Filed under: DREAM, News, Japan
Another champion has been added to DREAM’s upcoming event as DREAM welterweight champion and 2009 Welterweight GP champion Marius Zaromskis will rematch former pound-for-pound great Hayato “Mach” Sakurai in a non-title bout at Fight for Japan: DREAM 2011 Bantamweight Japan Tournament Final.
Prior to their first meeting during the 2009 Welterweight GP, Sakurai had struggled badly to cut the required weight and questions were raised as to his readiness and commitment to fighting. During the bout however, Sakurai traded evenly with Zaromskis early but was eventually on the receiving end of the Lithuanian’s signature head kick and was pounded out for the first round stoppage.
Since then, although the reigning champion Zaromskis has managed to pick up two more wins in Japan and keep his belt but his trips to America have been disastrous, going 0-3 with one no contest. Sakurai has been even more troubled since their first meeting as the knockout loss was the start of an 0-4 slide that has yet to be broken.
The full card after the break.
DREAM – Fight For Japan: 2011 Bantamweight Japan Tournament Final
July 16 at Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, Japan
DREAM Light Heavyweight Championship
Gegard Mousasi vs. Hiroshi Izumi
DREAM Featherweight Championship
Hiroyuki Takaya vs. Kazuyuki Miyata
Bantamweight Japan Tournament Final
Masakazu Imanari vs. Hideo Tokoro
Bantamweight Japan Tournament Third Place
Keisuke Fujiwara vs. Kenji Osawa
Marius Zaromskis vs. Hayato “Mach” Sakurai
Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Willamy Freire
Todd Duffee vs. Nick Gaston
Eiji Mitsuoka vs. Bruno Carvalho