Shirai Chokes out Kim, Earns DREAM Welterweight Grand Prix Slot

by Chris Nelson on Mar 14, 2009 12:18 PM EDT

Yuya Shirai defeated Korean Yoon Young Kim via rear naked choke in the third round at the clubDEEP event in Tokyo today. This victory will get him one of the eight spots in the first round of the DREAM Welterweight GP that starts on April 5th. Shirai will fight in front of his friends and family in April since he is from the Aichi prefecture where the event will take place.

NOB also speculates that DREAM's upcoming card may be constructed not for higher TV ratings (as DREAM.8 will air on tape delay, again out of primetime, on TBS), but more for a big live gate in Nagoya:

This is an event where I really understand what the event producers are trying to do. Shirai is from the prefecture where the event takes place, Minowaman/Shibata and Aoki/Sakurai are fights that will draw a crowd (this event doesn’t have a prime time TV slot), and the producers are hoping that Japanese Brazilians, many of which live in Aichi, will attend and support Andrews Nakahara (look at the number of Brazilians who are (possible) participants of the event).

Many of the Japanese Brazilian workers in Nagoya bought tickets when Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira participated in PRIDE events that were held there.

OLYMPIA DREAM.8 Welterweight GP 2009 1st Round
April 5, 2009 // Nippon Gaishi Hall // Nagoya, Japan

Zelg Galešić (9-4) vs. Andrews Nakahara (1-1)
Ikuhisa "Minowaman" Minowa (41-29-8) vs. Katsuyori Shibata (2-6-1)
Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (10-2) vs. TBA

Featherweight GP Fight
Hideo Tokoro (21-15-1) vs. Daiki "DJ.taiki" Hata (10-5-3)

Welterweight GP Participants
Shinya Aoki (20-3)
Hayato "Mach" Sakurai (34-8-2)
Seichi Ikemoto (18-14-5)
Yuya Shirai (14-7)

The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Bloody Elbow readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Bloody Elbow editors or staff.

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Comments

Dream is the shizzle.

by Bandaka on Mar 14, 2009 12:51 PM EDT reply actions

I don't have words

for how much I don’t like Aoki being in this tournament.

"the spirit of your average dumbass with more overblown rhetoric" OR "the self-appointed savior of MMA"

by Kid Nate on Mar 14, 2009 1:03 PM EDT reply actions

I agree. I wish Aoki would stick around at lightweight. Fight Kawajiri, Ishida, whomever, then Hansen III.

The weightclass hubris has to stop!

by AnonymousA on Mar 14, 2009 1:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Yes him fighting

Sakurai and potentially Galvao and Marcelo Garcia is HORRRRRRRIIIIBBBBBLE

by ItBurnzWhenIP on Mar 14, 2009 1:30 PM EDT up reply actions

I mean, it’s not like he’s ever fought at welterweight before. For shame I say!

by FRANKIE on Mar 14, 2009 7:07 PM EDT up reply actions

I can understand DREAM wanting to put Aoki and Mach in the first round. Honestly, it’s a fight that needs to happen, because I felt Aoki won that decision in Shooto. Also, there’s the fact that Mach hasn’t looked all that sexy recently, and I doubt his ability to get out of the first round with some of the other WWGP participants.

by AnonymousA on Mar 14, 2009 1:10 PM EDT reply actions

Were they gonna

just drag old dude out by his feet like that? That is hardcore.

by Wookalarman on Mar 14, 2009 1:22 PM EDT reply actions

They're holding his feet up...

to fix blood flow to the head.

Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.

by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 14, 2009 1:24 PM EDT up reply actions

I hope WAMMA...

realizes they’re going to have to strip Aoki. He has to fight a top 10 guy in the weight class where he is champion within 12 months of being crowned. His last fight wasn’t a top 10 fight, now he’ll be tied up in the WW GP for a while.

Let’s see how good WAMMA is at keeping their word THIS time.

Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.

by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 14, 2009 1:24 PM EDT reply actions

He wants to fight on every card

So during one of the FWGP dates he can rematch Hansen or JZ or Kawajiri

by ItBurnzWhenIP on Mar 14, 2009 1:32 PM EDT up reply actions

SHUSH!

I’m holding out hope that WAMMA gets fucked over here

Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.

by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 14, 2009 1:38 PM EDT up reply actions

WAR WAMMA

WAR BOXING MODEL WITH #1 BEING ABLE TO FIGHT #2 DESPITE PROMOTIONS

by ItBurnzWhenIP on Mar 14, 2009 1:39 PM EDT up reply actions

Fail. War Barnett being ranked despite no top ten opponents in years?

by Derek Suboticki on Mar 14, 2009 1:57 PM EDT up reply actions

You are a terrible troll who doesn’t understand MMA.

by smoogy on Mar 14, 2009 3:48 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Why is that?

Unless your argument is that the HW division sucks so bad, that fighting worthy opponents isn’t necessary?

by Loot on Mar 14, 2009 4:39 PM EDT up reply actions

If you weren't mad at me, I'd feel I was doing something wrong

WAMMA’s own criteria prevent him from being ranked. They, and their defenders (via the transitive property of sucking), suck.

by Derek Suboticki on Mar 14, 2009 5:07 PM EDT up reply actions

Well..

to be fair it’s pretty trolly to suggest that Barnett shoudn’t be ranked.

Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.

by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 14, 2009 5:40 PM EDT up reply actions

There is nothing in WAMMA's rankings...

saying you have to fight top ten fighters to be ranked…only to remain champ

Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.

by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 14, 2009 5:40 PM EDT up reply actions

Hey, my mistake

He still shouldn’t be #2 and WAMMA still sucks.

by Derek Suboticki on Mar 14, 2009 8:41 PM EDT up reply actions

I would rec you ten times for this if I could.

by FRANKIE on Mar 14, 2009 7:10 PM EDT up reply actions

Why have this hypocritical sanctioning body crap when we already have it with promotions?

A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.

by iiowyn on Mar 14, 2009 2:21 PM EDT up reply actions

Or on the NYE show certainly

as that would be within 1 year

by ItBurnzWhenIP on Mar 14, 2009 1:38 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, if Aoki so chooses he can adjust his weight between WWGP events. After DREAM.8 there’s a two month layoff before DREAM.9, where he could feasibly fight at LW if he wanted, and then be ready in another two months to fight at WW again at DREAM.10.

Don’t know if that’s something that sounds reasonable, but Aoki has shown an honest interest in fighting at every DREAM event.

by AnonymousA on Mar 14, 2009 1:42 PM EDT up reply actions