DREAM planning Featherweight Grand Prix

Hiroyuki Takaya may have let the cat out of the bag that DREAM is planning on a featherweight tournament for 2009.

The WEC featherweight tells Japanese MMA magazine Real Battle Talk in an issue published last week that he's being considered for one of the eight spots for Japanese fighters in the tournament (the other eight spots will be reserved for foreign fighters).

"DREAM is asking me to participate in its featherweight tournament," Takaya says in the interview. "I heard the tournament would be held sometime next year and 16 fighters  would compete against each other."

According to Takaya, the tournament weight limit would be 139 pounds, which may be problematic for featherweights used to competing in the US at 145 pounds or Japanese promotions that typically classifies its featherweight/bantamweights as 143-pounders.

As for Takaya, whose next fight is against Cub Swanson at WEC 37: Torres vs. Tapia on December 3, his WEC contract may get in the way of him participating.

"My contract with the WEC is first priority and I'm not sure whether or not I can take the offer. I heard DREAM was also in contact with Yoshiro Maeda and Masakazu Imanari."