The July 16 "DREAM: Japan GP Final" event has undergone a couple changes.
UFC vet Drew Fickett (41-14 MMA, 0-0 DREAM) has replaced injured lightweight Willamy "Chiquerim" Freire (17-4 MMA, 0-0 DREAM) in a fight with Tatsuya Kawajiri (27-7-2 MMA, 7-1 DREAM). Additionally, Trevor Prangley (23-7-1 MMA, 0-0 DREAM) and Tatsuya Mizuno (8-7 MMA, 1-3 DREAM) have agreed to a light-heavyweight bout.
Officials today announced the additions.
"DREAM: Japan GP Final" takes place at Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo. No North American broadcast plans have been announced for the event (officially dubbed "Fight for Japan: DREAM Japan GP Final – 2011 Bantamweight Japan Tournament Final").
DREAM officials announced that Freire suffered a hand injury with potentially torn ligaments.
His replacement, Fickett, makes his DREAM debut while looking to bounce back from a June MFC loss to Brian Cobb. The TKO defeat snapped Fickett's five-fight win streak, which followed a 1-7 skid he suffered from 2008-2009. He now meets Kawajiri, who fights for the first time since an April title loss to Strikeforce champ Gilbert Melendez. Two fights prior (and in his most recent DREAM bout), the former top-ranked lightweight suffered a title loss to DREAM champ Shinya Aoki at DREAM.15. Both losses came via first-round stoppage.
Prangley, who's recently competed for Strikeforce, makes his DREAM debut on the heels of a 1-2-1 streak. Most recently, he suffered a submission loss to Roger Gracie at "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg." The South African, who's also a UFC vet and former BodogFIGHT champion, went 11-1 before the recent skid. He looks to get back on track against Mizuno, whose near-.500 record includes losses to many notables, including Thiago Silva, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, Gegard Mousasi and Sergei Kharitonov. His lone DREAM win came over striker Melvin Manhoef a year ago at DREAM.15.
The latest "DREAM: Japan GP Final" card includes:
Champ Gegard Mousasi vs. Hiroshi Izumi (for light-heavyweight title)
Champ Hiroyuki Takaya vs. Kazuyuki Miyata (for featherweight title)
Champ Marius Zaromskis vs. Hayato Sakurai (welterweight non-title fight)
Masakazu Imanari vs. Hideo Tokoro (Japan bantamweight-tourney finale)
Keisuke Fujiwara vs. Kenji Osawa (Japan bantamweight-tourney third-place fight)
Todd Duffee vs. Nick Gaston
Tatsuya Mizuno vs. Trevor Prangley
Drew Fickett vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri
Bruno Carvalho vs. Eiji Mitsuoka
Source: Fickett replaces Freire, Mizuno vs. Prangley added to "DREAM: Japan GP Final"
