DREAM’s Fight for Japan event has already happened, but it will air tonight in the United States for the first time on HDNet. In keeping with our mission to always provide a place to discuss the best events in mixed martial arts, I’m happy to say that Matthew Roth of Head Kick Legend will provide guest “live” blogging for the event. The broadcast begins at 10:00 p.m. ET.
In the interest of everyone’s enjoyment, let’s do our best to keep the comments “spoiler free” as I know some have done their best to avoid results this last week in anticipation of tonight’s airing.
The broadcast will include the first two rounds of the DREAM bantamweight tournament, a bout between Shinya Aoki and UFC veteran Rich Clementi and many more bouts.
So make sure to come back to Bloody Elbow at 10 p.m. ET when the show hits the HDNet airwaves and share your thoughts.
Kazushi Sakuraba is about to give a speech, it’s a very somber moment. The event will use minimal electricity. It will be the ring, the fighters, and the audience. LET’S KEEP FIGHTING!!!
Round 1: Tokoro is already throwing head kicks right off the bat. This is a slug fest already. Maeda is taunting. Tokoro with a knee to the head. Maeda runs around the ring and starts yelling, this is wild. Maeda and Tokoro are back to trading. Maeda slips and is getting pounded by Tokoro. Rolls but Tokoro is looking for an armbar. He lets it go for a leg lock. Maeda survives and is back to his feet. Tokoro with a high kick to the face. Maeda is getting punched and keeps coming forward. Tokoro with a knee to the body. Spinning back fist and Maeda is stunned. Tokoro wildly comes forward and they clash heads. Looks like Tokoro is cut. Maeda is tagging Tokoro and Tokoro is down. This is a crazy fight for those watching. Maeda is working from Tokoro’s guard and throwing small punches from the top. Tokoro is slapping the ear. Tokoro is back up and Maeda is trying to bait him but Tokoro isn’t buying it. They are tiring out for sure after seven minutes of straight brawling. Round kick for Tokoro lands to the ribs. This is a great fight. Tokoro with a straight right. Maeda responds. Tokoro looks to be the better conditioned fighter. Maeda is trying to get Tokoro off his game and it’s not working…Tokoro is just picking him apart with some crisp boxing. Well timed knee by Tokoro and which collapses Maeda. He’d working a triangle as the bell sounds.
Round 2: Tokoro throws a punch to the body but it lands low. We’re getting a bit of a break right now. Trigg and Schiavello reminiscing about their favorite groin shots of 2010. Tokoro takes Maeda down and the towel is thrown? UHHHH what?f I’m reaaaaally confused but Tokoro wins?
Official Result: Hideo Tokoro wins via TKO (Corner Throws in Towel)
Joachim Hansen vs Mitsuhiro Ishida
Round 1: Ishida is looking to open up early. He’s landing punches and leg kicks. Hansen responds with a leg kick. Ishida clips Hansen with a right hand. And again. Fight is to the ground and Hansen has Ishida’s back. Ishida stands up and is Hellboy slips off. Ishida is working from guard and is tight against Hellboy’s body negating any offense. Hansen is working an omoplata but Ishida survives. Ref stand up and Hansen is the first to attack with a knee. Hansen is looking for the takedown and hits the belly to back SUPLEX!!! Hansen has Ishida’s back and looks for an armbar. Ishida survives and gets top control. Hansen looking for a triangle!!! Loses it but Hansen is incredibly active off his back. Hansen is back to his feet but Ishida has his back and is throwing hard knees to the hamstrings. SUPLEX…no never mind. Ishida is really looking for this and hits a quick switch. Hansen is working a sub and again back to their feet. These guys are working this first round and we have a referee reset to the center of the ring. Back to their feet as the round ends.
Round 2: Ishida looks incredibly undersized. Wild that at one point both of these guys were light weights. Ishida with the quick single leg and gets the fight to the ground. Back to their feet and Ishida has his back throwing knees to the hamstrings. Single by Ishida and Hansen is looking for a choke I think? Hansen is falling out of the ring and they reset to the center. Hansen is doing a good job cutting off the ring and Ishida looks for a sub. Hansen hits the switch and Ishida goes for a double. Ishida is breathing hard. Front kick by Hansen and a right hand lands. Ishida gets the double but doesn’t do anything with it. Ref restarts in the center of the ring. This fight is all Hansen. Ishida isn’t looking for a finish and Hansen is working an omoplata as the round ends.
Official Result: Joachim Hansen (Split Decision)
Takeshi Inoue vs Koichiro Matsumoto
Round 1: Matsumoto is throwing heavy hands. Takeshi hits the mat but is back up. He eats a couple punches on the way up. Takeshi looks good right now. They are clinched up and are just throwing to the body. At referee separation Takeshi lands a knee to Matsumoto’s face. Not much action as they are taunting eat other. Neither fighter wants to commit too much. Kind of a boring fight. Takeshi lands a punch and drops Matsumoto. He throws fast ground and pound and Matsumoto is acting like he didn’t want the fight to be stopped. LOL.
Round 1: Uno is throwing leg kicks but isn’t really committing to them. A hook by Uno is ducked and Wicky fires back with an overhand right. Uno shoots a takedown and Wicky defends well. Uno gets his back and is desperately trying to get the fight down. Wicky has been defending really well and Uno is riding his back to get the fight down. Uno finally dives and the fight is on the mat. Unfortunately, Wicky is able to stand up again. Uno is really looking for that takedown. Wicky is back to his feet and Uno is riding his back. Fight to the ground again and Uno has his back with one hook. Wicky rolls and then stands up. Wicky with a jumping knee and Uno looks for the takedown. With a minute left there hasn’t been any significant damage with Uno looking for the takedown and Wicky defending. Uno looking for a rear naked choke but Wicky defends. Uno is working for it with fifteen seconds left but there just isn’t enough time. Both fighters look good but it’s tough to see who was more effective.
Round 2: Wicky with a high kick. Leg kick by Uno. Uno looks for a takedown and Wicky defends again. Wicky now has top control. Wicky backs up and throws hard hands against Uno in the corner. A knee and Uno shoots another takedown. Wicky is looking to get back up but Uno has his back. Uno is looking for the choke with 90 seconds left and this is the closest we’ve come to a finish. Wicky survives and has Uno’s back! Wicky is looking for punches and now is back to his feet! 30 seconds and Wicky rolls and lands an upkick. Back to the feet and Wicky is looking for one last chance to finish. This is all Uno but Wicky is sure fun to watch.
Official Result: Caol Uno (Unanimous Decision
Katsunori Kikuno vs Daisuke Nakamura
Round 1: Nakamura opens with a jab but Kikuno immediately answers with some big power. Nakamura is wobbled but survives to get the fight to the ground. Kikuno back to his feet but eats a knee on the way up. Kikuno is landing heavy to the jaw. Knee by Nakamura but he gets tagged with a couple of punches. Kikuno gets the fight to the ground and has top control. Back to the feet and Kikuno lands another left hook. This all Kikuno on the feet. He ducks under Nakamura and gets the takedown again. Half guard and Kikuno is working. The ref stands them. Kikuno throws wild right hands and Nakamura pulls guard. Kikuno is just too strong with Nakamura looking for a sweep. The ref stands them up after non action and issues Nakamura a yellow card! Front kick to the thigh by Kikuno. Kikuno looks for a takedown and Nakamura uses it to work for a sub. The round ends with Kikuno in half guard. This is a solid fight.
Round 2: Kikuno is head hunting and Nakamura lands a nice knee to the body. Nakamura jumps guard again and Kikuno is smothering him. They stand up and Nakamura throws a knee on the way up. Kikuno again gets the fight to the mat and Nakamura is looking to shoot forward but is stuffed. The fight is stood up by the ref and both fighters are given yellow cards, that’s the second for Nakamura. This will be stand and bang for the last 90 of the fight. A big punch and Nakamura drops down. Kikuno throws knees to the head and then gets top control. Nakamura is looking for the scramble but Kikuno is too strong. The round ends with Kikuno landing from top control.
Official Result: Katsunori Kikuno (Unanimous Decision)
Rich Clementi vs Shinya Aoki
Round 1: The clinch up and the fight is quickly brought to the ground. Aoki has top control and Clementi is looking for an arm. Aoki stands up and slams Clementi who is still looking for the arm. Aoki throws a knee to the head and Aoki passes to mount. Clementi escapes back to his feet but again is dragged to the ground. Aoki is tight in full mount is throwing decent ground and pound with his right hand. The ref is close to stopping this fight. This is just a dominating performance by Aoki. This is the type of beatdown that happens when your big brother is mad at you. The punches aren’t doing much damage but this is just not the way to defend yourself. Clementi says Aoki punches like a girl. LOL. This is just ridiculous. The ref stands them up and issues a yellow card. Aoki gets the fight back to the ground and I’m scoring this round 10-3 at this point. Ref resets them in the center of the ring. The round ends with Aoki just dominating on the ground.
Round 2: Again we’re on the ground in the corner. This is probably the most one sided fight I’ve seen from Aoki. He has Clementi’s back and is punching him in the head while holding position with a body triangle. Clementi is flat on his belly and Aoki opens up with some punches. Aoki ends the fight with a rear naked neck crank.
Official Result: Shinya Aoki (Submission)
Hideo Tokoro vs Atsushi Yamamoto
Round 1: Tokoro with a leg kick to open up the fight. Neither fighter has opened up yet after a minute. Now two minutes down and still no action. Tokoro is pawing out jab and finally lands with it to the body. To finally open up Tokoro tries a flying knee but Yamamoto gets the takedown. TOKORO with the armbar!!!!!! The octopus is a beast on the ground that was extremely close to being finished. Yamamoto back to his feet. Low kick may have hit the groin. Crazy that Tokoro is getting fixed up by his corner while Yamamoto is getting time to recover. Halfway through the first and this is all Tokoro. I just went through a wormhole and I’m 45 seconds later than I was. Okay, so at 3:30 left, Tokoro lands a nice kick to the leg and then commits to a right hand. Looks like Tokoro has found his range, Yamamoto is having difficulty finding Tokoro’s head. Jumping knee by Tokoro! Yamamoto shoots a double and Tokoro shrugs it off. The round ends with neither fighter committing to any activity.
Round 2: Both fighters trade leg kicks as the round ends. Yamamoto shoots a takedown and Tokoro gets his back. Yamamoto spins into him and is in Tokoro’s guard. Tokoro is threatening a submission but Yamamoto doing well keeping his posture. Yamamoto stands up and forces the fight back to the feet. Tokoro loves that jumping knee. With 1:45 left, this is a pretty clear Tokoro fight in my opinion. Neither fighter has really done anything to finish but Yamamoto just can’t get a dominant position. Tokoro uses a Kimura to get the fight to the ground and he’s looking to finish with the round almost over. This is a great way to end the fight. I have it Tokoro.
Official Result: Hideo Tokoro (Split Decision)
Kenji Osawa vs Masakazu Imanari
Round 1: The fight is almost immediately to the ground. Imanari is working an omoplata then gives it up for a leg lock. This could be over quickly. Never mind, Osawa survives and is to his feet. He comes forward and Imanari again gets the fight to the ground. Osawa passes guard but is quickly swept. Imanari is working from side control right now. Imanari tries for a submission but Osawa is able to use it to get back to his feet. Imanari again dives for a takedown and has Osawam in his guard. This is great grappling by Imanari. He has Osawa’s left arm locked down and is now working rubber guard. This is a treat watching Imanari work. Osawa escapes but is almost hit with with an upkick. Ref stands them up and Imanari immediately rolls for a takedown. Nice punch to the guts by Osawa but again Imanari gets the fight to the ground. Osawa lands some nice punches and then stands up. Osawa throws nice punches and Imanari throws upkicks. This is a classic Imanari fight with just ridiculous grappling. Akiyama sighting! Final 20 seconds and Imanari isn’t committing to any stand up.
Round 2: Imanari with a jumping flying guard to get the fight to the ground. The ref spins them to the center of the ring and Imanari is immediately looking for a leg. Osawa stands up and Imanari just jumps for a leg lock. WOW. I love watching Imanari fight. I hate thinking of how many ankles he’s ruined.
Official Result: Masakazu Imanari via Submission (Achilles Lock)
That’s all she wrote folks. Solid event from DREAM, hopefully the July 16th event is just as fun.
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