The March DREAM.13 event is coming together with some major fight announcements being made and some other rumors starting to pick up steam. Chris Nelson of Bloody Elbow with information on the fight announcements:
DREAM.13 Coming Together; Alistair Overeem To Fight?
In the 70kg (154 lbs.) division, former EliteXC lightweight champ and recent Strikeforce signee K.J. Noons (7-2) will see his first MMA action since 2008 when he meets Brazilian Muay Thai specialist Andre “Dida” Amado (6-3-1). Noons has spent the two years since his split with EliteXC in the boxing ring, amassing a respectable 4-1 record in that time (11-2 overall), though he dropped his most high profile match - a unanimous decision loss to James Countryman last March.
Meanwhile, the last man to beat “Dida,” Deep ace Katsunori Kikuno (12-2-2), faces Cage Force champion Kuniyoshi Hironaka (16-6) in a battle of two of Japan’s best lightweights. Kikuno was last seen in Dream’s “white cage” last October, where he was submitted in the second round by Eddie Alvarez despite a strong start. Hironaka has reeled off four straight wins since dropping from welterweight, including one on that same October card against highly-touted Korean prospect Won-Sik Park.
In the second fight of his post-UFC campaign, Pride veteran Ryo Chonan (16-10) will take on Kyokushin practicioner Andrews Nakahara (2-1) at welterweight. In his homecoming match last August in Deep, Chonan came out on top with a decision win over fellow ex-UFC’er Jutaro Nakao. The still-green karate convert Nakahara was scheduled to fight Zelg Galesic in a “DREAM.12” bout which never materialized; the same fight had been rumored for this show.
Finally, Dream’s very own “Super Hulk” champion, Ikuhisa Minowa (44-30-8) looks to extend his three-fight win streak against oversized opponents when he meets heavyweight also-ran Jimmy “The Titan” Ambriz (14-12-1).
Japanese MMA site Nightmare of Battle adds the following:
Talking with the press after todays announcement, DREAM EP Sasahara said that there will be 3-4 additional fights to complete the DREAM.13 card. Two of the fights will be in heavier weight classes and one will be a DREAM vs. Strikeforce fight (Dida vs. Noons is the other one with this theme). These fights and the possible arrival of a big-shot Fedor-class Heavyweight (from Strikeforce?) are planned to be announced next week.
It doesn’t seem like that heavyweight will be Fedor, but the only other name on that level for the Japanese scene is probably Alistair Overeem. Given Overeem’s history of fighting in Japan it would make sense if we were to see him take a fight for DREAM in March. Of course, this would remove all chance of seeing him compete on the upcoming Strikeforce show, so chalk one more show up as not involving the Strikeforce heavyweight champion.
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