DREAM announced that "JZ" Calvancanti will in fact rematch Shinya Aoki at DREAM.2 on April 29th from Saitama Arena in Saitama, Japan, and the winner will move on in the Lightweight Grand Prix against Katsuhiko Nagata. A no-contest was ruled in their last matchup at DREAM.1 with Calvancanti landing elbows to the neck and spine during an attempted takedown.

I don't think Aoki really stands much of a chance in the matchup. The little that we saw in the DREAM.1 bout was enough to give fans who were really hoping to put money or pick Aoki a chance to see what Aoki offers. He looked much smaller than Calvancante, wasn't able to get close to a takedown, and he still has a huge disadvantage against most fighters in the striking game. His only real chance is to get "JZ" to the floor, which seems like an impossibility.

Also on the DREAM.2 will be Denis Kang vs. Gegard Mousasi. It should be a good battle between power strikers, but Mousasi has been facing lesser competition than Kang has in the past. Nonetheless, Mousasi has the power to flatline Kang like Akiyama accomplished back in October. Akiyama and Minowa are also rumored to be fighting on the card as well. Masakatsu Funaki will take on Kiyoshi Tamura, and Kazushi Sakuraba will fight Andrews Nakahara.

DREAM.3 Lightweight Second Round matchups

Joachim Hansen vs. Eddie Alvarez

This is a superfight if I've ever seen one. Joachim absolutely crushed Kotetsu Boku in the preliminary round. Although it went to decision, Hansen was dominating on the ground and in the standup. Boku had some flurries, but Hansen clearly outclassed him. Hansen has an all-around great skillset with submissions and knee strikes. He has multiple ways to end the fight, and it should be a good matchup for Alvarez.

Alvarez has strong wrestling and great hands. He's got some devastating ground and pound that put Andre Dida out of the tournament, and he could turn it on again against Hansen. Hansen isn't exactly susceptible to the TKO though, in fact, he has never lost via TKO. The matchup has the makings of a war.

Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Luis "Buscape" Firmino

This oughta be a decent battle, but Kawajiri holds a win over Firmino at Bushido 8 back in 2005. I imagine it may go the same way with Kawajiri using his crushing ways to keep Firmino on his back for most of the fight. Firmino has some submission skills, but Kawajiri is too smart to get caught. His power will likely allow him to power out of most attempts.

Mitsuhiro Ishida vs. Caol Uno

Ishida has been on a tear as of late. His wrestling has been phenomenal lately, and he took a big win over Gilbert Melendez on New Year's Eve by taking the back at will for most of the first round. Uno will have his hands full.

Sakurai vs. Monma

Hansen vs. Boku

This weekend could mark the inaugural event for a promotion that seeks to resurrect PRIDE back into the mixed martial arts scene. DREAM will take place on Saturday from Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and it will feature one of the most stacked lightweight Grand Prix cards in recent memory. With nearly five or six top 10 lightweight fighters in the mix, the Grand Prix could climax into some big name superbouts later in the year. Shinya Aoki will be looking to prove his lackluster performance Bu Kyung Jung was only a fluke, but he’ll be taking on the devastating Gesias “JZ” Calvancante. Other action features Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Kultar Gill, Joachim Hansen vs. Kotetsu Boku, Andre “Dida” Amade vs. Eddie Alvarez, Mitsuhiro Ishida vs. Bu Kyung Jung, Hayato Sakurai vs. Hidetaka Monma, and the return of Mirko “CroCop” Filipovic to Japan as he will face Tatsuya Mizuno. It should be a fantastic event for hardcore fans everywhere.

Shinya Aoki vs. Gesias “JZ” Calvancante

This battle is a classic matchup of grappler vs. striker, but with the added danger of Calvancante actually having a great jiu-jitsu base to backup his quick and devastating striking. Aoki’s biggest threat is off his back. His flexibility, jiu-jitsu skills, and overall transitional game are unbelievably effective. He used techniques that are tough to escape, but he is susceptible to the crushing ways of a powerful puncher.

That’s where Calvancante may have the edge. He has an uncanny ability of staying out of the guard and crushing opponents, almost Fedor-esque. When he is in guard, he’s crushing and powerful. To supplement his striking skills, he does possess great jiu-jitsu skills. He also trains out of American Top Team, a camp that features a huge number of talented fighters for Calvancante to use to his advantage.

Gesias Calvancante has been a beast in his last few bouts. Before pulling out of the first scheduled fight with Aoki at Yarennoka, Calvancante went on a tear in the K-1 HERO’s tournament on September 17th of last year. He absolutely blasted Vitor Ribeiro in :35 seconds, arguably a top 5 lightweight, and submitted Chute Box striker Andre “Dida” Amade in the final. His striking is unmatched in this matchup, and he has enough awareness and skill to avoid the submission. I’ll take Calvancante by TKO/KO in round 2.

Leland’s Prediction: Gesias “JZ” Calvancante via TKO/KO, Round 2

Andre “Dida” Amade vs. Eddie Alvarez

The single pick’em fight on the card features the upcoming puncher Andre “Dida” Amade vs. the former BodogFIGHT and new EliteXC fighter Eddie Alvarez. This could vie for the fight of the night at DREAM, and it should give us a solid barometer for where each fighter stands in the world.

Dida is fairly green on the MMA scene. He’s 6-2-1 with his most recent bout being a losing effort to Gesias Calvancante at the HERO’S Middleweight Tournament final. Dida was still able to defeat Caol Uno and Artur Oumakhanov in the preliminary rounds to make the final as well as defeating Hiroyuki Takaya at Hero’s 8. He has some solid power in his hands, good striking, and the Chute Box Muay Thai/Brazilian jiu-jitsu base that could prove dangerous to Alvarez’s wrestling.

Alvarez also has some big power in his hands, but he also has some wrestling skills on the ground that usually work to help him ground and pound opponents. He shouldn’t be a danger in the submission game, so this fight will likely be a technical striking war between both fighters. In that case, I’m almost inclined to pick Dida over Alvarez due to his Muay Thai skills and big punch striking. Alvarez has a very good shot though, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he won. I’ll take Dida for my pick though.

Leland’s Prediction: Andre Dida via TKO/KO, Round 1

The battle for the Japanese ratings crown on New Year's Eve is in full force, and the mixed martial arts promotions in the nation are looking to soak up a majority of the viewership by providing an entertainment and spectacle show for the Japanese casual viewer. Many fans have been critical of the Japanese promotion's concept, but those fans have clearly been oblivious to how the television market and MMA model works during the New Year's Eve holiday. With that said, K-1 will hold their Dynamite Premium event at the Osaka Dome on New Year's Eve, and it will be featured on the Tokyo Broadcasting System or TBS network in Japan. The event will also include Fedor vs. Choi and Akiyama vs. Misaki during the televised event. With a huge lineup of popular fighters and a plethora of spectacle fights, look for K-1 to make a splash in the Japanese ratings war.

For the many MMA fans however, let's focus on the actual matchups on the card that seem to be interesting to at least the casual fan. We'll also look at some of the matchups that actually have some quality to them.

Main Event Card
Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Masakatsu Funaki

The battle of Japanese legends. Kazushi Sakuraba is probably most well-known for his epic battle with Royce Gracie at the 2000 PRIDE Grand Prix Finals. He's been coined the Gracie Hunter for defeating many of the Gracie family members and has made a career from it. He's a huge draw in Japan, but when up against stiff competition, hasn't been able to walk past some of the better fighters. He's been trounced by Wanderlei Silva three times, but did manage to defeat Rampage Jackson back in 2001. He has some good wins over some mid to upper level competition, but age is beginning to become a factor for Sakuraba.

Funaki, on the other hand, has some legendary wins in his career over very tough competition. The only problem is that he stopped fighting in 2000. We're talking about nearly 8 years on ring rust. His last bout was a loss to the undefeated Rickson Gracie, and toward the end of his career, lost 4 out of his last 9 fights, mostly in Pancrase. Funaki is a very, very good submission grappler, but his defense can be questionable at times. Sakuraba also has a bit more power in his hands, and he will have experience in the modern era on his side as well. Look for Sakuraba to pull this one out.

“Kid” Yamamoto vs. Rani Yahya

Yamamoto is one of the most popular fighters in Japan, wooing young Japanese women with his looks. He produces ratings, and it's no mystery as to why Yamamoto is one of the featured bouts on this card. He's also a very good mixed martial arts fighter who exhibits incredible power in his hands and has the ability to avoid the submission attempts of his opponents. He has a solid wrestling background, even going as far as trying out for the Japanese Olympic team. Yamamoto may have some trouble with Yahya though.

This is by far one of the more quality fights on the card, but Yahya does have his work cut out for him. Yamamoto has beaten champion BJJ practitioners in the past. Curran and Fernandes were both very tough BJJ fighters. Curran had some striking skills, but nobody wants to stand with Yamamoto's power. Yahya has excellent ground skills, but noone has been able to get Yamamoto in a submission. I think we'll see more of the same. Yamamoto by decision.

Bob Sapp vs. Bobby Ologun

The “Beast” vs. the comedian. Ologun has pulled big ratings for some of his fights because he is a celebrity comedian in Japan. This is another attempt to tap into that demographic that will be interested in seeing the spectacle in Sapp fight the comedian.

Ologun isn't a terrible fighter, but he will have problems with Sapp's size and power. Sapp should win this in the first round if he actually doesn't get caught up in trying to run down Ologun.