Mousasi, Sokoudjou, Sapp and Jose Canseco set for DREAM.9 tourney
by Dann Stupp on Apr 30, 2009 at 9:15 am ET
The Japanese-based DREAM organization today announced an open-weight tournament that features, among others, UFC veteran Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, K-1 star Bob Sapp and former Major League Baseball player Jose Canseco.
The eight-man tournament kicks off at DREAM.9.
The event, which also features the second round of the organization's featherweight grand prix and a middleweight title fight between Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza and Jason "Mayhem" Miller, takes place May 26 at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan.
The open-weight tournament, roughly translated as the "World Superman Championship," will continue later this summer with a semifinal round and a grand finale.
Other participants and opening-round match-ups include Sapp vs. Ikuhisa "Minowaman" Minowa, Jan Nortje vs. Sokoudjou, Gegard Mousasi vs. Mark Hunt, and Hong Man Choi vs. Canseco.
Mousasi, who will vacate his DREAM middleweight championship, will be the tournament's smallest competitor. Although he recently stated he wanted to move up a weight class to light heavyweight, Mousasi will still be giving up more than 100 pounds to fighters such as Nortje, Sapp and Choi. He'll give up approximately 60 pounds to Hunt, his opening-round opponent.
Canseco, meanwhile, makes his MMA debut after an MLB career that concluded with a tell-all book about steroid use in baseball (and a subsequent cold shoulder from the industry). Canseco, who claims to be a decorated martial artist, has been competing in exhibition boxing matches as of late. Former NFL player Vai Sikahema recently defeated Canseco via knockout, and former child actor Danny Bonaduce recently fought him to a majority draw.
The full card includes:
* Gesias "JZ" Cavalvante vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri
* Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza vs. Jason "Mayhem" Miller (for vacant middleweight title)
* Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto vs. Joe Warren*
* Bibiano Fernandes vs. Masakazu Imanari*
* Yoshiro Maeda vs. Hiroyuki Takaya*
* Abel Cullum vs. Hideo Tokoro*
* Ikuhisa "Minowaman" Minowa vs. Bob Sapp+
* Jan Nortje vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou+
* Mark Hunt vs. Gegard Mousasi+
* Jose Canseco vs. Hong Man Choi+
by Dann Stupp on Apr 30, 2009 at 9:15 am ET
The Japanese-based DREAM organization today announced an open-weight tournament that features, among others, UFC veteran Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, K-1 star Bob Sapp and former Major League Baseball player Jose Canseco.
The eight-man tournament kicks off at DREAM.9.
The event, which also features the second round of the organization's featherweight grand prix and a middleweight title fight between Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza and Jason "Mayhem" Miller, takes place May 26 at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan.
The open-weight tournament, roughly translated as the "World Superman Championship," will continue later this summer with a semifinal round and a grand finale.
Other participants and opening-round match-ups include Sapp vs. Ikuhisa "Minowaman" Minowa, Jan Nortje vs. Sokoudjou, Gegard Mousasi vs. Mark Hunt, and Hong Man Choi vs. Canseco.
Mousasi, who will vacate his DREAM middleweight championship, will be the tournament's smallest competitor. Although he recently stated he wanted to move up a weight class to light heavyweight, Mousasi will still be giving up more than 100 pounds to fighters such as Nortje, Sapp and Choi. He'll give up approximately 60 pounds to Hunt, his opening-round opponent.
Canseco, meanwhile, makes his MMA debut after an MLB career that concluded with a tell-all book about steroid use in baseball (and a subsequent cold shoulder from the industry). Canseco, who claims to be a decorated martial artist, has been competing in exhibition boxing matches as of late. Former NFL player Vai Sikahema recently defeated Canseco via knockout, and former child actor Danny Bonaduce recently fought him to a majority draw.
The full card includes:
* Gesias "JZ" Cavalvante vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri
* Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza vs. Jason "Mayhem" Miller (for vacant middleweight title)
* Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto vs. Joe Warren*
* Bibiano Fernandes vs. Masakazu Imanari*
* Yoshiro Maeda vs. Hiroyuki Takaya*
* Abel Cullum vs. Hideo Tokoro*
* Ikuhisa "Minowaman" Minowa vs. Bob Sapp+
* Jan Nortje vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou+
* Mark Hunt vs. Gegard Mousasi+
* Jose Canseco vs. Hong Man Choi+
