K-1/DREAM Dynamite 12/31/08 Show Re-Cap

K-1/DREAM Dynamite!! Power of Courage 2008
December 31, 2008
Saitama Super Arena,
Saitama, Japan


DREAM Open-Weight Fight- Ikuhisa Minowa (40-19-8) vs. Errol Zimmerman 0-0)

R1- Minowa pretty much immediately got a take down and submission due to a leg hold.

Winner: Ikuhisa Minowa by Submission (Toe Hold) R1 1:01

K-1 (156.5 pounds) Fight- Yoshihiro Sato vs. Artur Kyshenko

This was fought under K-1 rules.

R1- Artur took a slight advantage in this round with a brief knockdown and hit a really nice spinning back fist.

R2- Artur got a kick for a knockdown and then basically got a trip for a second one. Good round.

R3- Artur basically controlled this round and got a take down. This was a good and competitive fight.

Winner: Artur Kyshenko by Majority Decision

DREAM Heavyweight Fight- Bob Sapp (9-3-1) vs. Akihito Tanaka (0-0)

Tanaka wore a fish mask to the ring and fought in it. I think this was supposed to be a "comedy" fight but man it was bad.

R1- The first 4 minutes were controlled by the guy in the fish mask. He got Sapp down and Sapp was like a turtle on his back. Sapp finally got back to his feet and finished the guy off. Embarrassing fight.

Winner: Bob Sapp by TKO (punches) R1 5:22

DREAM Heavyweight Fight- Semmy Schilt (25-14-1) vs. Siala Siliga (3-0)

R1- Siliga controlled most of the fight keeping Schilt on his back but Schilt was able to get a triangle from his back to get the win.

Winner: Semmy Schilt by Submission (Arm Triangle) R1 5:31

DREAM (176.4 pounds) Fight- Hayato Sakurai (33-8-2) vs. Katsuyori Shibata (2-5-1)

Shibata is a former New Japan Pro Wrestler who has more heart than brains. Coming into this fight he is 2-5-1 and regularly takes on fights that he is almost no chance of winning (he has already fought Ralek Gracie, Kazushi Sakuraba, Jason Miller and Yoshihiro Akiyama in his young career). Sakurai is highly favored to win this fight. Shibata has a height advantage going for him.

R1- Shibata runs straight for him at the beginning and it almost looks like Sakurai tries to hit him with a leg lariot as they collide in mid-air. They go toe to toe right after each other from the opening bell. Hayato gets on top with some Ground and Pound but also gets bloodied up around his eyes. Hayato finally finished off the tough Shibata with a TKO at the 7 minute mark. Decent fight- a lot better than the first 3 DREAM fights.

Winner: Hayato Sakurai by TKO (Punches) R1 7:01

K-1 (154.3 pounds) Fight- Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Kozo Takeda

This was fought under K-1 rules.

R1- Kawajiri quickly got a knock down and Takeda got a standing 10 count. Kawajiri was just all over him hitting huge uppercuts. Takeda's nose was busted open really badly. Kawajiri got a jumping knee knockdown and Takeda again took a standing 10 count but Kawajiri quickly finished him off. Kawajiri looked AWSOME in this fight.

Tatsuya Kawajiri by TKO R1


K-1 Heavyweight Fight- Alistair Overeem vs. Badr Hari

R1- Overeem hit a giant knee early in round 1 and then got a left handed KO. Domination.

Winner: Alistair Overeen by TKO R1

Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (23-6-2) vs. Hong Man Choi (1-1)

Cro Cop got destroyed in his last fight against Alistair Overeem but was able to get a "no decision" out of it when he took a low blow and could not continue. Overeem wanted a re-match on this show but Cro Cop wanted no part of that. Instead Cro Cop takes on a 7'2" 352 lb giant who has little to no mobility. All Cro Cop needs to do here is stay out of his reach for the first couple of minutes until he tires out.This guy lost to Fedor last year in under two minutes.

R1- Hong Man is winning the fight early. Cro Cop nails Hong Man with a low blow. Hong Man gets up from the low blow and then Cro Cop destroys his leg with one kick to the knee. Cro Cop looked bored.

Winner: Cro Cop TKO (Low Kick) R1 6:32

K-1 Gegard Mousasi vs. Musashi

Mousasi is a Top 10 (maybe Top 5) Middleweight MMA fighter with superior submissions. He's had a great year.

R1- Mousasi shows great stand up in this fight and gets a quick knock down. He gets another knock down by basically pushing Musashi down. He gets a third knock down of the fight and gets a standing 10 count. Mousasi finally finishes him off. He just basically ate his lunch in this fight. Fantastic showing by Mousasi.

Winner: Gegard Mousasi by TKO R1

DREAM Heavyweight Fight- Melvin Manhoef (22-5-1) vs. Mark Hunt (5-4)

Manhoef destroyed Sakuraba (who is in the Main Event tonight) last year before losing to Gegard Mousasi in the Dream Middleweight Grand Prix. Hunt has lost his last 3 matches. He has lost to Alistair Overeem, Fedor Emelianenko, and Josh Barnett (all Top 10 Heavyweights). Manhoef has a weight disadvantage in this fight. Hunt holds victories over Wanderlei Silva and Cro Cop in a past life.

R1- Hunt charged right in and ate a big right hook and then Manhoef reigned down shots on him until the ref stopped the fight.

Winner: Melvin Manhoef by KO (punches) R1 0:18

WAMMA Light Heavyweight Title Fight- Eddie Alvarez (15-1) vs. Shinya Aoki (18-3)

Both of these guys are legit Top 5 Lightweights. Alvarez is a Fighter of the Year Candidate and has had two of the most exciting fights in all of MMA this year (Hansen and Kawajiri). Aoki is a jiu jitsu beast who has beaten JZ Cavalcante (had a very controversial no contest and then just rode JZ to a lay and pray victory in the re-match), Katsuhiko Nagata, Todd Moore and Caol Uno in 2008. His only loss in 2008 was to Joachim Hansen in the finals of the Dream Lightweight tournament in which both guys fought twice that night and Hansen was filling in for an injured Alvarez.

This is defnitely the most anticipated fight of the show. Alvarez comes out to "The Champ is Here." Aoki is wearing his trade mark HIDEOUSLY UGLY tights. For this fight they are pink and yellow.

R1- Aoki grabbed an Alvarez kick shortly into the fight and took him down. Aoki grabbed a heel hook. Alvarez tried to counter but Aoki just had to good of a grip and Alvarez tapped. Very impressive showing for Aoki. He's one of the top jiu jitsu guys going in MMA and his jiu jitsu trumped Alvarez's stand up before Alvarez could even get going tonight.

Winner and new WAMMA Lightweight Champion: Shinya Aoki by Submission (Heel Hook) R1 1:32

DREAM Fight- Kiyoshi Tamura (32-13-3) vs. Kazushi Sakuraba (24-11-1)

I'm not going to lie. This fight put me to sleep. From what I can remember Tamura controlled and got some good Ground and Pound in during the first round. Sakuraba basically just fought to stay in the fight and tried to grab submissions where possible.

Winner: Kiyoshi Tamura by Decision (Unanimous)


This was not a good show. Aoki, Kawajiri and Mousasi were really impressive in their victories. Joachim Hansen vs JZ was unfortunately cancelled but I don't think that could have saved this wreck.