the bouts lasted into the second round.

Ikusushi Minowa, Sokoudjou, Hong Man Choi and Gegard Mousasi all moved into the second round of the Super-Hulk Tournament with 1st round stoppages. The event’s only lightweight bout featured Tatsuya Kawajiri, who looked impressive with his upset win over Gesias Cavalcante.

The second round of the DREAM Featherweight Grand Prix was also on display. Arguably the most competitive fight was between Japan’s - Hideo Tokoro and United States - Abel Cullum. Tokoro eventually earned the win but not after some impressive MMA action. Hiroyuki Takaya, Bibiano Fernandes and Joe Warren all moved into the semi-final round as well.

The vacated DREAM Middleweight belt remained vacated as Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza ended their title fight with a No Contest, due to a huge gash opened up on top of Souza’s head. Given time to heal, Jacare and Mayhem should be able to sort things out and finally determine who the Middleweight champion should be.

Here is a closer look at the events action:

Hong Man Choi vs. Jose Canseco (Super-Hulk Tournament)

Canseco looked scared as he made his way to the ring for the very first time. The 44 year-old came into the fight with his only training being – running on a treadmill. Not a great idea, considering he was fighting a 7’2” 355 lb. kick-boxer.

At least Canseco showed up and had a surprisingly good strategy. His problem was the execution of the strategy.

Canseco came out trying to “hit and run” against the much larger “Techno Goliath”. His first punch was a big right hand that grazed across Choi’s face. He continued with a couple more strikes, keeping his distance at the same time. He eventually grew tired and landed on his knee awkwardly, stopping his mobility and allowing Choi to cash in.

Choi immediately jumped on Canseco delivering blow after blow until the referee intervened. I think everyone knew what was going to happen; it was just a matter of when. Choi will move into the second round with his first MMA victory in over two years. His record now stands at 2-2; Canseco (0-1) drops what is probably his first and last fight.

Gegard Mousasi vs. Mark Hunt (Super-Hulk Tournament)

Expected to be the most competitive of the four Super-Hulk bouts, it too turned out to be a one-sided affair. Mousasi didn’t mind the fifty-plus pounds that he was giving up to Mark Hunt. He continued to be one of the craftiest mixed-martial artists in the sport today.

Mousasi approached Hunt and tripped him to the canvas within seconds of the opening bell. He jumped into side control, peppering Hunt with solid knees and elbows. Hunt, who is at a distinct disadvantage on the ground, was unable to muster any defense against the strikes. Mousasi continued his strategy by grabbing Hunt’s arm and twisting it until he tapped out.

Mousasi (25-2-1), now with a 12-fight win streak, proves he is a legit contender no matter what division he fights in. Mark Hunt (5-6) has now lost five fights in a row, all but one coming via submission. Mousasi will move into the second round as the clear-cut favorite.

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Jan Nortje vs. Thierry Sokoudjou (Super-Hulk Tournament)

Jan Nortje came into the bout with a 122 lb weight advantage over the Team Quest trained Sokoudjou. The weight didn’t seem to make much of a difference. It took Sokoudjou less than 2 ½ minutes to dispose of “The Giant.”

Nortje’s only chance to win this fight was to catch Sokoudjou with his world-class kicks. Sokoudjou didn’t allow that strategy to happen. He stayed close and tied “The Giant” up for the first minute of the fight.

After tying up with Nortje, Sokoudjou used his extensive Judo background to throw his 6’11” opponent to the mat. Immediately he mounted Nortje and began his assault with his ground and pound. The referee stepped in between the two, trying to stop the fight, but Sokoudjou continued to land punches to the downed Nortje.

The extra strikes stirred-up a reaction from the corner of Jan Nortje. His corner approached Sokoudjou until officials from DREAM stepped in. The melee eventually died down and Sokoudjou acknowledged Nortje in a respectful manner before leaving the ring.

The TKO victory improves Sokoudjou’s record to 6-4, stopping a two-fight losing streak. Nortje, who competes regularly in K-1, sees his record fall to 2-6. It was only the second time that “The Giant” has been stopped.

Bob Sapp vs. Ikuhisa Minowa (Super-Hulk Tournament)

Bob Sapp, at 6’7” 352 lbs., seemed to have the overall advantage against the 5’9” 201 lbs “Minowaman.” The only way “Minowaman” had the edge was if the fight were to go to the ground. But “How would he get “The Beast” to the ground?” was the question.

Sapp must have forgotten that Minowa had twenty-six submissions to his credit, because he initiated the ground fight. He took “Minowaman” down quite easily and began to work his game by hammering his face. After a few shots to his face, Minowa turned, giving up his back to Sapp.

Sapp didn’t take advantage of his positioning which led to Minowa working his magic ground game, reversing position to give him a chance to submit one of Sapp’s limbs. He chose Sapp’s giant foot and turned the foot until Sapp tapped out at the 1:14 mark in the 1st round.

“Minowaman” (42-30-1) earned his twenty-seventh submission victory in his long and storied career. Bob Sapp (10-4-1) suffered only his second loss in his last eight fights. His next fight, barring any injuries, will be on June 27 against former WWE superstar – Bobby Lashley.

Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Gesias Cavalcante (Lightweight Bout)

The only Lightweight bout pitted Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante’s slick ground game against Tatsuya “Crusher” Kawajiri’s solid striking skills. The fans were supposed to be in for a treat but instead saw a lop-sided victory in favor of Kawajiri.

The 1st round began with Cavalcante connecting on a solid left-right combination that put “Crusher” on his heels. That is about all that “JZ” accomplished in the entire 1st round. After Kawajiri found his rhythm he surprisingly took the fight to the ground and delivered damage to “JZ”.

He stayed on top and in side control when on the ground, scoring points and staying busy with some small punches. When the official thought the action was slowing on the ground he stood the two Lightweights up, where again Kawajiri was the better fighter. He used knees, low kicks, high kicks and punches to stay busy, Cavalcante looked overwhelmed.

The second round was almost a carbon copy of the 1st. Kawajiri used his big right hand to keep Cavalcante guessing. For the majority of the 2nd round, Kawajiri took the fight to the canvas where he stayed in a dominant position. He finished the fight leaving no doubt in the minds of fans, judges and the fighters themselves as to who the winner was. Kawajiri was able to grind out a unanimous decision victory.

The decision improved “Crusher’s” record to 24-5-2 overall and 4-1 with DREAM. He has won two consecutive fights and five of his last six. Cavalcante is now 14-3 overall with losses in his last two appearances.

Ronald Souza vs. Jason Miller (Middleweight Championship Bout)

Not much can be said about this title fight.

Both fighters looked to be in top condition; however the condition would not come into play as the fight was ended with a No Contest due to an accidental kick from Jason Miller. With less than two minutes into the fight, Miller connected his shin with the crown of Souza’s head. Immediately a gash was opened up and blood began to pour out.

The referee put a stop to the action allowing the doctor to check the cut and decide whether Souza could continue. The ringside doctor got the bleeding to stop long enough to resume action.

Moments later another strike from Miller caused the doctor to step between the two once more. This time, words were exchanged as the two fighters went to their respective corners. After looking at the cut for the second time, the ringside doctor would not allow Ronaldo Souza to continue.

The DREAM Middleweight champion will have to be crowned at another time and place.

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Abel Cullum vs. Hideo Tokoro (Featherweight Grand Prix – 2nd round)

The first of four second round bouts was supposed to be a “boring” grappling match ending with a decision victory. Rather than sticking to the expectations, both Featherweights provided fans with arguably the “Fight of the Night”. Tokoro stayed busy with his striking skills and submission attempts. Cullum managed to counter everything that Tokoro threw at him except for a well-disguised fight-ending rear naked choke late in the 2 nd round.

The 1 st round started with Tokoro landing kicks and a big knee to Cullum’s face. After landing the big knee, Cullum managed to grab the leg and take the fight to the ground. When the fight hit the ground the fast-paced action didn’t stop there. Cullum and Tokoro reversed positions more than once. Tokoro also had Cullum in a couple of “dicey” submission attempts, but each time Cullum escaped. The first round bell ended as Cullum escaped a full-mount from his opponent and delivered some ground and pound himself.

Both fighters looked winded as the 2nd round bell sounded. Cullum immediately tried to use a single-leg takedown to his advantage. It didn’t quite work out that to his advantage. Tokoro saw his opening and jumped at his chance. Failing on the takedown, Cullum left his head exposed. Tokoro took his opponents back, gained a position of advantage, and then slid his arm under Cullum’s neck leading to an eventual fight-ending tapout.

With the submission victory Hideo Tokoro (22-16-1) snaps a three-fight losing streak and improves his DREAM record to 3-3. Cullum’s (14-3) hopes of a Featherweight title have ended with his third loss in his short career. Tokoro moves into the semi-finals which will take place at an event later in the year.

Yoshiro Maeda vs. Hiroyuki Takaya (Featherweight Grand Prix – 2nd round)

Two WEC veterans battled it out for the opportunity to move into the semi-finals of the Featherweight Grand Prix. Using his improved striking skills Takaya easily moved on with a hard-earned win over Maeda.

Neither fighter tried to hide what their intentions were. They both tried to keep the fight in a standing position after some early takedown attempts failed.

Takaya had his kick attempt blocked by Maeda, forcing the fight to the ground. Maeda landed in Takaya’s half-guard but couldn’t stay busy enough for the referee. The referee brought the two fighters back to their feet.

With the fight back in a standing position, it turned into a kick-boxing match. Maeda used his kicks to keep his distance from the heavy-handed Takaya. Takaya really couldn’t get anything going forcing the referee to give him a yellow card for inactivity.

The reset from the referee proved to be very beneficial for Hiroyuki Takaya. Losing the stand-up battle up to this point, Takaya only needed one more punch to put the momentum back on his side. He connected flush with a hard right hook to the face of Maeda, ending the fight with a TKO.

Takaya (11-6-1) moves into the semi-final round of the Featherweight Grand Prix. He has now won two in a row for DREAM after losing his only two fights in the WEC. He has proven that he will be a tough opponent in the “final four” whomever he matches up against. Maeda (24-7-2) has lost three of his last four fights, all four opponents being top-level featherweights and bantamweights.

Masakazu Imanari vs. Bibiano Fernandes (Featherweight Grand Prix – 2nd round)

Masakazu Imanari, known as the master of the leg locks, wasn’t given the opportunity to attempt his specialty against Bibiano Fernandes. Fernandes was methodical in picking Imanari apart with his kicks, on his way to a unanimous decision victory.

Fernandes owned the first ten-minute round with perfectly timed takedowns and a solid striking strategy. Imanari looked confused, almost allowing Fernandes to take him down at will. While Fernandes continued his assault on his opponent, Imanari’s only offense came at the back end of the 1st round. After he was taken to the ground for the third time, Imanari delivered solid knees to Fernandes’ body.

The second round was very similar to the first. Fernandes started the round with a low kick that put Imanari to the canvas. Imanari was right back up with the intent to prove that the kick didn’t faze him. After moments back on his feet, Imanari showed his frustration again by sitting down on the mat. The stunt didn’t seem to bother Fernandes; he continued to throw low kick after low kick.

At one point in the second, Imanari pulled guard and almost tricked his Brazilian opponent into a leg lock. Fernandes realized the strategy and returned to his feet. The inactivity earned Fernandes an un-warranted yellow card from the official.

The round ended with Fernandes taking Imanari back to the mat to catch his breath. Imanari made it back to his feet only to pull guard once again. For the third time in the last minute, the fight returned to a standing position. Imanari finished the fight with his best strike of the night, a stiff left to Fernandes’ face. The last flurry wasn’t nearly enough; Fernandes won a lop-sided unanimous decision.

Imanari (16-7-1) loses for only the third time in the last ten fights. While he will not continue in the tournament, Bibiano Fernandes will. Fernandes (5-2) is a winner in three consecutive fights. He has three decisions and two submissions throughout his 4½ year career.

Norifumi Yamamoto vs. Joe Warren (Featherweight Grand Prix – 2nd round)

In only his second career bout, Joe Warren has accomplished something that eighteen other fighters couldn’t do. He won a hard-fought fifteen-minute majority decision over Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto. Yamamoto kept the fight close but couldn’t finish the former 2006 Pan-Am gold medal winner, losing for only the second time.

The 1st round was a back-and-forth battle that saw “Kid” holding the advantage in striking but Warren showing the dominant ground game. Yamamoto connected on several knee and punch combinations. Warren worked his ground attack while in the guard of Yamamoto.

The last minute of the 1st round contained a failed takedown followed by a good right hand by Joe Warren. The solid right hand had enough power behind it to buy Warren some time to execute a successful takedown into Yamamoto’s guard. He finished the first frame on top of his opponent, scoring points with his short punches.

The 2nd round began with Joe Warren shooting for the takedown but fell short and instead caught a solid right hand from “Kid”. After another solid strike, this time a body kick, Warren picked Yamamoto up and carried him to his corner where he slammed him to the ground. Warren wasn’t able to stay busy enough to please the referee who reset the fight in the middle of the ring.

After the reset, Yamamoto almost pulled off a submission but Warren carefully escaped. The fight eventually returned to a standing position. After another solid right hand from Yamamoto, Warren again countered with another takedown. This time he stayed on top of Yamamoto, working his ground and pound, until the final bell ended the fight.

Warren (2-0), the most inexperienced Featherweight on the card, will advance into the semi-finals. Yamamoto (17-2), fighting for the first time in over a year and a half, looked solid in his return from a serious knee injury but Warren was not to be denied. Yamamoto had one of the longest winning streaks in the history of MMA stopped at fourteen.

Full Dream 9 Results:

• Jason "Mayhem" Miller vs. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza declared a no contest
• Joe Warren def. Norifumi "Kid Yamamoto via split decision
• Bibiano Fernandes def. Masakazu Imanari via unanimous decision
• Hiroyuki Takaya def. Yoshiro Maeda via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 9:40
• Hideo Tokoro def. Abel Cullum via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 2, 1:37
• Tatsuya Kawajiri def. Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante via unanimous decision
• Gegard Mousasi def. Mark Hunt via submission (arm bar) - Round 1, 1:19
• Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou def. Jan Nortje via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 2:29
• Hong Man Choi def. Jose Canseco via submission (strikes) - Round 1, 1:17
• Ikuhisa Minowa def. Bob Sapp via submission (heel hook) - Round 1, 1:14

By Nick Russell
ProFighting-fans.com Staff Writer