jakkups
05-26-2009, 06:28 PM
DREAM.9 mayhem: Accidental blow forces no contest in main event (http://mmajunkie.com/news/14987/dream-9-live-and-official-results.mma)
DREAM's middleweight title will remain vacant just a little bit longer.
An early illegal kick from Jason "Mayhem" Miller (22-6) – deemed unintentional – to the top of the head of a downed Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (10-2) forced a disappointing no contest in the main event of an otherwise exciting DREAM.9 event.
The HDNet-broadcast DREAM.9, featuring the organization's featherweight grand prix and "Super Hulk" quarterfinals, was held Tuesday at the Yokohama Arena in Kanagawa, Japan.
Miller and Souza were competing for the recently vacated title in a rematch of their exciting June 200 contest. But in the opening moments of the bout, the illegal blow opened a sizable gash on the Brazilian's head. Ringside doctors addressed the cut and sent "Jacare" back into battle, but the wound was only temporarily stable.
After the restart, the blood again began to flow, covering both fighters as it poured from Souza's head. The action was halted again, and both fighters had words for each other as they headed back to their corners.
Match officials consulted in the ring, but the call was obvious. With the blow being deemed accidental, the main event was declared a no contest.
Unheralded Warren stuns Yamamoto, remains undefeated in young career
Just two fights into his MMA career, Joe Warren (2-0) wasn't supposed to be ready for the world-class challenge of Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto (17-2). With an iron chin and a courageous heart, Warren proved he was.
Yamamoto's quick, powerful strikes were on full display, and snapping leg kicks and crushing counter punches found their mark. But Warren refused to back down from the blows, and instead insisted on moving forward and forcing Yamamoto to his back.
The contrast played out for 15 full minutes, and Yamamoto appeared concerned as time ran out. Despite sometimes favorable decision issued to Japanese fighters in their homeland, Warren's tenacity and determination earned him the surprising split-decision win and a spot in the featherweight grand prix semifinals.
Fernandes, Takaya and Tokoyo round out featherweight grand prix semifinals
While Bibiano Fernandes (5-2) may be more known for his notable losses to Urijah Faber and Yamamoto than any single win, the Brazilian remained patient and focused in his featherweight grand prix bout with Masakazu Imanari (16-7-1).
Imanari flopped to his back often, looking to bait Fernandes into his game. When the Brazilian refused to engage, the pace slowed. Both fighters received yellow cards for the slow action, though it was Imanari's antics and refusal to engage that seemed to be most deserving of the negative recognition.
With little effort on Imanari's part to end the fight, Fernandes was awarded the dull, but unanimous, decision.
Former WEC contenders Hiroyuki Takaya (11-6-1) and Yoshiro Maeda (24-7-2) brought their typical scrappy styles to the ring for the evening's second grand prix contest.
Standing toe-to-toe throughout, the pair each took turns as the attacker. Both fighters scored, and Takaya suffered a cut that warranted a quick inspection. Cleared to continue, Takaya delivered a few solid right hands that dropped Maeda to the canvas.
Takaya pounced, and though Maeda appeared coherent, the offense from the "Streetfight Bancho" earned him the TKO stoppage with just 20 seconds remaining in the opening 10-minute frame.
A fast-paced, "Fight of the Night" candidate from the start, featherweight grand prix fighters Hideo Tokoro (22-16-1) and Abel Cullum (14-3) combined to put on a grappling clinic.
With each fighter working submissions, escapes, transitions and sweeps, the action became tough to call and even tougher to score. Tokoro remedied the challenge by deftly transitioning to a rear-naked choke – after surviving an attempt by Cullum – and forced the tap at 1:37 of the second round.
Tokoro, who only earned his way into the quarterfinals as an alternate, snaps a three-fight losing streak with the win. Cullum falls to 2-2 in his past four contests.
Kawajiri survives early scare, outlasts "JZ"
Tatsuya Kawajiri (24-5-2) found himself in trouble early on in his highly anticipated lightweight showdown with Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante (14-3-1).
The Brazilian locked in a quick guillotine choke and tried to muscle in the submission, but Kawajiri remained patient and worked his neck free from the hold. Having survived the attempt, Kawajiri worked an effective ground-and-pound from top position.
Kawajiri implemented the same strategy for the remainder of the contest, dragging Cavalcante to the floor and holding him in place. Not the most exciting strategy, the concept was undeniably effective. Kawajiri rode out the clock for a unanimous decision win.
Cavalcante comes up short in his first bout in more than a year, and the talented Brazilian hasn't earned a victory since September 2007.
Mousasi, Sokoudjou, Choi and Minowa advance in "Super Hulk"
Armenian striker Gegard Mousasi (25-2-1) figured to have his hands full with heavy hitting Kiwi Mark Hunt (5-6). But rather than attempt to strike with the massive Hunt, Mousasi took advantage of a quick knockdown to gain control of the bout.
Mousasi tried for a kimura from side control, but unable to overpower his bigger opponent, the former middleweight champion transitioned to a straight arm bar and forced the quick tap just 1:19 into the opening round.
Mousasi has now won an impressive 12-straight contests, while Hunt has now dropped five-consecutive bouts.
The third opening-round contest of the "Super Hulk tournament featured Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (6-4) battling fellow African native Jan Nortje (2-6). Unfortunately for both fans and Nortje, Sokoudjou waited until after the final bell to inflict the greatest damage.
After tossing Nortje to the floor from the clinch, Sokoudjou unleashed a barrage of 20 unanswered ground-and-pound blows to force the stoppage. Unfortunately for "The Giant," "The African Assassin" refused to halt the attack even as the referee tried to peel him off.
The additional action brought both camps into the ring for some heated discussion, but the two sides settled down before the situation got out of control.
While the "Super Hulk" tournament was built on freak-show fights, the freakiest of all featured massive kickboxer Hong Man Choi (2-2) and former baseball superstar Jose Canseco (0-1).
A mismatch from the beginning, Canseco tried to remain elusive, sticking and moving. Choi remained steadfastly in the center of the ring, and slip from Canseco on a landed kick, coupled with a push from his 7-foot-2 opponent, left the baseball star on the canvas. Choi pounced, and a series of 12-unanswered ground-and-pound blows forced the tap from Canseco just 77 seconds after the bout began.
The evening's opening bout featured perhaps the most surprising result of the evening, as Ikuhisa Minowa (42-30-8) earned the final spot in the semifinals of the "Super Hulk" tournament.
Minowa's opponent, Bob Sapp (10-4-1), took the fight to the ground quickly, using his massive frame and 123-pound weight advantage to overpower his smaller opponent. "Minowaman" remained calm from bottom position through a series of submission attempts on his arm, then swept to the top on a missed rear-naked choke. From there, Minowa dropped to Sapp's leg and earned a quick tapout from "The Beast."
The four semifinalists will learn of their pairings at a later date.
OFFICIAL 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 Iminari 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
DREAM's middleweight title will remain vacant just a little bit longer.
An early illegal kick from Jason "Mayhem" Miller (22-6) – deemed unintentional – to the top of the head of a downed Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (10-2) forced a disappointing no contest in the main event of an otherwise exciting DREAM.9 event.
The HDNet-broadcast DREAM.9, featuring the organization's featherweight grand prix and "Super Hulk" quarterfinals, was held Tuesday at the Yokohama Arena in Kanagawa, Japan.
Miller and Souza were competing for the recently vacated title in a rematch of their exciting June 200 contest. But in the opening moments of the bout, the illegal blow opened a sizable gash on the Brazilian's head. Ringside doctors addressed the cut and sent "Jacare" back into battle, but the wound was only temporarily stable.
After the restart, the blood again began to flow, covering both fighters as it poured from Souza's head. The action was halted again, and both fighters had words for each other as they headed back to their corners.
Match officials consulted in the ring, but the call was obvious. With the blow being deemed accidental, the main event was declared a no contest.
Unheralded Warren stuns Yamamoto, remains undefeated in young career
Just two fights into his MMA career, Joe Warren (2-0) wasn't supposed to be ready for the world-class challenge of Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto (17-2). With an iron chin and a courageous heart, Warren proved he was.
Yamamoto's quick, powerful strikes were on full display, and snapping leg kicks and crushing counter punches found their mark. But Warren refused to back down from the blows, and instead insisted on moving forward and forcing Yamamoto to his back.
The contrast played out for 15 full minutes, and Yamamoto appeared concerned as time ran out. Despite sometimes favorable decision issued to Japanese fighters in their homeland, Warren's tenacity and determination earned him the surprising split-decision win and a spot in the featherweight grand prix semifinals.
Fernandes, Takaya and Tokoyo round out featherweight grand prix semifinals
While Bibiano Fernandes (5-2) may be more known for his notable losses to Urijah Faber and Yamamoto than any single win, the Brazilian remained patient and focused in his featherweight grand prix bout with Masakazu Imanari (16-7-1).
Imanari flopped to his back often, looking to bait Fernandes into his game. When the Brazilian refused to engage, the pace slowed. Both fighters received yellow cards for the slow action, though it was Imanari's antics and refusal to engage that seemed to be most deserving of the negative recognition.
With little effort on Imanari's part to end the fight, Fernandes was awarded the dull, but unanimous, decision.
Former WEC contenders Hiroyuki Takaya (11-6-1) and Yoshiro Maeda (24-7-2) brought their typical scrappy styles to the ring for the evening's second grand prix contest.
Standing toe-to-toe throughout, the pair each took turns as the attacker. Both fighters scored, and Takaya suffered a cut that warranted a quick inspection. Cleared to continue, Takaya delivered a few solid right hands that dropped Maeda to the canvas.
Takaya pounced, and though Maeda appeared coherent, the offense from the "Streetfight Bancho" earned him the TKO stoppage with just 20 seconds remaining in the opening 10-minute frame.
A fast-paced, "Fight of the Night" candidate from the start, featherweight grand prix fighters Hideo Tokoro (22-16-1) and Abel Cullum (14-3) combined to put on a grappling clinic.
With each fighter working submissions, escapes, transitions and sweeps, the action became tough to call and even tougher to score. Tokoro remedied the challenge by deftly transitioning to a rear-naked choke – after surviving an attempt by Cullum – and forced the tap at 1:37 of the second round.
Tokoro, who only earned his way into the quarterfinals as an alternate, snaps a three-fight losing streak with the win. Cullum falls to 2-2 in his past four contests.
Kawajiri survives early scare, outlasts "JZ"
Tatsuya Kawajiri (24-5-2) found himself in trouble early on in his highly anticipated lightweight showdown with Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante (14-3-1).
The Brazilian locked in a quick guillotine choke and tried to muscle in the submission, but Kawajiri remained patient and worked his neck free from the hold. Having survived the attempt, Kawajiri worked an effective ground-and-pound from top position.
Kawajiri implemented the same strategy for the remainder of the contest, dragging Cavalcante to the floor and holding him in place. Not the most exciting strategy, the concept was undeniably effective. Kawajiri rode out the clock for a unanimous decision win.
Cavalcante comes up short in his first bout in more than a year, and the talented Brazilian hasn't earned a victory since September 2007.
Mousasi, Sokoudjou, Choi and Minowa advance in "Super Hulk"
Armenian striker Gegard Mousasi (25-2-1) figured to have his hands full with heavy hitting Kiwi Mark Hunt (5-6). But rather than attempt to strike with the massive Hunt, Mousasi took advantage of a quick knockdown to gain control of the bout.
Mousasi tried for a kimura from side control, but unable to overpower his bigger opponent, the former middleweight champion transitioned to a straight arm bar and forced the quick tap just 1:19 into the opening round.
Mousasi has now won an impressive 12-straight contests, while Hunt has now dropped five-consecutive bouts.
The third opening-round contest of the "Super Hulk tournament featured Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (6-4) battling fellow African native Jan Nortje (2-6). Unfortunately for both fans and Nortje, Sokoudjou waited until after the final bell to inflict the greatest damage.
After tossing Nortje to the floor from the clinch, Sokoudjou unleashed a barrage of 20 unanswered ground-and-pound blows to force the stoppage. Unfortunately for "The Giant," "The African Assassin" refused to halt the attack even as the referee tried to peel him off.
The additional action brought both camps into the ring for some heated discussion, but the two sides settled down before the situation got out of control.
While the "Super Hulk" tournament was built on freak-show fights, the freakiest of all featured massive kickboxer Hong Man Choi (2-2) and former baseball superstar Jose Canseco (0-1).
A mismatch from the beginning, Canseco tried to remain elusive, sticking and moving. Choi remained steadfastly in the center of the ring, and slip from Canseco on a landed kick, coupled with a push from his 7-foot-2 opponent, left the baseball star on the canvas. Choi pounced, and a series of 12-unanswered ground-and-pound blows forced the tap from Canseco just 77 seconds after the bout began.
The evening's opening bout featured perhaps the most surprising result of the evening, as Ikuhisa Minowa (42-30-8) earned the final spot in the semifinals of the "Super Hulk" tournament.
Minowa's opponent, Bob Sapp (10-4-1), took the fight to the ground quickly, using his massive frame and 123-pound weight advantage to overpower his smaller opponent. "Minowaman" remained calm from bottom position through a series of submission attempts on his arm, then swept to the top on a missed rear-naked choke. From there, Minowa dropped to Sapp's leg and earned a quick tapout from "The Beast."
The four semifinalists will learn of their pairings at a later date.
OFFICIAL 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 Iminari 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