Countdown to Dream

Well, it has almost arrived and I'm a little bit excited at this point. I've been waiting for Aoki vs. JZ for a long time and think that if both of these guys really show up this could be an FOTY candidate.

My picks:

Gesias "JZ" Calvancanti vs. Shinya "Tobukan Judan" Aoki

I think that this fight will be a war. I originally picked Aoki by early submission after getting caught with a punch, because I didn't think that highly of Aoki's chin or JZ's submission defense, but I think that this fight will show an exciting round and a half or so before the Tobukan Judo ends the match.

My Pick: Aoki via submission (Triangle choke), Round 2

Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Kultar Gill

This fight is an easy pick, as Gill is a serious no-name, but it will be nice to see the return of Tatsuya Kawajiri and see him catch a big win.

My pick: Kawajiri by TKO, Round 1

Kazuyuki Miyata vs. Luiz Firmino

I'm going with Miyata in a war. I think that the Japanese will expect him to win, and I agree with that, but it will be a hard fought decision victory. I don't think that it will be controversial, but it may very well go back and forth before going to the judges.

My pick: Miyata by Unanimous Decision

Joachim Hansen vs. Kotetsu Boku

I've been waiting for Hansen's return for a while now, and I think that he's got the power and the submission skills to finish a guy like Boku, who he completely outclasses, wherever he wants. Personally, I think he'll take this standing up and early, because he wants to show that he's back and dangerous.

My pick: Hansen via TKO, Round 1

Andre "Dida" Amade vs. Eddie Alvarez

Again, this is a close fight for me to look at. I like Dida, and I think that Alvarez is an interesting prospect. I think this one could end alot of ways, both guys have solid outs and will work their asses off to show that they deserve to say in this organization. Still, I see Dida taking this one with the help of the judges.

My pick: Amade by Unanimous Decision

Mitsuhiro Ishida vs. Jung Bu-Kung

Ishida's a heavy favorite, and when the odds are this heavy I rarely bet against the masses. Ishida is a great fighter with a long history, and his opponent is a relative newcomer. I think experience and raw skill will prevail in this fight and Bu-Kyung will get demolished.

My pick: Ishida by TKO, Round 1

Katsuhiko Nagata vs. Artur Oumakhanov

I've picked this fight based on the quality of opposition, not necessarily on the record, which would give a heavy favoritism to the Russian. I'm taking Nagata in this fight because, despite being barely over .500, he's only lost to two of the better guys over seas right now, one of whom has a thirty pound advantage on him (Yoshihiro Akiyama). While I don't expect Nagata to put on a huge show, I think that he's going to pull it out with the judges.

My pick: Nagata via Unanimous Decision.

Hayato "Mach" Sakurai vs. Hidetaka Monma

Sakurai is one of the most loved fighters in Japan, and his opponent is a nobody. Sakurai has power and experience and raw athleticism, not to mention a solid amount of skill, and his opponent is simply not of the same caliber and, honestly, was probably hand selected by DREAM to lose this fight. That's not to say Monma can't make it interesting (his submission skills earned him a submission win over UFC veteran Jesse Liaudin), but at the end of the day, I think that Sakurai is going to smash him into the canvas.

My pick: Sakurai by TKO, Round 1

Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic vs. Tatsuya Mizuno

CroCop is back where he's comfortable (the ring) and fighting a guy that nobody's heard of. After looking into Mizuno to see if he had the potential for a big come from behind upset, my conclusion is that he's going to get flattened.

My pick: CroCop by KO (kick), Round 1

Should be a fun event, and I'm hoping that the production value is as good as World Victory Road so that we can see a good return to the way Japanese MMA once was. We can only hope.