DREAM Featherweight GP Participants Announced

[JuniorVT]

http://www.japan-mma.com/2009/02/dream- ... pants.html

[keithlewis]

It will be interesting to see how Micah Miller and Chase Beebe do fighting Japan. They may win a couple but I don't see either one winning the GP.

[broncofan]

"Wicky" Akiyo Nishiura 9-3-1
Takafumi Otsuka 8-3-1

looking good!

[keithlewis]

Fighting & Entertainment Group, the parent company of DREAM, have announced their schedule of events for 2009, as well as a partial list of combatants for their upcoming Featherweight Grand Prix, which will feature some of the best 145-pound fighters in the world.

Some had feared that DREAM was on its last legs as the company seemingly faced difficult financial times, but with the announcement of a full schedule of seven events for 2009, it appears that those worries have been temporarily assuaged.

It also appears that DREAM will finally make good on their many rumored attempts to crown a Welterweight champion as an eight-man tournament is in the works for the new year, with Hayato "Mach" Sakurai and Nick Diaz likely to be the centerpieces.

Here's the full list of DREAM events for the year 2009;

DREAM 2009 Schedule:
March 8th: DREAM 7 - Featherweight GP 1st Round (Saitama Super Arena)
April 5th: DREAM 8 - Welterweight GP 1st Round (Nippon Gaishi Hall)
May: DREAM 9 - Featherweight GP 2nd Round (Somewhere in Kanto)
July 20th: DREAM 10 - Welterweight GP Finals (Saitama Super Arena)
September: DREAM 11 - Featherweight GP Finals (Somewhere in Kanto)
October: DREAM 12 (TBD)
December 31st: Dynamite!! (Saitama Super Arena)

And here is the list of the Featherweight Grand Prix tournament participants as of this time;

Featherweight Grand Prix Participants:
Masakazu Imanari
Hiroyuki Takaya
Takafumi Otsuka
Hideo Tokoro
Wicky Akiyo
Atsushi Yamamoto
Bibiano Fernandes
Micah Miller
Chase Beebe
Joe Warren
Kim Jong Won
SHOJI
DJ Taiki

The list does not include Narofumi "Kid" Yamamoto, though he is expected to compete in the tournament after being offered a bye into the second round by FEG officials. Yamamoto was most recently seen at WEC 38 and is rumored to be in negotiations with the promotion, but as things stand now Japanese fight fans can expect to see "Kid" battling for DREAM Featherweight gold in 2009.

[ArmyofDarkness]

SEVEN DREAM EVENTS THIS YEAR

[keithlewis]

Newly crowned WAMMA lightweight champion Shinya Aoki, fresh off a submission victory over Eddie Alvarez at FEG’s New Years’ Eve event, will make the jump to welterweight to compete in the Grand Prix. You may recall that Aoki made it to the finals of last year’s lightweight Grand Prix only to lose to Joachim Hansen, who was a replacement for an injured Alvarez.

Also confirmed for the grand prix is Hayato “Mach” Sakurai, who was defeated Katsuyori Shibata by first round TKO at “Dynamite!!” on New year’s Eve.

A qualifying match for entry into the Grand Prix between Hidetaka Monma and DEEP champion Seichi Ikemoto will also take place on the DEEP 40 card on February 20.

Ikuhisa Minowa will be fighting on the Dream.8 card as well, although no opponent has been named. Minowa, who is 41-29 in a career that dates back to 1996, recently defeated Errol Zimmerman on the same NYE”s card.

http://www.dreamofficial.com/

[TheBrokenVow]

I think Imanari is going to win the FW tournament via leglock!

[broncofan]

this is going to be an awesome GP