HDNET TO BROADCAST “FIELDS DYNAMITE!! 2009"

[keithlewis]

HDNET TO BROADCAST “HDNET FIGHTS PRESENTS: FIELDS DYNAMITE!! 2009”

HDNet will feature exclusive coverage of "HDNet Fights Presents: FieLDS Dynamite!! 2009," from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on Thursday, December 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.

The combat sports world's signature event makes its North American television debut on HDNet with 17 fights featuring the brightest stars of DREAM, Sengoku Raiden Championship, K-1, and K-1 MAX. War has been declared between HDNet's Japanese MMA Partners - DREAM and Sengoku Raiden Championship. "One of the greatest annual traditions in mixed martial arts is fights from Japan on New Year's Eve, and there is a reason Dynamite!! is the most watched MMA event in the world," said Andrew Simon, CEO of HDNet Fights. "Fight fans have been asking to see this event for years and as 'Your Home of MMA,' HDNet will deliver this event for the first time in North America! You can expect lots of surprises throughout the night in what is guaranteed to be the most unbelievable night in MMA."

A challenge series between the stars of DREAM and Sengoku headlines the evening as the DREAM Lightweight Champion Shinya Aoki (22-4) faces off with Sengoku Lightweight Champion Mizuto Hirota (12-3-1), DREAM star and Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem (31-11) faces Kazuyuki Fujita (15-8), Norifumi "KID" Yamamoto (17-2) tangles with Sengoku Featherweight Champion Masanori Kanehara (15-7-5), Hayato "Mach" Sakurai (35-9-2) takes on Akihiro Gono (30-15-7), Katsuyori Shibata (4-6-1) squares off with Hiroshi Izumi (0-1), Hideo Tokoro (23-19-1) meets Jong Man Kim (21-10-3) after injury caused Marlon Sandro to back out, Tatsuya Kawajiri (22-5-2) meets Kazunori Yokota (11-2-3); and Hiroyuki Takaya (12-7-1) battles Michihiro Omigawa (8-8-1) to decide promotional supremacy.

In other highly anticipated MMA bouts, Olympic Judo Gold Medalist and highly sought- after heavyweight prospect Satoshi Ishii makes his MMA debut against fellow Gold Medalist Hidehiko Yoshida (8-7-1) Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Gegard Mousasi (27-2-1) meets MMA pioneer Gary "Big Daddy" Goodridge (23-19-1), Melvin Manhoef (23-6-1) faces off with Kazuo Misaki (22-9-2), and the Super Hulk tournament concludes as Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (7-4) faces off with "Minowaman" Ikuhisa Minowa (43-30-8).

In other K-1 rules action, Japanese superstar MASATO enters the ring for the final time as he faces Andy Souwer in his K-1 farewell match, Ray Sefo meets Yosuke Nishijima in a K-1 Heavyweight clash, and the annual K-1 Koshien high school tournament reaches its climax. Mike Kogan, Director of FEG USA, "We are very excited to further our already strong relationship with HDNet and bring North American fans our year-end megashow DYNAMITE!! for the first time. This partnership between FEG and HDNet has enabled us to deliver amazing fights to fans in 2009 and we are looking forward to another great year in 2010." Calling the action for HDNet will be Michael "The Voice" Schiavello and Guy Mezger. They will be joined by Bully Beatdown star Jason "Mayhem" Miller!