Hello, Japan: Melvin Manhoef, Paulo Filho Enter the White Cage

During a Katsunori Kikuno public workout at Alliance-Square Gym today (video below), DREAM announced a pair of middleweight bouts for its "white cage" show on October 25th in Osaka.

First up is FEG standby Melvin Manhoef (23-6-1), who'll make a typically quick turnaround to take on the returning Zelg Galesic (9-4). Manhoef was just eliminated from the K-1 2009 World Grand Prix by Remy Bonjasky at the end of September and has fought a total of six times already in 2009 (after "retiring" late last year, no less). Galesic hasn't fought since September of '08 - when he was armbarred by "Jacare" in the DREAM MWGP semifinals - thanks to myriad injuries and health problems. Neither man lacks cage experience, having both competed for now-defunct UK promotion Cage Rage in the past.

Also on the slate: Paulo Filho's (18-1) strange odyssey continues as he faces Korean judoka Dong Sik Yoon (4-7). Since his infamous loss to Chael Sonnen last November, Filho has made quick work of Manhoef at DREAM.10 and cage-humped Alex Schoenauer to a unanimous decision victory at last month's Bitetti Combat show. Yoon is just 1-3 in DREAM after losing his last three straight, most recently injuring his foot one minute into his DREAM.10 match with Jesse Taylor. The former WEC middleweight champ will have a distinct advantage when it comes to the fighting surface, having contested four bouts inside a cage to Yoon's zero.

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Not to be left out, Sengoku also added a pair of matchups to its November 7th card in Tokyo today.

In the promotion's burgeoning heavyweight division, "Big" Jim York (11-3) will look to rebound from his submission loss to Antonio Silva when he runs up against 25-year-old prospect Dave "Pee-Wee" Herman (15-1). The formerly home-trained Herman demonstrated his notoriously bad cardio in his last Sengoku bout, which saw him blown up by Korean heavyweight Mu Bae Choi in the second round. Since then, he's notched an impressive TKO win in Bellator, and last month dispatched of Don Frye in under a minute down in Texas.

Meanwhile, in the lightweight set, the rumored title eliminator between Eiji Mitsuoka (16-6-2) and Kazunori Yokota (10-2-3) has been officially announced. The winner of this one is likely to be new champion Mizuto Hirota's first opponent at Sengoku Raiden Championship on New Year's Eve.

Eiji Mitsuoka and Kazunori Yokota, via Kamipro.

Former DREAM WWGP competitor Yuya Shirai makes weight
for tomorrow's DEEP "44th Impact" bout with Shigetoshi Iwase.