(photo via FEG/DREAM)
On Sunday night, during the DREAM: Fight for Japan, officials from the Japanese promotion announced two title bouts for the upcoming July event.
The event, labelled DREAM.17, will take place on July 16 at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo and will feature the first light heavyweight title defense by Gegard Mousasi (30-3-2) against Judo Olympic Silver medalist Hiroshi Izumi (4-1). Featherweight champ Hiroyuki Takaya (15-9-1) will defend his belt against Kazuyuki Miyata (11-7).
Also announced for the card, will be a lightweight clash between Tatsuya Kawajiri (27-7-2), who returns to Japan after a disappointing loss to Strikeforce champ Gilbert Melendez, and former Shooto champ/UFC vet Willamy ‘Chiquerim’ Freire (18-4).
With the conclusion of Sunday’s Japan Bantamweight Grand Prix semi-final bouts, the tournament finals and third round matches will also be added to the DREAM.17 event. DEEP champ Masakazu Imanari (23-8-2) faces Hideo Tokoro (29-23-1) in the final, while Atsushi Yamamoto (15-7-1) takes on Kenji Osawa (17-10-2) for third place. The top three will move on to compete in the World GP Bantamweight tournament sometime this fall.
Mousasi will enter the bout after fighting Keith Jardine to a draw last April on the Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley bout, and is 2-1-1 in his last four fights. Izumi, who captured Judo Silver at the 2004 Olympics, has won four straight and last competed at the Dynamite!! 2010 event in Japan, earning a third round TKO victory over Ikuhisa Minowa.
Takaya lost his last fight to American Robert Peralta at the Diaz vs. Daley show, ending a three fight win streak. He captured the DREAM featherweight title in his match before at the Dynamite!! 2010 event after earning a unanimous decision over Bibiano Fernandes. His opponent, Miyata has found more success as a featherweight, winning his last six fights, including a decision victory over Caol Uno at the Dynamite show.
Props to Sherdog.com for the update from Japan