Passing the Guard 09.20.08: Sweet DREAMs
Posted by Stephen DeAugustino on 09.20.2008
This week's edition of Passing the Guard is packed with a huge preview of next week's huge event, DREAM 6. Make sure you are well informed before the cameras start to roll in the far east by taking a peak at our fight by fight analysis. Not only that, but as always we are providing the most in depth news coverage around, including the current status of FORMER EliteXC lightweight champion KJ Noons. You don't want to miss this!
Hello MMA fans and frequent readers! This week, it's all about next week; we take a huge in-depth look at the upcoming DREAM 6 card. Make sure that you are well informed when watching the action going down in the Far East by taking a look at each fight and the analysis provided with it. In addition to that, we got all the news you need to know happening in the MMA world today, which includes the current status of former EliteXC lightweight champion KJ Noons. Enough banter, let's get started!
Preview
DREAM 6
Shinya Aoki Vs. Todd Moore
After suffering a humiliating loss at the lightweight grand prix finals in August, Shinya Aoki will be making his return to the DREAM ring for a chance to rebuild his shot at the title. Aoki was entered into the LWGP as one of the favorites to win the tournament, however his favorability increased when he defeated former K-1 champion Gesias Cavalcante in the first round. Second and third round action saw a mounted gogoplata win over Katsuhiko Nagata, and a third round victory over Caol Uno in what appeared more as a submission clinic instead of a unanimous decision. Things couldn't have looked better for Aoki, however when news broke that fellow finalist Eddie Alvarez would have to injury default out of the tournament, they did. In his place, former gogoplata victim and reserve match winner Joachim Hansen would be stepping up to face Aoki for a second time in his career, a move that seemed to be fate handing Aoki the title on a silver platter. However, things didn't turn out that way; Aoki would end up getting nailed by a bomb while trying to tangle Hansen up from the De la Riva guard.
Obviously devastated, Aoki will have to start from scratch, and will do so on Tuesday against Todd Moore. Some of you may recognize the name, as Moore has fought twice in the WEC. However, his best days were prior to his arrival in the Zuffa-owned fight league, where he obtained a 9-0 record and was crowned Ring of Combat welterweight champion in 2007. Moore's current WEC record is 0-2, with a decision loss to John Alessio and a submission loss to Shane Roller. That being said, Zuffa has given Moore permission to take the fight up outside of his contract.
Moore is a good fighter. He is fairly well balanced and has shown that he is capable of finishing fights, with 5 of his 9 wins coming by stoppage. However, we're talking about Shinya Aoki here. Moore hasn't fought anyone close to that caliber, and it will be very hard for him to pull off a victory here. Never say never though, especially with what just happened in Aoki's last showing. I strongly believe that Aoki is going to take this fight to the ground rather quickly, and work the submission game until he strikes oil, which should be somewhere around the middle of the first round.
Mirko Filipovic Vs. Alistair Overeem
It was only a matter of time really. The Japanese fight crowd loves its drama mixed in often with its MMA, and there was plenty of tension leading up to this fight to fulfill that hunger. After making his DREAM appearance, Alistair Overeem began expressing his desire to face Cro Cop in the near future, first by screaming into the microphone in a post fight declaration, and secondly on the Internet, which invoked a series of accusations coming from both camps. It was rumored that a potential Cro Cop-Akiyama fight would take place instead, however it seems that bout was cast aside in order to accommodate this bad blood match up.
Overeem could use this fight more than Filipovic could, which is probably why he motioned for it to take place. Overeem has been hot since his move to heavyweight, defeating Paul Buentello in Strikeforce before moving to back to Japan and claiming two victories, one over once feared striker Mark Hunt. However, a win over Cro Cop would carry Overeem's momentum into a possible spot on the rankings, as Cro Cop would be a bigger name than anyone else the "Demolition Man" has fought in recent times.
Cro Cop probably won't benefit as much from this bout, but that doesn't mean he doesn't need it. Filipovic has gone 1-2 in his last two fights, with the two losses being rather embarrassing showings against Gabriel Gonzaga and Cheick Kongo. Cro Cop was the target of severe criticism after choosing to move back to Japan to fight, a move which placed him in a virtually non-existent heavyweight division. Without any big names to fight, Cro Cop would become a big fish in a small pond. Overeem however, is one of the few fights that would help Mirko gain some notoriety back.
With two names like Overeem and Cro Cop, you would think that the fight would be a glorified kickboxing bout, but after watching Overeem pull off that slick key lock on Hunt, I wouldn't be surprised if he made at least one attempt to bring the action to the floor. Granted, Filipovic's ground game may be a little bit better than Hunt's, but that probably isn't enough to change Alistair's mind. It's going to be a good fight, and I see Cro Cop rebounding from his past disappointments here. Mirko Filipovic by TKO, second round.
Yoshihiro Akiyama Vs. Masanori Tonooka
The arrival in Akiyama in DREAM was speculated to be one of the organization's biggest assets. The former K-1 champion was suppose to enter into the middleweight grand prix, but a late injury foiled that plan. Instead, Akiyama made his DREAM debut against professional wrestler Katsuyori Shibata in what was one of the more boring fights on that card. Then, it was rumored that Akiyama would be pitted against Mirko Filipovic for this event, however a quick line up change has cycled Alistair Overeem into his spot, with Akiyama taking on newcomer Masanori Tonooka in what may be another bland bout.
Masanori Tonooka is a well know karate practitioner that trains at the same camp as fellow DREAM middleweight Taiei Kin, another karate stylist. Tonooka's style reflects that of Kin's in that both use plenty of outside and inside leg kicks with the occasional jab to keep opponents at a distance or backing up. Tonooka has two fights under his belt, with one win and one loss apiece.
With that in mind, Akiyama should not have a problem. While the Korean judoka looked a little flat in his previous fight, Akiyama should find no trouble in taking down Tonooka and finding a submission or pummeling out a TKO. While Tonooka has never seen any action on the ground in either of his fights, it is probably safe to say that he has nothing to bring to the table compared to the skills of Akiyama. The man that Japan loves to hate wins this easily. Submission, round 1.
Sergei Kharitonov Vs. Mo Siliga
After a year long hiatus, former Pride standout Sergei Kharitonov will make his return to the ring when he faces feared striker Mo Siliga in what could possibly be one of the better fights of the night. "Might Mo" is better known for his career as a kick boxer than as a mixed martial artist; Siliga was crowned the 2004 World Grand Prix champion in Las Vegas, as well as the 2007 World Grand Prix champion in Hawaii. While this overshadows his career as a mixed martial artist, his credentials wearing the small gloves are still impressive. Since starting his MMA career in 2003, Siliga has gone undefeated with a 3-0 record.
It's hard to say if Kharitonov, a man that has fought and defeated big names before, is at all intimidated by his opponent's accomplishments. During his campaign in the Pride Fight Championship, Kharitonov downed opponents such as Ninja Rua, Semmy Schilt, Pedro Rizzo, and Fabricio Werdum before moving to K-1 HEROS and avenging an earlier loss to Alistair Overeem. Kharitonov's win over Schilt is probably more interesting than anything, as Schilt defeated Siliga during the K-1 2007 GP in Amsterdam.
As "Might" as "Mo" might be, he has to be the underdog here. Kharitonov has way more experience and has dealt with foes on the same level of technicality in striking as Siliga. Also, Siligia has never faced anyone remotely as good as Sergei. That fact alone should easily predict that outcome of this bout. Sergei Kharitonov wins with a submission in the second round.
Hayato Sakurai Vs. Kuniyoshi Hironaka
Coming off of a big upset loss back in May, Hayato Sakurai could use a big name to fight on Tuesday night to help rebound, but it seems he will have to settle for Kuniyoshi Hironaka. Originally, Sakurai was set to face off against Nick Diaz for the DREAM welterweight title, however some issues back in the U.S. forced Diaz out. The result of that mix up is this fight, which will probably not be nearly as entertaining as what could have been.
Hironaka, a Brazilian ju-jitsu fighter, has a record of 12-5. You may have caught him fighting in the Octagon, as Hironaka just got back from a four-fight deal with Zuffa, where he went 1-3; He suffered losses to Jon Fitch, Thiago Alves, and Jonathan Goulet. Prior to his appearance in the UFC, Hironaka collected a solid record fighting under the Shooto banner, even claiming a victory over Nick Diaz. The fact that he beat Diaz may have made him an attractive replacement to take Diaz's place against Sakurai.
If you haven't heard the name Hayato Sakurai yet, you need to come out from under the rock you are living under. Having well over 40 fights to his name, Sakurai has fought virtually everyone in or around his weight class such as Matt Hughes, Frank Trigg, Shinya Aoki, Takanori Gomi, Anderson Silva, Jens Pulver, Caol Uno, and Joachim Hansen. The more impressive thing is that more times than not, Sakurai has defeated those big name opponents. Hovering around the lightweight and welterweight division for years, Sakurai may get a chance to claim another belt under DREAM, and will come one step closer to that goal by defeating Hirnonaka Tuesday. TKO, first round.
Ikuhisa Minowa Vs. Masakatsu Funaki
If you were to combine both of these gentlemen's records, you would get an overall fight count of 128. To say the least, both Ikuhisa Minowa and Masakatsu Funaki have each seen a fair amount of time inside the ring, but that doesn't necessarily make them good. This fight has been put into play for most likely the sole purpose of catering to the Japanese fight crowd; a bout like this would hardly fly over well in the States. Each competitor being a renowned pro wrestler, this fight is a fan pick.
Ikuhisa Minowa may very well be the favorite here. Not only is the former Pride star younger and more able to compete than his opponent, but his recent record is a little bit sharper than Funaki's (which still doesn't say much). Minowa is coming off of a kneebar submission victory over UFC and Pride veteran Don Frye over in DEEP, and before that a close decision loss to Taiei Kin in the DREAM middleweight grand prix.
Funaki hasn't been that fortunate. The Pancrase legend supposedly retired in 2000 after suffering a submission loss to Rickson Gracie (and no, it wasn't by armbar), but decided to make a return to the sport after a seven-year hiatus to accept Kazushi Sakuraba's challenge. Funaki would end up losing that fight, as well as his next appearance vs. Kiyoshi Tamura. Clearly lacking the competitive edge he had during his run in the mid 90s, Funaki should probably be looking to hang em' up soon, win, lose, or draw.
You would have to figure that this fight is going to be more of a grappling match than anything else. Neither one of these guys are known for any kind of striking, and most of their wins come by way of submission. We saw this hold true when Sakuraba and Funaki fought, with Saku getting the better of the grappling exchanges. While I would accredit the better skill set to Funaki, I don't know how he is going to hold up against a younger Minowa. I would venture to say that neither one of these guys are going to snag a stoppage, so I'll go with Ikuhisa Minowa by way of decision.
Dong Sik Yoon Vs. Andrews Nakahara
In anything else, being a national champion in Karate would help you accomplish plety. MMA, however, is not included within that example. 2006 All American Open Karate Championships winner Andrews Nakahara made his MMA debut in the opening round of the middleweight grand prix, where he faced grappling wizard Kazushi Sakuraba. While it took a little time, eventually Sakuraba took the fight to the ground and snatched victory from the grasps of the Kyokushin black belt with a rear naked choke. Now, Nakahara will be given a second chance, not only to redeem himself from his last performance, but also to win a spot into the finals of the tournament, provided one finalist becomes injured. However, much like his first outing, he will not be given any slack.
Prior to making his way into MMA, Dong Sik Yoon made a name for himself by racking up some impressive accomplishments as a feared judoka. Yoon won several titles, including two gold medals at the Asian Championships, and one gold at both the Asian Games and the East Asian Games. While never competing in the Olympics, Yoon has defeated several Olympic gold medallists during his career. Yoon's beginnings can easily compared to that of Nakahara's; Yoon's first fight ever was against Kazushi Sakuraba in which he was defeated in a hasty 38 seconds. Yoon would then lose again. And again. And again. After going 0-4 in his first four bouts, Yoon turned things around by defeating his next four opponents, two of which (Melvin Manhoef and Zelg Galesic) are currently in the tournament semifinals. Gegard Mousasi eliminated Yoon in the quarterfinals.
While each fighter seems to be traveling down the same path, it is Yoon who has already paid his dues and taken his beatings, and it is Nakahara that still has some growing up to within the sport. Not only that, but Yoon has proven his ability to oust a good striker in his armbar victory over Manhoef. Dong Sik Yoon will prove to be too much. Yoon by Dongbar, first round.
Ronaldo Souza Vs. Zelg Galesic
The first half of middleweight grand prix finals will be an interesting match up between grappling sensation Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza and Croatian striker Zelg Galesic. While The other semifinal seems to be a bit more exciting, it will be fun to see just how Galesic tries to deal with such an amazing submission fighter such as Jacare.
Ronaldo Souza has been fighting for five years now, but chances are you don't recognize his name from his fight resume, but rather from his accomplishments as a Brazilian ju-jitsu competitor. Jacare has captured two Mundials open weight titles, one in 2004 and one in 2005, and has also claimed the runner-up spot in the ADCC absolute division, second to only Roger Gracie. As a mixed martial artist, Souza has a 9-1 record, with virtually all of his wins coming by way of submission. In his previous fight, he ousted fan favorite and notorious joker Jason Miller by way of unanimous decision. Many attribute Jacare's recent success to his training alongside legendary UFC fighter Randy Couture.
Galesic may not be as well known as Souza, but he has succeeded in catching some attention during his stay with DREAM. In the first round of the tournament, Galesic, a known muay Thai specialists, pulled off an impressive submission victory over Magomed Sultanakhmedov via a slick armbar. Galesic would then again turn some heads in his quarterfinal fight, but perhaps not in the same was as he did in his first round bout; Galesic managed to dislocate opponent Taiei Kin's arm in a rather gruesome sight that ended the bout rather quickly.
Both of these guys are great competitors but you have to give the edge to Jacare here. In his victory over Miller, Souza was unrelenting with his transitions and submission attempts. Miller, a great striker in his own right, had no chance to get enough room and do any significant damage to his opponent. Galesic will more than likely suffer the same fate, however I don't think he has the submission ability that Miller has. Galesic will fall victim to the tight hold of the crocodile. Submission victory for Souza, first round.
Gegard Mousasi Vs. Melvin Manhoef
Manhoef, another product of the reserve match, was placed into the tournament last round when Akitoshi Tamura injured his finger during his first round bout. After a win over Sakuraba, Manhoef now finds himself looking at the favored fighter of the tournament, Gegard Mousasi. Mousasi has recently gained some serious notoriety thanks to his performance during the DREAM tournament, but he would do well not to underestimate Manhoef.
One of the most feared strikers in the middleweight division, if not in all mixed martial arts, Melvin Manhoef has racked up 21 finishes in his 27-fight history. At one point, the Dutch kick boxer strung together a nine-fight win streak before finally losing to Yoshihiro Akiyama at K-1 HERO's 7. Manhoef has also competed in several kick-boxing competitions, assimilating am impressive 34-4 record.
Gegard Mousasi, like Eddie Alvarez, is making a big name for himself competing in DREAM. Mousasi has fought for sometime, even make a three-fight appearance in Pride, but it really wasn't until his victories within the middleweight grand prix that Mousasi became a top ten fighter. Mousasi was never supposed to make it past the first round, being placed against SpiritFC champion and Pride veteran Denis Kang. However, it was Mousasi who claimed victory when the Armenian locked in a beautiful triangle choke to force the tap and advance to the second round. There, Mousasi surprised the world again by neutralizing world class judoka Dong Sik Yoon to take an impressive unanimous decision. Suddenly, Gegard Mousasi is looking like a good candidate to take the title.
Manhoef is a great fighter, but when you underestimate a guy two times and he proves you wrong, it is hard to do so a third time. Mousasi is on fire and unless Manhoef manages to nail a one hit punch or kick, which can easily happen, I see Gegard taking this one and claiming his seat at the grand prix final's table. Mousasi by submission.
News
Noons Turns To Boxing
In the wake of his battle with both the EliteXC and Nick Diaz, KJ Noons as made the decision to train for and fight in a boxing match within the next few months, according to MMAWeekly. Noons made it clear that he is not giving up MMA, but rather taking up the boxing match to keep himself busy while he waits for the smoke to clear.
"I'm actually just training a lot right now. I'm actually getting ready for a boxing fight next month, I've got to stay busy doing something, I can't just sit on my butt all day long." Noons told the site. "I'm still with them, I still have the belt, and I still owe them fights, I've pretty much already said my peace. I mean I could have kept on going on and said more things of what I'm kind of tired dealing with them, but I am with them, I do owe them some fights."
Noons recently went on a tirade concerning the way the EliteXC has treated him as a fighter and how they look at him more of an obstacle for cash cow Nick Diaz than a champion. Diaz and his camp have fired back, listing Noons as being a whiner than anything else. Noons commented on the issue in the interview as well.
"Tell him to put his money where his mouth is. Put his money up if he wants it so bad, if he's such a warrior, he was just (expletive) about how much he got paid on this last CBS card. He's getting paid three times more than me, how do you think that makes me feel?"
Noons also spoke about a potential fight with the younger Diaz, Nate, who is also apparently speaking badly of the current lightweight champion. "If Dana (White) is listening, I wouldn't mind fighting his brother too. I'll get them both (expletive) plastic surgeries,"
Diaz Brothers Storm Out Of Post-Fight Press Conference
The Diaz brothers seem to be finding all sorts of creative ways to make it into the headlines. During the Ultimate Fight Night press conference, it seems that Diaz's managed to cause a scene that was disorderly enough to put the conference to a halt for a bit. Sports Illustrated.com has the scoop.
"In what was a baffling and undoubtedly rare moment for the media, Nate Diaz was short of salacious quotes about his latest win and opponent Josh Neer. Diaz's time was limited in dropping four-letter bombs. Why? Because Nate had barely taken his seat in front of reporters at the post-fight press conference when his older brother Nick launched into a tirade that disrupted the interview and left the UFC staff with the unenviable task of keeping the Diaz clan from causing a scene. Good luck with that one. Nate abandoned the press conference as his brother shouted profanities at no one in particular, and together they took their rant into the hallway. Yes, the notorious potty-mouthed pair struck again. Maybe this was Nick's way paying his family back for their feud with the Noons' at EliteXC on Showtime in June. All about reciprocities in the Diaz household."
It still really isn't clear just what exactly set Nick Diaz off, but chances are it wasn't anything significant. Nick is not currently on the best of terms with the UFC, so the chances of him exploding over any small issue under Zuffa's roof would be pretty large. Nate Diaz won his UFN bout against Josh Neer by split decision.
Anthony Johnson Denied Appeal
Anthony Johnson recently lost his appeal made to the Nevada State Athletic Commission in regards to his controversial TKO loss to Kevin Burns last July. MMAFrenzy.com received email confirmation from NSAC Executive Director Keith Kizer on the issue.
"Based on advice from the Nevada Attorney General's office, the appeal was rejected due to lack of remedy,"
After taking several pokes to the eye throughout the fight, Johnson was struck again late in the third round. Johnson winced in pain and fell to the canvas, but instead of allowing Johnson to recover, referee Steve Mazzagatti called the fight a TKO victory for Burns. Burns revealed that he sustained a wrist injury that forced him to strike with his open palm, an unfortunate tactic that was the cause of the repeated eye pokes. Johnson would end up getting surgery soon after the fight, putting him out of action for several months.
Since that time, Mazzagatti has personally apologized to Johnson for the bad call, claiming a lack of a good angle was the reason for his poor judgment.
Jason Guida Signs With EliteXC
Older brother of Clay Guida and TUF cast out Jason Guida has found a home after his reality television failure. This past week, EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw released information that not only is Guida signed under EliteXC, but a first fight is already in the works.
Jason will make his debut on October 10 during the promotions Hammond, Indiana event, and while Shaw has not yet confirmed his opponent, Five Ounces of Pain is pointing fingers at Polish light heavyweight Mamed Khalidov. Guida is now sporting a 17-17 record, while Khalidov is 9-3.
Breaking: KJ Noons Stripped Of Belt
A few moments prior to the writing of this article, it was announced that KJ Noons was stripped of his EliteXC title belt for failing to fight challenger Nick Diaz. EliteXC Head of Fight Operations Jeremy Lappen made the announcement late Friday.
"We are stripping KJ of his championship belt for refusing to defend against Diaz,'' Lappen said. "It's a very unfortunate situation but we cannot have belt-holders who refuse to fight the top contenders. We want champions who will fight anyone, anytime, anyplace. That's the mentality all champions should have.
"I feel very bad for KJ because I like him a lot on a personal level and have always thought he could be a big star. He's charismatic, has a very exciting fighting style and is a top-level fighter. So I'm obviously disappointed that he has chosen to take this stance.
"I don't understand why he would turn down a chance to be a headliner on CBS on Oct. 4. KJ then turned down the fight again when we offered him a headlining spot on our next SHOWTIME date against Nick. From my view, it is a fight against a top-named opponent in Diaz (someone who beat the No. 1 fighter in the world in his weight class), a fighter KJ has bad blood with and a fight the fans really wanted to see. It seemed like a great opportunity for KJ to me.
"Personally, I do not think it was a smart career move, but I'm sure he sees it differently. KJ has two more fights remaining on his contract, so we are still looking forward to having him fight for us again soon, but not as our world champion.''
While it seems EliteXC's sole reason for stripping the belt would be the failure to comply with request to fight Diaz, one would have to infer that Noons' recent announcement to partake in an upcoming boxing match would have add some sort of extra incentive to penalize KJ.
Random Pass
GSP is not only known for his uncanny ability as a fighter, but also for his down to earth personality as a person. This personality was definitely tested on the Adam Carolla show a few years back as a caller pranked the welterweight champion live on the air. Enjoy!
Phew, that was exhausting. Hopefully you all are as stoaked for next week's fight as much as I am. Please have a good weekend and enjoy the card on Tuesday. As always, thanks for stopping by and hope to see you next week. Until then, you've just passed the guard!
