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Shinya Aoki vs. "Mach" Sakurai rematch officially announced for DREAM.8
The long-awaited rematch between WAMMA lightweight champion Shinya Aoki (20-3) and Hayato "Mach" Sakurai (34-8-2) has been officially booked for DREAM's upcoming welterweight grand prix.
The fight and other opening-round bouts will take place at DREAM.8, which is set for April 5 at Nippon Gaishi Hall in Nagoya, Japan.
The two fighters first met at an August 2005 Shooto event.
Aoki suffered a close unanimous-decision loss in that fight; it's one of only three career losses for the former PRIDE fighter and 2008 DREAM lightweight grand prix runner-up.
He'll go for his seventh win in eight fights when he meets Sakurai, a fellow PRIDE veteran who's 7-1 in his past eight fights.
While the two fighters could be considered favorites in the upcoming welterweight tournament, which also features Seichi Ikemoto and Yuya Shirai, one will be knocked out in the first round. A full line-up for the grand prix, which could include the likes of John Alessio and Andre Galvao, is expected to be announced in the next week.
The DREAM.8 card now includes:
* Shinya Aoki vs. Hayato "Mach" Sakurai*
* Zelg "Benkei" Galesic vs. Andrews Nakahara
* Ikuhisa "Minowaman" Minowa vs. Katsuyori Shibata
* Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza vs. TBA
* Hideo Tokoro vs. DJ.taiki+
* - Welterweight grand prix opening-round bout
+ - First-round featherweight grand prix bout (other tourney bouts took place at DREAM.7)
The fight and other opening-round bouts will take place at DREAM.8, which is set for April 5 at Nippon Gaishi Hall in Nagoya, Japan.
The two fighters first met at an August 2005 Shooto event.
Aoki suffered a close unanimous-decision loss in that fight; it's one of only three career losses for the former PRIDE fighter and 2008 DREAM lightweight grand prix runner-up.
He'll go for his seventh win in eight fights when he meets Sakurai, a fellow PRIDE veteran who's 7-1 in his past eight fights.
While the two fighters could be considered favorites in the upcoming welterweight tournament, which also features Seichi Ikemoto and Yuya Shirai, one will be knocked out in the first round. A full line-up for the grand prix, which could include the likes of John Alessio and Andre Galvao, is expected to be announced in the next week.
The DREAM.8 card now includes:
* Shinya Aoki vs. Hayato "Mach" Sakurai*
* Zelg "Benkei" Galesic vs. Andrews Nakahara
* Ikuhisa "Minowaman" Minowa vs. Katsuyori Shibata
* Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza vs. TBA
* Hideo Tokoro vs. DJ.taiki+
* - Welterweight grand prix opening-round bout
+ - First-round featherweight grand prix bout (other tourney bouts took place at DREAM.7)
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