Filed under: DREAM, News, Japan
Strikeforce veteran Darren Uyenoyama has been forced out of his May 29 DREAM bantamweight grand prix bout with Atsushi Yamamoto due to a metacarpal fracture in his right hand.
DREAM Keiichi Sasahara delivered the news of Uyenoyama’s withdrawal on Wednesday, stating that the San Francisco-based grappler first injured his hand in his September 2009 demolition of then-Shooto champion Shuichiro Katsumura. The hand was thought to be healed but Uyenoyama re-fractured the bone during a training session on Monday.
Coming in on four days notice will be Seichi Ikemoto pupil and DREAM newcomer Yusaku Nakamura. The Osaka-based striker racked up an 8-1 record in the amateur ranks before turning pro in 2010 and since then Nakamura has gone undefeated in his professional career. His fists have scored him three consecutive knockouts thus far, his most recent a second-round stoppage of the much more experienced Isao Terada at Deep 50.
DREAM “Fight for Japan” – May 29, 2011 at Saitama Super Arena, Japan
Shinya Aoki vs. Rich Clementi
Joachim Hansen vs. Mitsuhiro Ishida
“Lion” Takeshi Inoue vs. Koichiro Matsumoto
Caol Uno vs. Akiyo Nishiura
Katsunori Kikuno vs. Daisuke Nakamura
Bantamweight Grand Prix Quarterfinals:
Masakazu Imanari vs. Keisuke Fujiwara
Hideo Tokoro vs. Yoshiro Maeda
Kenji Osawa vs. Takafumi Otsuka
Yusaku Nakamura vs. Atsushi Yamamoto
Bantamweight Grand Prix Semifinals:
Masakazu Imanari/Keisuke Fujiwara vs Hideo Tokoro/Yoshiro Maeda
Kenji Osawa/Takafumi Otsuka vs. Yusaku Nakamura/Atsushi Yamamoto