Koichiro Matsumoto vs. 'Lion' Takeshi Added to DREAM 'Fight for Japan'

Another featherweight contest was added to DREAM's first event of 2011 as event producer Keiichi Sasahara revealed an intriguing battle of counter strikers on Monday. Reigning Deep featherweight champion Koichiro Matsumoto has agreed to square off with former Shooto 143-pound champion "Lion" Takeshi Inoue.

A bout between DREAM lightweight ace Shinya Aoki and former WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner is being targeted, but sources have indicated that no bout agreement has been signed yet and negotiations may have hit a standstill. UFC veterans Antonio McKee and Willamy Freire were also slated to face Aoki but those bouts also fell through.

The May 29 "Fight for Japan" charity event will be a scaled down version of a regular DREAM event due to power shortages and financial issues following the March 11 Japanese earthquake. The current card for DREAM's first show of 2011 is after the break.

DREAM "Fight for Japan" - May 29, 2011 at Saitama Super Arena, Japan

Joachim Hansen vs. Mitsuhiro Ishida
"Lion" Takeshi Inoue vs. Koichiro Matsumoto
Caol Uno vs. Akiyo Nishiura
Katsunori Kikuno vs. Daisuke Nakamura

Bantamweight Grand Prix Quarterfinals:
Masakazu Imanari vs. Keisuke Fujiwara
Hideo Tokoro vs. Yoshiro Maeda
Kenji Osawa vs. Takafumi Otsuka
Darren Uyenoyama vs. Atsushi Yamamoto

Bantamweight Grand Prix Semifinals:
Masakazu Imanari/Keisuke Fujiwara vs Hideo Tokoro/Yoshiro Maeda
Kenji Osawa/Takafumi Otsuka vs. Darren Uyenoyama/Atsushi Yamamoto

Participating:
Shinya Aoki