On Sunday morning, DREAM officials announced that former MFC lightweight champ Antonio “Mandingo” McKee (25-4-2) would be the one to face DREAM champ Shinya Aoki (27-5, 1NC) at the end of the month on the DREAM: Fight for Japan card in a non-title bout.
Aoki had been scheduled to meet Willamy Freire, until the Brazilian was forced out due to travel visa problems. DREAM was then in talks with both McKee, and former WEC champ Jamie Varner, but again issues with travel documentation prevented either man from being named Aoki’s opponent until today.
DREAM: Fight for Japan is scheduled to take place on May 29 at the Saitama Super Arena Hall in Saitama, Japan. Aoki vs. McKee is expected to headline the event which also features the opening quarterfinal, and semifinal rounds of DREAM’s 2011 Bantamweight Japan Tournament.
McKee saw a fifteen fight undefeated streak end with his UFC debut against Jacob Volkmann at UFC 125. “Mandingo” lost a close split decision and was subsequently released by the promotion. He had been scheduled to defend his MFC title against Drew Fickett but a training injury forced him out of that fight. The MFC has since booked a title fight for McKee’s belt, which the promotion said he vacated which McKee disputed. Both sides have come to some sort of agreement since then.
Aoki earned his first win on U.S. soil in April, earning a first round submission win over Lyle Beerbohm at the Diaz vs. Daley event in San Diego. That was the Japanese fighters fourth straight mixed martial arts win since his loss to Strikeforce champ Gilbert Melendez in April of last year. Aoki did suffer a devastating knockout on New Years Eve, after facing K-1 kickboxer Yuichiro “Jienotsu” Nagashima in a special rules exhibition bout at the Dynamite!! 2010 event. Aoki was knocked out at 0:04 of the second round after taking a flying knee to the head while shooting in for a takedown.