Many websites are pointing to former WEC lightweight champ Jamie Varner as the next opponent of DREAM champ Shinya Aoki for the upcoming DREAM: Fight for Japan event.
MMA-Japan.com says it’s confirmed the with Aoki himself that he’s said he’ll be fighting Varner at the end of the month.
But MMAWeekly.com is saying they spoke to Varner’s […]
Many websites are pointing to former WEC lightweight champ Jamie Varner as the next opponent of DREAM champ Shinya Aoki for the upcoming DREAM: Fight for Japan event.
MMA-Japan.com says it’s confirmed the with Aoki himself that he’s said he’ll be fighting Varner at the end of the month.
But MMAWeekly.com is saying they spoke to Varner’s management, KO Reps, as of Saturday night confirming with them that nothing has been signed and “the bout is looking less and less likely to happen.”
So it may very well be true that Aoki is under the impression that he’s to face Varner in Japan, but from this side of the Pacific it doesn’t appear that the fight will happen.
Another wrench that could be a huge factor in getting Varner to Japan is an upcoming XFO 39 bout on May 13 in Illonois, any injury would certainly prevent him from fighting in Japan.
DREAM: Fight for Japan is scheduled to be held on May 29, 2011 at the Saitama Super Arena Hall in Saitama, Japan. The event features a Bantamweight Japan Grand Prix Tournament, with the finalists meeting in July. The top three fightes will go on to compete in a World Grand Prix this fall.
Sherdog.com is reporting that former WEC Lightweight champion Jamie Varner is in talks to face Dream Lightweight champion Shinya Aoki at Dream 17.Aoki was set to face Brazilian fighter Williamy Freire, but visa problems are preventing the 23-…
Sherdog.com is reporting that former WEC Lightweight champion Jamie Varner is in talks to face Dream Lightweight champion Shinya Aoki at Dream 17.
Aoki was set to face Brazilian fighter Williamy Freire, but visa problems are preventing the 23-year-old from fighting on the card.
The Dream champion is riding a four-fight win streak, with his latest victory coming via a first-round neck crank submission against Lyle Beerbohm. That was Aoki’s first victory under the Strikeforce banner and his first win in the United States.
Varner has been on a bit of a skid as of late, having been dropped from the Zuffa organization after going 0-3-1 in his last four fights—his latest defeats include a title loss to Ben Henderson at WEC 46 and a submission loss to Shane Roller at the WEC’s last event before the merger with the UFC last December.
The former WEC champion is set to face Tyler Combs at XFO 39 next Friday, only a few weeks before the proposed bout with Aoki.
MFC lightweight champion Antonio McKee was in discussions to replace Freire, but the 41-year-old appears to be off the card.
Dream 17 is scheduled for May 29th and includes the promotion’s first ever tournament at bantamweight. This is also the first event after the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit the country only a few months ago.
Reports surfaced on Friday that former MFC lightweight champ Antonio McKee was in negotiations with DREAM to face lightweight champ Shinya Aoki (27-5, 1NC) at the end of the month in Japan. Aoki’s original opponent, Willamy Freire was forced out of the bout due to visa issues.
Now Sherdog.com is reporting that former WEC champ […]
Reports surfaced on Friday that former MFC lightweight champ Antonio McKee was in negotiations with DREAM to face lightweight champ Shinya Aoki (27-5, 1NC) at the end of the month in Japan. Aoki’s original opponent, Willamy Freire was forced out of the bout due to visa issues.
Now Sherdog.com is reporting that former WEC champ Jamie Varner (16-5-1) is also in negotiations with the Japanese promotion to face it’s champ at the end of the month at DREAM.17. The site also reports that negotiations with McKee were ended after finding “another replacement”, presumably Varner.
The upcoming DREAM.17: Fight for Japan event takes place on May 29 at the Saitama Super Arena Hall in Saitama, Japan. The event features the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds of DREAM’s Japan Bantamweight Grand Prix tournament. The final and third place bouts will take place in July, with the top three fighters moving on to a planned World Bantamweight Grand Prix tournament later this fall.
Varner is currently scheduled to fight on an upcoming Xtreme Fighting Organization event on May 13 in Illinois, so it’s unclear how this may effect a bout with Aoki. The former WEC lightweight champ hasn’t won a fight in his last four bouts, having last fought in December at WEC 53. He was submitted by Shane Roller at the final WEC show, and was released by Zuffa. That span also includes a decision loss to Donald Cerrone, a draw against Kamal Shalorus, and a submission loss to Ben Henderson.
With opponent Willamy Freire having visa problems, and therefore unable to travel to Japan, the DREAM promotion appears to be looking at Antonio “Mandingo” McKee (25-4-2) as a replacement.
If McKee can secure the proper documentation to fight in Japan at the end of the month, then he’ll take on DREAM lightweight champ Shinya […]
With opponent Willamy Freire having visa problems, and therefore unable to travel to Japan, the DREAM promotion appears to be looking at Antonio “Mandingo” McKee (25-4-2) as a replacement.
If McKee can secure the proper documentation to fight in Japan at the end of the month, then he’ll take on DREAM lightweight champ Shinya Aoki (27-5, 1NC) at the upcoming DREAM.17: Fight for Japanevent.
MMAWeekly.com is reporting that Aoki and McKee have both verbally agreed to the fight, but before anything is signed McKee must renew his passport and secure the proper visa to fight in Japan.
DREAM.17: Fight for Japan is scheduled to take place on May 29 at the Saitama Super Arena Hall in Saitama, Japan. The event is highlighted by the opening round, and semifinals, of DREAM’s 2011 Bantamweight Japanese Grand Prix tournament. The final, and third place bout, will take place at a later date in July, with the top three fighters advancing to the DREAM World Bantamweight Grand Prix tournament which takes place sometime this fall.
Aoki is coming off his first victory on U.S. soil by submitting Lyle Beerbohm at last month’s Strikeforce San Diego event. That was the DREAM champ’s fourth straight mma victory, having earned the other wins in Japan under the DEEP and DREAM banners. Those wins, however, were not Aoki’s last fight before the Strikeforce show, having faced K-1 kickboxer Yuichiro “Jienotsu” Nagashima in a special rules exhibition bout at the Dynamite!! 2010 event on New Year’s Eve. Aoki was knocked out in the second round at 0:04 seconds after taking a knee to the face while shooting for a takedown.
McKee’s last fight was on January 1 in his UFC debut against Jacob Volkmann. “Mandingo” would lose a split decision at the UFC 125 event and was subsequently cut by the promotion. The loss was the first in almost eight years for McKee, who had gone undefeated in fifteen fights. He was then scheduled to defend the MFC lightweight title against Drew Fickett last February, but was forced to withdraw due to injury. A recent announcement by the MFC, has pit Fickett against UFC vet Hermes Franca for the lightweight title, which the promotion says McKee vacated.
(Aoki is not impressed by DREAM’s choices of opponents)
DREAM lightweight champion Shinya Aoki will reportedly take on either former World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight champion Jamie Varner or former Maximum Fighting Championship lightweight champion Antonio McKee at DREAM’s “Fight for Japan” disaster relief benefit show on May 29 in Tokyo.
According to MMAWeekly, Aoki’s original opponent, UFC and Shooto veteran Williamy Freire, was unable to secure a visa to fight in Japan, so the promotion offered the bout to McKee, who was inexplicably stripped of his MFC belt earlier this month and learned of the news from a press release put out by the Edmonton, Alberta-based promotion announcing that Drew Fickett and Hermes Franca would be competing in its next show for “Mandingo’s” strap. His opportunity to contend for DREAM gold, however has hit a snag as he too does not have a visa to fight in Asia. As a precaution, DREAM has now offered Varner the bout, but it is unclear at this point which of the two former champions will be taking on Aoki in three weeks.
(Aoki is not impressed by DREAM’s choices of opponents)
DREAM lightweight champion Shinya Aoki will reportedly take on either former World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight champion Jamie Varner or former Maximum Fighting Championship lightweight champion Antonio McKee at DREAM’s “Fight for Japan” disaster relief benefit show on May 29 in Tokyo.
According to MMAWeekly, Aoki’s original opponent, UFC and Shooto veteran Williamy Freire, was unable to secure a visa to fight in Japan, so the promotion offered the bout to McKee, who was inexplicably stripped of his MFC belt earlier this month and learned of the news from a press release put out by the Edmonton, Alberta-based promotion announcing that Drew Fickett and Hermes Franca would be competing in its next show for “Mandingo’s” strap. His opportunity to contend for DREAM gold, however has hit a snag as he too does not have a visa to fight in Asia. As a precaution, DREAM has now offered Varner the bout, but it is unclear at this point which of the two former champions will be taking on Aoki in three weeks.
Short notice bouts are nothing new for FEG-owned promotions or their Japanese counterparts. In December the promotion brought in Todd Duffee to face Alistair Overeem a few days prior to its K-1 NYE Dynamite! show. Strangely, Overeem won the DREAM interim heavyweight title for taking out the unmatched American, who had never fought for the promotion before.
Fighters have complained for years that despite signing contracts months in advance of events, often they do not find out who they are fighting until one or two weeks out from the bout. Some fighters have suggested that they have been intentionally left in the dark about whom they will be facing to put them at a disadvantage, especially when facing Japanese opponents.
Don’t be surprised if a third fighter is named as Aoki’s official opponent.
The only thing that appeared to be in jeopardy in the main event of the great UFC 129 fight card was George St. Pierre’s consecutive round streak. But as that came to an end, St. Pierre thoroughly and definitively dispatched No. 1 contender Jake …
The only thing that appeared to be in jeopardy in the main event of the great UFC 129 fight card was George St. Pierre’s consecutive round streak. But as that came to an end, St. Pierre thoroughly and definitively dispatched No. 1 contender Jake Shields to retain his UFC welterweight title, leaving only one possible […]
Many websites are pointing to former WEC lightweight champ Jamie Varner as the next opponent of DREAM champ Shinya Aoki for the upcoming DREAM: Fight for Japan event.
