DREAM poisted an interview of Hideo Tokoro

DREAM official website posted an interview of Hideo Tokoro, which was taken place on Aug 22.
- Happy birthday. You are now 31 years old.
Thank you. 3 and 31 are my lucky number, and so I think I have a great year.
- What do you think about your last fight in DREAM.5?
I prepared well and my condition was excellent. I'm not satisfied with my performance because I couldn't KO Yamazaki. I found out my weakness through my last fight; I cannot finish a fight, and my striking skills and submitting skills have no harmony.
- You didn't have hard time dieting?
Nope. It's hard to say if I'm good at adjusting my weight or not. I always keep my weight under control, and so I suppose I won't have hard time dieting next time as well.
- Your record in DREAM is now 2-0. I suppose everything is going smoothly for you.
I'm glad I have good results so far. I moved down to the featherweight and won 2 times in a row by decision. I feel comfortable fighting in this class. I will feel much better when I win clearly by submission or KO.
- Your next fight is on Sep 23 in Dream.6. Your opponent is Atsushi Yamamoto.
He is a strong fighter. I will show many different techniques to win this fight.
- Do you think you can prove in your 3rd appearance in DREAM?
I suppose so. I will gain a confidence as a strong fighter when I defeat him.
- How's your condition?
It's common for professional fighters to carry major or minor injuries. I have a couple of injuries, but I'm fine.
- What do you think about Yamamoto?
He is a good grappler, and so my next fight will be tough.
- Is a grappler hard for you to deal with?
Yes. Grapplers are good at avoiding to be submitted and punching from a mount position. They are also tough. I remember a sparring with a grappler 3 years ago. I was impressed to see his dynamic movement, good wrestling and strong grip. In my next fight Mental condition is a key to win.
- Sasahara said he might give you a chance to fight Kid Yamamoto in NYE, if he recovers by then and you continue to win.
My next fight means a lot. If I win, I will be able to fight in NYE and get a chance to challenge Kid. I believe Japanese MMA will get more attention when I get an opportunity to challenge Kid.
- Any message to your fans?
I cannot lose my next fight. I have to win to fight Kid. Challenging himwill mean a lot for me and my career. I do my best.
http://dreamofficial.com/news/detail.php?id=1219817921

DREAM posted JZ Calvan interview.

DREAM official website posted an interview of J.Z. Calvan, which took place on Aug 09 in Hawaii.
- You seem to enjoy Hawaii. Why are you here?
I enjoy a lot. I train with Melvin Manhoef at ATT for past 1 month. We got along with well and came here to support his teammate, Badr Hari. I'm undergoing rehabilitation on my left knee by surfing. There is the best beach for surfing in Hawaii.
- How is the condition of your knee? You injured last December.
I had an operation right after getting injured. The operation went well and I have been making satisfactory progress since the operation.
- When do you think you come back?
I start a training of groundwork techniques within 2 weeks. I see my condition and will decide when I come back. I hope I can fight Hansen in NYE.
- You have fought him in July, 2004. You lost by decision.
Yes, if I fight him again, it will be a rematch. I have developed myself a lot since then, and I'll show a totally different fight in our rematch. I have a confidence to win. I believe our fans want to see our fight and I definitely fight him in my comeback fight.
- I want to watch! Did you watch Hansen vs Aoki fight in DREAM.5?
Yes. I suppose Hansen analyzed a lot about Aoki. It was great fight.
- I suppose you were disappointed about the result in the lightweight GP.
I accepted a result of a fight with Aoki. I know what caused of that result now. I think that fight brought me a great experience in my MMA career. Despite of my result, that tournament itself was great. Finalists were all best fighters. I imagine it's very hard to fight twice a day in MMA; however, I like a tournament style personally. I had thought about what if I was a reserver. I think I couldn't participate in because God considered recovering from injuries is the most important.
- Do you want to fight Aoki again?
Of course. I want a rematch with him and I will win next. I don't want to be defeated by anyone anymore.
- What do you think about Melvin Manhoef?
He is smart and also physically tough. I'm surprised to see that he acquired everything I tought immediately. Since he has impressive techniques in standing positions, I'm sure he will win the middleweight tournament.
- I'm waiting to see your next performance.
Thank you to all my fans in Japan for supporting me. I like fighting in Japan as well as fans in Japan. I'm sorry that I disappointed fans in my last fight. I focus on recovering now, and I will be a champion of DREAM soon.

Gono updated his blog

Akihiro Gono updated his condition in his blog.

I concentrate my attention on my next fight; therefore, I have no time to go to my English Class for past 2 weeks. As a result of an intensive training, I'm getting back the sense of my movement. Regarding to my defense on the ground, Kikuta said, "You have good defense now and nobody won't be able to finish me on the ground. I'm glad to hear that from him, who is a great Jujitsu fighter, and I got over from my nervousness about my condition; such as if I could be ready for my fight. His word encouraged me to train harder. I took a break from training today because my body was tired from hard trainings. I cannot get sick again now by pushing myself too hard. I learned from my past and decided to take a day off.

Gomi was not satisfied with his performance

After the fight interview with SENGOKU.
Gomi:
I was going to give him damages by not punching but kicking. I was almost down in the beginning of 2R because of kicking a lot in 1R. My opponent didn't tackle me and aimed the counter punches. I saw a belt last night and I strongly felt that I didn't want to lose. I personally wanted him to be more aggressive as a champion of DEEP. I think great performances by other lightweight fighters contributed SENGOKU to get more attention. I wish I could have an exciting fight yesterday. Don't worry, I will definitely get a belt. I want my next fight in Nov and have a title match next year.
http://www.sengoku-official.com/pc/topics/2008/08/25_271.html

Takanori Gomi talked about his performance in a press conference on Aug 25.

My performance wasn't good enough as a main event. I felt the pressure since other lightweight fighters did great job. It was the last fight in my 20 years old, and I was very motivated to ko him. I didn't have chance to ko him despite of giving him pressure, and I changed my game plan and focused on not ko but win this fight.
The championship fight of SENGOKU lightweight tournament will be exciting no matter who I fight against. I cannot wait my next fight. I was bruised on the right leg because of kicking a lot. In my next fight, I want to show that I can do better.

http://gbring.com/sokuho/news/2008_08/0825_sengoku_03.htm
http://sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp/fight/other/headlines/etc/20080825-00000005-spnavi_ot-fight.html

Takimoto had a public training on Aug 20

Makoto Takimoto had a public training at JROCK workout studio on Aug 20. After training, he told his condition.
Takimoto:
I never had any special striking training before. My gym invited Tashiro (who is a striking coach of Yushin Okami and Caol Uno) for me and I have been training with him for 4 months. I was trained from the basics and now I have more techniques than before. I haven't watched Frank Trigg's fight videos. How I fight is more important than who I fight with. I do my best to carry out my fighting style. If I have a chance, I want to strike him down. I would definitely like to participate in the Middleweight tournament starting in Sep
.
http://www.kamipro.com/news/?id=1219216497

Melvin Manhoef Interview

DREAM official website posted an interview with Malvin Manhoef. This interview was took place on Aug 08 in Hawaii.
- You only have less than 2 months before DREAM Middleweight tournament final round. Where do you train now?
I train with J.Z. Calvan and his teammates at ATT in Miami. I'm here in Hawaii to support Badr Hari as a second. I will go back to Miami for training right after this event, and then I will fly to the Netherlands to get in good shape for the fight.
- Your performance was very impressive in DREAM.5.
Thanks. My performance created a sensation among people around me. Everybody evaluated my ability high by seeing the fight with an MMA legend, Sakuraba.
- What did you learn from that fight?
I was so calm that I could have a good fight and win. I had to be cautious about many things because he was good at striking, tackling and submitting. I could see his moves clearly in the fight because I was composed. I gained a confidence that I was competitive to strong fighters like him now.
- Now you are the final 4.
In Hero's lightweight tournament in 2006, I was defeated by Akiyama in the final. I definitely want to win this tournament. My teammates and I need to work together to accomplish this objective.
- Your opponent is Gegard Mousasi.
I know him very well because he also trains in the Netherlands. He is an all round fighter. I should be sharp at fighting him. I'm a cyborg to follow my seconds' advices in a ring.
- You have no problem fighting on the ground?
Absolutely. I train to be a complete fighter. My ground skills develops day by day. My goal is to be a champion and I have no problem fighting in any positions.
- Ronaldo Jacare and Zelg Benkei Galesic, which fighter do you think you fight in the final?
I think Ronaldo Jacare. Everybody considers that I'm only good on the standing position. I would like to prove myself as an all round fighter by defeating him.
- Do you want to fight Akiyama after getting a belt?
Akiyam! Yes, I want to fight him again. I'm sure Akiyama, who used to be a HERO'S champion, has no reason to refuse my offer when I become a champion of DREAM. I will defeat him completely. I know he debut as a singer and saw him on a commercial. I suppose he is making money a lot and I cannot be beaten by a guy like him.
http://dreamofficial.com/news/detail.php?id=1219022288

Kid Yamamoto posted his drawings.

Norifumi KID Yamamoto posted his drawings in his blog.

Gono is getting ready...

** Aug 19 **
Gono posted a picture of himself in his blog.

** Aug 18 **
Sex and the City was on when I turned on TV before going bed. It was the first time for me to watch that show. I liked a lot because this show contained lots of sex talk and stuff. I'm going to rent the complete series at Tsutaya(rental video).

Kazunori Yokota has a confidence to win

Kazunori Yokota, who faces Bojan Kosednar in Sengoku 4, invited the press to his training in GRABAKA gym. He told that he had a confidence to defeat Gomi before.
Yokota:
I saw a couple of his fight videos. He is a big and powerful judo specialist. I think he attempts to take me down by tackling, so I practice to cut his tackles. I'm an all round fighter, and I want to use striking techniques a lot in my next fight. I lose whenever I underestimate my opponent. This is what I learned from my last fight with Seung Hwan Bang in May. I learned a lot from my loss. I have a confidence about my speed. I will dominate my opponent both in the standing position and on the ground. I'm sure I will impress everyone.

http://www.sengoku-official.com/pc/topics/2008/08/12_232.html

Satoru Kitaoka had a public training.

Satoru Kitaoka, who faces Clay French in SENGOKU 4 on Aug 24, showed his training the press at P's LAB TOKYO.

Kitaoka:
When my opponent was announced, Aoki told me that I and French had a great difference in out ability; although, I shouldn't take his words seriously because he sometimes says something irresponsible. My strength lies in my grappling and submitting techniques. I don't need anything else to win. In my last fight, I was convinced that I was doing right thing to be a strong fighter. I don't worry about who I fight with. The most important thing is how I show my ability in my fight. All fighters in GP are strong; however, I am superior to the others in abilities to express myself, because I believe I have better experiences as a professional MMA fighters than others. Nobody knows who fights against Gomi at the end, yet I believe everybody know who the best opponent for him is.

http://gbring.com/sokuho/news/2008_08/0815_sengoku.htm

Kid Yamamoto left hospital

Norifumi "KID" Yamamoto updated his blog.

I got out of the hospital on Aug 13. He is Mr.Takiguchi who was assigned to me and supported my rehab. I go back to Tokyo and will work hard to recover.

Now I'm home and playing with my daughter.

Eiji Mitsuoka had a public training.

Eiji Mitsuoka had a public training on Aug 11.

His teammate, Caol Uno, sparred with him and he will be his second.
Mitsuoka:
I saw a fight of my opponent, Rodorigo Damm, in SENGOKU 3. I was surprised to see his great performance. I will fight him with confidence that I can win. My confidence comes from my fighting experiences with strong and all round fighters like him. I train hard for a long time and have thorough techniques of submissions. I hope I can show everything I have in my next fight. I cannot wait fighting him.
Uno:
I saw the name list of fighters who participate in the tournament. They are all strong . I'm looking forward to seeing how Mitsuoka proves himself in this tournament. I think I can give some advices based on my experience fighting in a tournament.

http://gbring.com/sokuho/news/2008_08/0811_sengoku.htm
http://www.sengoku-official.com/pc/topics/2008/08/11_225.html

Kazuhiro Nakamura fights in SENGOKU

From SENGOKU official website.

SENGOKU announced the participation of Kazuhiro Nakamura to SENGOKU on Sep 28. Nakamura moves down to 83kg and participates in the middleweight tournament.
Nakamura:
I have many reasons why I decided to fight in the 83kg weight class. I had fought in the 93kg weight class since I was in a junior high school. I was comfortable adjusting my weight to 93kg and had never had hard time dieting before my fights. I lost in the UFC and my experience in the UFC made me realized keenly that the difference of weights had great influence on the outcome of the fight, and I decided to fight in a lower weight class. I have no idea what I can do and what I cannot do in this weight class.

http://www.sengoku-official.com/pc/topics/2008/08/08_224.html

Aoki updated his column in Kamipro.com

Shinya Aoki updated his column in Kamipro.com.

It's very hot every day. To change my feeling, I went to Kamakura. My destination was Tsuruoka Hachimangu(Shrine). I saw many people who were short of breath by walking uphill to get the shrine. I sweat a lot, had a shaved ice with syrup on the top, went to beach and came home. I cannot wait my next fight. I want to know my next opponent, then I enjoy training more. By the way, my friend sent me a gift. When I open the box, there were energetic drinks for ED. I'm only 25 years old and he is making a fool of me. Honestly, I'm very interested in these drinks. The name of drinks is "Magma." I assume this drink keeps extraordinary destructive energy. If I drink this, can I be like Michael Jackson? (a nickname of Yoshihiro Akiyama) and get the highest score in the TV rating? I think I'm OK without this drink.

** If you have any question to ask Aoki, please let me know. He may not reply you back, but he always welcomes questions and messages from fans in his site.

Gono updated his condition

Akihiro Gono updated his blog about his training.

I have only 2 months before my come back fight in the UFC. I noticed that my movement had grown more sluggish than I imagined when I started a training; in addition, I had a high fever right after I started the training and rest for a couple of days. And so my training schedule is delaying. To catch up with my original schedule, I train hard everyday in the very hot weather and I'm dying.

I had trainings twice a day and attended an English speaking class today. Now I'm exhausted. I have to be ready withing 2 months no matter what. Next 2 months, I concentrate to the training and the speaking lesson.

Gomi had a public training

Takanori Gomi had an interview after a public training.
Gomi:
I do same trainings for last couple of months here in Tokyo, which is very humid and always around 90F. I'm very tired mentally and physically and I'm losing my power of concentration; therefore, I decided to go Nagano for a change. I believe I can relax and have an efficient training by being surrounded by nature. I focus on training hard as well as conditioning next week. I will get myself ready for my fight. I want to win this fight and congratulate myself on training hard as a MMA fighter for last 10 years. I remember my original intention when I started MMA, and I run toward the No.1 fighter in the world.

http://www.sengoku-official.com/pc/topics/2008/08/08_221.html
http://sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp/fight/other/text/200808070012-spnavi.html

Kid had an operation on his wrist.

Norifumi "KID" Yamamoto updated his blog.

I bought NINTENDO DS to kill my time. I play the role of a mayor in a game called "SimCity."
I didn't tell this before, but I had my left wrist operated on as well. I was injured my wrist during my training last September, a week before a fight with Bibiano Fernandes. I had kept training for my fight and I even had a fight without taking care of properly. I knew something was wrong. I couldn't throw powerful punches by my left hand because of the pain. Finally I had an operation to get rid of bones which don't stick together. I'm glad that I could have both my knee and wrist treated.

Gomi works hard

Takanori Gomi updated his blog.

It's August and I have not much time left. I'm getting ready for my fight. It's very hot everyday and I gave up drinking, and so I'm doing good adjusting my weight.

I cannot believe that I always don't have time to have fun in summer when many people have fun parting and enjoy events!

I go to Sugadaira highlands in Nagano for training next week. I will live without an air conditioning. I will recover from fatigue of hard trainings by staying in a cooler climate.

I wish I could go beaches, summer events and fireworks now. I have to wait until September.

Kid's operation was a success.

Kid Yamamoto updated his blog.

My operation went well. Pain is more than I imagined and I cannot bear without taking medicine.
I will work hard recovering and will make a comeback to a ring as soon as I can.

http://sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp/fight/other/headlines/etc/20080804-00000018-spnavi-fight.html