Filed under: DREAM
The best featherweights fighting in Japanese MMA these days are Dream champion Bibiano Fernandes and Sengoku champion Marlon Sandro. But many of the best of the rest were in the ring Saturday at Dream 16, a fight card that featured five featherweight bouts.
Of the 10 featherweight fighters in action, the best of the bunch was Michihiro Omigawa, who beat the American Cole Escovedo with a straight arm bar two and a half minutes into the first round. The submission appeared to break Escovedo’s arm and showed once again that Omigawa is one of the truly elite fighters in the 145-pound and under class. Omigawa has been one of the sport’s most active fighters over the last couple of years, fighting seven times in 2009 and three so far this year. He’s also been one of the best, climbing up the featherweight rankings by going 8-1-1 since the start of 2009.