It is no secret that I am not a Josh Barnett fan. Before I became the writer that you all know and love, I would compose open letters to certain MMA personalities that I took issue with, one of which is Barnett. Well this past weekend immediately after UFC 141, I became a Josh Barnett fan. At the DREAM New Years Eve event in Japan, he showcased his professional wrestling skills against Hideki Suzuki. For those of us who pulled off the incredible 15 hour marathon that evening/morning, the Barnett wrestling match was one of the highlights of the night.

Barnett and Suzuki put on an absolute clinic working some fantastic professional wrestling spots into a lot of technical grappling. Though it was an obvious work, Michael Schiavello calls the action as if the two were in fact having an MMA fight.

Among the high spots:

• Sit-out Powerbomb
• Northern Lights Suplex
• Brain Buster to a pin

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With UFC 141 in the books be sure to stick with Bloody Elbow as we continue this epic MMA marathon for DREAM New Year! 2011 headlined by Fedor Emelianenko fighting Olympic Gold Medalist Satoshi Ishii. Shinya Aoki will defend his lightweight title against Satoru Kitaoka and Hiroyuki Takaya defends his featherweight title against Lion Takeshi.

Tonight's event is the brain child of Antonio Inoki, the Japanese professional wrestling legend. Airing immediately after UFC 141, join the Bloody Elbow night crew at 1:00 AM ET/11:00 PM PT. The fights will air live on HDNet. Bloody Elbow night crew assemble!!!

Yusup Saadulaev vs Hideo Tokoro

Round 1: Tokoro runs forward witha flying knee and is immediately taken to the ground. Tokoro stands up and Saadulaev grabs a hold of his back. Saadulaev picks Tokoro up and drops Tokoro right on his face. Several punches to the face and the fight is called. Tokoro was out after getting slammed. Huge win for Yusup Saadulaev.

Official Result: Yusup Saadulaev defeats Hideo Tokoro by TKO.

Masakazu Imanari vs Antonio Banuelos

Round 1: Imanari's hands are hanging super low and Banuelos is unsure of how to attack. Imanari with a kick to the body. Another kick to the body from Imanari. Slow first round with Banuelos tentative to press the action. He knows that going to the ground with Imanari means not walking for a while. Imanari drops to his back when Banuelos commits to an attack but Antonio won't follow him to the ground. Antonio Banuelos tries to counter a side kick with a wild hook but is unsuccessful. Leg kicks from Banuelos but nothing too damaging. Banuelos comes forward and again Imanari drops to his back. Switch kick from Banuelos but it doesn't connect. He's loosening up and kicking up the pace. Whenever he attacks Imanari immediately falls to his back. Scoring it for Imanari.

Round 2: Imanari shoots in and Antonio Banuelos lands two hammer fists before Imanari can catch him in his guard. Imanari gets the fight to the ground and has Banuelos in his guard but when he opens it up Antonio stands up and backs out. Baneulos not even close on his spinning back fist. Imanari gets the fight to the ground again and Banuelos is working hammer fists. Imanari throws his legs up high but abandons it almost immediately. Banuelos looking to pass Imanari's guard and he's swept but Imanari abandons the sweep to go back to guard. Scoring for Banuelos.

Official Result: Antonio Banuelos defeats Masakazu Imanari by Split Decision.

Bibiano Fernandes vs Rodolfo Marques Diniz

Round 1: Bibiano and Marques trade leg kicks to open the round. Kick to the body lands for Bibiano. Diniz lands several leg kicks. Bibiano Fernandes gets the takedown and starts to work elbows to Rodolfo's hamstrings. Those won't finish a fight but those will slow Diniz down. Bibiano continues his assault on Diniz' ribs. The referee stands them up but that's clearly Bibiano's round.

Round 2: Bibiano opens the round super agressive with punches and a jumping knee. Diniz looks to get the fight to the ground but is unable to complete his takedown. Bibiano with an inside thigh kick and a Marques responds with a lazy right hand. Marques clinches and pushes Bibiano into the corner. He backs away and Bibiano lands a left hook and then drops for a single leg. He drops for a takedown but abandons it. Diniz attempts his own takedown and fails as well. 14 seconds left in the round and Marques is looking to get the fight to the ground. This was all Bibiano Fernandes.

Official Result: Bibiano Fernandes defeats Rodolfo Marques Diniz by Unanimous Decision.

Masaaki Noiri vs Kengo Sonoda

Official Result: Masaaki Noiri defeats Kengo Sonoda by Unanimous Decision

Yuta Kubo vs Nils Widlund

Official Result: Yuta Kubo defeats Nils Widlund by Knock Out

Ryo Chonan vs Mach Sakurai

Round 1: Mach Sakurai clips Chonan which sends him to the mat. Sakurai followed Chonan to the ground and looked to cause damage from the top. The fighters are back to their feet with a minute and a half left. Chonan lands a kick to Mach's thigh. Sakurai with a spinning hook kick. Leg kick from Chonan. Mach clinches and gets the fight to the ground but can't keep it there. 30 seconds left and they're clinched against the ropes. The referee calls for action and so do I. Where's the USA chant when you need it?

Round 2: Sakurai clinches as the round begins. Chonan spins off the ropes and lands an uppercut on the exit. Mach back to clinch work and the referee breaks the fighters after Mach didn't try to attack from the clinch. Left hook from Sakurai. Right hook from Chonan. Combination from Sakurai. Sakurai clinches and gets the fight to the ground. Sakurai working from side control and Chonan lands knees to the head from the bottom. Minute remaining and Sakurai staying busy from the top.

Round 3: Mach and Ryo trade body shots before Sakurai clinches. Uppercut-left hook from Chonan lands flush. Chonan is pushing the action looking to finish Mach before the end of the round. Mach is definitely time from the first two rounds of action. Mach clinches and gets the takedown. He's looking to cruise the final minute. WOAH! Sakurai passes mount and gets Chonan's back. He's looking to finish the RNC! Chonan reverse and finishes the round on top. It's too little too late.

Official Result: Hayato Sakurai defeats Ryo Chonan by Unanimous Decision

Kazuyuki Miyata vs Tatsuya Kawajiri

Round 1: Kawajiri quickly gets the fight to the mat and starts working to pass Miyata's guard. Little Hercules doing well controlling the wrists but Kawajiri is relentless and passes to mount. Kawajiri with a grape vine to maintain position. Kawajiri has been unable to open up with ground and pound as Miyata has done a good job at controlling his posture. Kawajiri starting to work an arm triangle but Miyata survives. Dominant round from Crusher.

Round 2: Jumping knee from Miyata to open the round. Miyata with a left hook. Kawajiri responds with an uppercut. Another lead Kawajiri. Miyata doubles up his lefts. Kawajiri drops down and gets the takedown. Miyata tries a switch and instead Kawajiri keeps his position. Miyata reverses position and takes Kawajiri's back. Crusher attemps to stand and Miyata sinks in a hook. He loses the hook and Kawajiri stands. The referee breaks their clinch and Kawajiri doubles up his jab and then hits an uppercut before getting another takedown. It's a clinic. Kawajiri again locks in an arm triangle and finishes the fight just as the round ends. Beautiful performance by Tatsuya Kawajiri.

Official Result: Tatsuya Kawajiri defeats Kazuyuki Miyata by arm triangle.

Megumi Fujii vs Karla Benidez

Round 1: Megu shoots a double and then rolls for a leg. In the scramble she ends up on top and starts to work for her pass. Megumi grabs a hold of Karla Benidez' arm and finishes the fight quickly with an armbar.

Official Result: Megumi Fujii defeats Karla Benidez by submission (arm bar)

Josh Barnett vs Hideki Suzuki

Official Result: Josh Barnett pins Hideki Suzuki after a brain buster.

Yuichiro Nagashima vs Katsunori Kikuno

Round 1 (K1 Rules): The two fighters come out and start swinging. Kikuno grabs a thai clinch and the fighters fall to the ground. Kikuno is going balls to the wall looking to finish the fight in the K-1 round. HOLY CRAP! NAGASHIMA IS DOWN! Kikuno is just throwing and Nagashima is getting picked apart. This is wild! This is supposed to be Nagashima's round and he's getting outclassed and out muscled. Nagashima lands and down goes Kikuno! LOOK AT KIKUNO'S FACE! This looks like a Leonard Garcia fight! OH MAN THE ROUND ENDS!

Round 2 (MMA Rules): They continue where they left off but Kikuno temporarily gets the fight to the ground. Jumping knee from Nagashima and Kikuno counters! Both fighters look tired and neither is looking to get the fight to the ground. Right hand lands for Nagashima. Kikuno takes Nagashima's back and gets the fight to the ground. He's got Nagashima flattened out and working punches from the top. The referee calls the fight after possibly 25 unanswered punches.

Official Result: Katsunori Kikuno defeats Yuichiro Nagashima by TKO

Bibiano Ferdandes vs Antonio Banuelos

Round 1: The two fighters trade punches before Bibiano drops Banuelos with a punch. He swarms and just throws punches until the referee stops the fight. Fantastic showing by Bibiano who captures the DREAM Bantamweight title.

Official Result: Bibiano Fernandes defeats Antonio Banuelos by TKO.

Jerome LeBanner vs Tim Sylvia

Official Result: Jerome LeBanner defeats Tim Sylvia by TKO.

Kazuyuki Fujita vs Peter Aerts

Official Result: Kazuyuki Fujita defeats Peter Aerts via Lion Tamer

Kazushi Sakuraba/Katsuyori Shibata vs Shinichi Suzukawa/Atsushi Sawada

Official result: Kazushi Sakuraba and Katsuyori Shibata won.

Hiroyuki Takaya vs Lion Takeshi

Round 1: Takaya is the first to commit to offense with a double jab. He misses an overhand right hand. Takaya with two jumping right hooks that just miss connecting on Lion's chin. Thai Clinch by Takaya and he lands a couple knees. Takeshi counters a Takaya kick with a jab. Takaya stalking looking to land his power. Takeshi counters off Takaya's picks. Takaya drops down and gets the fight to the ground as the round ends.

Round 2: Takaya comes out aggressive stalking Takeshi with leg kicks. Takeshi doing well circling away. Takeshi was warned for not throwing enough punches. Takaya lands three heavy right hands. The two trade and it's Takeshi who lands the more significant strikes. Takaya comes forward throwing wildly and lands several punches to Takeshi's face. Takaya continues to chase Takeshi around the ring with 30 seconds left in the round.

Round 3: Takaya remains on the offensive opening the round with a leg kick and then a takedown. Takeshi works to control the posture of Takaya with wrist control. Big right hand by Takaya. Time called to adjust Takaya's hand wraps. Takaya with a kick to the body. Takeshi pawing out his jab but he won't commit to it. Takaya lands a right hook and a thigh kick. Takeshi lands a jab.

Round 4: In between rounds the camera crew shows Hiroyuki Takaya's face...it's a mess. Even with the damage he continues to press the action as the round begins. Takeshi lands his jab multiple times to keep Takaya at a distance. Takaya grabs the single collar tie and lands a bunch of upper cuts to the body and head. Fight quickly hits the ground but the fighters are back to their feet. Takaya lands a left hook but can't cut off the ring. Takaya backs Takeshi into the corner and opens up but can't put Lion away. Takeshi receives a Yellow card for not fighting. Takaya still pushing the action and Takeshi keeps walking away. This is the weirdest. Takaya is working for the finishing but can't stop Kalib Takeshi.

Round 5: Takaya continues to stalk Takeshi. NOW Takeshi starts throwing? JEEZ! Takaya is still working to finish the fight working knees from the thai clinch. Takeshi just doesn't want to fight. Takaya gets the takedown and shows why he's champion constantly looking to finish the fight. Push kick from Takeshi but come on, that's not gonna win when he's 4 rounds down. Takeshi keeps going to that push kick. Finally comes forward with punches but doesn't land them. Straight right from Takeshi. Sorry spaced out for a second...10 seconds left and they trade punches. Now Takeshi is fighting? I can't handle this it's been too long of a night.

Official Result: Hiroyuki Takaya defeats Lion Takeshi by Unanimous Decision.

Shinya Aoki vs Satoru Kitaoka

Round 1: High kick by Aoki and then a jab. He takes a thai clinch and then gets the fight to the ground. Kitaoka has a guillotine but Aoki escapes. Aoki takes his back and then locks in a triangle choke which is super tight. Aoki switches to an armbar and Kitaoka escapes. The stand and Aoki hooks Kitaoka's right leg. Aoki trips him to the mat and Kitaoka right back to his feet. Referee separates them. Aoki clinches and gets the fight to the ground. He's in Kitaoka's half guard. Sorry spaced and the round is over.

Round 2: Aoki gets the takedown early and works to pass to side control. Aoki stands and tries to throw Kitaoka's legs to the side for a pass. Woah the fight is still going on? Sorry I'm really spacey. Aoki lands a head kick that Kitaoka blocks. Kick to the body lands for Aoki. His stand up is really improved since moving to Evolve.

Round 3: Aoki lands a counter kick to the body. And then a knee to the body. He grabs a body lock and gets the fight to the ground. Aoki takes Kitaoka's back and has a single hook in. Aoki gets his second hook and locks in a body triangle. He's looking for a rear naked choke but Kitaoka does a good job at fighting hands. Something happened and Kitaoka is standing with Aoki on his back. The referee stands them up. Aoki shoots in and Kitaoka sticking his butt on the rope to stop the takedown. Dude is legitimately sitting on the rope. Head kick lands cleanly for Aoki and then transitions to a single leg. He gets it as the round ends.

Round 4: Kitaoka attemps a head kick but he misses. Aoki doubles up the body kicks. Looping right hand by Kitaoka misses Aoki. Aokia with the thai clinch and lands several knees that bloody Kitaoka's face. He gets the takedown and has Kitaoka's back. Aoki has a rear naked choke and Kitaoka is breathing weird. He's out of the choke but he's stuck in the body triangle. Aoki back to the choke and against Kitaoka defends to escape. Kitaoka doing a good job at surviving but he's doing just that...surviving. Aoki has the choke tight and again Kitaoka fights hands. He has blood pouring out his mouth and nose. The breathing is incredibly creepy.

Round 5: Kitaoka swinging to finish this fight. Aoki clinches and gets the fight back to the ground. Sorry spaced out again. Aoki has Kitaoka's back in a body triangle and is still looking for the rear naked choke. Fighters are standing and Kitaoka has Aoki's back. He tries to open up but Aoki quickly clinches. Aoki working his jab with 30 seconds remaining. Aoki drops for a takedown and Kitaoka has him in a front headlock and is throwing knees to the head. Round and fight over.

Official Result: Shinya Aoki defeats Satoru Kitaoka by Unanimous Decision

Fedor Emelianenko vs Satoshi Ishii

Round 1: Ishii slips on a leg kick. Fedor lands his leg kick. Fedor throws another leg kick and Ishii catches it. Fedor lights Ishii up with a combination working the head an body. He follows up with a straight right down the tube. Fedor drops Ishii with a combination and the referee calls it.

Official Result: Fedor Emelianenko defeats Satoshi Ishii by Knock Out

And that's it folks. To those that gutted out 15 hours of MMA, thanks for keeping me company. Those that fell asleep: raspberries.

SBN coverage of DREAM: New Year! 2011

Mitsuhiro Ishida spent a significant amount of time in his career as a very tough out in the lightweight division. He's one of only two men to score a victory over current Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez and has fought in Strikeforce, DREAM, PRIDE, Shooto and DEEP.

His career seems to be winding down now as, after being knocked out by Doo Ho Choi at DEEP 56 this weekend, he has dropped four of his previous six bouts with three of those losses being by a form of knockout. He dropped to featherweight at DREAM 15 and won 2 fights but now has lost two in a row including a split decision against Joachim Hansen.

Here's the video of the fight:

Choi is now 8-1 and riding a six fight win streak. Beating Ishida gives Choi a big name to add to an already successful 2011 which saw him score a huge flying knee KO over Nobuhiro Obiya. Dan Herbertson talked about that fight back in October on MMA Fighting:

In the second main event, relatively unknown Korean prospect Doo Ho Choi thoroughly trounced stiff opposition in former Deep lightweight champion Nobuhiro Obiya. Choi, who aside from an undercard bout in Sengoku has only featured in much smaller events, destroyed the legs and face of Obiya with laser guided strikes before finishing the fight with a flying knee only 15 seconds into the final round. Choi came into the bout as a late replacement for the injured Won Sik Park but turned in one of the most impressive performances of the year in Japan.

Choi is now pretty firmly established as a major name to keep an eye on at featherweight.

Let the talk of "get him in the UFC" begin.

There was some doubt whether Shinya Aoki would attempt to stand and bang with former WEC lightweight champion Rob McCullough in the lead-up to their DREAM 17 main event showdown on Saturday night at Saitama Super Arena. Aoki had been training at Evolve MMA months ahead of the match-up, and there were significant improvements reported in his historically weak stand-up game. Fortunately for those who nervously thought Aoki would abandon the very skills that got him to where he is today, his trip to Singapore also helped solidify his grappling skills. Those skills, like many times before, were on full display on Saturday night.

Aoki immediately took it to McCullough from the opening bell, moving inside on the WEC veteran, taking him down, and working from top control for most of the fight. McCullough briefly scrambled to his feet for a few moments before being dumped back down to the floor, but that was the only opportunity he had in the entire fight to lay waste to Aoki's consciousness. Aoki eventually blasted McCullough with knees to the skull when he attempted to stand back up. From there, Aoki moved to back control, cranking McCullough's neck until he tapped with only two or three seconds left in the round.

The victory marks Aoki's sixth straight following his beatdown at the hands of Gilbert Melendez at Strikeforce: Nashville in April of last year. With a little more training and some luck, it isn't unfathomable that Aoki finds himself stateside again in the next year.

Tatsuya Kawajiri made a successful featherweight debut in vintage 'Crusher' fashion as he submitted Joachim Hansen in the third round via arm triangle. Kawajiri survived an early scare in the first round after he was tagged moments after the opening bell, and the ensuing scrambles provided an entertaining pace for fans. It wasn't something Kawajiri wanted to continue to gamble in however. 

The second and third rounds were more 'Crusher'-like. The Japanese wrestler took down Hansen at will, smothering him in ground and pound from the top side and winning the war of attrition. He eventually slipped underneath Hansen's neck in the final round from half guard, passed to side control, and squeezed for the tap. Impressive performance from Kawajiri at featherweight, sparking some discussion whether he can make a run in the UFC's ranks at the new weight class.

Takeshi Inoue's year has been going well as he knocked off touted Japanese prospects Taiki Tsuchiya and Koichiro Matsumoto earlier in the year. He can now add UFC veteran Caol Uno to that list after mesmerizing him with flashy hand movement and shuffling feet. The quick movements distracted the veteran so much, in fact, that Uno didn't see see a brutal head kick sailing at his face.

Inoue also caught Uno in the early minutes of the round, wobbling Uno and putting him imminent danger of being finished. Uno survived only to have his Nike's nearly knocked off his feet by Inoue's kick. The win puts Inoue at 3-0 on the year, and it's clear he needs to step up the ladder in terms of competition. Hiroyuki Takaya? Yes please.

In what ended up becoming an embarrassing and sad situation, Japanese MMA pioneer Kazushi Sakuraba was dominated bell to bell by Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu whiz Yan Cabral. Cabral worked over the Japanese legend in every area of the fight, eventually submitting Sakuraba via arm triangle choke, a submission Cabral predicted in the lead-up to the fight. Sakuraba covered his face with a t-shirt in disgrace after the loss, and an entire arena of fans sat in silence. A sad day for Sakuraba as he continues his downward spiral past mediocrity and into embarrassment. 

More analysis and results after the fold...

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Join us here at BloodyElbow.com on Saturday, September 24 at 3 AM ET for live results and commentary of DREAM 17: World Bantamweight Grand Prix, airing LIVE on HDNet from Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Interact with the BloodyElbow.com Night Crew in the comments section and follow me (@lelandroling) on Twitter for live analysis.

The event will feature the quarterfinal round of the World Bantamweight Grand Prix tournament along with a number of Japanese MMA staples. Most notably, Shinya Aoki will battle former WEC lightweight champion Rob McCullough in the main event of the evening, and Tatsuya Kawajiri will make his featherweight debut against Norwegian Joachim Hansen. The rest of the card is as follows:

DREAM 17: World Bantamweight Grand Prix
September 24, Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, Japan

Lightweight: Shinya Aoki (28-5-0-1) vs. Rob McCullough (19-7)

Round 1: McCullough lets Aoki wade in way too far, almost to a point where it's baffling why McCullough didn't unleash the fury. Aoki trips up McCullough, gets the takedown, and now in top control. Moves to half guard, was trying to sink his arm underneath McCullough's chin. Aoki postures up, lands a few blows to McCullough's face. Now a scramble, but Aoki can't improve his position. Aoki tries again and gets mount. McCullough miraculously escapes. Back down he goes. Aoki working inside half guard. Aoki passes to side control, but McCullough doing a good job of defending. McCullough flips over and gets up to all fours. Aoki lands brutal knees to the noggin, then takes the back and chokes out McCullough. Shinya Aoki def. Rob McCullough via submission (neck/face crank), Round 1.

Results and play-by-play after the fold...

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It's a historic evening here at BloodyElbow.com. After months of starvation, the BloodyElbow.com Night Crew returns. DREAM 17 will air LIVE on HDNet at 3 AM ET on Saturday, September 24 from Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The event will feature the quarterfinal round of the World Bantamweight Grand Prix along with seven non-tournament bouts. The main event, as you might expect, will feature Japanese lightweight Shinya Aoki taking on former WEC lightweight champion Rob McCullough. Japanese MMA staples Tatsuya Kawajiri, Joachim Hansen, Kazushi Sakuraba, Caol Uno, Kazuhiro Nakamura, and Ikuhisa Minowa will also make appearances.

Join us at BloodyElbow.com for live results and commentary of DREAM 17 at 3 AM ET, and follow me (@lelandroling) on Twitter for instant analysis and updates. On to the fights!

Lightweight: Shinya Aoki (28-5-0-1) vs. Rob McCullough (19-7): Japanese lightweight kingpin Shinya Aoki has been working diligently to improve his stand-up game in the lead-up to this weekend's DREAM card by training at Evolve MMA in Singapore. Reports from BloodyElbow.com's own Anton Tabuena suggest that he's improving in those areas considerably. I'd wager that in this instance however, it would be a bad idea for Aoki to attempt to prove he's more threatening these days on the feet.

Former WEC lightweight champion Rob McCullough is a five-time World Muay Thai champion, and his style relies heavily on those skills to bring him to victory. No matter how much Aoki has improved over the last couple of months, there isn't confidence he can score a head kick knockout or brutalize 'Razor' Rob in the clinch. Nothing has changed. Aoki remains in a familiar role as an underdog on the feet.

Fortunately for 'The Baka Survivor', he's still one of the most creative and threatening submission artists in the sport. Most fans automatically hinge their bets on Aoki because of that notion, and against McCullough -- those assumptions are no different despite the fact that McCullough has never been submitted. McCullough could provide an unique challenge if he can maintain his legs, but Aoki finds a way to bring this to the ground where he threatens McCullough constantly and submits him. Aoki via submission

Featherweight: Tatsuya Kawajiri (27-7-2) vs. Joachim Hansen (22-10): After losing the DREAM lightweight title at DREAM 11 in late 2009, Hansen made the drop to featherweight with mixed results. He lost in his debut to Bibiano Fernandes at DREAM 13, and he was at the end of a knockout punch from Hiroyuki Takaya at DREAM 14 two months later. The two losses created a feeling that the Norwegian mixed martial artist may be heading down a path that takes him to retirement.

Wins over Hideo Tokoro, Sami Aziz, and Mitsuhiro Ishida bought him some time, but he'll meet a major obstacle in Tatsuya Kawajiri on Saturday. Kawajiri has long been considered Japan's only shot at penetrating the dominant lightweight scene stateside, and he failed miserably against Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez in April. He returned two months later on home soil to defeat Drew Fickett, then made the progressive decision to drop down to featherweight for Saturday's showdown.

Hansen has always been a very well-rounded fighter. He's tough, durable, can win either on the feet or on the ground. His takedown defense is his biggest crutch, and unfortunately for him -- Kawajiri is a nightmare in the wrestling department. While 'The Crusher' has counterparts in America who can beat him at his own game, Hansen is the furthest from mimicking those fighters. His porous defenses to the takedown will get exposed consistently in this fight, and Kawajiri should take home a decision by controlling Hansen from the top. Kawajiri via decision.

Featherweight: Takeshi Inoue (20-5) vs. Caol Uno (26-13-5): Losses to Hatsu Hioki and Kazuyuki Miyata didn't deter Takeshi Inoue from getting back up on the horse in 2011. He returned at Shooto Tradition 2011 in April, knocking off 2011 World MMA Scouting Report rankee Taiki Tsuchiya, then crushed Koichiro Matsumoto, another Scouting Report rankee, exactly one month later at DREAM: Fight for Japan. The impressive string of wins has given Inoue some new life at 31 years of age, perhaps enough to help him make an appearance stateside. 

Caol Uno stands in his way however. The UFC veteran is fresh off a decision win over Akiyo 'Wicky' Nishiura at DREAM: Fight for Japan in May. He previously lost to Olympic wrestler Kazuyuki Miyata at Dynamite!! 2010 and Gleison Tibau at UFC Fight Night 21. He currently 1-4-1 in his last six appearances.

The lazy pick here would be Inoue due to his recent success and Uno's terrible record as of late. Uno's record is deceiving, mostly due to the tough competition he faced in the UFC. On paper, Uno has the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills and boxing to give Inoue problems, and Inoue's propensity to strike wildly has cost him fights in the past. Uno strategically weathers any storm Inoue brings, picks his shots, and finds a way to the ground where he dominates. Uno via decision.

SBN coverage of DREAM 17: World Bantamweight GP

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The weigh-ins for the DREAM 17 took place at Saitama Super Arena mostly without a hitch last night in Japan. The lone dissenter was King of the Cage veteran Abel Cullum, who weighed in four pounds over the 134 lb. limit. It was unknown whether Cullum would actually attempt to cut the additional weight as MMAFighting.com's Dan Herbertson pointed out that Cullum was having a hard time on the scale:

Although Cullum will have a chance to make the 61 kg/ 134.5 lbs limit, he already appeared badly drawn out at the weigh-ins and was shaking uncontrollably on the scales. Given his condition it seems unlikely that he will be able to make the cut and the bout will likely be changed to a catchweight.

Update: It took him four hours, but Cullum somehow managed to cut to 61 kg/ 134.5 lbs.

Lightweight: Shinya Aoki (153 lbs.) vs. Rob McCullough (153 lbs.)
Featherweight: Tatsuya Kawajiri (143 lbs.) vs. Joachim Hansen (143.3 lbs.)
Featherweight: Takeshi Inoue (143.3 lbs.) vs. Caol Uno (143 lbs.)
Welterweight: Kazushi Sakuraba (167.1 lbs.) vs. Yan Cabral (167.5 lbs.)
Lightweight: Satoru Kitaoka (154.3 lbs.) vs. Willamy Freire (153 lbs.)
Middleweight: Kazuhiro Nakamura (184.7 lbs.) vs. Gerald Harris (185 lbs.)
Bantamweight GP Quarterfinals: Hideo Tokoro (134.4 lbs.) vs. Antonio Banuelos (134.4 lbs.)
Bantamweight GP Quarterfinals: Bibiano Fernandes (134 lbs.) vs. Takafumi Otsuka (134 lbs.)
Bantamweight GP Quarterfinals: Masakazu Imanari (134 lbs.) vs. Abel Cullum (138.4 lbs.)
Bantamweight GP Quarterfinals: Rodolfo Marques (134.4 lbs.) vs. Yusup Saadulaev (134 lbs.)
Open-weight: Ikuhisa Minowa (191.8 lbs.) vs. Baru Harn (253.5 lbs.)

Hiroyuki Takaya fended off a stiff challenge from Kazuyuki Miyata to take a split decision win and retained his Featherweight title at Dream: Fight for Japan. Takaya showed excellent take down defense and good striking to get the nod on 2/3 of the judges' cards. Takaya bounces back with the win from his April loss to Roberto Peralta in his Strikeforce debut.

In the final of the Dream bantamweight tournament, Hideo Tokoro defeated Masakazu Imanari by unanimous decision to win the tournament. Imanari pulled guard throughout the fight and Tokoro managed to evade all his submission attempts. The judges felt Tokoro's striking advantage was enough to win the fight.

In other action, Dream light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi held on to his belt by finishing Hiroshi Izumi with a first round TKO. Tatsuya Kawajiri finished Drew Fickett in the first round in a lightweight bout and Tatsuya Mizuno finished Trevor Prangley in a one-round slugfest. 

Full results after the jump.

More Dream Fight for Japan Coverage

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