411's DREAM 9 Report 5.26.09

Posted by Jeremy Lambert on 05.26.2009

The DREAM Middleweight Title Fight between Jason Miller and "Jacre" Souza ended in a No Contest after an illegal kick. Also, Joe Warren shocked the Japanese crowd with a split decision victory over "Kid" Yamamoto and the first round of the DREAM Super Hulk Tournament kicked off with plenty of quick finishes. Click for the full report.

DREAM 9
From Yokohama, Japan
Live on HDNet

-Michael Schiavello, Michael Kogan, and Guy Mezger are the hosts. They are live in Japan.

Super Hulk Tournament Fight (Round 1): Bob Sapp vs. Ikuhisa "Minowaman" Minowa

Round One: Minowa went for a takedown but Sapp fell forward and into half guard. Minowa gives up his back and then rolls into the guard of Sapp. Minowa locks in an Achilles lock and Sapp taps.

Official Decision: Ikuhisa "Minowaman" Minowa, Submission (Leg Lock), Round 1

-"Minowaman" plays to the crowd after the fight.

Super Hulk Tournament Fight (Round 1): Hong Man Choi vs. Jose Canseco

Round One: Caneso sticking and moving. Left straight by Choi. Caneso running in circles. Caneso throws a body kick and falls down. Choi pounces on him and pounds him out. Caneso taps from the strikes.

Official Decision: Hong Man Choi, Submission (Strikes), Round 1

-Caneso looked to mess up his knee or shin after throwing the body kick.

Super Hulk Tournament Fight (Round 1): Jan Nortje vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou

Round One: Early clinch with Soko having a bodylock. Soko trying to get him down but Nortje grabs the ropes. Nothing happens and the ref breaks them. Leg kicks by Soko. Another clinch and Soko gets the takedown into half guard. Heavy ground and pound by Soko. Nortje covering up and offering no defense. The ref stops it. Soko continues pounding on Nortje even with the ref trying to get in between them

-Nortje's corner jumps in the ring and they're not happy with Soko continuing to pound on Nortje. The two corners have to be separated by officials.

Official Decision: Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, TKO, Round 1

Super Hulk Tournament Fight (Round 1): Mark Hunt vs. Gegard Mousasi

Round One: Mousasi gets Hunt to the ground immediately. Mousasi has side control. Mousasi looking for a kimura. He gets it and Hunt taps out.

Official Decision: Gegard Mousasi, Submission (Kimura), Round 1

-Opening Ceremony.

Lightweight Fight: Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante

Round One: Trading jabs early. JZ catches a body kick and lands a big right hand. Kawajiri goes for the takedown but JZ sprawls out. They clinch. JZ goes for a guillotine and drops to guard. Kawajiri has an arm in. Kawajiri pops his head out. Kawajiri is in half guard. JZ gets him back to guard. Short punches by Kawajiri as JZ controls his posture. JZ gets butterfly guard but can't buck Kawajiri off. Kawajiri passes to half guard and then to side control. JZ gets him back in guard. Kawajiri trying to posture up and come down with punches. JZ explodes to his feet but Kawajiri grabs a body lock and takes him back down to the ground. Kawajiri in guard. JZ using the rubber guard. The ref stands them up and gives both men a yellow card. Kawajiri just missing with the overhand right. Body kick followed by a right hand by JZ. JZ goes for a takedown but Kawajiri sprawls. They clinch. Knees to the thigh by Kawajiri. The ref breaks them. Kawajiri scores with a counter uppercut. Big left hook by Kawajiri. Kawajiri shoots and gets the takedown. JZ using the rubber guard again. Kawajiri postures up and comes down with punches as the round ends.

Round Two: Right hand by Kawajiri connects. Kawajiri shoots but JZ sprawls and looks for the guillotine. JZ drops to the ground but Kawajir is in half guard. JZ has to release the hold. Kawajiri tries to slip to mount but JZ rolls to the mount and slips out the back. They clinch and Kawajiri gets a body lock. The ref breaks them. Big right straight by Kawajiri. He follows that up with another good right hand. Kawajiri shoots and JZ stops it at first but Kawajiri fights and gets the takedown. Kawajiri gets the mount and lands short punches as JZ controls his posture. JZ gets Kawajiri back in half guard. Kawajiri slips to side control. Kawajiri holds the position as the round ends.

-I would easily give the fight to Kawajiri

Official Decision: Tatsuya Kawajiri, Unanimous Decision

-Kawajiri apologizes for not finishing but is happy he got the win.

Featherweight Grand Prix Fight (Round 2): Abel Cullum vs. Hideo Tokoro

Round One: Tokoro using body kicks early. Left hook by Tokoro followed by leg kicks. Cullum gets the takedown but Tokoro gets right back to his feet. Knee to the body by Tokoro. Cullum goes for a takedown but Tokoro puts his weight on him. Tokoro tries to lock in a triangle choke. Cullum survives a long time in the choke before slipping out and getting Tokoro in turtle position. Knees to the head by Cullum. Tokoro reverses the position and has Cullum's back. Cullum gives up mount. Tokoro goes for a top triangle but can't get it. Cullum sweeps and is now in the guard of Tokoro. Tokoro explodes to his feet. Big exchanges on the feet coming up just short. Body shot by Cullum and then he gets the takedown. Tokoro goes for an omaplata. He uses the move to sweep Cullum and now Tokoro in guard. Tokoro stands and comes down with a big left hand. Cullum goes for a knee bar. Tokoro kicks him in the head to escape. Cullum goes for the knee bar again but Tokoro spins out and to mount. Cullum slips out though and grabs a double. Cullum lifts him off his feet and puts him on the ground and into half guard. Tokoro rolls to Cullum and ends up getting side control. Tokoro mounts but Cullum escapes again. Tokoro comes in with a knee but Cullum ends up on top of Tokoro as the round ends. Cullum is bleeding above the eye.

Round Two: Body kick by Tokoro but Cullum catches it and gets the takedown. Tokoro sweeps Cullum into side control. Knee to the head by Tokoro. Cullum rolls into Tokoro. Tokoro gets the back and locks in a rear naked choke. Cullum taps out.

Official Decision: Hideo Tokoro, Submission (Rear Naked Choke), Round 2

-Tokoro says he was close to retiring but the fan support made him keep fighting.

-Intermission.

-DREAM 10 will feature Shinya Aoki vs. Vitor Ribeiro and Paulo Filho vs. Melvin Manhoef.

Featherweight Grand Prix Fight (Round 2): Yoshiro Maeda vs. Hiroyuki Takaya

Round One: Maeda catches and kick and gets the takedown. He stands over Takaya and drops some punches before settling into half guard. Knees to the body by Maeda. Takaya controlling the wrists. Takaya slips out and up to his feet. Maeda scoring with the left hand. Takaya counters with the right hand. Maeda tries a flying knee but slips. Maeda is up and gets a clinch. Trip takedown by Maeda. Maeda passes to half guard. Elbows to the thigh. Maeda postures up and drops a good right hand. Takaya sits up and eats a couple of knees. Takaya gets to his feet. Neither man getting the better of the exchanges. Now they trade right hands. Maeda gets a trip takedown and ends up in mount. Takaya is cut above the eye. The ref stops the action so they can look at the cut. They clean it up and the action resumes with Maeda in mount. Takaya forces him back to half guard. Maeda stands above Takaya and punches him in the body before dropping into guard. Maeda passes to half guard. The ref stands them up and gives Takaya a yellow card. Right hook drops Maeda. Takaya pounces on him and pounds him out with hammerfists as the ref stops it.

Official Decision: Hiroyuki Takaya, TKO, Round 1

-Takaya says he hopes the fans enjoyed the fight.

Featherweight Grand Prix Fight (Round 2): Masakazu Imanari vs. Bibiano Fernandes

Round One: Fernandes catches a kick and gets the takedown. Heavy ground and pound by Fernandes. Imanari goes for a foot lock but Fernandes pulls out. Back on the feet. Takedown by Fernandes. He stands over Imanari and does nothing so the ref stands them up. Another takedown off a caught kick by Fernandes. Fernandes stand over Imanari and kicks the legs. The ref stands them up. Imanari drops to his back and Fernandes kicks the legs. The ref stands them up. Not much happening on the feet. The ref calls for more action. Takedown by Fernandes, standing above, weak leg kicks, ref stand them up. There's a pattern here. The ref gives a yellow card to Imanari. Imanari goes for a jumping knee. Fernandes gets a takedown off it and ends up in side control. Imanari blocks some knees to the head. Knees to the head and body by Fernandes. Fernandes holds the position as the round ends.

Round Two: Fernandes catches a leg kicks and foot sweeps Imanari. Imanari right back to his feet. Imanari sits down to lure Fernandes in. It doesn't work. Imanari showboating now. Leg kicks by Fernandes. Takedown by Fernandes. Fernandes stands above Imanari and almost gets caught in a foot lock. Fernandes pulls out and allows Imanari to stand. Another takedown, stand above, and nothing happening. The ref gives Fernandes a yellow card. Takedown by Fernandes and into half guard. He stands back up and allows Imanari to stand. Right hand by Fernandes. Another takedown as the round ends.

-Fernandes should win the decision. Far from an exciting fight or an impressive performance.

Official Decision: Bibiano Fernandes by Unanimous Decision

Featherweight Grand Prix Fight (Round 2): Norifumi "KID" Yamamoto vs. Joe Warren

Round One: Leg kick by Kid. Dirty boxing by Warren inside the clinch. Warren with a takedown into the guard of Kid. Kid controlling the posture of Warren. Warren staying just busy enough not to get stood up. Kid is cut on the bridge of the nose. Back on the feet. Kid scoring with the right hand. They clinch and trade knees before breaking. Big right hand by Kid. Inside leg kicks by Kid. They clinch, trade knees, and break. Warren rushing in and getting hit with the right. Another counter right by Kid. Good knees in the clinch by Warren. Dirty boxing by Warren. Body kick by Kid. Warren catches a body kick and gets the takedown. Warren with short punches in the guard of Kid. Warren passes to half guard. The round ends.

Round Two: Body kicks by Kid. Knees in the clinch by Kid. Left hook followed by a counter right by Kid. Warren catches a body kick but can't get the takedown. Knee to the body by Kid as they break from a clinch. Right hand by Kid but Warren presses forward and gets the takedown. Warren in the guard of Kid. Kid goes for an armbar but Warren locks his hands and Kid gives up on it. The ref stands them up. Right hand from Kid as they break from a clinch. Warren smiles at him. Body shot by Kid. Right hand by Warren. They clinch and trade knees to the body. Warren gets the takedown and ends up in half guard. Hammer fists by Warren. Kid goes for an armbar but can't get it. The round ends.

-Close fight to call. Kid did more damage on the feet but Warren got the takedowns and did well in the clinch. I think Kid will pick up the decision.

Official Decision: Joe Warren by Split Decision

-The announcers talk about the main event. If it hits the ground, Souza wins. If it stays standing, Miller wins.

Middleweight Fight for the Vacant DREAM Middleweight Title (Main Event): Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza vs. Jason "Mayhem" Miller

Round One: They trade jabs to start. Souza gets the takedown but Miller right back up. They clinch. Miller is cut on the side of his eye. Miller catches a push kick and pushes Souza to the ground. Miller comes in with a kick and the shin catches Souza on the head. Soccer kicks are illegal so the ref stops the action. Souza is cut on the top of the head. Miller gets issued a yellow card. The doctors attend to the cuts of both fighters. The action resumes on the feet. Body lock takedown by Souza. Miller uses butterfly guard to get back to his feet. They stop the action again because of the blood. Souza looks to be bleeding badly from the top of the head. Miller says something that upsets Souza on the break. The doctors look at the cut on Souza

-The ref grabs the mic and declares the fight a no contest.

Official Decision: No Contest

-The announcers wrap up the show.

-End Show.