Sakuraba Replaces Manhoef, DREAM.12 Cage Card Nearly Complete

by Chris Nelson on Oct 19, 2009 11:59 AM EDT in News Comment 39 comments

Kazushi Sakuraba, Katsuyori Shibata, Keisuke Fujiwara and Tomoya Miyashita in the ring at Sakuraba's Laughter7 gym. Photo via DREAM.

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UPDATED 1:37 PM ET - Michael David Smith says Alistair Overeem will face James Thompson at DREAM.12.

Though only two weeks removed from his DREAM.11 win over boxer Rubin Williams, 40-year-old Japanese MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba hosted a press conference today at his Laughter7 gym to announce that he will replace an injured Melvin Manhoef against Zelg Galesic at DREAM.12 on October 25th. The fight will, of course, be contested inside DREAM's "white cage," marking the "IQ Wrestler's" first cage bout since 1997. Galesic spent 2006 in England's now-defunct Cage Rage, holding the promotion's UK Middleweight Title.

Katsuyori Shibata will look to follow up on his DREAM.8 decisioning of Ikuhisa Minowa as he clashes with fellow pro wrestler Kendo Kashin, aka Tokimitsu Ishizawa.

Also added to the show in Osaka: a non-title match between DREAM Welterweight Champion Marius Zaromskis and Korea's Myeon Ho Bae, and a nice featherweight scrap featuring ZST champ Keisuke Fujiwara and DEEP standout Tomoya Miyashita.

DREAM.12
October 25, 2009
Osaka Castle Hall
Osaka, Japan

HW: Alistair Overeem (30-11, 1 NC) vs. James Thompson (14-10)
MW: Kazushi Sakuraba (25-12-1, 2 NC) vs. Zelg Galesic (9-4)
LW: Katsunori Kikuno (12-1-1) vs. Eddie Alvarez (18-2)
LW: Kuniyoshi Hironaka (15-6) vs. Won Sik "Parky" Park (7-1-1)
FW: Yoshiro Maeda (25-7-2) vs. Chase Beebe (12-4)
WW: Marius Zaromskis (12-3) vs. Myeon Ho Bae (8-4)
MW: Katsuyori Shibata (3-6-1) vs. Tokimitsu Ishizawa (1-4-1)
MW: Paulo Filho (18-1) vs. Dong Sik Yoon (4-7)
FW: Keisuke Fujiwara (7-1-3) vs. Tomoya Miyashita (12-5-6)

DREAM.12 coverage

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Comments

Keisuke

by KO please. Dude is a great striker ,hopefully Miyashita won’t catch him in a sub , but he has looked good in DEEP , his last few wins were quick. Still picking Fujiwara though.
Sucks Manhoef is out :(

by meyer1244 on Oct 19, 2009 12:08 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Leland must be devestated.

I STILL poop rainbows.

by Blackout612 on Oct 19, 2009 12:08 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

His weekend is ruined.

SHOGUN WILL SLAY THE DRAGON!!!
SHOGUN TO BE THE NEW LHW CHAMP!!!
Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."

by xFenixKnightx on Oct 19, 2009 12:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I thought the Filho fight was at LHW?

by swells2048 on Oct 19, 2009 12:17 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I remember Paulo saying he wanted to stay at LHW as well (after the Bitetti show) but DREAM site has it listed as middleweight.

by Chris Nelson on Oct 19, 2009 12:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

They're trying to kill Sakuraba

I’m convinced of that.

"Never underestimate the predictability of stupidity." - Bullet Tooth Tony
@deowade

by Deo Wade on Oct 19, 2009 12:22 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Sakuraba is trying to kill Sakuraba

Jacaré said he caught Saku smoking back stage once lol.

SHOGUN WILL SLAY THE DRAGON!!!
SHOGUN TO BE THE NEW LHW CHAMP!!!

by orcus on Oct 19, 2009 12:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If he gets hit with one good shot, I swear he'll literally fall apart.

"Never underestimate the predictability of stupidity." - Bullet Tooth Tony
@deowade

by Deo Wade on Oct 19, 2009 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He’ll come back, if Saku is struck down, he shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine.

The mat is my church, the ground is my heaven, Jiu-Jitsu is my religion. And once you hit the ground you're in my world. My world is like the ocean, I’m like a shark and most people don't even know how to swim - Draculino

by AboveThisFire on Oct 19, 2009 12:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't think I can imagine anything more ludicrous than what he's done in the past.

So that power would be some kind of awesome.

"Never underestimate the predictability of stupidity." - Bullet Tooth Tony
@deowade

by Deo Wade on Oct 19, 2009 12:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Holy shit! He needs to fight like that.

for all intents and purposes, just consider all my posts as works of satire.

by Bandaka on Oct 19, 2009 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

TBA?

Its a week away and Overeem doesn’t have an opponent?

by GoldmedalGrappling on Oct 19, 2009 12:33 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

They’re trying to get Bruce Banner on the line but apparently he’s a bitch to find.

by AboveThisFire on Oct 19, 2009 12:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah thats pretty lame. Oh well.

Got a Halloween party to go to on Sat so Im gonna have to avoid spoilers liek crazy and catch the UFC 104 replay at about 1am. Then catch DREAM12 on my DVR. Nonlive MMA sucks BALLS!!!! I suppose I could watch DREAM live but then you know Schiavello will be giving UFC spoilers throughout. =(

Sad Panda is I.

SHOGUN WILL SLAY THE DRAGON!!!
SHOGUN TO BE THE NEW LHW CHAMP!!!
Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."

by xFenixKnightx on Oct 19, 2009 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hell yeah, its not a Dream event in my oppinion if it doesn’t have some Saku in it! All of you who think he should retire should be ashamed of yourselves! He is going to mongolian double fist chop Galesic!

for all intents and purposes, just consider all my posts as works of satire.

by Bandaka on Oct 19, 2009 12:37 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

Nah its not a good Dream event if I gets no Baka Survivor!

SHOGUN WILL SLAY THE DRAGON!!!
SHOGUN TO BE THE NEW LHW CHAMP!!!
Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."

by xFenixKnightx on Oct 19, 2009 12:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Whoever Overeem fights is going to be dealing with a guy with juice squirting from his ass and track marks under his shorts.

by oasis77 on Oct 19, 2009 12:37 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Seriously...

enough’s enough.

I am the bastard love child of Junie Browning and Diamond Dave Kaplan.

by The_Gaijin on Oct 19, 2009 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

sorry, couldn’t help myself.

by oasis77 on Oct 19, 2009 1:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

LOL

I know, I know…it’s just that EVERY thread that even minimally touches on the guy devolves into steroid allegations and then the arguments start…and then….

I am the bastard love child of Junie Browning and Diamond Dave Kaplan.

by The_Gaijin on Oct 19, 2009 3:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs