Dream streamed their Bantamweight Grand Prix bracket drawing this morning on Youtube, which resulted in the following matchups for the first round on May 29th: Darren Uyenoyama vs Atsushi Yamamoto Yoshiro Maeda vs Hideo Tokoro Masakazu Imanari vs Keisuke Fujiwara Kenji Osawa vs Takafumi Otsuka In other news, Tatame is reporting that Bibiano Fernandes is set to compete in the Dream World Bantamweight Grand Prix (the top 3 finishers in the Japan GP will compete as well), which will begin on September 25th. - image via GBring.com
Nearly six months after his fight with Joachim Hansen at DREAM.13, Bibiano Fernandes tells Tatame he's finally been paid by the Japanese promoter. The featherweight champion also says that DREAM once again contacted him to fight on their September 25 show after payment was received - possibly in a rematch with Hiroyuki Takaya - but Fernandes declined, citing inadequate time to prepare for the bout. Asked for his opinion on DREAM's ongoing problems with paying fighters, Fernandes told Guilherme Cruz the following: "Damn, man... I'm gonna be honest with you: if I ever stop fighting in Japan, I won't fight for another event because I have no interest. My plan is jiu-jitsu, I love jiu-jitsu. Whatever I can do to help jiu-jitsu, I'm gonna do. DREAM is a great event, but they're going through a difficult situation there, I don't know what's happening... I don't know if I would fight in the United States, because at my weight... they don't pay decently." Photo from Bibiano Fernandes, via Tatame.
DREAM lightweight champion Shinya Aoki will meet PRIDE and UFC veteran Marcus "Maximus" Aurelio at DREAM.16 on September 25, the promotion announced today. Also added to the card were fan favorites Joachim "Hellboy" Hansen and Hideo Tokoro.
Dominick Cruz isn't only the WEC's bantamweight champion, he's MMA For Real's No. 1 bantamweight in the world.
#1 Dominic Cruz ably defended his WEC belt against #3 Joseph Benavidez at WEC 50.
#1 Jose Aldo will defend his WEC title against #2 Manny Gamburyan at WEC 51 in September.
Dream featherweight champion Bibiano "The Flash" Fernandes says that the Japanese promotion still hasn't paid him for a bout which took place five months ago. Fernandes has turned down a proposed September bout until he is fully compensated.
Dream still hasn't paid Bibiano Fernandes for his fight with Joachim Hansen 5 months ago. HT: Tatame
