DREAM stages its final event of the year on Saturday, and as always, BloodyElbow.com will have live results and running play-by-play for the entire show (as well as the usual delirious, sleep-deprived discussion from the BE night crew in the comments).
Join us at 2 AM ET/11 PM PT for the start of the live HDNet broadcast.
Quick results below; round-by-round coverage in the extended entry.
Gegard Mousasi def. Tatsuya Mizuno via sub. (RNC) R1, 6:10
Jason Miller def. Kazushi Sakuraba via sub. (arm-triangle choke) R1, 2:09
Shinya Aoki def. Marcus Aurelio via unanimous decision
Satoshi Ishii def. Ikuhisa Minowa via unanimous decision
Hiroyuki Takaya def. Chase Beebe via KO (punches) R1, 1:45
Michihiro Omigawa def. Cole Escovedo via sub. (inverted armbar) R1, 2:29
Joachim Hansen def. Hideo Tokoro via sub. (triangle) R1, 2:48
Kazuyuki Miyata def. “Lion” Takeshi Inoue via unanimous decision
Mitsuhiro Ishida def. “Wicky” Akiyo Nishiura via split decision
Yusuke Kawaguchi def. James Thompson via split decision
DREAM Light-Heavyweight Grand Prix Final
Tatsuya Mizuno vs. Gegard Mousasi
Round 1: Mousasi brings Mizuno down with double underhooks and works to pass half-guard. Mizuo threatens with an armbar, but Mousasi pops free and passes to the side. Mizuno gives up his back and Mousasi moves to mount. Ref restarts them in center ring. Mousasi is too high pounding from the top and gets rolled. Mizuno can’t hold on to the position, gets swept and mounted again. He flips over and Mousasi sinks in the rear-naked choke that wins him the first-ever DREAM light-heavyweight title. Gegard Mousasi def. Tatsuya Mizuno via submission (rear-naked choke) R1, 6:10
9. Jason “Mayhem” Miller vs. Kazushi Sakuraba
Round 1: Sakuraba tries for a single leg, but Miller flattens him out and punches away as he stands in Saku’s guard. Sakuraba looks for a leg, but Mayhem just sits down on him and unloads with some big punches. As Saku tries to escape punishment, Miller sinks in a fast arm-triangle choke and jumps off to Saku’s right. It’s deep, and Saku is forced to tap. Jason Miller def. Kazushi Sakuraba via submission (arm-triangle choke) R1, 2:09
8. Shinya Aoki vs. Marcus Aurelio
Round 1: Aoki pushes Aurelio into the corner and deposits him on the floor as Aurelio closes up guard. Aurelio finds some distance and hops up, but Aoki grabs double underhooks again and repeats the takedown. Aoki gets mount this time and rides low, tying Aurelio’s legs up with his own leg-triangle. The pair remains in this position until Aoki relents the triangle with less than three minutes left in the round. Aoki gets stuffed to half-guard, passes, and puts the same triangle on again. Referee stands ’em up and issues a yellow card to Aurelio. As they restart, Aurelio catches Aoki shooting and tries for an RNC, then an armbar. Neither catch, and Aoki finishes out the round back on top.
Round 2: Early takedown from Aoki and it’s more of the same dominant grappling we saw in the first frame. With three minutes left in the match, Aoki works from a low full mount, shoving his shoulder into Aurelio’s face. Light hammerfists from Aoki on top, still mounted with 40 seconds to go. Aoki lands arguably his best bunch of punches in the last 20 seconds, bloodying up the nose of Aurelio. Easy bout to score, and it should be a unanimous decision for the DREAM lightweight champ. Shinya Aoki def. Marcus Aurelio via unanimous decision (3-0)
7. Satoshi Ishii vs. Ikuhisa Minowa
Round 1: Inside thigh kick from Minowa, and Ishii double-legs him to the floor and takes side control. Minowa gets to his knees, Ishii punching from the rear as they get back to their feet. Ishii ducks a right hand from Minowa, doesn’t chase the takedown. Then, he does go for a takedown and puts Minowa on his back with ease. They’re restarted in the center with Ishii in side control, seven minutes left. Minowa rolls and Ishii takes his back, then looks to grab an arm for a topside submission. Minowa squirms loose, back to the feet. And another takedown for Ishii. Minowa gets back to his feet, drops for a leg and briefly looks to threaten with a heel hook before Ishii extracts the leg. Ishii in north-south with four minutes left, then hops into mount. Minowa flips and Ishii punches from the back, but the shots are mostly blocked. Minowa pops back up, only to be bullied into the corner and taken down again. Ishii grinding from side control, hammerfisting the face of Minowa and roughing him up with a forearm across the jaw. Minowa stands with 90 seconds remaining in the first round. Ishii shoves Minowa’s back into the ringpost, and the round closes without much action.
Round 2: Ishii grabs a rear waistlock and chucks Minowa to the mat, then defends the ensuing heel hook attempt. Minowa works back to his feet, lands one or two decent punches, but then eats a body kick and gets taken down again. Ishii in side control on Minowa’s left, more rubbing his glove on Minowa’s face than punching from this position. Ishii flattens Minowa out and punches, takes the back and tries for the RNC, but Minowa defends. Minowa on his back again and Ishii tries for an arm-triangle on the right. The bell rings with Minowa locked in the submission, and there’s little doubt we’ve got a unanimous decision coming up.
Satoshi Ishii def. Ikuhisa Minowa via unanimous decision (3-0)
6. Chase Beebe vs. Hiroyuki Takaya
Round 1: Beebe looking for a takedown early on, Takaya defending. The “Streetfight Bancho” steps in with a brutal left hook that puts Beebe on hs back. Takaya pounds away until Beebe’s lights go out and the American goes limp. Hiroyuki Takaya def. Chase Beebe via KO (punches) R1, 1:45
5. Michihiro Omigawa vs. Cole Escovedo
Round 1: Omigawa bobs and weaves, pops Escovedo with a one-two, which is answered by a knee from Escovedo. Double underhooks from Omigawa and he brings Escovedo down. Quick mount for Omigawa, less than a minute into the fight. He hops off and passes to Escovedo’s right, looking for a choke. Omigawa rolls into guard with a guillotine and Escovedo pops out. Omigawa working for an armbar from underneath for a minute before finally switching to Escovedo’s left arm and getting the tap. Looks like Escovedo may have injured his elbow waiting that one out. Michihiro Omigawa def. Cole Escovedo via submission (inverted armbar) R1, 2:29
4. Joachim Hansen vs. Hideo Tokoro
Round 1: Tokoro catches a kick between the legs in the opening salvo of the match, but recovers after a few minutes. Nice round kick to the body by Tokoro… and Hansen punts him in the groin again. This one’s worse than the first, and Tokoro has taken a seat in his corner. Hansen’s issued a yellow card for the second infraction and they resume. Hansen turns a takedown attempt from Tokoro into one of his own and mounts briefly, gets stuffed back to Tokoro’s half-guard. He stands over Tokoro and dives through his guard, then works to mount for a minute. He finally does and locks up a topside triangle on Tokoro. Hansen punches away, then rolls Tokoro over and pulls the head down for the submission win. Joachim Hansen def. Hideo Tokoro via submission (triangle choke) R1, 2:48
3. Kazuyuki Miyata vs. “Lion” Takeshi Inoue
Round 1: Tentative circling in the open 90 seconds with Inoue feinting constantly, flicking out a few leg kicks and one to the body. Miyata goes for the shot and, after a moment of struggle, plows the Shootor to the mat. Good use of wrist control by Inoue gets the stand-up from referee Moritaka Oshiro. Miyata with a pair of massive suplexes, winds up on the ground with Inoue’s back. One hook in for Miyata as the round passes the halfway mark. Miyata tries to change to the front and Inoue escapes. More feints and leg kicks from Inoue before Miyata botches a takedown and finds himself beneath Lion. They scramble to their feet and Miyata takes Inoue’s back standing with a rear waistlock. Miyata tries another rolling suplex, but Inoue’s hip to it this time and uses the opportunity to break loose. High double-leg from Miyata is sprawled on by Inoue, who then knees a standing Miyata directly in the cup. Miyata takes a couple minutes to recover from the hard foul. They resume and Miyata quickly secures another double-leg, putting Inoue in the corner. They stall out and are stood up with a minute left. Miyata secures another takedown before the bell.
Round 2: Body kick from Miyata is answered by a jump knee by Inoue. Miyata plants Lion in the corner, where Inoue does well to tie up, though Miyata scores with a solid knee to the ribs. Ref restarts them in the center and Inoue scrambles loose. Another low blow by Inoue, but Miyata doesn’t take nearly as much time to recover now. 90 seconds left. Inoue sprawls on a double and they clinch. Pair of nice knees up the middle by Miyata. Inoue surges with ten seconds left and seems to stun Miyata, who collapses in his corner, grabbing at his cup, when the bell rings. The proper scorecard here is doubtlessly for Miyata. Kazuyuki Miyata def. “Lion” Takeshi Inoue via unanimous decision (3-0)
2. “Wicky” Akiyo Nishiura vs. Mitsuhiro Ishida
Round 1: Ishida fakes a single-leg and backs up, causing Wicky to push forward, where Ishida easily picks the leg for real. They’re against the ropes and Wicky uses them to work to his feet, but Ishida lifts him up and drops him in center ring. Wicky scoots to the ropes and gets up again… and is taken down once more. Ishida trying to flatten Nishiura out, gets too high and finds himself reversed. Wicky tags Ishida with a few hard uppercuts in a scramble, then a big knee. Ishida looks hurt and clings to Nishiura’s left leg. Wicky with another solid knee in the clinch. Ishida doggedly trying for the leg, but Wicky is showing much-improved takedown defense. Ishida finally gets his takedown with four minutes left and is swept 30 seconds later as Wicky pops back up. Waistlock for Ishida, who jumps on the back of Wicky but quickly abandons the position. Ref restarts them with one minute left. One more takedown for Ishida to finish the round; fittingly, Wicky gets back to his feet with ease.
Round 2: No surprises: Ishida shoots a single-leg almost immediately. Wicky sprawls at first, but gets dragged down anyway. They quickly stall out and are restarted on the feet, where Ishida again grabs a rear waistlock in the corner. Ishida switches to a single, drags Wicky down and hops into mount. I don’t think Ishida’s thrown a single punch all round. Samio Kimura restarts the pair in the center with Ishida in mount, but Wicky uses the elevator sweep and gets out from underneath. No matter – he’s soon being grappled to death in the corner again. Ref Kimura restarts them with under a minute left. Flying knee lands from Wicky and Ishida shoots. Wicky goes wild with hammerfists and he’s bloodied the face of the “Endless Fighter.” Ishida drives through a double-leg and survives to the final bell with Wicky pounding away. My unofficial card has the bout for Akiyo Nishiura, who landed the only significant offense of the match. Mitsuhiro Ishida def. “Wicky” Akiyo Nishiura via split decision (2-1)
1. Yusuke Kawaguchi vs. James Thompson
Round 1: Thompson whiffs on a leg kick and Kawaguchi tags him with a few punches. They clinch along the ropes and Kawaguchi walks Thompson into the corner. Thompson exits with some haymakers and knees from the clinch which connect. Kawaguchi unloads on Thompson, windmilling shots that connect to the Brit’s jaw. Thompson stays up and slows the pace by pushing Kawaguchi into the corner, but Kawaguchi immediately reverses and puts Thompson’s back to the ringpost. Ref separates them and Kawaguchi lands another right hand before they re-clinch. Kawaguchi comes over the top with a pair of right hands that drop Thompson. The DEEP champ pounces, but Thompson works back to his feet and into the corner. Thompson pops Kawaguchi with a couple uppercuts, but Kawaguchi’s doing more damage in the clinch. Thompson escapes the corner with a nice knee, then eats about six punches in return. Both men looking spent with three-plus minutes left in the opening round. Thompson finally lands the single-leg he’s been feebly looking for all round and tries to pound on Kawaguchi from half-guard. Soft hammerfists from Thompson on top, Kawaguchi just trying to cover and tie up. Kawaguchi decides he’s had enough, sits up and works to his feet. Thompson tries to bring him back down, but Kawaguchi stays up and tags Thompson with an overhand left that sends him wobbling into the ropes. Another single-leg lands for Thompson. Kawaguchi bleeding profusely from the nose now. Thompson ends the round in mount but he’s so tired that he can’t pound the also-spent Kawaguchi out. Round two isn’t going to be pretty.
Round 2: Another single-leg from Thompson to start the round, which Kawaguchi easily shirks. Thompson lands more knees from the clinch; Kawaguchi answers with a slapping leg kick. Thompson scores another takedown and works for mount in the corner before referee Moritaka Oshiro restarts them in center ring. Thompson quickly secures mount and pounds away, but the punches don’t have much pepper. One minute left. The Brit looks briefly for an arm-triangle, then decides against it. Thompson finishes the match back in mount, but I see it for Yusuke Kawaguchi, who dominated almost the entire first round. Yusuke Kawaguchi def. James Thompson via split decision (2-1)
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