Bottom line? There were too many to go into in this introduction. So, let's get things started as only MMAFighting.com can.
The night started off with a bout between Katsuhiko Nagata and Shinya Aoki as part of the lightweight tournament. Aoki started the fight off with some efficient kicks before successfully taking Nagata down. However, soon after Nagata managed to get to his feet.
It was short lived, however, as Aoki threw him to the ground again, landing in side mount. Eventually, he moved to the mount position where he executed some mild ground and pound for several minutes. At around the five minute mark, however, Aoki executed an unbelievably rare move?a gogoplata from the top position, that ended up winning him the fight.
This guy is amazing on the ground.
Shinya Aoki wins via first round submission.
Next up, Tae Hyun Lee, a former Korean Sumo wrestler, took on Alistair Overeem. Early on here, a low kick by Overeem landed. However, it looked liked he hurt his leg with the kick.
Apparently not very bad, though.
A hard left- right combination by Overeem was followed up by a terrific knee that floored Lee. It was all over.
Alistair Overeem wins via KO in round one.
Next up was a match between Alavutdin Gadzhiyev and Ralek Gracie, a fight that was put together on somewhat short notice. Gracie started things off with a failed takedown attempt. Though he then hit home with a nice right and looked for another takedown, Gadzhiyev ended up on top. From there, Gracie got out of trouble but not before sustaining some shots from the heavy handed Gadzhiyev.
Gadzhiyev is doing a lot of dancing, by the way.
Quickly, Gracie took his opponent down and immediately moved to the mount position. From there, it was only a matter of time before the man with the famous name pulled off the armbar.
A rather impressive showing by Ralek, considering his lack of MMA experience.
Ralek Gracie wins via armbar in the first round.
Next up was a fight between Darren Uyenoyama and Hideo Tokoro. In sum, this was a very entertaining bout.
The two fighters traded shots early on until Tokoro connected with an awesome knee that sent Uyenoyama to the canvas. From there, the two changed positions a gazillion times in rapid succession, with Tokoro almost pulling off an armbar. That said, Uyenoyama eventually gained the top position and started in with some strong ground and pound.
It got stronger, by the way, after Uyenoyama connected with a terrific punch from the top and followed that up on their feet with an awesome flurry. But Tokoro showed his toughness, coming back from the furious assault to do some ground work with his opponent soon after.
Eventually, Tokoro got to his feet, landed a good left, and then followed that up with a flurry of punches that stunned Uyenoyama. Still, Uyenoyama persevered through the assault, even if he was taken down for his efforts. Then he got to his feet, only to sustain a terrible knee to the face. From there, Tokoro pounded on him unmercifully for a significant length of time.
Still, somehow Uyenoyama managed to persevere through the round. Two tough guys here, folks.
Early on in the second, Uyenoyama took Tokoro down. However, Tokoro landed a very hard up kick on his opponent while he was standing over him. For some reason, right after that the referee stood them up.
Not understanding that move at all. There was a lot of action.
Next, Tokoro managed a takedown and started looking for a submission. However, Uyenoyama got to his feet.
What a fight!
From there, Umenoyama landed a hard high kick. Then the two clinched and Umenoyama ended up on top defending submissions. Then came the ground and pound. Though Tokoro got up again, Umenoyama once again took him down and started looking to improve his position and pound away.
When the bell came you almost wanted to yell, 'we want more!'
Umenoyama controlled the fight at times, but Tokoro came closer to stopping the fight more than his adversary did.
Hideo Tokoro wins via unanimous decision in a great fight.
Next up was the first middleweight tourney match between Gegard Mousasi and Dong Sik Yoon.
Yoon took Mousasi down early. However, Mousasi impressively got up and to his feet rather easily, clinched up with Yoon, and then started landing some knees to the back of his opponent's legs. The referee separated the two and right off the bat following that, Mousasi landed a high kick. Then he sprawled out of a takedown attempt, landed a kick to the head, and then a knee.
Mousasi is looking good here.
For the majority of the rest of the round, Mousasi devastated his opponent with strong low kicks, knees, and a nice sprawl. In fact, even on the ground he dominated the action with excellent control and powerful ground and pound action. However, past the three minute mark Yoon took his opponent's back in a fast change of events.
And then Yoon started looking for the armbar. In fact, it was looking bad for Mousasi. But then somehow he managed to turn out of the move and gain a superior position.
Then the bell. This is an excellent fight thus far.
Mousasi ended up on top on the ground early in the second. From there, he took Yoon's back. Why he's hanging around on the ground, however, is kind of hard to understand. Regardless, he continually pounded away at Yoon's head for the rest of the stanza.
Gegard Mousasi wins via unanimous decision.
Next up was another middleweight tourney fight between Zelg Galesic and Taiei Kin. These two came out very aggressively, with both fighters immediately going to the clinch. That said, nothing much happened in there so the referee separated them.
Then came a nice high kick by Galesic. Kin looked to take his opponent down, but Galesic turned the tide on him and threw him. Then, in a gruesome scene, Kin tried to stop himself from hitting the canvas and his arm literally bent backwards.
Thus, the fight was over via TKO. Still, Kin was tough enough to laugh when it was all over despite having almost certainly sustained a broken arm.
Zelg Galesic wins via TKO in round one.
Next up was possibly the most anticipated fight of the night when Jason Miller took on Ronaldo Souza. The fight started with some heavy duty scrambling. For a moment, Miller found himself on top on the ground but then Souza got up and pressed him into the corner of the ring. Then Souza tripped Miller to the canvas.
Eventually, Souza took side control and then mount before Miller turned him over. Souza looked for an ankle lock unsuccessfully as Miller gave the referee a thumbs up. Then Miller escaped, got to his feet, and landed some nice punches before Souza pushed him into the corner again.
The two were separated. Souza landed a nice right and then took Miller down. From there, he mounted Miller but once again Mayhem turned him over. However, Souza once again looked for an ankle lock, but Miller escaped.
Then Souza took his opponent's back. From there, he looked for the rear naked choke, yet Miller somehow escaped. Then Souza mounted his adversary and then took his back again.
Miller then somehow found his way to the top position again, this time landing some ground and pound for a significant length of time. However, Souza eventually got to his feet. Miller tried a guillotine unsuccessfully. Then the bell.
That was one awesome round.
The second started off with the two trading some shots rather evenly. About halfway through the stanza, Miller really started landing punches in bunches. Then he started connecting with some kicks. Then Souza shot in for a takedown; Miller countered by going for a guillotine while falling to the ground. Souza easily escaped, finding himself on top.
After some scrambling, Souza mounted Miller and began looking for the choke from his back to no avail. Miller ended up on top after escaping.
Who wins? Probably Souza due to takedowns and submission attempts, but this was an awesome fight.
Ronaldo Souza wins via unanimous decision.
Then came the final middleweight tourney fight of the night: Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Melvin Manhoef. The first round started off with a very hard high kick by Manhoef that floored Sakuraba. From there, Manhoef followed his opponent to the canvas where he completely obliterated him with a furious punching assault.
Melvin Manhoef wins via TKO in round one.
In the end, DREAM 4 delivered big time. There were two outstanding bouts in Ronaldo Souza vs. Jason Miller and Darren Umenoyama vs. Hideo Tokoro. Further, there were some lightning fast and fun stoppages delivered by Shinya Aoki, Alistair Overeem, and Melvin Manhoef.
Take a gander at this one if you get the chance, and Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there.
DREAM 4 Final Results
-Melvin Manhoef def. Kazushi Sakuraba by TKO (Strikes) at 1:50, R1
-Ronaldo Souza def. Jason Miller by Unanimous Decision, R2
-Zelg Galesic def. Taei Kin by TKO (Injury) at 1:05, R1
-Gegard Mousasi def. Dong Sik Yoon by Unanimous Decision, R2
-Hideo Tokoro def. Darren Uyenoyama by Unanimous Decision, R2
-Ralek Gracie def. Alavutdin Gadzhiev by Submission (Armbar) at 3:02, R1
-Alistair Overeem def. Tae Hyun Lee by KO at 0:36, R1
-Shinya Aoki def. Katsuhiko Nagata by Submission (Gogoplata) at 5:12, R1
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