The MMA News Report 09.24.08

Posted by Morgan Marx on 09.24.2008

A special Wednesday Report as we recap DREAM 6, running diary style.

HDNet Presents: DREAM 6



As a Boston native who supports the Sox, Pats and Celts, there are certain things you can probably guess about me (no, not that I'm a giant douchebag). I've been a fan of Bill Simmons since his AOL days, and though "The Sports Guy" draws the ire of many Internet denizens (specifically those at Deadspin), I still love his work. So, as an homage, here's a running diary of DREAM 6.

12:00 It's midnight, and we're live on the Left Coast. I have a tendency to catch the first couple of fights on these late-night Japanese offerings, and once you're hooked, you find yourself saying "just one more mismatch." Thanks to an easy Tuesday schedule (no CSUN classes, just jiu jitsu at 8 p.m.), I think I can make it through all 12 fights. Baring a random, 35 minute intermission of course.

12:03 I've got some wheat Goldfish (made with smiles!) and cranberry juice on hand. Yes, I really know how to party. Perhaps something with caffeine would have been in order, unless there's some hidden stimulate mixed in with the smiles that the FDA isn't aware of.

12:07 Bas Rutten claims that it's only us hardcore fans tuning in at this hour. Is he suggesting that mainstream, Kimbo Slice followers aren't interested in ridiculous mismatches and the best Croatia has to offer?

12:11 Considering that the US build has centered mainly on blogs repositing the smack talk between Cro Cop and Overeem, I'm pretty psyched for the fight. If Overeem makes good on his word, will it be a star making turn for the Dutch fighter. He's looked impressive lately against average opponents (and Mark Hunt). Does Mirko have enough of the old magic to truly test Overeem? Better still, does he have enough to win and make one last push at title (some title, any title) contention?

12:14 There is just something powerful about announcing the competitors and having them take center stage to begin the evening. It was a great moment at the debut Affliction card, and it always impresses me at the DREAM events. Now, which was more grating for non-fans, Megadeth, or the English DREAM announcer.

12:15 Metallica sponsors MMA fighters? Take that, Luke Thomas' argument that the relationship between metal and MMA will prevent the sport from entering the mainstream!

12:16 Biggest cheers: Cro Cop and Aoki. Biggest cheer in my house: Overeem's Troll hammer.

12:22 I'm a big supporter of gis in MMA, so Nakahara v.Dong Sik Yoon gets bonus points in my book. Can Nakahara do for kyokushin karate what Machida has done for…umm, regular karate?

12:25 I love that we question whether Kimbo is experienced enough to face a fighter like Brett Rogers early in his career, while Yoon was thrown to Rampage, Bustamante, and Sakuraba in his first four fights.

12:28 Our first Fedor sighting in the crowd. He looks more animated while watching others fight than during his own contests.



12:33 Nakahara can't quite upa out of Yoon's mount, and with 3:30 left in the round, he may be in trouble.

12:35 Finally, Nakahara turns Yoon over. Houston Alexander could learn something about hip movement from this fight.

12:37 Yoon probably won the round, but Nakahara goes to his corner the moral victor. The takedown defense, the fact that he wasn't submitted in the mount, and the nice knees to close the round were the key points.

12:39Somewhere, an inveterate gambler just won considerable coin on Nakahara. A +525 underdog entering the fight, the 25-year-old Brazilian just made a name for himself on the international MMA scene.

12:43 Dear Lord, Manhoef is aggression personified. His opponents must experience a terrifying 30 seconds before either a) the fight goes to the ground or b) Manhoef takes their head off with a few punches.

12:45 This year, we've seen bad game planning (Sean Sherk v. BJ Penn) and fighters ignoring their prime talent (Matt Hamill v. Rich Franklin) for inexplicable reasons. Something tells me Mousasi wants no part of the stand-up game tonight, despite his claims otherwise.

12:47 It's nice to see that the Jet Li movie Unleashed influenced someone.



12:49 Ooh, I like this video game style break down of the fighters skills. I'd love to hear Goldberg and Rogan debate the merits of those stats for the UFC fighters. These ratings are more generic then Kevin Iole's 10-point scale.

12:50 From the shorts, to the chain, to the huge smile, what's not to like about Manhoef? Add in the fact that he's the most devastating striker not named Anderson Silva in the weight class, and there's no reason he couldn't be a star in the US.

12:53 Ok, the absolute lack of a ground game might be holding Manhoef back. Will we ever see another Jackson v. Arona level slam? Unless you can generate that kind of force don't attempt the slam. It only tightens things.

12:55 Mousasi now enters the finals at close to 100 percent. Hopefully, that means we're in for a competitive final.

1:00 Galesic seems awfully happy for a fighter entering the biggest night of his career. I suppose, as the favorite, the pressure is on Jacare. Galesic can just swing big and hope for the KO upset.

1:01 The gator chomp is oddly endearing. Bas' Galaxy Quest reference is too. Sure, he can kill 99 percent of us, but he enjoys the finer works of Tim Allen and Tony Shalhoub.

1:02 I think the green attribute bars are a little generous for Zelg. Fours in submission ability? Wouldn't that put Jacare at a 12?

1:05 Beautiful pass. Just a clinic by Jacare, moving from guard, to side control to mount. But Zelg escapes…into an armbar out of nowhere My lord. I'm sure someone has seen that kind of submission before, but it's new to me.

1:06 Hopefully, this means that two fresh fighters will provide a real title bout.

1:08 And the quick finishes boosts the chance that I actually see this through to the end.

1:13 I'm glad that K-Taro reconsidered his abrupt retirement. I was high on the Japanese fighter before that terrible performance against Rob Emerson. But, now that Emerson knocked out another talented fighter, perhaps I was too harsh on Nakamura.

1:15 Everyone is feeling their entrances tonight. None of the UFC, I-come-to-the-ring-with-my-iPod-in stuff. Adriano Martins, looking scruffy like Tony DeSouza, takes longer to get to the ring than the entire Manhoef v. Mousasi fight.

1:18 Is Bas Rutten officially in a special zone where he can say anything without fear of reproach? Who else can make a statement like, "If I had an AK-47 I'd shoot up the place," sound harmless and fun?

1:25 Good to know that Bas is a "big fan" of MMA. I am too Bas, I am too.

1:29 Martins is throwing a Punch Out! style, Little Mac uppercut at an extreme angle. Surprisingly, K-Taro is starting to pick him apart with jabs.



1:38 Martins is handling K-Taro's jab about as well as the Patriots handled Ronnie Brown. He's seen it between 20 and 30 times by this point, I'm not sure why he feels content eating it over and over again.

1:39 And Cecil Peopled has donned a disguise in an effort to pass as a DREAM judge. How else do you explain a split decision in favor of Nakamura? I understand that all fights are subjective but clearly Nakamura won that fight no matter the scoring rubric.

1:41 It's impressive that HDNet actually sends coverage teams to Japan for these events. Do the ratings really warrant such expenses?

1:43 Is there any chance Ambriz v. Kharitonov ends well? And by well I mean, without the need of a stretcher?

1:45 Ambriz's lats probably weigh more than I do…

1:47 All right, can someone explain Kharitonov's outfit? I don't want to make fun traditional, Russian military garb (inadvertently sparking WWIII). But looking like Jean Claude Van Dam circa Street Fighter can't be good.



1:50 To Ambriz's credit, he recovered from the first stiff jab that landed. Unfortunately, Kharitonov is landing shots at will and Ambriz's window is quickly closing.

1:52 Ambriz is already gassed and I'm not sure how he's standing. He's eaten far more punches than I would have expected. And it's over. Ambriz did the smart thing in tapping.

1:56 Zelg Galesic describes Jacare's finishing move as a leg-triangle armbar. It's one of the prettiest submissions of the year, along with Dustin Hazelett's armbar on Josh Burkman. Galesic is really personable and a likeable fighter. He's also well spoken, much more so than Ken Shamrock and Bill Goldberg combined.

2:07 At another weight class, Yamamoto's combo would have ended things. Again, another good recovery by a rocked fighter.

2:11 Conventional wisdom (ie, what I picked up from BloodyElbow.com tonight) said that Yamamoto would rely on superior wrestling to control Tokoro. Instead, both fighters have embraced the striking game…until exactly this moment when Tokoro pulls guard/gets slammed. So much for my salient point…

2:18 Tokoro had a potential fight of the year candidate match against Darren Uyenoyama in June. Tonight, he's thrown a couple of spinning reverse kicks not seen since the glory days of Wrestlemania 2000 on the N64. He's nothing if not exciting.

2:22 Nice trip take down for Yamamoto. It's interesting, he's scoring points with takedowns, icing the fight, but he's leaving himself open for the submission…which Tokoro immediately locks in. This comment was more on the money. One minute, and a tight armbar. Can Tokoro extend it? 25 seconds. No, time is going to run out. Still, a close call at the end of the fight.

2:27 Melvin Manhoef thought Mousasi would stand and trade, but he didn't have balls. But it's a technical game and it's Melvin's fault that he lost. Well, then. That was a very respectful insult. The thought of Manhoef actually learning ground skills at ATT should strike fear into fellow middleweights.

2:29 I take back the question about whether the ratings warranted a full broadcast team in Japan. Both Bas and Kenny Rice seem more into the fights (as opposed to when they called things from a remote broom closet). Ron Kruck's interviews have offered a different side to fighters we don't generally see here in the states.

2:32 More Zelg Galesic! Despite his loss, he's happy. I'm happy for him. It's easy to be happy when Galesic is around. He's now joining Bas and Kenny in the booth, making this a Monday Night Football level unlikely pairing. I suppose Zelg is the Tony Kornhiser of DREAM 6 to Bas' Jaws?

2:35 Zelg is making great points left and right. He's officially better than Tony Kornhiser. From admitting he knew that Jacare liked that crazy armbar, to offering up knowledgeable thoughts on both the Minowa fight and Cro Cop, we need more Zelg Galesic!

2:38 Bas is hoping for a great fight between Minowa and Funaki. I'm content to pray against a train wreck.

2:41 Masakatsu Funaki springs the surprise, catching Minow in a heel hook. Bas is apoplectic that Minowa chose to fight in wrestling shoes, leaving him open to such a hold. Like a good color man, Zelg dutifully agrees.

2:42 I'm honestly not much of a conspiracy theorist, but when you mix pro-wrestling, MMA and improbable upsets, someone, somewhere is going to cry "work." Probably on the Sherdog forums as we speak in fact.

2:43 Had you placed bets on Andrews Nakahara, Atsushi Yamamoto, and Funaki, your gambling career would be off to a much better start than mine. Damn you, Cory Devela! Not that anyone would wager money on MMA I mean. Cough…

2:50 HDNet has a prerecorded Eddie Alvarez piece ready to fill the lull between fights, and I'm thankful for it. Another five-minute long shot at a darkened arena might be enough to lull me to sleep, before Lenne Hardt's shriek pierces my consciousness once again.

2:55 A nice piece, which culminates with Kruck claiming that Alvarez is close to a long term deal with Elite XC. As long as the company lasts, at least.

2:57 Still five fights left, this is a slog. Hopefully, one of the underdogs scores another big upset to break the monotony of squash match ups.

3:01 OK, how is it that no one at the more respected "news" websites (FiveOuncesofPain, MMAJunkie, I'm looking at you) knew about Fedor's announcement? Did I miss the Internet buzz, or were we all snowed?

3:05 So no fight announcement, just a reference to Satoshi Ishii and the wish to appear at the New Years bash. Obviously, a fight against the winner of Cro Cop v. Overeem would be preferred. Does this call into question Fedor's participation on the next Affliction card? Even without a firm date, expecting Fedor to fight twice in a few months seems ambitious.

3:11 My girlfriend has officially tapped out due to silliness and being way overtired. I think Bas might be in the same boat.

3:11 Seriously, Mach Sakurai is pimping Death Magnetic? Yet coming out to music that's apparently paining Bas? He couldn't have scored "The Day That Never Comes?"

3:13 They just threw a stat up that the last five opponents Hironaka has faced have a combined 78 wins. Another Japanese import that had a rough go in the UFC.

3:25 Sakurai eats an illegal stomp to the chin, but chops away at Hiornaka's base with leg kicks. Since the Japanese crowd is so silent, each kick sounds like a gunshot. I'm surprised Hironaka has been able to shake them off so far.

3:30 Decisions bad…need more finishes…bring back Mousasi and Jacare.

3:32 Sakurai did everything in his power to oblige with the last-second finish, but Hironaka is a tough individual. Mach even got in a bit of a stomp as revenge.

3:36 Sakurai awkwardly brings a member of his corner into the ring. For a moment, it looks like Sakurai is going to propose. Now the crowd is silent with confusion as opposed to respect.

3:46 Bas is recounting his school days, when he was the lead singer in a lip-synch group. Meanwhile, Akiyama and his sparkly corner men enter holding hands. Who says MMA has an issue with homophobia?

3:49 Bas describes Akiyama's reception as "mixed," which, with the standards of Japanese fight crowds, means they hate him with the fire of a thousand burning suns.

3:54 Tonooka is leaving an arm up as a gift…but Akiyama can't pull anything off, even after taking Tonooka's back. After a brief reversal we end back in the same position, and this time, Akiyama locks in a tight armbar that gets a double tap out of Tanooka.

3:57 It's good that Kenny and Bas crack one another up.

4:13 Ok, here's how to rate Aoki's skill level. The satellite feed just cut out in our back room (thanks, Direct TV). By the time I made it into the living room, Aoki had already finished off Todd Moore with a Fedor-like choke. I had to catch the finish in replay. Don't blink, he's that quick.

4:22 The puffy vest, Olaf's Troll hammer…I don't get Alistair Overeem, but I like him.



4:30 In a fight eerily reminiscent to Cro Cop's loss to Kongo, Overeem repeatedly lands hard knees to the Croatian's groin. Any worries that Filipovic was using the strikes as an excuse to get out of a fight are put to rest by the replays. And Bas makes sure I won't be getting any sleep tonight by stating that one of Cro Cop's testicles is now inside his body. Reason # 862 I don't pass Dana White's "Do you want to be a fighter" test: I prefer my external sex organs to remain on the outside of my body, thank you very much.

4:40 It's hard to get a read on that fight. Had the injury stoppage not marred the finish, would Cro Cop have made any sort of a comeback? Once again, he was bullied by a larger, stronger heavyweight. His offense was limited to the same "wait on the straight left/left head kick combo." Fighters don't fear Cro Cop any more. Overeem looked eager to mix it up with Filipovic.

4:42 Overeem belongs near the top ten in heavyweight rankings. It's a shame the UFC couldn't lock him in. I'm not sure how the Affliction/DREAM/WVR split breaks down, but I'd like to see Overeem against Fedor, Barnett, and Arlovski.

5:00 All right, I'm rapidly fading, but the GP finale has the chance to be special. Jacare and Mousasi are fresh and evenly matched. This is about as good of a final as one could have hoped for entering the tournament. Will Mousasi force Jacare to exchange on the feet, or will we see another highlight reel submission?

5:05 No, no we won't. A random upkick absolutely KTFO's Jacare, completely out of nowhere. For a second I thought I feel asleep and missed something. How did Jacare end up slumped on the mat? Replays show that Mousasi loaded up the kick at exactly the right moment. Oh well, every card can't have a storybook finish.

5:10 So, was it worth it? The event started off great, with solid finishes and some surprising upsets. Unfortunately, the card tailed off as dawn approached. It's not DREAM's fault that the most anticipated match of the night ended with testicular trauma or that a fluke finish decided the title fight. Still, a series of lopsided match ups removed a lot of the mystery for the later fights.

Nakahara and Yamamoto were pleasant surprises, Jacare and Aoki landed nice submissions, and Mach Sakurai put on a great show. Zelg Galesic might have been the most entertaining character of the night, despite the fact that he didn't land a single strike.

Will we see a Cro Cop v. Overeem rematch? Will Mousasi make a marketable champion? Will Fedor fight a legitimate opponent on New Years? At least there are still intriguing questions surrounding DREAM.

However, I think next time, I might just wait for the next day re-air.