Chonan is ready for the UFC 85

Ryo Chonan accepted an interview after clubDEEP on Mar 29.

Chonan told the press about his next fight in the UFC which hasn't been announced officially yet but is almost determined. His opponent will be Roan "Jucao" Carneiro who he defeated by KO in DEEP though he was losing.

I got an offer a month ago. I wanted to fight someone who I have never fought before to be honest. I wasn't satisfied with our fight in DEEP and Jucao does better than me in the UFC, so I will have a good motivation to fight him again. I had minor injuries when I fought him. I believe I could have better fight if I was in the better condition.

Jucao complained that the ref broke in so many times and had demanded to rematch when he came to Japan for DEEP 25 IMPACT.

I'll finish him and shut his mouth. Though I admit he is one of the top class fighters who has good physical strength and great techniques. I see why he cannot be a top fighter in the UFC and I'll prove it. We fought under the DEEP rules which were different from the UFC. I will adjust myself to the UFC.

Chonan trained in Team Quest last April and Oct. He also went Thai to develop his Muay Thai techniques last Feb.

I'm going to keep training Muay Thai in Team Quest. I heard there were many Muay Thai coaches from Thailand in the US now. I drive to different gyms for training if needed, however, I think Team Quest at Temecula bring me many opportunities to exchange techniques with other fighters.

http://gbring.com/sokuho/news/2008_03/0329_deep_02.htm

Aoki updated his blog

Shinya Aoki updated his blog on Mar 31.

Thank you for supporting me in DREAM. I'm not satisfied with the result and apologize to my fans for a delay updating my blog. Shinya Aoki has never given up and won't in the future. I will do all I can in anything.

Yarennoka! is a word which is a source of my power and encourages me a lot. Yarennoka also means a relationship of mutual trust. Whenever I was asked whether I can do or not, I think I already know my answer.

YSA & KRAZY BEE Opening Reception

Father of KID Yamamoto opens his sports gym, "Yamamoto Sports Academy"(YSA). Miyu Yamamoto, Seiko Yamamoto as well as Kid cooperate with YSA. YSA has 3 different courses which are Fitness, Childrens, and Professional Training. KID represents Professional Training course, "KRAZY BEE". Also, YSA is assigned as a place children can run into whenever they are in danger and need help by the city.

Before officially opening on April 1st, YSA had a reception for the press. At first, Ikuei Yamamoto,who is KID's father and an Munchen Olympian, said YSA has facilities needed for everyone to enjoy workouts and to have intensive training. I will put all my knowledge to raise top level athletes. Next, KID said, my dad took care of my food, training and treatment whenever needed, then I could be a strong enough to defeat wrestlers who are 2 classes heavier than me. I would like to be stronger and prove what my dad does works great. YSA had an amateur fight, KRAXY BEE vs AACC. KID showed his wrestling sparring with his nephew.

After the reception, KID talked about Kotetsu Boku and his next fight.

"He should do all he could do in his fight and it's not acceptable to have a fight to regret later."

"I don't know when my next fight is yet, but I'm sure I fight in DREAM and I hope I can fight in Jun or July."

"At first, I want DREAM to have a lighter weight class than the light weight class. 63 to 64 kg is ideal. "

"I want to give my full support to raise good amateur wrestlers. I want to have events regularly and create something new and unique from here."

"I was brought up by people in my gym for long time. It's time for me to repay for what I got in the ring before by raising young people.

http://dreamofficial.com/news/detail.php?id=1206885953

Sasahara Interview about the middleweight tournament

Sasahara answered questions from press after the press conference of DREAM 2.

- Does Sakuraba fight for sure?

Yes, I'm sure. He accepted our offer yesterday. I believe it was the first time for him to see Nakahara's picture though.

- You explained that his fight is a part of GP?

Yes. I think he doesn't like to fight GP honestly and I understand his feeling. However, he is a well known guy for us and we took our time to persuade him.

- Why do you think he accepted at the end?

I think he has a same feeling about our new MMA event with us. He controls his feeling to make this event succeed. I'm appreciative of his consideration and would like to create a great event which fighters can enjoy.

- Do you have any update about Aoki?

I heard he was getting better. I thought it won't take this long to recover though. I will announce about him at the same time announcing fights of the lightweight 2nd Round.

- Do you broadcast DREAM2 in TBS?

Yes. On the same day.

- Do you have any update about DREAM4?

I will announce about the date and the location next week as well.

DREAM announced 3 fights of the middleweight tournament

DREAM had an press conference in Laughter7 on Mar 27 and announced 3 fights in "OLYMPIA DREAM 2 Middleweight Tournament" on Apr 29. The opponent of Sakuraba is Andrews Nakahara who belongs to Kyokushin Karate school in Brazil.

Before announcing 3 fights including Kiyoshi Tamura vs Masakatsu Funaki and Denis Kang vs Gegard Mousashi, Sasahara told that he would have an press conference about the condition of Aoki and fights of the light weight GP 2nd Round next week. He also mentioned about the contract with PPV. Many fans requested to watch fights in PPV. He said he will probably be able to deliver good news to fans about PPV in the conference.

At first, Sasahara announced the fight of Tamura vs Funaki.

Funaki: I had a fight in NYE, although, I'm very disappointed about my performance because I couldn't do anything. I'm very appreciative of getting an offer to fight in this tournament because I wanted to fight at least once this year. I got a strong feeling when I found out about my opponent, Tamura, who used to fight in UWF together with me. I would like to have an impressive fight this time.

Next, when Sasahara announced the fight of Sakuraba vs Nakahara, someone in the crowd on reporters screamed. It was Sakuraba.

Sakuraba: I just came by to open the door because DREAM wanted to use my gym for this conference.

Sasahara: Nope. This announcement is official. Nakahara has a background of Kyokushin Karate in Brazil and trains MMA with Francisco Filho now. He has a good physical ability and dangerous. Filho will be his second and I hope Filho will fight in DREAM some day.

Sakuraba: My right leg is actually recovered, however, my left leg is now in pain. I haven't decided to fight or not yet.

After the conference, Sakuraba had answered questions from reporters.

- You said you injured your left leg now.

I kicked the elbow of my training partner and now my left leg becomes swollen. It's hard to spar though I can walk.

- Can you fight?

Honestly, I came here to open the door. I'm so surprised to hear about my fight. I definitely wore my suit if I was going to be on the stage.

- Do you mean you were tricked?
Yes, completely.

- Do you know about your opponent?

I knew when Sasahara announced. He looks very strong. I'm not 100% sure if I can fight yet and I may cancel.

- I believed you signed up to fight in the 1st round of the middleweight GP, right?

No!

** Sasahara came by and had a conversation with Sakuraba**

Saku: Is this fight in the middleweight tournament?

Sasahara: Yes, I think so. I didn't cheat on you.

Saku: You shouldn't lie to me. This is one match, isn't this?

Sasahara: GP consists of one matches. I just think in the different way with you.

Saku: Don't you feel sorry?

Sasahara: I feel better in last few days.

Saku: I think we will have an arguement after this.

*****

- What do you think about Kyokushin Karate?

It reminds me Kakato Otoshi of Andy Hug, Kenji Midori and Shokei Matsui.

- Have you watched the fight video of Nakahara?

Never. I heard he have only had Karate fights before.

- I heard one of his speciality is Kakato Otoshi.

He is taller than me and I cannot give it to him.

http://dreamofficial.com/news/detail.php?id=1206609689

Katsuhiko Nagata interview

DREAM official website posted the interview of Katuhiko Nagata which took place on Mar 16.

- You defeat Aftur Umakhanov in DREAM1. It was magnificent.

Thank you. This is the first time I have such a clean face after the fight. I didn't get much damage.

- What did you do after the fight?

I went to a Korean BBQ restaurant and relaxed. I went to bed early to get ready to start training as soon as I can.

- What do you think about your fight?

I'm disappointed about the fact I could not KO him though I did good job to pound him effectively. I wanted to give more pressure in our standing position. This is my next subject to learn.

- Any impression about your opponent?

I could correspond to his good physical strength and quick moves, more than I expected.

- I suppose you could see his punches.

Yes. I improved my defense by training boxing and kicking and that's why I could block his punches without fear. I didn't get any punches in the standing position.

- Did you get confidence by defeating Umakhanov who had a lot of experiences fighting in many events?

Yes. I will fight my next fight with confidence because I defeated someone who had a title of "champion".

- Before the fight, you said you would like to be aggressive. What percent did you think you get?

I would say 50 percent. My supporters told me that I could do better and be more aggressive. I agree with them and can do better.

- When do you start training?

I will take a break for a week and start.

- What kind of training will you do?

I have less than 2 months before my next fight and don't have time to learn new things. I would like to brush up my skills to put pressures in the standing position and pounding techniques after taking down.

- You went to American Kickboxing Academy. Do you go again?

I'm thinking to go there again. I will work for the 2nd round in both Japan and the outside of Japan.

- I heard you visit other gyms lately.

I train with Bernard Ackah in Body Plant Roppongi and get advice from Mitsuru Adachi who is my trainer. I go to 6 or 7 different dojos.

- You said the fight of Dida vs Alvarez was very impressive.

I though Alvarez was very aggressive and his takedown was well balanced and very good.

- What do you think about the debut event of DREAM?

I felt this was a very good event which had great energy and great influence of HERO'S.

- You are the only one who is from HERO'S and moved on to the 2nd round. Do you want to fight as a representative of HERO'S?

Not really.

- Tell me about your next fight.

I will train hard not only to have a good result but have a impressive fight, and hopefully I want to fight in the final. Thanks for supporting me.

Gono goes to watch MLB

Gono updated his blog on Mar 25.

I got a ticket of the opening MLB game in Tokyo, Red Sox vs A's. I also got a free ticket for game 2 in Tokyo Dome from KDN Agency. I actually got a seat right behind the home base. I heard Matsuzaka would throw in the 2nd game. When I got a call from KDN and heard about they got a ticket of 2nd game, I was so excited. Although Josh Beckett was supposed to throw in the 1st game, he was injured and Matsuzaka appears in the 1st game now. I'm kinda disappointed when I heard about its news. However, I'm looking forward to watching the game of the last year world champion!

Rumina Sato fights in the Mach Matsuri

Rumina Sato updated his blog.

Mach Sakurai came by my gym and taught my students leg techniques which are good for MMA fights and showed us how to imitate Takeshi Kitano. I fight Mach in Mach Matsuri on Apr 06 in an exhibition fight. Although, his weight is now 90 kg and we have the difference of 20 kg. I cannot believe we used to fight in the same weight class.

http://blog.livedoor.jp/roots637/archives/51149045.html

Sakuraba invited press to his new dojo

Kazushi Sakuraba invited press to his new dojo, "Laughter7" on Mar 24. Laughter 7 is located in Tokyo. Tanikawa (FEG) showed up in the dojo today and said he looked forward to seeing Sakuraba to raise the next MMA fighters. After the opening ceremony, Sakuraba answered questions from press.

- Where does the name "Laughter7" come from?

The name doesn't have any special meaning. We are happy when we laugh, and the number 7 means lucky.

- What would you like to do?

I would like to bring up stronger fighters to pull the level of Japanese MMA up. I like to raise fighters who are sly, better than those who are powerful.

- Do you participate in the middleweight GP? Tanikawa said you will be ready to GP and win its tournament.

I'm still bleeding and cannot fight in the GP. Tanikawa shouldn't say anything like that. I don't agree with their offer and won't fight. I'm going to gain weights. I'll be ok with one-match though. I think I make this clear, I won't fight in the tournament. I'm not interested in that title and cannot be in condition. I will fight 3-4 times per a year if I don't get injured. If I have one match, I will do my best.

Later, Tanikawa again told press that he should fight in thetournament. We have very interesting fighters for him. He should just consider each fight as one match. That's all. In the tournament, we will have 8 Japanese fighters and 8 foreign fighters. I know you will be surprised to see fighters for sure and we will announce this week.

http://dreamofficial.com/news/detail.php?id=1206359086

Akiyama showed up as an internet radio guest

Yoshihiro Akiyama was invited as a guest in an internet radio, "Tokyo Ochimasato RADIO" on Mar 22. He talked about his normal life and work in Korea. After the radio, he had a quick interview with DREAM.

- I suppose you enjoyed talking in the show?

Yes. I had fun a lot. I was surprised to see many people gathered around the studio when the show started.

- You said Korean broadcasting company, MBC, is with you and making a documentary?

MBC crew will be with me for a week from today. They film my life in Japan and make a documentary about me. I'm very appreciative of it.

- Did you say you release a CD?

Amazing, isn't it?

- I cannot wait! When is it in store?

I don't know any detail yet, but I heard it will be out in the middle of April.

- Did you go to Hawaii for training?

Yes. I went from the end of Feb to the beginning of March. I mainly spent time to do some weight training. I felt better and I think it was good for my body to train in warmer places like Hawaii.

- You said you are not sure if you fight in DREAM 2, and it depends on your injury. Could you tell me your condition?

I still have pain on my nose, although nose bones have been attached and are recovering. My knee is also getting better. I wonder why it is taking long time to be healed.

- DREAM 2 is coming in a month and a few days?

I am preparing to fight in DREAM 2. I'm mentally ready for sure and will announce my appearance in the event as soon as I recover from injuries.

- Do you have someone in your mind?

I will fight anybody. My goal is to fight in the final. I cannot lose before that and do my best.

- I hope you recover sometime soon.

I will have a good fight if I fight. I'm looking forward to fighting and I hope my fans expect a lot from me. Thank you for supporting me.

Uno in Guam

Caol Uno updated his blog.

I'm in Guam now. I'm here as a second of a fighter named Hirono who fought in PXC which is a MMA event in Guam. PXC was held in a gymnasium in Guam University. Hirono lost by KO in the 2RD unfortunately.

Mirko Interview with Kakutougitsushin

Mirko Crocop had an interview with a Japanese MMA magazine, Kakutogitsushin, which publishes on Mar 23.

- Welcome back!

Yes, I'm back.

- How was your fight in Japan?

I felt good walking the passage to the ring, it felt like I knew what my fans were saying. I had never felt this way before though. It had a totally different atmosphere from the UFC, which everybody was united.

- Different from the UFC?

Yes. Japan is my second home as I told you many times. I think Japanese fans are the best who respect and support fighters. I'm appreciative.

- I suppose fans of DREAM are great because they are the former PRIDE fans.

Yes. Former PRIDE staff created this great event without resting. Fans who supported PRIDE gathered to this event to support and participate in this event, share laugh and booing... PRIDE was the best.

- Now PRIDE was started again as DREAM.

I lost consecutively in the UFC, was devastated mentally and physically. When I was wondering if I could get out from this, I felt like going home. I insisted to go back to Japan to get back my pride which I lost. Do you remember the gold medalist of the girl's wrestling of Athens Olympic?

- Are you talking about Saori Yoshida?

She had been an undefeated for a long time. At the time she had a record of 119-0, she lost by decision. I remember she has the same last name with my friend, Yoshida.

- Do you know her?

I saw her documentary which started from the day she lost. She broke down crying and couldn't even answer any questions. After that, she decided to go home and trained in her dad's wrestling gym to recover from her shock. My manager, Ken, recommended this video. Although I couldn't understand its narration in Japanese, I could tell that she realized where she came from through training with kids.... I really understood how she felt. Ken helped me to realize what I should do to recover. I realized that PRIDE was my roots as a fighter. PRIDE brought me lots of pleasure, pain, worries, fear and tears. I was supported by thousands of fans who gather and support me. That event was miracle.

- Miracle? I agree with you.

Yes. I felt this way not because the event was MMA and was produced in Japan. It's very hard to explain.

continue to Kakutogitsushin No.443

http://sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp/fight/other/column/200803/at00016678.html

Mitsuhiro Ishida Interview

DREAM official website updated the interview of Mitsuhiro Ishida on Mar 21. (This interview was taken place on Mar 16)

- Congratulation! You move on to the 2nd Round. Were you injured?
Not really. I feel a little muscular pain and hurt my right wrist.

- What's wrong with your wrist?
I got some damage when I throw my punches.

- Any thought about your fight?
It was miserable.

- You ran toward the backstage after the fight and sat down as soon as you got to the waiting room.
I was very disappointed about my fight and couldn't resist standing in the ring. I'm ashamed of my performance.

- You couldn't do what you were supposed to do?
No. I should have more confidence. I was too scared of getting his arm
triangle to move like I wanted.

- Could you tell me your fight plan?
My fight plan was that I give damage to his legs by low kicks, take him down by tackling and finish by throwing punches from the mount position. However, his pressure and kicks were better than I expected.

- Was Bukyung Jung strong?

Yes. Especially, he was tough mentally. I could feel his strong fighting spirit, such as he won't be defeated by me. He will be a good MMA fighter when he has more experience.

- Do you have any light weight fighter you are interested in?

I saw the fight of Dida vs Alvarez. That fight was very exciting and I'm kinda interested in Alvarez. I think he has a good body balance and is an all round MMA fighter.

- What do you think about J.Z. Calvan?

It seemed he looked like very relaxed. I could see why he was 2 times HERO'S champion. His pounch was accurate and powerful. I saw his strength. I wanted to see him fighting longer.

- Who do you want to fight in the 2nd Round?

I want to fight a foreign fighter.

- When do you start your training?

I will start whenever I'm ready. I won't forget about last night until I retire. That was a good lesson for me because I could learn what to improve. I will develop and be ready for the 2nd round.

- How do you feel about fighting constantly?

I'm very glad that I can fight often. I can concentrate my training when I know my next fight and my opponent.

- Any message to your fans?

I'm very disappointed about last night and feel sorry to my fans. I trust myself and will have a good fight next time. Thanks for supporting me.

http://www.dreamofficial.com/news/detail.php?id=1206092816

Tatsuya Kawajiri Interview

Kawajiri had an interview with DREAM on Mar 16.

- You had a tough fight yesterday. Are you injured?
I'm fine. I didn't even get any power punches.

- I heard you saw your opponent before the fight.
Yes. We accidentally saw each other at the hotel in that morning. I was waiting for an elevator to come. He was there when the elevator door opened. He gave me a gesture to come in. We actually saw after the fight, too.

- How did you react??
I return him a gesture saying "After you. I'm going to take a next
one." I didn't see any reason to squeeze in an elevator packed with my
opponent and his supporters, especially on the same day we were going to
fight. I saw him after the fight though.

- Did you see him after the fight again?
Yes, I met him at the parking. He is a very nice and friendly guy.
Although we couldn't make any verbal communication, I felt a good
vibration from him and took a picture together.

- What do you think about your fight?
He was a strong fighter and I'm glad to have this experience. My fight plan was that I threw punches, took him down when he was cautious of my punches, and submitted him on the ground. Though our fight went as I planned without getting his knee kicks, I couldn't finish him because his ground techniques were a lot better than I expected.

- After the event, Black Mamba said he wanted to exchange punches in the standing position though?
This is the 1st round of the tournament and have to consider about my next fight which is within 2 months. I paid attention not to be injured because I have broken my hand bone before.

- You got applause when you entered the stadium.
I know. That raised my motivation because I knew everybody expected me a lot and supported me. I wanted to do better to correspond with their expectations. I'm disappointed about my performance though.

- I believe many fans were surprised to see your hair style. Where does your hair style come from?
When I debut as a professional MMA fighter, I always had a weird hair style. I had a normal black hair at the time of fighting in PRIDE though. Now I changed my hairstyle to stand out. I tried to have a hair style which Vitor Belfort had before. I don't know this is popular or not though.

- How was other people's reaction?
Well, I suppose they lost their words. Nobody said anything at first. They said, "It's OK, I guess".

- I think it's cool! Anyway, any thought about this event?
The light weight consists of many good fighters like I said before. If
we work on our mission which is to have attractive fights, DREAM will be the better event than PRIDE and HERO'S.

- When do you start training for your next fight?
I take a break for a week and start.

- What kind of techniques do you want to develop?
I still have lots to learn as a MMA fighter and would like to develop the whole technique. What I felt yesterday is to control the pace of the fight. I always devoted all my energies to finish as quick as I could from the beginning to the end. Now I think I should adjust my pace to deal with my opponent effectively.

- You have fights constantly since NYE. Do you feel any differences in your training?

Yes. If I continue to win, I have fight in May and July. It's easy to set my schedule and my conditioning. Having an short term goal makes me motivated to train hard.

- Who do you think is the most dangerous fighter?

Everybody. I think all fighters have a chance to win this competition. I got to be ready to fight anybody.

- Eddie Alvarez got the spotlight in the after the fight interview.

I didn't watch his fight because it was before my fight. He is aggressive and know how to fight, and also has his own fighting style. I suppose a fighter who has his own style is tough and strong.

- Any message to your fans?

I want to survive and have a good result. Come and see my fight!

http://www.dreamofficial.com/news/detail.php?id=1205918180

Sakuraba participates in the tournament?

Kazushi Sakuraba showed up in "Shukan Shonen Sunday 50th Anniversary, UT Festival" in UT STORE HARAJUKU. After the event, he was asked if he participate in the middleweight tournament. He had said the same thing what he said in front of the audience in DREAM on Mar 15. "I got a small scab on my leg which was till bleeding, so I won't fight in the tournament. I want to fight in April though". A person who is close to him told press that he will announce his intentions at the opening party of his MMA gym, Laughter7.

SENGOKU announced fighters for May 18th

SENGOKU announced 4 fighters who fight in their next event on May 18 in Tokyo. At first, Kuniyasu called the name of Roger Gracie and said, he only fought once in MMA, although he is an ADCC World Champion and has experience defeating many strong grapplers. He hasn't seen Japan yet but will show us an exciting fight in May for sure. Next, he introduced 3 Japanese fighters, Satoru Kitaoka, Yuki Sasaki and Yoshihiro "Kiss" Nakao.

Kuniyasu: Nakaoka is one of top light weight fighters in Japan. He defeated Fabricio "Pitbull" Monteiro who fought in our debut and he is ready to fight in the big event. I think he is very competitive to Gomi.

Kitaoka: I'm very honored to be here and get a chance to fight in Sengoku where many great fighters fight. I want to prove myself and develop myself.

Kuniyasu: Sasaki has experience fighting in PRIDE , the UFC, and had a great fight with Dean Lister before. I hope he proves himself in the 83 kg weight class.

Sasaki: I'm very excited about my next fight because I haven't fought for quite a while. I want to show the real MMA in GRABAKA style.

Kuniyasu: I want Nakata to make this event exciting, with Yoshida and Fujita as one of few Japanese heavyweight fighters. I hope he exhibits his skills which he developed while he was away from the ring.

Nakao: I want to fight handsome fighters like Fujita in Sengoku. I want to have a great fight in May and would like to ask Fujita to fight.

Genki Sudo turns 30 years old!

Genki Sudo updated his blog.

I had my birthday on Mar 9 and decided to buy something for me. The item I choose is a rolex watch. I went to see my parents and told them about buying it. My dad said, you did great in your 20's and I will pay for it. I thought he is generous because of getting an influence of the metabolic syndrome. I thanked him and he asked me to tell everybody he bought my rolex.

Winners of the DREAM lightweight tournament talk

DREAM had a press conference in Tokyo on Mar 16. Winners of Lightweight tournament 1st round showed up and talked about their ambitions for the next round.

Joachim Hansen:

I think the debut event succeeded last night though I am disappointed to see the main event.

Mitsuhiro Ishida:

I feel terrible about my performance. I couldn't sleep well last night by thinking about it. I will change my mind and will work hard to have an exciting fight in the 2nd round.

Tatsuya Kawajiri:

I had a tough fight as I expected. I had a very good experience fighting Black Mamba in the 1st round. I think I can improve myself for the 2nd round based on this experience. I hope I can win in 2nd round and move on to the final round in Osaka.

Katsuhiko Nagata:

It was close fight yesterday. I want to win by KO or submission in the 2nd round. I will start training soon because I didn't get injured, fortunately.

Eddie Alvarez:

I want to thank my opponent, Andre Dida. I couldn't have such an exciting fight without a very aggressive fighter like him. We created an amazing fight and I am appreciative of his good fighting spirit. It was my first time fighting in a big event and I had a great experience yesterday.

Luis Buscape:

My opponent was very strong. I trained hard to prepare for this fight. I think our fans enjoy our fight which was at a high pace. Fortunately I could defeat him by submission. I will train hard for the 2nd round and the final.

DREAM: Sasahara talks about Mirko

DREAM had a press conference in Tokyo on Mar 16. Winners of Lightweight tournament 1st round showed up and talked about their ambitions for the next round. In this conference, Sasahara answered questions from reporters.

Keiichi Sasahara:

- Any update about Calvan vs Aoki?

At first, I want Aoki to go hospital and see a doctor. I understand that Aoki is at a loss for words now, because after the fight on NYE was cancelled, he finally got an opportunity to fight Calvan and trained hard, but the result turned out to be the no contest. We will wait until he is ready to talk. I hope we can talk to him within a week and decide what to do.

- Did you take questionnaire from fans who came to the event on Mar 15?

Yes. I think it was hard for fans to think what fight they want to see in 2nd round of the light weight tournament. Although, they gave me some suggestions and I will work to arrange fights our fans want to see. I'm going to announce the result of Aoki vs Calvan and all 8 fighters at the same time, hopefully within a week.

- Any thought about the first event?

I'm disappointed to see the result of the main event, however, I'm going to make use of this experience for our next event. Based on my experience, the debut event of PRIDE had a bad energy. We worked hard to create better events time after time, and at the end PRIDE brought a big MMA boom in Japan. I am satisfied with the way we broadcasted last night though.

- Does Uno fight in the tournament in the 2nd round? Other fighters are against it though?

I understand the feeling of fighters who won in the 1st round why Uno is treated special. I haven't decided yet, but Uno may participate in the 2nd round as a recommended fighter by DREAM. Then, I hope other fighters show their anger in their fighting spirit and show us exciting fights.

- Does Tamura fight in the middleweight GP?

I want him to fight in the tournament, although he hasn't taken an offer yet. I'm going to have more great fighters like our fans are surprised.

- What do you think about Mirko's next fight?

I have to have a scenario for Dynamite. He wants to get a belt . Before arranging a championship fight, we got to arrange fights with some strong fighters and see if he is still good or not. I'm excited to see him fight Mighty Mo and Choi Hong Man, who he has never fought before.

- Does he have chance to fight Fedor for a belt?

I want Mirko to fight Fedor for a heavy weight championship belt in Dynamite. I have talked to M-1 Global about Fedor.

Tito sent Gomi a gift

Gomi updated his blog.

I got a gift from Tito Ortiz celebrating my victory in Sengoku today.
I heard my senior, Rumina Sato, got his first baby. Congratulations!

DREAM: After the fight interviews 4

J.Z.Calvan:

- Any thought about the fight?

I did what I had to do.

- Why did you throw your elbow to his neck?

That wasn't intentional. Although I was going to give my elbow to his back, it slipped and hit his neck. I didn't violated rules because I hit the muscle at first and my next shot slipped into triceps. It was completely by accident. I'm not an idiot to do that intentionally. I'm so disappointed to have this result.

- What were you thinking in the interval?

I wanted to continue fighting.

- What do you think about Aoki?

I'm stronger physically. He is a good fighter who is flexible and moves like a snake. Every fighter has their strength and weakness. He is a great fighter and one of the strongest Japanese fighters. I want to fight him again and stay in this tournament. I'm asking for a rematch because our fans were disappointed tonight.

- Did you officially ask a rematch?

Yes. I don't like the way we finished our fight. I don't know what happens next and God only knows. I'm sorry.

Shinya Aoki:

- Any thought about the fight?

I trained very hard, could see his punches, was in very good condition and got this accident. I cannot think about anything now.

- How did you feel when you got his elbow?

I felt all my strength was lost. I felt like getting in danger. Though a doctor said I could continue fighting if I could raise my arm, I couldn't.

- What were you talking about during the interval?

I insisted to continue fighting, but Dr.Nakai said he couldn't let me continue. I had nothing to do but obey his order.

- I think you had no contest before. Can you think about fighting him again?

Even if you told me about my past, I cannot think about anything now.

- Did you talk to Calvan?

I cannot communicate him anyway because I cannot speak English. Both of us are disappointed. We couldn't fight on NYE and we had a no contest today.... We didn't exchange any words.

Keiichi Sasahara:

I'm very disappointed to see the result of the main fight. I wish our fans who came all way to Saitama Super Arena fully enjoy the event. In the ring, we announced that the main fight was no contest. However, we checked the fight video and examine if Calvan's action was intentional or accidental, and announce the official result later. We will arrange the light weight tournament fights by taking a questionnaire survay from fans through our website.

http://dreamofficial.com/news/detail.php?id=1205587554

DREAM: After the fight interview 3

Mirko Crocop:

- What do you think about your fight?

I'm satisfied with the result. I expected he would take me to the ground position and my warming up was only ground techniques. Surprisingly, he attempted to strike me and I finished him quickly, though I wanted to enjoy the feeling of the fight longer.

- You won applause when you came in.

It was my pleasure. I felt I came back finally.

- Who would you like to fight next?

I will fight anybody if I have enough time to prepare.

- Do you think you recover from losses in the UFC?

It's all about the mental condition. The reason why I had unsightly fights in the UFC was because the balance of my mental and physical conditions were not stable.

- I suppose you are heavier than usual?

I feel fine. My current weight is as a result of the hard training.

- Would you like to continue fighting in DREAM?

Of course. I said this so many times, but Japan is my second home country. I have lots of memories and am very happy to fight here again.

- Do you think you are back?

I broke my nose bone 12 years ago when I was training for K-1. Since then, I breath with my mouth during my fights because I could only gain 50% of air through my nose. I had a surgery to maintain the respiratory tract last year and will complete healing up shortly.

- Japanese fans always support you.

Yes I know that pretty well.

Tatsuya Mizuno:

- What do you think about your fight?

I am very disappointed to see my powerlessness and weakness. I want to start all over again. I wasn't going to hesitate, however, I stepped back actually. I felt his core strength.

- How did you feel before the fight?

I was nervous. This unexpected opportunity brought me a mixed feelings. I was nervous at the same time being excited. I was lost very quick and easy. I would like to challenge him after training harder.

- Did you get a right hook?

Yes. I didn't know what I got... I had confidence not to be damaged by his punch... He was stronger than I expected.

- Do you think you could do better though the referee stopped the fight?

I shouldn't object to the decision the referee made.

http://dreamofficial.com/news/detail.php?id=1205587461

Eddie Alvarez:

- What do you think about your fight?

I had a good fight. I felt great during my fight though I had sore stomach and took some medicine before the fight.

- You are famous with MMA maniacs. How did you like fighting in the major event?

It was unbelievable. I was unfortunate last year, however, I knew a good chance will come to me if I keep training. I got an offer from DREAM this year and want to continue fighting in this event. I will do better next time.

- Were you nervous?

I was relaxed in the ring. I guess I looked nervous because I was very excited to fight in front of such a big audience.

- Do you have any thought about fighting in Japan and the referee?

I have fought in MARS before. I know I have to be aggressive even if I dominate the fight. DREAM makes good fights which fans enjoy. Since 2003, Stephen Haigh supports me as a trainer. This victory was brought by him.

Tatsuya Kawajiri:

I feel like I could barely survive in this tournament. Before the fight I thought I could submit him easily in the ground position, although, he was good. I saw his fight against Uno and he tapped quickly. He definitely developed his ground techniques. I took him to the ground and aimed locking because he has good kicks. I have to-do-lists in every fights, and it was pinning techniques this time. He was a very strong fighter.

- Black Mamba

We had a good and powerful fight. I attacked and gave him more damage more than he did though. What he did to me was catching me by taking down. As long as I don't KO, I cannot win. I will KO my opponent by punching in the beginning of a fight.

http://dreamofficial.com/news/detail.php?id=1205587515

DREAM: After the fight interviews 2

Luis Buscape:

- Any thoughts about your fight?

I had a good fight. It was my dream fighting in Saitama Super Arena. I could show my ideal fight.

- Was a sleeper choke in your game plan?

Yes. I have a Jujitsu background. I trained at Brazilian Top Team and built my MMA fight plan there. Striking was in my game plan too. I'm glad to submit Miyata, who was tough.

- You were taken down but wasn't pounded. Did you work on preventing his pounding?

Yes. I knew he has an amateur wrestling background and used to be an Olympian. I expected to be attacked from the top and worked on my defense techniques. As a result of my training, I could finish him by choking.

- Who do you think the competitive fighter in this tournament?

I think Kawajiri, Ishida, Hansen, Dida... everybody. I could have a great fight tonight. I like fighting and live to fight. I would like to have a good performance again.

Kazuyuki Miyata:

I trained hard the striking techniques. I'm disappointed not to show my techniques because he put his body together. I was on his top but he put me a lot of pressure from the bottom. It was a tough fight. When I throw him, I hurt my old wound and couldn't move as I wanted since then. He had a great ground techniques. (Why do you think you lost?) He had a good ground techniques and better stamina. I mainly worked on striking because I never fought in these rules and figured the striking are more necessary. I also have confidence of my ground techniques, though I got his knee. I guess I was impatient.

Artur Umakhanov:

I'm really tired. Nagata was strong physically and I had hard time in the ground position.

http://dreamofficial.com/news/detail.php?id=1205587376

Katsuhiko Nagata:

I'm glad that I could win. He put pressure more than I expected. I'm glad to win and want to start training for my next fight. I trained my knees in the ground position, pounding and locking techniques. I think my pounds worked 5 to 6 times. I would like to finish by pounding someday. My brother was a second and supported me well. My fiancee and my parents are also in the studio and watched my fight. My fiancee said she will support me even if I was KO'd.

Jung Bukyung:

Ishida was a great fighter. I have an impression he controlled our fight. I underestimated him and the fight didn't go as I planned. I couldn't control the fight and finish him because of my less experience. Practicing striking techniques, I couldn't do anything well and noticed that the preparation wasn't enough.

Mitsuhiro Ishida:

I feel terrible about my fight. This is nothing more than excuses, but I was so cautious about his triangle that I lost my confidence. I feel so sorry for my fans who came over to see my fight that I didn't do good. I don't think I was submitted by his triangles though the audience thought I was. I could see his punches and have better strikes, however, his strong pressure put me into the defense mode mentally. He was physically strong and had a good fighting spirit. I suppose he will be a dangerous fighter when he gets more experience. I will make the most of this experience and train hard for my next fight.

http://dreamofficial.com/news/detail.php?id=1205587422

DREAM: After the fight interviews 1

Minowaman:

I think I completed my mission.  My opponent was announced in the very last minute.  I believed I could fight in this event and prepared to do so.  I was cautious not to get his powerful punches and kicks brought by his heavy weight.  I was aiming at locking not only legs but other parts.  I lost on NYE and I felt low in Jan and Feb.  I didn't even feel like celebrating the New Year.  I think the spring comes to me tomorrow.

Gwan Lee:
I had fun fighting him and have no regrets.  I think Minowaman was a great fighter.  I guess I feel this way because I like him.

Hayato "Mach" Sakurai:
- What do you think about your fight?

I feel relieved.  I felt pressure because this fight was about Mach Dojo vs Wahyutsu Keisyukai.

- Would you like to continue fighting in the light weight? Are you in interested in fighting at 154lb?

I fought at 170lb today and I have never lowered my weight to 154lb before though.  

- How was your opponent?

I paid attention not to get triangle chokes and arm locks by his long arms and legs.  I was surprised to see how sharp his punches were actually.  I'm good at fighting a guy like him though.  

- How did you like fighting in DREAM?

I think MMA events including DREAM, YARENNOKA! and PRIDE have their own character and create great entertainment.  I cannot chose which events I like the best though.  

- Do you like to fight in the welter weight?

Sure.  I want to keep fighting in this weight class for sure.  I had hard time dieting before, however DREAM has my weight class and I can do my best in the most comfortable weight class for me.

http://dreamofficial.com/news/detail.php?id=1205587285

  

Hidetaka Monma:

I'm very disappointed about the result of my fight.  That's all I think about my fight.  My game plan was fighting in the standing position for 10min. and 5min. though I knew he was a good striker.  I needed more time to prepare for fighting such a well experienced fighter.  If I have a chance to fight a good striker in my future, it is necessary for me to gain more MMA techniques by training my striking, wrestling and ground techniques hard.

Joachim Hansen:

- What do you think about your fight?

I'm relieved to defeat Boku.  He used to be an amateur boxer and I was close to being KO'd by getting his punch to my head.  

- Boku was pressured to see how aggressive you are and how tough you were because you didn't get much damage by getting his punches to your chin and face.

I fight to live and my head is as hard as metal rocks.  That's why I could win.  

- Who would you like to fight next?

I will fight anybody and want to fight someone who our fans expect to see.  

- Boku is the SHOOTO champion.  Would you like to fight SHOOTO fighters again?

It doesn't matter for me if my opponent is the SHOOTO champion or not.  I felt good defeating a champion though.

- You fought Aoki before and you were defeated.  Would you like to fight AOKI again?

I have fought Calvan, Kawajiri and Aoki before.  It doesn't matter if I have fought before or not.  I may fight either Aoki or J.Z.Calvan.  If so, I will think positive and prepare for the fight.  

Kotetsu Boku:

It was very tough fight and his punches hurt me.  He is a very experienced fighter and he controlled the whole fight.  His throw was very powerful and I couldn't escape.  I wasn't in a bad situation like we see on the tape when he was trying to submit, however, I was almost submitted.  I accept this result.  He was strong and he fought his fight.  I wish I could give him jabs and straight punches, but I got a down in 2R and have nothing to say.  Kid said I did good job.  I will think about my career including retiring from the ring.  

http://dreamofficial.com/news/detail.php?id=1205587285