DREAM event producer Keiichi Sasahara and FEG executive Sadaharu Tanigawa today formally announced "FieLDS Dynamite!! 2009" for December 31st. Tanigawa said he expects nearly 40,000 fans to pack Saitama Super Arena this New Year's Eve, and therefore will have to make "an all-star show." Dynamite!! 2009 December 31, 2009 Saitama Super Arena Saitama, Japan Rumored Fights Main Event - K-1 Rules Masato vs. Andy Souwer III "Masato’s fight is currently the plan for main event of the night. However, it isn’t sure that the fight will be against this years MAX champion. A potential opponent is also Andy Souwer (winning the MAX GP or not), who Masato has never beaten in K-1." - Nightmare of Battle DREAM Lightweight Title Fight Shinya Aoki (22-4, 1 NC / champion) vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri (25-5-2) Super Hulk Tournament Finals Ikuhisa Minowa (43-30-8) vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (7-4) Rumored Participants Shinya Aoki Badr Hari Tatsuya Kawajiri Jerome Le Banner Alistair Overeem Kazushi Sakuraba Hayato "Mach" Sakurai Tim Sylvia Kiyoshi Tamura Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto
For the first time, K-1 will announce the Final 16 pairings for the 2009 World Grand Prix on its official website tomorrow at 3PM Tokyo local time (2 AM ET / 11 PM PT). Participants Remy Bonjasky, Badr Hari, Errol Zimmerman, Peter Aerts, Jerome Le Banner, Ruslan Karaev, Ewerton Teixeira, Semmy Schilt, Keijiro "Kyotaro" Maeda, Zabit Samedov, Singh "Heart" Jaideep, Daniel Ghita, Musashi, Alistair Overeem, Melvin Manhoef Rumored Matches Melvin Manhoef vs. Remy Bonjasky Musashi vs. Ewerton Texeira Alistair Overeem vs. Peter Aerts Daniel Ghita vs. Semmy Schilt
"MMA fighter 'KID' Yamamoto got new ink today at TATTOO SOUL. Those 2 japanese characters express his own gym KRAZY BEE. He couldn't win at last K-1 but he will be back to the top soon!!! Please support him." - Akilla a.k.a. Horiyamato at TATTOO SOUL Shooto Pacific welterweight title contender Kotetsu Boku recently had some work done as well.
K-1 fighter Shingo Garyu was released without charge after being arrested in the early morning of May 23rd for possession of 0.016 grams of marijuana. Garyu issued a statement of apology today, effectively announcing his retirement from kickboxing and training. Garyu's last fight was a decision win over In Jin Chi at K-1 MAX Korea in March.