DREAM 2: Kang vs Mousasi

You would think that Kang would be a bit concerned coming off a knockout loss, but he coolly responds that he didn't train all that differently for this fight.

"Working in Montreal with GSP and in Vancouver at Revolution and Universal has prepared me well," he said.

Also, the fact that he had a chance to train with fight guru Greg Jackson back in December can't hurt. It will be interesting to see if Kang, who likes to develop game plans for his fights, will employ a similar wrestling-based tactic that found St. Pierre so much success.

On paper Kang looks to be the most well-rounded fighter in the field, which gives him an advantage on the competition. Add in the fact that he has had tremendous success in tournament formats and you have to start wondering if the stars are lining up for Kang once again.

"While I wasn't ready to fight at such a high level two years ago, I consider myself a fighter that has a chance against anybody in the middleweight division now," Mousasi said. "Of course I have to beat top-ranked guys like Denis Kang (Pictures) to be considered a top-10 fighter myself, but those rankings are not without flaws. Sometimes a guy that isn't even in the top 50 can beat a top-10 caliber opponent. It's all about the style of a particular fighter working well against certain opposition and less successfully against others."

While the "Young Vagabond" intends to win the whole Dream tournament, he has nothing but respect for his first-round opponent.

"I think Denis Kang (Pictures) is well rounded and has a lot of experience," Mousasi said. "His strength is that he doesn't have a lot of weaknesses, but if I had to single out one, I'd say his standup is the weakest link. Personally, I know him from the Bushido GP, and he has always been very friendly when we met."

Kang started out as a jiu-jitsu player, but he has picked up boxing. Mousasi, on the other hand, is a kickboxer who has also mastered the ground game. So where does he want the fight to take place and how does he see it ending?

"I have a very good game plan and, quite frankly, I don't care if the fight is going to the ground or not," Mousasi said. "My ground game has improved by leaps and bounds in the past months, especially from the occasional training with Fedor (Emelianenko). I'd say my ground work is now up to par with my striking. In the end, I don't care how I win as long as I win."

A victory over Kang would likely propel Mousasi into the middleweight top 10. A subsequent win over a Japanese legend like Sakuraba or Funaki, both of whom are in the tournament, could make him an instant star in Japan.

"I'm very happy because it makes me train harder. Every opponent is tough. When you know the opponent and you respect him, it motivates you to train even more. I'm glad I'm getting a tough opponent like Mousasi. It makes me feel like I have to rise up to the challenge."

When Kang takes on Mousasi this weekend, he offered an easy prediction. "Knockout! KO, man! It's quick and simple."