The last major card of 2009 was held just outside Tokyo, Japan last night as FEG held its annual FieLDS Dynamite!! card from Saitama Super Arena. The event drew a strong 37,000+ people and featured a host of interesting MMA bouts including Shinya Aoki, Gegard Mousasi, Melvin Manhoef, and Kid Yamamoto.
Attendance
The crowd was great – at one point the announced attendance was 45, 406 – and there’s still very much something to be said for the ability of Japanese MMA to draw 37,000 people to an arena. The feeling is that a great deal of the support for this event surrounded the retirement of Masato, but the showing is nonetheless a good one for MMA as a whole.
That panoramic television view showing the huge crowd really gave the event a big time feel, and it’s undoubtedly something that North American MMA events will be shooting for in the coming years. It’s the time of picture that communicates a thousand words, and something that would surely signal to a larger audience that MMA is legitimate. It’s hard to think that the UFC won’t try to accomplish a massive event like this within the next two years; either with GSP in Canada or BJ Penn in Hawaii.
Ratings
Expect the ratings late this week or early next.
Business Story Lines
- Kid Yamamoto and Masanori Kanehara put on perhaps the fight of the night with a spirited back and forth affair. It would appear that Kid will have to re-tool his game in order to compete in the more well-rounded and competitive bantam and featherweight divisions. His ability to draw in Japan – and the appeal of him crossing the pond to fight in the WEC – will now be called into question. However, his lack of wrestling/ground game could fuel the fire for him to join a camp like Xtreme Couture.
- Alistair Overeem looked impressive, but faced a clearly over-matched opponent in Fujita. He remains committed to K-1 until late March, but Strikeforce has been adamant about getting him into the cage in time for their CBS show in April. The organization would then look to setup a bout between the behemoth and Fedor Emelianenko on PPV later in the year.
This strategy isn’t without its risk, however. Not only might there be issues surrounding the status of Overeem’s contract in the future, but the swirling allegations surrounding PED use at Overeem’s gym in Holland are also a concern. Strikeforce could invest a lot of time and money in this big fight – not really having any other clear alternative at this point – and then have it crumble as the result of a contract or a bad test. There’s always some risk involved in any fight, but it seems to be heightened in this case.
- Gegard Mousasi mentioned about a week ago that he’d likely be a part of the Strikeforce card in April, which bodes well for the CBS event that’s already likely to feature Fedor and Henderson.
- Shinya Aoki was very impressive, but the lack of respect he displayed at the end of the fight took away from the performance. It was reminiscent of Lesnar’s antics after the Mir fight, only worse because Aoki was taunting a downed opponent that wasn’t getting up any time soon.
On one hand, these gestures at the end of the fight are the types of thing that MMA’s opposition – or even the fence sitters – look at and use as ammunition as to why the sport is brutal savagery. On the other hand, it’s something that a promotion can use to fuel interest in a fighter – people like to see bad guys get beat.
- Melvin Manhoef is always so impressive on his feet. It’s a real shame that he’s stated he has no desire to work on the ground, because he could be a force in MMA with some solid take down and ground defense. That’s the real danger as a promoter, too: the guy wants big bucks, but you risk flushing that investment down the drain. Manhoef is far too one-dimensional and that just doesn’t cut it in MMA anymore.
Kazuyuki Fujita's near-death experience at the knees of Alistair Overeem...
Masato retires on top (with a little help from Any Souwer) after the jump.
Check out more photos from the Dynamite!! gallery here.
For a card that's seen more dance partners than the captain of your high school cheerleading squad, UFC 108: "Evans vs. Silva" might as well be called "The Return." That's because of the number of fighters - many of which are serving as replacements for previously scheduled, now injured, opponents - set to make their long-awaited return to action.
The Jan. 2 fight card will see the return-from-injury of UFC lightweight fighter Joe Lauzon and welterweight Dustin Hazelett, as well as the promotional returns of Dan Lauzon (Joe's brother) and Duane "Bang" Ludwig, in addition to the promotional debut of heavyweight badboy Gilbert Yvel.
It's sort of sad to think what UFC 108 might have once looked like, with UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar, Shane Carwin, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Gabriel Gonzaga, Carlos Condit, Rory Markham, Steve Cantwell, Tyson Griffin and Sean Sherk all once scheduled to appear on the card.
In fact, the latter two - Griffin and Sherk - were both once named as opponents for rising lightweight talent Jim Miller. Now 4-1 in the UFC and 17-2 overall, Miller has made a name for himself for taking fights on short notice and earning hard-fought victories over such fighters as Matt Wiman and The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Season 6 winner, Mac Danzig, among others.
The only chinks in Miller's armor have come at the hands of top contender Gray Maynard in March 2009 and to that other top contender, Frankie Edgar - who now trains with Miller - way back in November 2006 at Reality Fighting 14. Miller now looks to spoil the promotional return of Duane "Bang" Ludwig (19-9).
What toll do all these changes in opponents take on the mental or physical aspects of training for an upcoming fight? Excellent question, which is why I asked it, when I got the chance to catch up with Miller this week. See what he had to say about "Bang", where a victory places him in the crowded lightweight division, and even a potential rematch against friend-and-training-partner Frankie Edgar after the jump.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You were first supposed to face Tyson Griffin, then Sean Sherk, and now Duane Ludwig at UFC 108 on Saturday. Obviously this kind of thing happens a lot due to training injuries. In fact, it happened in your last fight - you were supposed to face Thiago Tavares, and then it ended up being Steve Lopez. Does that make it difficult to prepare for a fight either mentally or physically?
Jim Miller: You know, it's one of those things that does happen. The way that I approach training and preparing for a fight, it really doesn't affect me all that much. I'm not satisfied with where I am, in any aspect of the game. So I'm always trying to improve, and I feel that if I train specifically to fight a certain type of opponent, I'm going to slow down my improvements. So I just try to train hard and to get better in everything.
Coming into every fight, I want to be a better fighter every time I step into the Octagon. So I really don't train to fight any certain (type of) opponent. Maybe some quirks here and there. ...
The difference between Tyson and Sean, they're both about the same height, shorter than me, wrestlers, stocky guys. Now I'm fighting a guy (in Ludwig) that's taller than me and lanky. You know that's a little bit different.
But it really doesn't affect me that much. I'm still getting in there, I'm still fighting, and my main goal is still to fight my best.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): In terms of your camp - for example, the types of things that you're drilling - did that adjust with the change from Sherk to Ludwig?
Jim Miller: Yeah, there was a little bit. More preparation for somebody who's going to be striking (more) and moving away and not really ... getting in close.
I don't think (Ludwig) is going to be planning on standing inside the pocket with me where I can grab a hold of him and take him down. It's just one of those little switches, where instead of guys coming in and shooting on me, they circle away and keep their distance. It's a pretty simple little switch, it doesn't really bother me that much.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Ludwig has kickboxing experience, he has KO power. Do you have any hesitation keeping it on the feet, where it seems he'll probably be most comfortable?
Jim Miller: No, I mean he definitely has got the advantage on the feet, there's no doubt about that. But I'm very comfortable on my feet. And as long as I show up to fight and do the things that I know how to do, I shouldn't really run into too much trouble.
Then it's just a matter of implementing my game plan and working with what I know I'm better than him at, and that is the ground game. No surprises here (laughs).
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You're 17-2 with your only losses coming to Frankie Edgar way back in 2006 and, more recently, Gray Maynard - both guys, top contenders in the UFC. Where does a win put you?
Jim Miller: I don't know. The division ... it's a little messed up right now. There's a lot of guys that can compete with each other and guys that need to fight before any title shots are handed out in my opinion. It all depends.
It all depends on who loses in the coming fights. I think if Gray beats Nate (Diaz), Gray should get the title shot. He'll definitely have earned it. But then again, if he loses, you gotta bring Diaz back up into the top.
It's a very confusing situation at the top of the division. So I really don't know where a win would put me, per se. I just know that I can compete with all these guys.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Do you anticipate that Gray is going to win that fight?
Jim Miller: I think he should. As long as he doesn't make a foolish mistake, I think he should be able to beat Nate this time around.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): All training aside, this of course begs the question, would you like a rematch with Frankie Edgar?
Jim Miller: You know what, right now it's not my prerogative. We train together, he's a great training partner, he's a friend of mine. But I mean there is that thing where I want to be the champ, (and) he wants to be the champ, so if we both do what we're capable of and what we want, we're going to have to meet again.
I don't think it would bother either of us (laughs). We beat each other up in (training), why not get paid some money to do it. So it's something that I don't think we need to do right now, (but) maybe a couple of fights down the road. But it'll probably happen again, so ...
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Speaking of Frankie, with both you guys being from New Jersey, UFC 111 in late March - I believe it's March 27 - is coming to Newark. Recognizing that that's not quite three months away, is that a card you'd like to be on?
Jim Miller: It's a little quick after this one right now. It all depends. Fighting in Jersey's nice - the hometown fans and stuff like that - but I'll fight anywhere, I don't really care.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well, Jim, I thank you for taking the time to talk with us. I wanted to give you a chance to thank any sponsors of if you have any parting words for your fans about what they can expect to see come Saturday.
Jim Miller: I just want to thank my fans and thank all my training partners and trainers at AMA. I also want to thank Martin Rooney at Training for Warriors. I've had so much help from so many different guys, the list gets longer and longer with each fight, it's tough to call out particular guys. But everyone who's helped me, I just want to thank them.
The Fighters Only 2009 MMA Awards were held last night in Las Vegas, Nevada, and not surprisingly Georges St-Pierre, the UFC, and Tapout came away as the big winners.
Here’s the entire list of winners on the evening:
Props: SportsRadioInterviews.com
Quoteworthy:
"The thing is just not getting caught up in games at all. Just imposing my will and doing the things that I need to do. I think as long as I do that, I will find the opening that I’m looking for. As long as I’m reacting to what he is doing, I’m always going to find myself on the defensive end and therefore not being able to find my rhythm. If I go out there looking to establish my rhythm and do what I need to do, I’ll get him reacting and I can dictate the pace of the fight. Ultimately getting back to Machida is where I want to go. I definitely got at least another fight or two to go before I get to him. I would also definitely like to close things up with Rampage since we got into it like that. It’s something that the fans want to see and I definitely want to give the fans what they want."
Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans contemplates his future inside the Octagon after locking horns with Thiago Silva at UFC 108 this Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. "Suga" has some unfinished business with "Rampage" Jackson, who taunted him throughout the TUF 10 series only to bail on him at UFC 107 and go Hollywood. If he can get past Silva and ultimately a returning Jackson, is there a chance he'll have better luck against "The Dragon?"
For those of you who can't wait until Saturday to get your fill of Octagon mayhem, the UFC is bringing you a boatload of reality fight programming to keep your appetite wet right now (Dec. 31) on Spike TV.
The Ultimate Fighter 6 Finale is currently underway featuring Mac Danzig vs. Tommy Speer as well as a co-main event between lightweight contenders Roger Huerta and Clay Guida.
At 3 p.m. ET the TUF 10 Finale returns to milk a few more ratings out of the Kimbo Slice hype train -- though his Dec. 5 bout against Houston Alexander was hard enough to get through the first time it aired. Of courrse it also features Roy Nelson vs. Brendan Schaub and the controversial Matt Hamill vs. Jon Jones bout.
Last but not least, UFC Unleashed will air at 6 p.m. ET with a Rich Franklin tribute that features the former middleweight champion's previous bouts against Edwin Dewees, Ken Shamrock and the late Evan Tanner.
Anyone still upset over Brock Lesnar's UFC 100 post-fight antics after seeing this?
Dynamite!! 2009 delivered a heady year-end combat sports extravaganza with promotional war for supremacy, long overdue MMA debut of the great, white hope of Japanese MMA, and picture-perfect ending to an illustrious career.
The night kicked off with captivating action from four sprightly, high school kids as they fought for the K-1 Koshien 2009 crown. The K-1 Koshien finalists, Hiroya, Masaaki Noiri, Shota Shimada, and Katsuki Ishida displayed relentless action and precocious technical polish.
The unheralded Masaaki Noiri upset the Koshien 2008 winner and K-1 golden child, Hiroya in the semi-final and bested Shota Shimada to become the new K-1 Koshien champion.
In the final match of the infamous Super Hulk Tournament, the always charismatic Minowaman defied the odds to cement his status as the ultimate "David." Against Sokoudjou -- perhaps the "Goliath" of the tournament in spite of his less-than-towering stature -- Minowaman struggled to gain traction during the first two rounds.
After a lengthy stalemate in the third round, he stunned the crowd of 37,000 in Saitama Arena with an overhand right-left hook combo to score a TKO victory and become the "Super Hulk."
38 year-old K-1 veteran, Ray Sefo returned to the ring for the first time in a year and half against the former professional boxer, Yosuke Nishijima. Showing he still has fights left in him, Sefo staged a K-1 clinic against Nishijima, landing crisp, accurate strikes at will.
In an inaugural war for the promotional triumph and honor, DREAM edged Sengoku 5-4.
The Sengoku trio of Hiroshi Izumi, Michihiro Omigawa, and Akihiro Gono took home an early 3-0 lead. The 2004 Olympic judo silver medalist notched his first professional MMA victory and evened his record to 1-1 with a close, hard-fought decision over Katsuyori Shibata.
As expected, the scruffy, grizzled veterans, Michihiro Omigawa and Hiroyuki Takaya lit the fistic firework early. Omigawa showcased his ever-improving boxing prowess to take rein of the fight and clipped Takaya with a brutal right cross for an easy TKO victory.
In a battle of perennial Japanese fan favorites, Akihiro Gono demonstrated his slick submission magic in his arm bar victory over Hayato "Mach" Sakurai. Sakurai looked anemic throughout without a shred of his trademark vigor.
After a rocky year with conspicuous losses in MMA and K-1, the Dutch cyclone, Melvin Manhoef showed his old moxie as he blitzed through 2006 PRIDE Welterweight champion, Kazuo Misaki with a flurry of punches in the first round.
The "cinderella boy," Hideo Tokoro rode the momentum generated by Manhoef to thoroughly pick apart Jong Man Kim, the late replacement for the original opponent, Marlon Sandro. Tokoro used his much-improved striking to pick Kim apart, mixing crisp, straight punches with kicks and jumping knees.
Again showing a glimpse of his high-octane grappling, Tokoro threatened Kim with flying triangle choke and arm bar attempts. Kim fought valiantly to the end, even knocking Tokoro down and briefly turning the tide in the third round.
In a battle between top lightweight contenders in DREAM and Sengoku, Tatsuya "Crusher" Kawajiri demonstrated his trademark tenacity in grinding out Kazunori Yokota with stifling top control. Alternating between ground-and-pound and submission attempt whenever Yokota gave up his back, the "Crusher" seized unanimous decision victory. Yokota, for his part, showed incredible perseverance in surviving tight, painful arm bar at the end of the third round.
2009 has not been kind to Japanese MMA icon, Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto. After suffering unprecedented back-to-back losses in MMA and K-1, Kid saw his stock plummet further in his hard-fought decision loss against Sengoku featherweight champion, Masanori Kanehara.
Despite having his moments in the striking exchanges, Kid failed to mount offense once the fight hit the mat. Kanehara continued his rise and defended the honor of Sengoku belt, as he showed sound counter-striking, takedown, and ground control.
In a battle of champions, DREAM lightweight champion, Shinya Aoki easily dismantled his Sengoku counterpart, Mizuto Hirota with a particularly nasty rendition of his submission game. Aoki wasted no time getting the fight to the mat and controlling Hirota`s arm, twisting it behind his back in the process.
Passing to mount and then taking Hirota`s back, Aoki continued wrenching the arm until the referee intervened to award him a technical submission victory.
Strikeforce champions, Gegard Mousasi and Alistair Overeem made quick work of Gary Goodridge and Kazuyuki Fujita, respectively. The red-hot Mousasi pummeled the over-the-hill Goodridge for a TKO win and Overeem unleashed a hellacious knee strike to knock Fujita out cold without breaking a sweat.
The showdown between former Olympic judo gold medalists saw the 40-year old veteran, Hidehiko Yoshida, put on a MMA clinic against the MMA debutant, Satoshi Ishii in the first round. Landing a big right hand to Ishii`s jaw, Yoshida battered the younger judoka with knees and uppercuts from the clinch.
A painful lowblow from Ishii forced a lengthy pause of action but Ishii started to loosen up and settle into his groove in the second and third round; however, he failed to pick up the slack from the first round and Yoshida walked away with a unanimous decision.
The action-packed night culminated with the farewell bout of the Japanese combat sport icon, Masato. Facing his nemesis, Andy Souwer, in a rubber match, Masato set the pace early in the first round. After two close rounds, Souwer began to settle into his groove, landing effective counters and staggering Masato in a few instances.
Round four and five saw both fighters engage toe to toe, sending the crowd in Saitama Arena into delirium. In a storybook ending to a prodigious career, Masato completed the unfinished business by defeating Souwer via unanimous decision.
With a victory over an opponent who had previously defeated him twice in as many encounters, Masato seals his legacy as one of the most decorated figures in Japanese combat sports.
Stay tuned to MMAmania for Dynamite!! 2009 post-fight wrap-ups and Happy New Year to all the Maniacs!!
For all the live results and fight recaps click here.
Diego Sanchez accepts the award for "Fight of the Year" (2:40 mark) at the World MMA Awards but may have started celebrating a bit too early if his acceptance speech is any indication of his booze intake.
This appearance of course begs the question: Has Sanchez usurped the slur crown from Chuck Liddell and his comatose appearance on Good Morning Texas?
"This is so bad, Joe Silva blew out his MCL. It's so bad the matchmaker is down. I don't know how, but he blew it. He's got to have surgery."
UFC President Dana White is stupefied over the inclusion of matchmaker Joe Silva on a very long list of injuries and changes that have plagued the UFC 108 fight card since its inception. Champions Brock Lesnar and Anderson Silva, as well as heavyweight contenders Shane Carwin and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, have all been rumored to compete (and then ultimately scratched) from the event. Other notables such as Gabriel Gonzaga, Carlos Condit, Tyson Griffin and Steve Cantwell have also been forced out of competition. UFC 108: "Evans vs. Silva," which will take place this Saturday (Jan. 2) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, now features a main event between light heavyweights Rashad Evans and Thiago Silva -- who may or may not be big enough draws to carry an event alone. Is the supporting main card cast good enough to ensure that UFC 108 delivers? More specifically, do you intend to shell out the money to watch it? Keep in mind that events like this are sometimes action-packed "sleepers." Let's hear it, Maniacs.
Former Elite XC lightweight champion KJ Noons (7-2) is set to make his return to Strikeforce against Billy Evangelista (10-0) on the main card of the upcoming Strikeforce: "Miami" event slated for the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida, on Jan. 30.
MMAmania.com (www.mmamania.com) learned of the planned match up earlier today.
Noons has been out of mixed martial arts for more than a year following his retirement from the sport in late 2008 after he was stripped of his 155-pound title for refusing to accept a rematch with Nick Diaz under the terms Elite XC was offering.
"King Karl" felt that his previous performance against Diaz (a first round technical knockout) and his lone title defense -- a first round technical knockout victory over Yves Edwards in June of 2008 -- was enough to at least earn himself a bigger paycheck than Diaz in the rematch.
The promotion, however, apparently disagreed, causing a big mess and ultimately leading to Noons being forced to relinquish his title.
The ex-boxer then decided to make an attempt to return to his roots inside the ring, but a disappointing decision loss to James Countryman earlier this year threw a wrench into those plans. The City Boxing product did manage to put together a solid record of 4-1 as a pugilist, but he likely wasn't going to be winning a world title anytime soon.
That may not be the case in Strikeforce -- unless of course Evangelista has anything to say about it.
Evangelista lost for the first time in his career to Mike Aina in May of 2009. He was accused of "intentionally" (and illegally) kneeing the Hawaiian fighter in the head while he was down in the second round. "Iron" was said he was hurt and unable to continue, which forced referee to call a stop to the action on the recommendation of the cageside doctor.
Evangelista appealed the loss after video footage appeared to indicate that his errant blows landed on Aina's shoulder area and the California State Athletic Commission agreed, changing the result to a "No Contest."
With his undefeated streak intact, the Team Buhawe product remained perfect after a three round war with Jorge Gurgel in the main event of Strikeforce Challengers: 'Evangelista vs Gurgel' on November 6.
A win over a high profile lightweight like Noons could immediately vault Evangelista into a short list of 155-pound title contenders. There is a lot on the line for both fighters and it's unlikely this one will see the judges cards.
The Jan. 30 event is set to air at 8 p.m. ET live on Showtime and will mark the promotion’s debut in the "Sunshine State" and will also feature the much-anticipated debut of former NFL great Herschel Walker. Current Strikeforce Women's Champion Cristian 'Cyborg' Santos will also be in action.
For more on Strikeforce: "Miami" click here.
Dave Meltzer of Yahoo! Sports does a good job of chronicling the injuries that have made UFC 108 “the cursed” show of 2009. Never before has a card started with so much promise and fallen so quickly.
Back in September, UFC 108 looked to be a card with the unique problem of having too many big matches.
Then, the dominoes started falling. Middleweight champion Anderson Silva’s minor surgery to repair bone chips in his elbow healed slower than expected.
Lesnar fell ill, which ended up diagnosed a case of diverticulitis, which has him out indefinitely. Light heavyweight champ Lyoto Machida had surgery on his left hand. Suddenly, with B.J. Penn scheduled for Dec. 12 and Georges St. Pierre not being ready to fight until February due to a torn abductor muscle, UFC was in a position where instead of too many title matches for one night, there were none available.
A prospective Dan Henderson vs. Nate Marquardt match to determine the top contender for the middleweight title was bandied about, but it fell apart as Henderson and UFC couldn’t agree to terms on a new contract and he signed with Strikeforce.
Then the middle of the card got gutted. Carlos Condit, Gabriel Gonzaga, Rory Markham, Griffin and Sherk all pulled out for a variety of ailments over the past six weeks. White decided to go on with the show on pay-per-view, avoiding what would be a stream of logistical nightmares in trying to make a late change in plans.
Payout Perspective:
The injuries that this card has suffered have obviously made the UFC’s job a nightmare: everything from advertising, to logistics, to matchmaking has taken a hit.
The advertising and promotion for the event has likely changed 3-4 times by now – which are marketing dollars spent that now return next to nothing. Moreover, the constant changing of the fight card has to at least slightly impair the UFC’s goodwill amongst fight fans. It didn’t help that the UFC failed to correct some material for 106 and 107 that, until one week before each original date, still ran trailers for Lesnar-Carwin and Jackson-Evans.
Logistically, the injuries have put the UFC in the position of having to fulfill obligations to venues and PPV providers that the it might otherwise have wanted to avoid. UFC 108 as a PPV is much more of a problem than UFC 108 as a free gift on Spike.
Not only has Joe Silva’s hand been forced in many situations, but the ultimate product fight fans will see on the 2nd is likely to be hampered by a lack of preparation time for many of its fighters. Every injury to one fighter, affects at least one other. Jim Miller trained for three different opponents leading up to this bout, and now faces a last minute replacement that is far different, stylistically, than the opponent he’d anticipated to face previously.
——
The quesiton is now, trend or fluke? Javier Mendez and Greg Jackson give their different opinions on the future toll that injuries my take on MMA, but it was interesting to hear both men mention increasing competition as a critical component in the new MMA landscape.
Another by-product of MMA’s surging popularity is the impact it may have on the development of future talent. There are over 26,000 martial arts facilities in the United States – all with a growing membership base. Not only are martial arts once again seen as a popular athletic activity, but also a trendy way to get in shape. Thus, the sport of MMA can expect to see a continued influx of talent in the coming years – should the sport sustain this growth and popularity – which will ultimately boost competition levels.
If Mendez is right, this increased competition will bring greater wear and tear on the MMA fighter.
However, if Jackson is correct, this competition will push training methods to become more efficient but less intensive from an overall health perspective – train smarter, not harder. He might also be supported by the theory that better competition often comes as the result of superior athletes. Superior athletes being those that can better withstand MMA’s intensive training regimen than some of the fighters a part of MMA’s founding generation.
The FieLDS Dynamite!! 2009 K-1 and MMA super-show is about to get underway featuring a bevy of top international stars set to compete in Japan's annual year-end mega event.
Reminder: HDNet will feature exclusive coverage of "HDNet Fights Presents: FieLDS Dynamite!! 2009," from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan TONIGHT (Dec. 31) at 3:00 a.m. ET.
Replays of the event will air on Thursday, December 31 at 8:00 p.m. ET and Friday, January 1, 2010 at 10:00 pm ET.
With a total of 18 K-1 and MMA fights scheduled, the finalized line-up features a plethora of high-profile fighters including Norifumi Yamamoto, Melvin Manhoef, Kazuo Misaki, Shinya Aoki, Hayato Sakurai, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Satoshi Ishii, Hidehiko Yoshida, Alistair Overeem and Gegard Mousasi, among others.
The main event of the night will be a farewell bout for the two-time K-1 MAX champion and Japanese kickboxing icon Masato as he tries one last time to defeat Andy Souwer.
Without further ado, here are the FieLDS Dynamite!! 2009 live results:
1. K-1 KOSHIEN 2009 Reserve match: Ryuya Kusakabe vs. Tsukasa Fuji
Fight recap:
2. K-1 KOSHIEN 2009 Semi-Finals: HIROYA vs. Masaaki Hori
Fight recap:
3. K-1 KOSHIEN 2009 Semi-Finals: Katsuki Ishida vs. Shota Shimada
Fight recap:
4. Super Hulk Tournament finals: Minowaman vs. Sokoudjou
Fight recap:
5. K-1 (Heavyweights): Yosuke Nishijima vs. Ray Sefo
Fight recap:
6. K-1 KOSHIEN 2009 Finals
Fight recap:
7. DREAM vs. SRC (Light Heavyweights): Katsuyori Shibata vs. Hiroshi Izumi
Fight recap:
8. DREAM vs. SRC (Featherweights): Hiroyuki Takaya vs. Michihiro Omigawa
Fight recap:
9. DREAM vs. SRC (Welterweights): Hayato "Mach" Sakurai vs. Akihiro Gono
Fight recap:
10. DREAM vs. SRC (Lightweights): Melvin Manhoef vs. Kazuo Misaki
Fight recap:
11. DREAM vs. SRC (Featherweights): Hideo Tokoro vs. Jong-Man Kim
Fight recap:
12. DREAM vs. SRC (Lightweights): Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Kazunori Yokota
Fight recap:
13. DREAM vs. SRC (Featherweights): Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto vs. Masanori Kanehara
Fight recap:
14. SRC (Heavyweights): Hidehiko Yoshida vs. Satoshi Ishii
Fight recap:
15. DREAM vs. SRC (Heavyweights): Alistair Overeem vs. Kazuyuki Fujita
Fight recap:
16. DREAM vs. SRC (Lightweights): Shin’ya Aoki vs. Mizuto Hirota
Fight recap:
17. DREAM (Heavyweights): Gegard Mousasi vs. Gary "Big Daddy" Goodridge
Fight recap:
18. Main event (Masato`s farewell match): Andy Souwer vs. Masato
Fight recap:
end
Arianny hits the red carpet with her double stick tape (Pic)
Following his slick armbar submission victory over Jeremy Stephens at “Ultimate Fight Night 17,” things were looking up for “J-Lau,” who had defeated his last two opponents and was on a small win-streak after losing his first UFC fight to Kenny Florian in April 2008.
However, Lauzon ran into problems with his knee, and the necessity for surgery overruled the necessity to step into a cage and fight. The surgery kept Lauzon out of action for some time, and doctor’s said he may not fight until several months into 2010.
A speedy recovery has changed that timetable, as Lauzon is finally ready to make his return to the Octagon this Saturday (Jan. 2) at UFC 108: “Evans vs. Silva.”
Lauzon and his 5-1 record with the UFC will be greeted by Sam “Hands of Stone” Stout at the MGM Grand this weekend, as Stout looks to build on his one fight win-streak by ending Joe’s.
However, “Baby Joe” has other plans for the evening, bringing his solid stand up and superior ground game into the cage. Lauzon feels that while on the feet Stout may have a slight advantage, on the ground he will find no success. With a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, time spent training with current UFC lightweight BJ Penn, and 14 wins coming by way of submission, we’ll take Joe’s word for it.
Lauzon will meet Stout as a part of the evening’s main card, and even though Stout has gone to a decision in five of his last six fights, Lauzon feels that when the fight hits the ground he could finish “Hands of Stone” off early.
UFC 108 may prove to be just the return “J-Lau” is looking for. Before the surgery, Lauzon was a serious prospect in the UFC 155-pound division. When he took time away from the cage to focus on his knee problems, he may have been lost in the division rankings.
Lauzon plans to make an example of Sam Stout as a reminder of where he belongs in the lightweight division. He knows he is not at the top, but a few more victories could certainly put him in the mix, along with giving him the opportunity he longs for; a rematch with Kenny Florian.
Continue reading to find out who Lauzon thinks can beat BJ Penn, what it’s like for “J-Lau” to fight on the same card as his brother, and his opinion on UFC 108, the most “cursed” card in UFC history.
Nate Lawson (MMAMania.com): You’re scheduled to face Sam Stout this Saturday at UFC 108. Could you break down the fight, where you think you will be able to expose Stout?
Joe Lauzon: I mean, I don’t know if it’s gonna be so much exposing him. I definitely have the advantage on the ground. I think he’s gonna have a slight advantage on the feet. I think I’ll have a pretty good advantage on the ground, though, so I’m definitely looking to get the fight there.
Nate Lawson (MMAMania.com): Stout is a pretty tough guy to finish with most of his fights going to a decision. Do you see this fight going to a decision, or do you think you will be able to get him down and finish the fight?
Joe Lauzon: I definitely think if and when the fight hits the ground, I think I’ll do a good job with working some ground and pound. Using elbows, using punches. You know, improve my position. I don’t know if it will end there, or if I’ll use a submission to end it, or what, but I’m confident when it hits the ground.
Nate Lawson (MMAMania.com): Well you are obviously comfortable with your ground game. You finish a lot of fights via submission, including the arm bar against Jeremy Stephens most recently. Could you explain what level you think your submission game is at compared to the rest of the lightweight division?
Joe Lauzon: I don’t know. Everyone’s so different. It depends on what’s going on. It’s tough to, you know, compare. In grappling, I’m one of the better grapplers in the division, but it’s so tough to compare. You got guys like BJ (Penn) in the division, all the way to the opposite end; guys that have a lot of striking and no real ground game. I’d say I’m somewhere closer toward the top, but definitely closer to the middle.
Nate Lawson (MMAMania.com): Right now, BJ Penn is coming off the complete domination over Diego Sanchez. Do you think he is unbeatable at 155?
Joe Lauzon: I think he’s unbeatable at 155. I think a motivated BJ is going to be tough for anyone. But who knows? Anyone can get caught. We have upsets all the time, but I don’t see anyone beating BJ for a while.
Nate Lawson (MMAMania.com): Do you think he should make the move back up to welterweight now that he is motivated, sticking to training, and working so hard?
Joe Lauzon: I think that he’s really gonna make more of a name at ’55. I think he’s just a natural lightweight, but he’s one of the few guys that can do that. He can go from’55 and go up to 170 and do well and everything else. I’m looking forward to whatever he does.
Nate Lawson (MMAMania.com): Also on the card for UFC 108 is your brother, Dan Lauzon, who is fighting Cole Miller. What is it like fighting on the same card as your brother?
Joe Lauzon: Well, you know, it’s awesome. We fought on one other card, a small local show back home. And it’s cool. I definitely get way more nervous for his fights than my own, so it’ll be a little bit different not having to focus 100 percent on me, but on Danny’s fight a little bit, too. We’re both looking forward to it. It’ll be a good night.
Nate Lawson (MMAMania.com): How excited is he for this fight after the whole fallout with Affliction: “Trilogy” and everything?
Joe Lauzon: He’s glad to be back in the UFC, back in the big show. It’s awesome, you know? Affliction was trying hard to keep up, but the UFC was ultimately just too big, too much money, too much everything. So he’s pumped to be back in the big show.
Nate Lawson (MMAMania.com): In the UFC you’ve been completely dominant, except for one fight against Kenny Florian where some illegal elbows could have very well been the factor in that one. Could you describe how badly you would like to get back into the octagon against Kenny?
Joe Lauzon: That’s a fight I’m looking forward to the most. Whether I get the opportunity or not, I’m not really sure. But it’s definitely a fight I’m looking forward to and hopefully I get it in the near future.
Nate Lawson (MMAMania.com): What about a dominant victory over Stout? Do you see that putting you into the mix against Florian, or is there someone else you would expect to fight?
Joe Lauzon: I don’t think beating Sam alone is gonna get me another shot at Kenny, but hopefully another fight will get me closer. And that’s the goal, to get another fight with Kenny.
Nate Lawson (MMAMania.com): You are coming off of surgery for your knee. Could you explain how all that is going? Are you good to go?
Joe Lauzon: Yeah. You know, my knee’s good. It feels 100 percent. I’m amazed at how much better … how far along it’s come in such a short amount of time. But yeah, I’m not worried about my knee at all.
Nate Lawson (MMAMania.com): On the topic of injury, obviously UFC 108 has seemed somewhat “cursed”. What are your thoughts on the card overall because a lot of people are saying that it is not living up to expectations?
Joe Lauzon: I still think it’s a good card. Some people are complaining a little bit, but I think for the most part, people understand it’s going to be a good card. The UFC always puts on good cards. Even if a card doesn’t have a bunch of real, real big names, it’s still always good fights. So I’m not worried about it at all and I still think it’s going to be a great show.
Joe Lauzon would like you to follow him at Twitter.com/joelauzon. He would also like to thank all his sponsors, including TriCoasta, Sprawl Fight Shorts, Fight Dentist, and MMA Warehouse.