New Japanese MMA event, DREAM, press conference (3)

Other comments in the press conference

- Mirko has a contract with the UFC?

Sasahara: I cannot tell you anything about his contract. I think he has no problem fighting in DREAM.

- Why did you approach Mirko?

Sasahara: We were looking for heavyweight fighters who are good and famous. We had a chance to talk to Mirko.

- You don't have a weight class for KID?

Sasahara: I'm going to have another light weight class which KID can fight in.

- HERO'S has a meaning of Road to Dynamite!. What are you going to do with Dynamite?

Tanikawa: DREAM will also have the same meaning. We haven't decided what we are going to do with Dynamite yet and what kind of NYE event we are going to have though.

- Does the HERO'S supervisor and PRIDE & Yarennoka Spokesman work with you?

Tanikawa: Takada and Maeda won't be involved with DREAM.

- Any conflict with Sengoku?

Sasahara: We don't produce any of their event. We talked to Sengoku and found out we have a different concept and figured out we cannot work with them. We are not fighting each other though.

New Japanese MMA event, DREAM, press conference (2)

** Interviews of fighters in the press conference **

Daisuke Nakamura:

I believe this is one of the top level MMA events. I would like to train hard and do my best.

Ryuki Ueyama:

I'm glad to fight in this event. I would like to be a world champion this year.

Minowa:

I like the name of this event, DREAM. I would like to be stronger and show great fights for my fans and staff.

Yoshihiro Akiyama:

I can tell this event will have great fights and dream matches. I would like to fight for my fans.

Norifumi KID Yamamoto:

I think this is cool event and will do my best showing great fights for my fans. Don't forget my birthday is Mar 15.

Hayato Mach Sakurai:

I'm in MMA for quite a while and have been punched for a long time. I don't fight in the tournament, but I will fight a lot next year.

Shinya Aoki:

I'm honored to fight in the new event. I'm also happy that my fight is announced in this press conference. I would like to win by having a top level fight.

Kazushi Sakuraba:

Like the very first Dynamite, I would like to cooperate with other fighters and event staff and give dreams to my fans. Thank you for supporting us.

Royce Gracie (video)

I'm happy to hear about this new event. Since FEG, the biggest MMA organization in Japan, and the staff from another big event work together, I know the event will be successful. I hope I can fight in DREAM and show my style and techniques. I'm glad to see MMA, which history was built up by the Gracie Family, is now about to develop more by FEG and the former PRIDE staff. I cannot wait to fight in DREAM. I will be back!

Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic:

I'm very happy to fight in Japan again and very excited. Please come and see my next fight on Mar 15. I will do my best supporting this new event. Many people will consider I come back to Japan because I couldn't win in UFC, but it is not true. I'm going to go back to UFC someday and have a good result. I determined that DREAM is the right place to build my career for now. I wanted to fight in Japan again and I don't like fighting in the cage to be honest. Japan is my secondary home country. I have recovered from the damage I took by loosing in UFC , so I would would like to have great fights for my fans.

http://sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp/fight/other/headlines/etc/20080213-00000023-spnavi-fight.html

http://www.yarennoka.com/news/detail.php?id=1202899488

New Japanese MMA event, DREAM, press conference (1)

New Japanese MMA event, DREAM is announced in Tokyo Metropolitan Hotel on Feb 13.

At first, Tanikawa(FEG), Karino(TBS) and Sasahara(Yarennoka!) appeared on the stage.

Tanikawa said:

Thank you for coming today. I heard more than 300 fans were here today and I appreciate that. We were a success with our new years events, K-1 Dynamite and Yarennoka! with the support and understanding of TBS. FEG would like to start a new MMA event to keep our alliance with Yarennoka! Our new event is not PRIDE nor HERO'S. Though the sponsor of the event is FEG and TBS, Yarennoka is going to produce the event. Mr. Sasahara will take the initiative as the event producer. I'm going to focus on K-1 events including K-1 World GP and K-1 World Max. Japanese MMA didn't have energy for a while. It's time for us to stand up together and work on the new event which attracts fans.

Sasahara said:

We worked on Yarennoka in the last NYE together. We were supported by FEG, M-1 Global and many other people. After having the successful event, I knew Japanese MMA was still popular and had a potential to attract more fans. Though we dropped a hint of having a next event at Yarennoka, we didn't have any direction to move next. I got an offer from Mr. Tanikawa and took his offer because I could be in charge of producing this event. I got signatures from more than 3000 fans asking us to continue Yarennoka and to create a great event. Passion from our fans stimulated me to create an event which MMA fans were satisfied.

Karino said:

We sponsor and broadcast K-1, HERO'S and Dynamite. We are excited about broadcasting DREAM which is the replacement of HERO'S.

http://gbring.com/sokuho/news/2008_02/0213_dream_03.htm

Fighters like Suzanne...

Gono talked about Suzanne in his blog.

My right hand is still in pain.  I'm having hard time sleeping and I am up 20 hours though I cannot move around and do what I want to do.

I got a message from my friend about the magazine, Playboy.  He recommended for me to go and get it because the photographs of Suzanne are really good.  I freaked out imagining having to walk 2 min. to the store.  Under the terrible pain I walked unnatural and that brings more pain.  What can I get by getting through this?  It's Suzanne's photograph which I have never seen and I want to see.  I took 500 yen and decided to go.

I felt dizzy, but I made it to a store and came home.  I drank an after workout protein drink as usual and put the playboy on the table.  I was satisfied seeing this magazine.  I wish I could enjoy more if I could use my right hand...

Gomi also talks about Suzanne in his blog...

I'm tired and would like to go drinking but I have to wait till my next fight is over.  I took a day off from training and went to watch a movie, American Gangster.  Although my fight is coming soon, I cannot stop thinking about Suzanne in the playboy magazine.  I hope the movie is violent enough to kick Suzanne out from my head.  

Kazuyuki Fujita chose Sengoku

WVR announced that Kazuyuki Fujita signed up with Sengoku and he would fight on Mar 05.  Fujita is now training at the Marco Ruas Dojo in Los Angeles for his next fight.  His opponent will be announced shortly.  

Fujita's comment:

I picked Sengoku from several offers.  I would like to fight aggressive and not give up.

http://www.sengoku-official.com/pc/topics/2008/02/0212/0212_1.html

Gomi fights Duane Ludwig.

WVR had a press conference in Tokyo on Feb 13 and announced opponents of Takanori Gomi and more.

Gomi fights Duane Ludwig who defeated Kozo Takeda in K-1 Max and Genki Sudo in UFC.  Gomi said he would like to KO him by striking.

WVR also announced 2 more fighgs, Ryokawamura vs Antonio Braga Neto and Fabricio "Pitbull" Monteiro vs Nick Thompson.

http://sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp/fight/other/headlines/etc/20080213-00000014-spnavi-fight.html

New Japanese MMA event will be announced on Feb 13

FEG and Yarennoka! staff joined hands and created a new MMA event.  They have a press conference on Feb 13 in Tokyo and will announce the details of the event, including the event name, an overview and the event schedule of 2008.  Not only Japanese fighters but fighters from other countries will appear at the conference.  Fans are also welcomed to come and see the conference starting at 5 PM in Metropolitan Hotel in Tokyo.  

http://www.yarennoka.com/news/detail.php?id=1202462180