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Breaking news from The Land of The Rising Sun sees a new promotion announced with a current UFC fighter jumping ship.
Today, K-1, one of Japan’s biggest professional kickboxing organizations announced their newest MMA venture ‘DREAMS’. This new organization replaces their existing ‘HEROES’ brand and is being run by the former ‘Pride’ group. Key to all of this is that Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic has joined ‘DREAMS’.
Cro Cop reportedly left the UFC on amicable terms and reports are suggesting that Dana White has given his blessing. I personally find this extremely difficult to believe as the UFC had big plans for Cro Cop when they signed him, and instead, they were rewarded with two terrible showings in the Octagon from the Croatian. To see him leave and go to their newest Japanese competition cannot make White happy.
Looks like DREAMS will now be the new ‘Pride’ and provide serious competition to the UFC, especially when it comes to talent and options. They will be holding a lightweight tournament with the who’s who of the division, many of which the UFC were unable to sign when they bought out Pride last year.
If the UFC thought ‘Dreams’ was a headache, another Japanese promotion, World Victory Road, also announced that consensus #1 lightweight Takanori Gomi not only signed with their organization but he will now be taking on former UFC lightweight, and world famous striker, Duane ‘Bang’ Ludwig.
There is much more to all of this breaking news and it does not bode well for the UFC. To read more, check out these links:
- New Japanese Organization From K-1 - Dream (To Include Cro Cop)
- More on Mirko’s Departure: Emelianenko vs. Cro Cop II Now Possible
- K-1 Dreams and Sengoku Press Conferences
- Japanese MMA Roundup: WVR, DREAMS, and CroCop
- Editorial: Japanese MMA Confusion Leads to Giggles
- MMA Business: New Players, Familiar Faces
Ultimate Fight Night Update
There has been a change to the bout between Stephen Bonnar vs Matt Hammil, as Bonnar has had to pull out due to a serious injury and will be replaced by Tim Boetsch, who is coming off a huge victory at UFC 81 vs Heath Herring.
Finalized UFC 82: Pride Of Champion Fight Card
ANDERSON SILVA VS DAN HENDERSON
CHEICK KONGO vs. HEATH HERRING
CHRIS LEBEN vs. ALESSIO SAKARA
EVAN TANNER vs. YUSHIN OKAMI
JON FITCH vs. CHRIS WILSON
ANDREI ARLOVSKI vs. JAKE O’BRIEN
LUKE CUMMO vs. LUIGI FIORAVANTI
JOSH KOSCHECK vs. DUSTIN HAZELETT
DIEGO SANCHEZ vs. DAVID BIELKHEDEN
JORGE GURGEL vs. JOHN HALVERSON
