It took a few tries, but all fighters are on weight for Dream 17 on Saturday. | Photo: Taro Irei
A 2009 Dream
featherweight grand prix participant, Cullum weighed in at 62.8
kilograms (138.5 pounds), 1.8 kilos over the 61-kilogram limit for
the bantamweight tournament at Friday’s official weigh-in.
T. Irei
McCullough and Aoki were on point.
“I’m aware of the crisis here and what everyone’s been going through. My heart is with everyone who has lost someone or something, and thanks to everyone who came out and made this show possible,” Cullum added.
Cool and unmoved, Cullum’s tournament opponent -- 2011 Japan bantamweight grand prix finalist Masakazu Imanari -- offered little in the way of protest or commentary on his opponent’s failure to make weight, promising only, “I will [be the] master tomorrow.”
While no time limit was announced for Cullum to make the weight, Dream officials indicated he had until the early evening, Japan time, to cut the excess. He later checked in at the 61-kilogram threshold.
Elsewhere, Dream lightweight champion Shinya Aoki promised a stronger performance than usual against former WEC champion “Razor” Rob McCullough, in light of his return from an extended training stint at Singapore’s Evolve MMA.
T. Irei
Is featherweight a 'rebirth' for Kawajiri?
In a rematch of an extremely brief meeting in 2006 in which Joachim Hansen was disqualified for a knee to the groin of then Shooto 154-pound champion Tatsuya Kawajiri, the Japanese fighter promised a big surprise for his second go at Hansen.
“My theme for this fight is ‘reborn,’” said Kawajiri, who will make his debut at featherweight in this bout. “I want to show that I’m reborn at featherweight and though my fight is second to last tomorrow, I hope to put on a fight more exciting than the main event.”
The former Shooto 154-pound titlist also alluded to a special surprise he had in store for the fans. When asked for details, Kawajiri inadvertently gave away the secret.
“I’d tell you if I could, but the person who sings my entrance song [B-Dash’s ‘Water POW’] will be there tomorrow to sing my entrance song,” he said with a sly grin before suddenly realizing his slip. “Oh, I just totally gave it away. It’s not a surprise anymore.”
Shinya
Aoki (153.9 pounds/69.8 kilograms) vs. Rob
McCullough (153.9/69.8)
Tatsuya
Kawajiri (143.1/64.9) vs. Joachim
Hansen (143.3/65)
Caol Uno
(143.1/64.9) vs. Takeshi
Inoue (143.3/65)
Kazushi
Sakuraba (167.1/75.8) vs. Yan Cabral
(165.3/75)
Satoru
Kitaoka (154.3/70) vs. Willamy
Freire (153/69.4)
Kazuhiro
Nakamura (184.7/83.8) vs. Gerald
Harris (185.2/84)
Ikuhisa
Minowa (191.8/87) vs. Baru Harn
(253.5/115)
Hideo
Tokoro (134.5/61) vs. Antonio
Banuelos (134.5/61)
Bibiano
Fernandes (134/60.8) vs. Takafumi
Otsuka (134/60.8)
Masakazu
Imanari (134/60.8) vs. Abel Cullum
(134.5/61)
Yusup
Saadulaev (134/60.8) vs. Rodolfo
Marques Diniz (134.5/61)