FEG press conference: future plans for DREAM/K-1 announced..

Fight For Japan! Everything From Today Part 1
By N.O.B.– April 15, 2011
DREAM Japan Bantamweight Tournament will take place on May 29th in Saitama Super Arena (hall version, so capacity around 7000).

Bantamweight Tournament (61kg/134.5lbs) participants: Hideo Tokoro, Masakazu Imanari, Kenji Osawa, Darren Uyenoyama, Keisuke Fujiwara, Atsushi Yamamoto, Takafumi Otsuka, and Yoshiro Maeda.

Possible participants in single fights at the event are Mitsuhiro Ishida, Joachim Hansen, Shinya Aoki, Akiyo “Wicky” Nishiura, Katsunori Kikuno, and Caol Uno.

The production of the event will be kept to a minimum but it should still be enjoyable.

The 1st round and semifinals of the tournament will take place on the May event and the final and 3rd place fight will take place in July. The winner and loser of the final and the winner of the 3rd place fight will advance to the DREAM World Bantamweight Tournament.

DREAM Event Producer Sasahara says that they’ll continue fighter exchange with Strikeforce and Scott Coker.

The new system of K-1 press conference will take place at the end of golden week (golden week is May 3rd to 5th) in Shinjuku. Around June 25th they will hold a Japan Tournament in Tokyo. It won’t be a 70kg tournament since Krush are holding their 70kg tournament around that time.

http://nightmareofbattle.com/?p=6075

So today’s press conference was mainly about several Japanese promotions starting a “Fight For Japan” project. For example, they have produced a “Fight For Japan” t-shirt that will be sold at the events of the promotions and the money from the sales will be donated toward something concerning the earthquake.

K-1, DREAM, DEEP, ZST, Pancrase, Jewels, Shooto promotor Sustain, New Japan Kickboxing Federation, RISE, J-Network, Krush, etc. are events that have approved of this project. Shoot Boxing are not part of this which might be worth noting.

Some more DREAM/K-1 information to add to the part 1 post:

The combinations for the tournament was hinted to be a drawing next week. Don’t know if it’s going to be like in K-1 where fighters choose themselves or if someone will just draw all of it.

Besides the tournament fights around 4 single fights are planned for the May event.

The title of the May 29th event is “DREAM Japan GP ~2011 Bantamweight Japan Tournament~”.

The K-1 event around June 25th will be a MAX event but, again, will not be a 70kg tournament.

There will be World Tournaments of both the 63kg and 70kg weight classes this year. It will be a first for minus 63.

After the June event they are planning to hold events in Europe and China.

TV status for K-1 is not yet fixed. Tanikawa said that he wants to go for it after the new system of K-1 is set. Holding an event is more important right now. He’ll hold one regardless if they have a TV deal or not.

http://nightmareofbattle.com/?p=6081