MMA Combat - DREAM 17 - Aoki vs. McCullough, Results

MMA Combat - DREAM 17 - Aoki vs. McCullough, Results

Saturday, September 24, 2011, DREAM Fight Championships went live from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan for DREAM 17 - Aoki vs. McCullough featuring a lightweight main-event pitting DREAM 155lbs champion Shinya Aoki (29-5-0) against former WEC lightweight champion "Razor" Rob McCullough (19-8-0). Also competing on the card is one-time Strikeforce lightweight title challenger Tatsuya Kawajiri in his debut at 145lbs as he battled PRIDE FC veteran Joachim Hansen; while legendary Japanese stars Caol Uno and Kazushi Sakuraba fought Takeshi Inoue and Yan Cabral respectively.

The main-event of the evening went exactly as the "Tobikan Judan" would have scripted it; a pair of takedowns would see the submission specialist achieve the full mount twice. Looking for a top-side triangle after the first, McCullough was able to scramble out from underneath his Japanese counter-part, but a second takedown was all Aoki required as he peppered McCullough with palm strikes from above before the American gave his back to perhaps the best finisher in the game from that position. Aoki immediately secured a neck-crank and outside tapping, the former WEC lightweight champion had no escape available to him. The official end came at 4:57 of the first round.

Other results from DREAM 17 can be found below:

1 Ikuhisa Minowa def. Baru Harn via Submission (Scarf Hold Armlock) rd1 4:39
2 Rodolfo Marques def. Diniz Yusup Saadulaev via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
3 Masakazu Imanari def. Abel Cullum via Submission (Armbar) rd3 0:46
4 Bibiano Fernandes def. Takafumi Otsuka via Technical Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) rd1 0:41
5 Antonio Banuelos def. Hideo Tokoro via Decision (Split) rd3 5:00
6 Gerald Harris def. Kazuhiro Nakamura via Decision (Split) rd3 5:00
7 Satoru Kitaoka def. Willamy Freire via Decision (Split) rd3 5:00
8 Yan Cabral def. Kazushi Sakuraba via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) rd2 2:42
9 Takeshi Inoue def. Caol Uno via KO (Head Kick) rd1 4:18
10 Tatsuya Kawajiri def. Joachim Hansen via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) rd3 2:30
11 Shinya Aoki def. Rob McCullough via Submission (Neck Crank) rd1 4:57


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MMA Combat - DREAM 17 Adds Aoki vs. McCullough, Kitaoka vs. Freire

MMA Combat - DREAM 17 Adds Aoki vs. McCullough, Kitaoka vs. Freire

DREAM officials announced Friday that lightweight champion, Shinya Aoki (28-5-0) will officially defend his promotion title at DREAM 17 when he locks horns with former WEC lightweight champion, "Razor" Rob McCullough (19-7-0), September 24 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Aoki is riding a five-fight winning streak heading into the contest and most recently defeated UFC veteran Rich Clementi via neck-crank in May of this year. McCullough bounced back from his WEC exit with consecutive wins in 2010, but was TKO'd in his Bellator FC debut by Team Nogueira representative Patricky Freire this past March.

Additionally, leg-lock specialist Satoru Kitaoka (28-10-9) will square off with Nova Uniao product Willamy Freire (19-4-0) in a lightweight bout. Kitaoka has won three straight fights since suffering back-to-back losses for the first time in an eleven-year career. The former Sengoku lightweight champ owns 15 wins by way of submission and is renowned for his crushing strength. Former Shooto champion, Willamy Freire, won eleven consecutive bouts from September 2007 to May 2010, but had his momentum halted this past January in his UFC debut where he was defeated by Waylon Lowe via unanimous decision at UFC - Fight for the Troops 2.

Dream 17 will also feature the quarterfinal match-ups for the promotion's World Bantamweight Grand Prix which still has four remaining slots to fill with former DREAM champ Bibiano Fernandez, as well as Japanese talents Kenji Osawa, Masakazu Imanari and 2011 Japan Bantamweight GP winner, Hideo Tokoro already confirmed for the bracket.

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MMA Combat - Dream 17 Official with New Rules in Place

MMA Combat - Dream 17 Official with New Rules in Place

Wednesday, July 27, DREAM officials confirmed the first bout for DREAM 17, scheduled to take place September 24 at Saitama Super Arena, in Saitama, Japan; UFC veteran Caol Uno (26-14-5) will test his might against two-time Shooto featherweight champ, Takeshi Inoue (20-5-0).

Representing Shooting Gym in Yokohama, Japan, Inoue has secured nearly half his wins by [T]KO stoppage with nine to-date. The 31 year old last appeared at DREAM - Fight for Japan, May 29, where he stopped Koichiro Matsumoto on punches at 6:51 of the first round.

A Freelance MMA fighter, Uno takes a more grappling intensive approach with 13 of 26 career victories coming by way of submission, while he has posted only 2 TKOs in 45 professional appearances. The 36 year old veteran recorded his first win in six attempts this past May 29 against Akiyo Nishiura, picking up a unanimous decision over 15 minutes.

Also in the news, DREAM event producer, Keiichi Sasahara revealing Wednesday that the promotion would be adjusting the format of their fights to three, five-minute rounds to fall in line with international norms.

Traditionally, DREAM bouts are contested over one, ten-minute round, with a second 5-minute frame to conclude non-title bouts. Title fights would follow 10, 5, 5, but will now see 5, 5-minute rounds as is common place in most promotions.

"While I believe that a 10-minute first round gives fighters a greater chance at finishing a fight, since we've lately been focusing on the lighter weight classes, for some reason the chances of them getting a finish like a knockout have been smaller," Sasahara explained. "Therefore, I've decided to take a proactive stance to reset things by changing round times. One of the reasons we adopted the five-minute round was to follow the international flow."

"I don't believe that changing all bouts to be three fives will somehow make all fights wonderful, but the change gives us a great chance to reset the fights themselves," he added.

Sasahara left those attending today's press-conference in suspense by adding that the promotion was actively pursuing a big-name, foreign opponent for promotion lightweight champion, Shinya Aoki, however nothing has been made official as those involved are locked in negotiations. Stay tuned for an announcement on that.

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MMA Combat - Title Fights Added to Dream 17, Tavares Replaces Miller at UFC 132

Dream LHW Champ, Gegard Mousasi

MMA Combat - Title Fights Added to Dream 17, Tavares Replaces Miller at UFC 132

The fight card for Dream 17 has recently been bolstered by the addition of two title fights promotion officials announced on Monday, May 30. Dream 17 is set to take place July 16, at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo, Japan, and will also feature the finals of the Dream Bantamweight Tournament.

Light heavyweight title holder Gegard Mousasi (30-3-2) will take on 2004 Olympic Games Judo silver medalist Hiroshi Izumi (4-1-0) as "The Dreamcatcher" looks to bounce back from a disappointing yet controversial draw with UFC veteran Keith Jardine in April of this year. Mousasi is a perfect 7-0 under the Dream banner while Izumi is a winner in four-straight appearances under both the K-1 and Sengoku RC promotions.

As well, featherweight titleholder Hiroyuki Takaya (15-9-1) will square off with wrestling ace, Kazuyuki Miyata (11-7-0) who has found his stride of late winning 6 consecutive bouts including his most recent against UFC veteran Caol Uno. Takaya last appeared April 9, 2011, at Strikeforce - Diaz vs. Daley where he dropped a split decision to Robert Peralta.

Also in the news, TUF alumnus and Season 11 semifinalist, Brad Tavares (7-0-0) will replace Jason Miller at UFC 132 - Cruz vs. Faber II this July 2, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he'll take on Aaron Simpson (9-2-0). Perfect to start his professional career, Tavares has only been to the judges cards once thus far in seven outings, while stopping five of his opponents inside the first round.

Simpson, who also posted seven-consecutive wins to begin his career, will now look to make it two straight after coming off a one-sided victory against Mario Miranda this past March 26, at UFC - Fight Night 24. Jason Miller recently signed-on to coach opposite Michael Bisping on the next season of The Ultimate Fighter (14) after Chael Sonnen was handed down a 12 month suspension by the California State Athletic Commission for a positive doping test following UFC 117 where he contested the promotion's 185lbs title.


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