Originally posted by: shaun00
Date: April 23, 2011 at 10:57 PM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/dream-17-matchups-set-for-2011-bantamweight-grand-prix.37961/
MMA is not dead in Japan, at least not for now. Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG) recently announced an eight man 2011 Dream Bantamweight Grand Prix set to take place on May 29th. The event, Dream 17, will be held in the famous Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. There are no broadcast plans in place at this time but hopefully HDNet or another suitor will be able to secure an agreement soon.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/v/KPLM4ehDQIg[/youtube]
The opening round matches are:
Yoshiro Maeda (28-9-2) vs. Hideo Tokoro (27-23-1)
Darren Uyenoyama (6-3) vs. Atsushi Yamamoto (14-6-1)
Kenji Osawa (16-9-2) vs. Takafumi Otsuka (11-7-1)
Keisuke Fujiwara (11-2-4) vs. Masakazu Imanari (21-8-2)
The first and second rounds will both take place on this card with the finals to take place in July. Also, the top 3 fighters from this tournament are promised to compete in a World Bantamweight Grand Prix which could happen later this year. It’s rumored that Hellboy Hansen, Shinya Aoki, and Caol Uno, among others, will be featured on the card in non-tournament bouts.
The event has being nicknamed “Fight for Japan!” as promoters and fighters are hoping to raise funds for victims suffering from earthquake and tsunami damages in their homeland. This is a very noble but difficult goal considering that FEG has suffered financial struggles of their own long before the havoc created by Mother Nature. In reference to these issues FEG executive Sadaharu Tanikawa had previously stated “The current course is that FEG will die” and “If many investments from overseas do not come in we can’t survive.” With ratings and attendance dwindling FEG partnered with PUJI Capital, an investment banking group, trying to secure the capital needed to continue holding events. Results of this partnership aren’t very clear so far as it’s been announced that this event will be scaled down, estimating 7,000 attendance. The Super Arena has the potential to hold 37,000.
It’s been a sad state of affairs for JMMA lately, and Japan as a whole. But this tournament has the potential to change some of that. It offers up some good matchups and while it’s doubtful they’ll be able to raise a significant amount of money to aid their countrymen, or make much of a profit, hopefully Dream 17 will ignite a revival in the JMMA scene. The tournament may lure potential investors and new broadcasting deals which could result in more Japanese events in the long run. A resurgence of interest in JMMA would be a great economic blessing for the country and its native fighters. On the other hand, if this event is lackluster or controversial in any way it could spell instant doom for JMMA, at least for the foreseeable future.
There’s a lot more on the line here than a Bantamweight title and they know it. Fight for Japan guys, fight your asses off.
http://ironforgesiron.com/2011/04/fight-for-japan/
