Yoshihiro Akiyama will make his welterweight debut against former number one contender Jake Shields. UFC officials announced the new bout on Monday morning. This fight is the second to be announced for the UFC's return to Japan in February for UF C 144.
This past Friday night at Dream 17 in Japan, a rare submission won a fight for Ikuhisa Minowa in a super-heavyweight bout against Baru Harn. Also known as Minowa-man, this catch-wrestler won his 90th professional fight via a shoulder lock from the scarf hold position.
This stacked card went down at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The main event was a showdown between Shinya Aoki and Rob McCullough which did not disappoint. Other notable fights on the card were Kawajiri vs. Joachim Hansen, Takeshi Inoue vs. Caol Uno and Bibiano Fernandes vs. Takafumi Otsuka.
If the Brazilians are known for their Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Americans their Free-style and Greco-roman wrestling, many North fans would suggest that the grappling style representing Japan is Judo. This is not surprising with fighters such as Yushin Okami and Yoshihiro Akiyama being prominent judo practitioners and main event fighters in the UFC.
The Bantamweight Grand Prix tournament is set to re-invigorate the mma scene in Japan, with notable contenders Masazaku Imanari, Hideo Tokoro , and Bibiano Fernandez competing in the opening rounds of the tournament. A noteworthy new-comer, Rodolfo Marques ( 11-1-0) is also set to make his debut in the Dream ring
