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Tony
14-06-2008, 23:30
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Dream Middleweight Grand Prix Bout:

Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Melvin Manhoef



Japanese MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba takes on Dutch striker Melvin Manhoef. Sakuraba has a 24-10-1 record and is a freelance fighter out of Japan. Manhoef has a 21-4-1 record and is a freelance fighter out of Holland.



Sakuraba comes off a submission victory over Andrews Nakahara at Dream 2, while Manhoef stopped Korean judoka Dae Won Kim at Dream 3.



This is a classic striker vs. grappler match-up, however the fight ends up going it will be exciting. This could be a last hurrah for Sakuraba with age and injuries starting to catch up to the Japanese legend.



It’s fairly obvious who is the better fighter in their respective areas, Sakuraba on the ground and Manhoef on the feet. Sakuraba has trained his striking at the Chute Boxe Academy, but it would be rather unwise of him to think that he can beat Manhoef at his own game. Manhoef hasn’t really shown much of a ground game and that is something that Sakuraba needs to exploit.



This fight is either going to end by a submission or a knockout, there will not be a decision in this fight. Manhoef isn’t one hundred percent healthy and that could play into the fight, as he won’t be able to train properly. Expect Sakuraba to take a couple of shots, but he’ll quickly smarten up and take the fight to the ground, submitting Manhoef late in the opening round.



Prediction: Kazushi Sakuraba by submission in the first round.

Tony
14-06-2008, 23:30
Dream Middleweight GP Bout:

Gegard Mousasi vs. Dong Sik Yoon



Armenian striker Gegard Mousasi faces off with Korean judoka Dong Sik Yoon. Mousasi has a 21-2-1 record and trains out of Red Devil International in Holland. Yoon has a 4-4 record and trains out of Team Yoon with Bu Kyung Jung.



Mousasi comes off a surprising submission victory over Denis Kang at Dream 2, while Yoon won a decision over Japanese journeyman Shungo Oyama earlier in the night.



This is one of the more intriguing fights of the night, as it’s more evenly matched than most fans would think. Both fighters have shown immense improvement over the last year with Yoon winning four in a row and Mousasi tearing through his opponents.



Yoon has the slight advantage on the ground, but you can’t underestimate Mousasi’s ground game, which is what cost Denis Kang in their fight. Mousasi has the obvious advantage on the feet, but Yoon has shown over the past year that he can take immense amounts of punishment as evidenced in his fight with Manhoef.



It’s hard to pick a winner in this fight because these two are so evenly matched. Mousasi will land his shots on the feet, but Yoon will do his work on the ground and that will be the difference as Yoon will be able to control Mousasi on the ground en route to a decision.



Prediction: Dong Sik Yoon by decision.

Tony
14-06-2008, 23:30
Dream Middleweight GP Bout:

Jason “Mayhem” Miller vs. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza



Former ICON Sport middleweight champion Jason “Mayhem” Miller takes on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza. Miller has a 21-5 record and trains out of Team Quest with Dan Henderson. Jacare has an 8-1 record and is a freelance fighter out of Brazil.



Miller dominated Katsuyori Shibata to a stoppage at Dream 3, while Jacare submitted American wrestler Ian Murphy at Dream 2.



This is the fight that most fans are looking forward to because both fighters are considered dark horses to win the tournament. One thing that is for sure is that it will be a test for both, Miller facing an accomplished grappler and Jacare facing a quality opponent.



Both fighters are primarily ground specialists, but Jacare has the clear advantage over Miller being one of the most gifted and accomplished grapplers in the world. Miller has the edge on the feet, where Jacare is still getting his feet wet, but this fight will eventually hit the ground.



One thing that is on Miller’s side is experience and that is something that you can’t teach. This is going to be a back and forth battle with both fighters having their moments and entertaining the fans. Once this fight hit’s the ground, Jacare is going to be all over Miller, not giving him an inch to work and finally locking on a submission late in the fight.



Prediction: Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza by submission in the second round.

Tony
14-06-2008, 23:31
Dream Middleweight GP Bout:

Zelg Galesic vs. Taiei Kin



Former Cage Rage British middleweight champion Zelg Galesic faces off with K-1 veteran Taiei Kin. Galesic has an 8-3 record and trains out of Team Trojan with Ronnie Mann. Kin has a 3-2 record and is a freelance fighter out of Japan.



Galesic comes off a submission victory over Magomed Sultanakhmedov at Dream 2, while Kin out struck Ikuhisa Minowa en route to a decision victory earlier in the night.



These two met once before, just eight months ago in Korea, where Galesic won a doctor stoppage only seconds into fight by opening a cut with a high kick. Kin will be out for revenge and the fans will get a more conclusive end to who is the better fighter.



These two are primarily strikers with Kin being the more technical of the two and Galesic having more power. Galesic has the edge on the ground as he has been working diligently to improve after being quickly submitted by Dong Sik Yoon at K-1 Hero’s 10. One thing that Kin has shown is that he is able to get back to his feet without taking much damage on the ground.



This fight will be more exciting than most fans expect, as they will be trading shots non-stop. Kin needs to stay on the outside and use his low kicks and pick his shots. Galesic on the other hand will try and lure Kin into an exchange, where he will look to land the fight-ending blow. Eventually Kin will be suckered into an exchange and that will be the end of his night.



Prediction: Zelg Galesic by TKO in the first round.

Tony
14-06-2008, 23:31
Dream Lightweight GP Bout:

Shinya Aoki vs. Katsuhiko Nagata



Shooto middleweight champion Shinya Aoki faces off with 2004 Olympic wrestling medalist Katsuhiko Nagata. Aoki has a 15-2 record and trains out of Paraestra Tokyo with Yuki Naki. Nagata has a 4-2 record and trains out of the New Japan Factory with Yuji Nagata.



Aoki comes off a decision victory over Gesias “JZ” Calvancante at Dream 2, while Nagata pounded out a decision over former Cage Force lightweight champion Artur Oumakhanov.



This is the last quarterfinal bout of the Dream Lightweight Grand Prix, with the winner advancing to the finals at Dream 5. This is going be an interesting fight between two totally different ground fighters.



These two are two ground specialists with vastly different styles, Nagata being a wrestler and Aoki being a submission artist. Aoki will have the advantage because he will be constantly be threatening with submission attempts, while Nagata will look to just pound on Aoki. Neither fighter is overly skilled on the feet, so that is toss up between the two.



Aoki seems to have healed up from any injuries he sustained and is ready to go and that will be problematic for Nagata. This fight will hit the ground and it will only be a matter of time before Aoki submits the inexperienced wrestler.

Prediction: Shinya Aoki by submission in the first round.

Tony
14-06-2008, 23:31
Featherweight Bout:

Hideo Tokoro vs. Darren Uyenoyama



Submission wizard Hideo Tokoro takes on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Darren Uyenoyama. Tokoro has a 19-13-1 record and trains out of Reversal in Japan. Uyenoyama has a 4-1 record and trains out of Ralph Gracie Jiu-Jitsu with Luke Stewart.



Tokoro comes off a submission loss to the much bigger Kiyoshi Tamura at K-1 Dynamite!! 2007, while Uyenoyama submitted Anthony Figueroa at Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Le.



Tokoro is one of the more exciting fighters in Japan, but his career has been plagued by inconstancy and bad luck. Uyenoyama makes his return to Japan after getting some wins under his belt in the United States.



Both fighters are well versed on the ground with Uyenoyama being the more technical fighter and Tokoro being the risk taker. On the feet, Tokoro has the edge as Uyenoyama continues to learn the craft on the feet. Another factor in the fight will be the immense experience that Tokoro holds and the fact that Uyenoyama is usually a bantamweight, which will make him the smaller fighter in the bout.



These two are going to put on an exciting ground battle, but with Tokoro’s strength and size advantage it’s going to be hard for Uyenoyama to get going. Tokoro will control the fight on the feet and dictate the pace on the ground en route to a decision victory.



Prediction: Hideo Tokoro by decision.

Tony
14-06-2008, 23:31
Heavyweight Bout:

Alistair Overeem vs. Tae Hyun Lee



Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem takes on Korean Ssireum champion Tae Hyun Lee. Overeem has a 26-11 record and trains out of Golden Glory with Martin de Jong. Lee has a 1-1 record and is a freelance fighter out of Korea.



Overeem comes off a stoppage victory over UFC veteran Paul Buentello at Strikeforce: Four Men Enter, One Man Survives, while Lee stopped Yoshihisa Yamamoto at K-1 Hero’s Korea 2007.



Overeem has so much potential, but some bad decisions and luck have prevented him from reaching his full potential. That should change here. Lee is still making the transition from Ssireum to mixed martial arts and it hasn’t been an easy one for him.



Overeem has the advantage on the feet being a kickboxer. On the ground he once again betters Lee, being an ADCC European champion. Lee’s best chance at winning will be to catch Overeem off guard on the feet and tag him.



This is more or less a set-up fight for Overeem. He should punish Lee on the feet with punches and knees until Lee finally goes down, setting up a potential showdown for Overeem with Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic at Dream 5.



Prediction: Alistair Overeem by TKO in the first round.

Tony
14-06-2008, 23:32
Light Heavyweight Bout:

Alavutdin Gadzhiev vs. Ralek Gracie



Russian fighter Alavutdin Gadzhiev faces off with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu stylist Ralek Gracie. Gadzhiev has a 7-1 record and trains out of SK Absolute Russia with Artur Oumakhanov. Gracie has a 1-0 record and trains out of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in California.



Gadzhiev comes off a knockout victory over Hikaru Sato at Pancrase Shining 2, while Gracie submitted Katsuyori Shibata at K-1 Hero’s 9.



Both fighters initially had different opponents in different types of matches scheduled for this fight card. Gracie was originally scheduled to fight in a special grappling rules match against Cro Cop, while Gadzhiev was to face Alexandre “Cacareco” Ferreira in an MMA match. They now meet in an MMA match after both their opponents were pulled from the card.



Gadzhiev has the obvious advantage on the feet with strikes and with punching power, being touted as one of the hardest punchers in MMA today. Gracie will want to get this fight to the ground and avoid any type of striking, as that’s his weakness and he hasn’t been training for an MMA fight.



This will be an interesting fight for both men. Gadzhiev will be tested on the ground and Gracie will be tested with a striker. Gracie hasn’t been training for an MMA fight and that will hurt the already inexperienced fighter, who will be punched for the first time in his MMA career and he will crumple under the punching power of Gadzhiev.



Prediction: Alavutdin Gadzhiev by TKO in the first round.