First let me start by sending some love to Mirko…I really hope you are OK man!
For those of you who didn’t watch it, I apologize for the spoiler but the fight between him and Overeem was ruled a no contest after Cro-cop was immobilized by several fierce blows to his special man parts…OUCHIE!!! I may even have to go as far to say that the Gonzaga kick to the head probably doesn’t even seem so bad now. He was in a lot of pain…feel better Mirko…Mmauuh!
Dream is something special to me. I love the energy and true international representation of this competition. I also feel like the caliber of fighters in general is far superior to those in the American MMA organizations. Not to say that we don’t have some real badasses, but everyone who fights in DREAM is a force to be reckoned with…all at the top of their game.
The down side is that I am unfamiliar with a lot of the fighters and can’t pronounce most of their names. =) Luckily this isn’t a video blog…*smirk*
I really only want to discuss 3 of the fights. The 2 semi-final matches and the final…
First we have Zelg Galesic (cool name by the way, Zelg!) versus Ranaldo “Jacare” Souza.
Zelg is an extremely versatile, well-rounded Croatian warrior. He made his way to the semi-finals by taking out Taiei Kin by way of a TKO with a gnarly throw that bent Kin’s arm back severely injuring his elbow. Unfortunately, during a very impressive escape from Jacare’s guard, Zelg got caught in a split second (literally half a blink) arm bar to lose by submission in the first round. While Zelg was disappointed with himself for getting caught, he was very impressed by Souza’s proficiency which was evident by his facial expression after the fight ended.
Next up, Gegard Mousasi versus Melvin “No Mercy” Manhoef
Wow! What can you say when the walkout and showboating takes LONGER and is more exciting than the fight? Melvin Manhoef has always interested me when I’ve seen snippets of his fights…mostly because of his little leather gladiator “skirt” so I was excited to see what he had in the way of skillz. The commentators were remarking on his power and standup game but we didn’t see any evidence of that here.
Gegard Mousasi made quick work of Manhoef by submitting him with a triangle choke in the first round.
Finally, Gegard Mousasi versus Jacare
This fight was so exciting. At the beginning of the introductions, DREAM posted interesting stats that extended beyond your typical tale of the tape. It showed where overall Mousasi was the more well-rounded fighter. But, I did just half blink and almost miss Jacare submit Zelg in exceptional fashion so I was on the edge of my seat not knowing what to expect. (don’t you love fights like that?!?!?!) Anyhow, both warriors seemed to have appropriate respect levels for each others skillz. They traded a bit on their feet and then went to the ground in fairly short order. Jacare displayed his typical alligator like domination of his prey. And just when he deviated from his area of expertise and attempted to ground and pound Mousasi.
POW, BAM!!! UPKICK….KO! Jacare face plants on the mat for a KO in the first round…WOOOOOOOOOOOW!
Like I said, DREAM is something special. Pleased to hear they aren’t going anywhere. And btw, the Japanese fans are awesome! Love how they understand the sport beyond a bludgeon match. They appreciate the sophistication of skill required by these mixed martial artists. They aren’t just looking for bloodsport like some of my fellow American MMA fans. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.) But I yearn for a day where the intricacies of the grappling game are respected as much (or more) as the one punch KO or ground and pound. mmauuh!
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