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Dynamite 2010: The anatomy of a public execution; Ishii to get Strikeforce offer

By Zach Arnold | December 31, 2010

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Today’s Dynamite event at Saitama Super Arena can be summarized by the following: the less said, the better. OK, how about… the show got the “Sengoku” treatment and an attendance figure wasn’t initially publicized? Or, maybe we can talk about Kazushi Sakuraba’s ear. Picture of Sakuraba giving a speech after his ear injury.

(Seems to me we’re on a path for one Japanese fighter to lose an ear each year.)

For what it’s worth, both heading into the event and reviewing today’s show, Sakuraba did not garner a lot of media attention this year. The ‘lead’ story, if you want to call it that, was Satoshi Ishii getting booed by the fans and essentially looked at as an uncharismatic goof. He’s got a Brock Lesnar thing going for him in that some people will watch him on TV but less people will pay a lot of money to see him live. OK, not a great analogy, but you get the point. The day before his fight against Jerome Le Banner, there was discussion of Ishii wanting to get into Hollywood. Yeah, you could see where this was going with the fans. After his win over Jerome Le Banner, Ishii said that he wants to fight anywhere (in Japan or in a foreign country).

According to Nikkan Sports, a Strikeforce offer for Ishii in March (for Columbus) is now on the table. While it’s not expected that Ishii would fight in the 2011 SF Heavyweight tournament, the paper claims that the promotion would be open to have him involved.

Speaking of Hollywood, Tadao Yasuda showed up for an in-ring ceremony with Antonio Inoki. Yes, my friends, this was the second headline in the Japanese press from the show… for Tadao Yasuda doing ‘a run-in’ and Inoki laying on the mat.

The most deliciously absurd story from the fight card was the okama Yuichiro Nagashima knocking out Shinya Aoki in 4 seconds of R2. It was a bizarre fight where round one was kickboxing rules with small gloves and round two was MMA rules with small gloves. Aoki agreeing to take the fight was strange enough, but the fact that he lost in the manner in which he did was karma for some of the things he’s done in his past career. The problem for Nagashima, however, is that Aoki is not a star in the eyes of Japanese fans so while the win is a big moment for him, I don’t know if it’s a star-making moment.

(See: when Kazuo Misaki dispatched of Yoshihiro Akiyama and where that led him, which is nowhere.)

A minor story from the show is that Bob Sapp backed out of his modified rules fight against Wakakirin at the last minute. Since it was a ‘no TV’ match on TBS, it’s not as if a lot of people were shedding tears.

Crusher Kawajiri dispatched of Josh Thomson in a fight that unfortunately was not as competitive as I expected it to be. This fight, along with Hatsu Hioki vs. Marlon Sandro, were the two fights that I was looking forward to watching the most. I bring up Hioki vs. Sandro because the Japanese fans and media treated the fight with the same kind of importance that someone would treat a boxing match on an ESPN2 Friday Night Fights card. Meaning, only a few hardcore fans paid attention and the media either didn’t cover the result (like Daily Sports) or covered it in a very minor fashion. There was even one paper that elected to go with Kazuo Misaki’s win over Mike Seal as a top story over Hioki’s win over Sandro. The Sengoku show at Ariake Colosseum with 28 fights was not set up to financially do well, but I was told the attendance was somewhere between 4,000-5,000. It’s not a great number to have publicly out there if you’re running a building like Ariake Colosseum, but given what Sengoku’s drawn in the past at Ryogoku Kokugikan, they should have just gave out a figure.

10 years ago, promoters couldn’t rush out fast enough to give out attendance figures of 40,000+ for New Year’s Eve shows. Now, you can’t get the media to give you a worked attendance figure.

Truthfully, the one foreign ‘ace’ on the Dynamite show was Alistair Overeem and he was given Todd “TRT” Duffee as his opponent. Alistair wanted the fight for a DREAM Heavyweight title and his wish was granted. If you’re wondering where Alistair’s career focus is, read this amazing article by Tony at Sherdog and let your doubts about his Strikeforce reign be… reassured. Of course, the major flaw in Alistair’s career plan is that it goes out the window if K-1 collapses. Then, Strikeforce becomes the easy one-night-stand to go back to at any time.

Putting that aside, Alistair had an execution to attend and the victim succumbed very quickly. Let’s read what the participants had to say.

First, Mr. Duffee:

How did you feel about your fight? “Well, obviously, I’m extremely disappointed. I feel like I’m a much more talented fighter than I got the chance to show. Not to take anything (away) from Overeem, I think he’s an incredible, incredible fighter. I was just disappointed, you know. I wanted to come out and put on a great show, exciting show for the fans but you know obviously I wasn’t prepared. You know, I think I trained seven days for this fight and it definitely showed.”

Any regrets for taking the fight on short-notice? “No, I don’t regret it at all. It was a great opportunity to fight in Japan. It’s been a dream of mine. I hope that, you know, it maybe opened the door for me to come back here and show that I have a much, much better skill set than what I put on display tonight. There’s no regrets, you know. It happened. You just got to move past it and I’ll definitely be back. I just wish that I could have showed the skills that I know that I have and the people that train me and train with me know that I’m capable of to the Japanese audience. But, you know, I don’t think the seven days notice is even an excuse. I just, you know, for whatever reason I didn’t come out and do what I’m capable of, even close. Again, not to take anything away from Overeem, you know, he’s an incredible fighter. I definitely think I have a lot more to offer than that. I know I do, you know, I think he knows that, too, and you know I think anybody that’s trained with me knows that. It’s very frustrating to, you know, I think I got a little overzealous and I kind of opened up a little too much, got too excited. I was very excited to fight in Japan. It’s the most exciting thing I’ve ever been through for a fight. The fans here are incredible. They really love and really truly understand the sport and I think I just got so, you know, it’s the most fun I’ve ever had, too, building up to a fight. It’s just one of those things, you know. You make mistakes, you fall down, and you get back up. I’ll definitely, I just I hope I get the opportunity to show what I’m capable of to the Japanese audience and the rest of the world.”

What is your intention next? In the future, you want to keep fighting in Japan mainly? “Yeah, definitely, I want to fight everywhere, but Japan, like I said, it’s one of the greatest audiences in the world. I definitely would like the opportunity to come back and just show my skill set to the Japanese people. Like, you know, I came out there, I haven’t even seen the fight, but I know like I could feel the way that I was doing some things, lack of technique, when I looked you know like I regressed five years from, you know, where I’m at as a true professional fighter and I’d definitely like that opportunity to show them. I’ve had dreams of fighting in K-1, I’ve had dreams of hopefully getting more MMA fights here as well. You know… I just did not do what I’m capable of tonight and it’s very frustrating. I think it’s more frustrating if I had gone out and Overeem would have beat on me for three rounds and shown that he is the better fighter or whatever, but I don’t think I gave myself the opportunity to show the world and Japan what I am capable of and not even what I am capable of but what I am. It’s probably the most frustrating way things could have gone for me.”

In closing, Mr. Overeem:

What did you think of your fight tonight? “Yeah, when I was in the ring, everything was automatic. Of course you know a little what you do and prepare a little bit but it goes really fast and so I didn’t know what the fight looked like, but I saw it back on tape and I was very pleased. It was a very effective fight, very effective knee strike(s) and my knees are hard, nobody can take one of my knee strikes. Not in K-1 and also not in MMA.”

What is your impression of Todd Duffee? “Todd Duffee is a strong guy. He’s very aggressive, in all of his fights I could see that he always goes for the knockout, so in that sense he’s the same as myself. Always want to finish his opponent and I believe he wanted to do that in this fight as well. He came very aggressive, very hard, I felt his strength and his strikes but… I’m too experienced for people to be that aggressive and with my K-1 experience nobody can surprise me with that aggressive attack. I’m just not worried and I know how to handle it and I’m very strong, very strong in the counter-attack and people cannot survive my attack so I just feel really confident and I feel that it shows that I’m confident going into any fight with anybody.”

You won your third title in addition to Strikeforce and K-1. What do you think about it? “Well, I’m very proud, very proud of myself and my team and I do have to stress the fact that it was a team effort. My team is very strong in supporting me on every factor and that pays off. I can focus fully on the fight and fully on training. So, I’m very proud of becoming the DREAM champion today and I’m ready to defend it against anybody. So, anybody in the world, anybody who is listening, please come and challenge me in the DREAM ring and I will defeat you.”

You have any names of people you want to fight? “I don’t have any preference. All my goals for 2010 are met. I became champion for three different organizations: Strikeforce, K-1, and DREAM tonight. There’s nobody who I want to fight. They can come to me. They can challenge me and I will always accept.”

Topics: DREAM, Japan, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 32 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |

32 Responses to “Dynamite 2010: The anatomy of a public execution; Ishii to get Strikeforce offer”

  1. 45 Huddle says:

    1) The Alistair Overeem love is a little out of control this New Years Eve. A lot of people declaring him the #1 Heavyweight in MMA now…. After beating Todd Duffee!!! Luke Thomas takes the cake though, by declaring: “Alistair Overeem had the best 2010 of arguably any fighter in MMA, irrespective of weight class.” Yikes!! I use to think the obsession with Fedor was because people really thought he was so great. Now I realize there is a small small bubble of fans that just to cling to a non-UFC fighter being this unstoppable beast in their minds. Overeem has currently taken that spot. Once he loses, they will find somebody else.

    2) Hatsu Hioki is now in the Gilbert Melendez position. A Top 5 fighter in his weight class who needs to change promotions in order to really prove himself further. I would love to see Hioki vs. Aldo.

    3) Does Aoki drop out of the Top 10 now? His style is crippling to certain fighters but easy to beat for others. And that should count as a loss on his record.

    4) Kawajiri vs. Melendez 2 makes sense now, but its not exactly a fight that needs to be made. I just hope Melendez gets penalized this time around if he holds the shorts a lot like he did in their first fight. As for Kawajiri, he is a high level gatekeeper like Florian and Miller. He lacks that extra something to be one of the best. Still enjoyable to see him fight.

    5)5,000 people at Sengoku? Yikes, not good.

    6) I stopped watching Sakuraba fights over a year ago. It is sad to see him do this to himself.

    7) Ishii really doesn’t have much hope in MMA.

    8: What are the chances that both Sengoku and DREAM will be around next year?

    • smoogy says:

      Clearly you’re in the “Overeem’s K-1 accomplishments have no bearing on his MMA standing” camp, yet you want to drop Aoki off the rankings because of a loss in goofy K-1/MMA gimmick fight. Way to be consistent. If you really think Overeem’s growing fanbase isn’t about his talent and fighting ability, and that fans just like to “cling to a non-UFC fighter”, clearly you’re not above the fray when it comes to militant fanboyism.

      For people who don’t enjoy Overeem’s exploits and are obsessed with arbitrary heavyweight MMA rankings, the last few months must have been absolute murder. The UFC fighters they believe can stop The Reem aren’t even allowed to call him out. LOL.

      • 45 Huddle says:

        Aoki lost during an MMA Round and really suffered no real damage during the K-1 round. MMA round stoppage should count as a MMA win/loss. If he got KO’d or even suffered a lot of damage during that first round, I wouldn’t be saying it should count as a loss on his record. Because K-1 shouldn’t effect MMA standings. So what I am saying for Aoki and Overeem is rather consistent.

        “If you really think Overeem’s growing fanbase isn’t about his talent and fighting ability, and that fans just like to “cling to a non-UFC fighter”, clearly you’re not above the fray when it comes to militant fanboyism.”

        Jon Jones has blown through his competition. Yet I have yet to see even the hardest of hardcore UFC fans even say he is Top 5 right now. And Jon Jones has about as many Top 10 wins as Alistair Overeem does. Yet for Overeem, people are demanding he be ranked #1.

        “For people who don’t enjoy Overeem’s exploits and are obsessed with arbitrary heavyweight MMA rankings, the last few months must have been absolute murder.”

        Because of what? Who has he beaten? Why would it be murder for anybody? Because he beat Todd Duffee? BWAHAHA!!!! You are living in a fantsasy world.

        “The UFC fighters they believe can stop The Reem aren’t even allowed to call him out. LOL.”

        When do UFC fighters call out anybody outside of the UFC? You might get GSP once in a while name drop one guy outside of the UFC while naming a bunch inside the UFC. But the UFC champions are always tested. There is no need to call out anybody outside of their organization.

        • smoogy says:

          I should’ve been more clear. I don’t give a fuck about rankings. They’re a document of who has fought each other, not an accurate forecast of who would beat who. For any reasonable observer, it’s clear by now that Overeem has the size, experience and skill to challenge anybody. But here you are trying to dredge up ancient PRIDE results, claiming he is the exact same fighter when he’s transformed himself physically and refined his skills to a point where he is the #1 fighter in K-1, an unfathomable achievement during his PRIDE days. That’s what makes you a fanboy.

        • Alexander Francisco Mogue says:

          ‘Aoki lost during an MMA Round and really suffered no real damage during the K-1 round.’

          Nice excuse. Huddle you attempt to annoy people by making any and every situation a “UFC vs the World” speech. As if you are held in a higher regard. You come off as a deprived fan boy with a hypocritical stance. Smoogy called you out and accept the fact that you are bias fan.

        • 45 Huddle says:

          Excuse? It’s logical.

          If there is such this tough standard for what counts as a MMA fight, then we would have seen early Pancrase and Shooto fights not counted years ago. Open palm strikes, quick stand ups, and 10 counts all happened in those leagues and they still counted on the fighters official records. Losing during a MMA round of a fight counting towards his record makes much more sense then counting an early Pancrase fight on the record.

          As for being a fanboy…. I really don’t understand where you are coming from.

          The UFC has over 90% market share in North America for MMA. They are obviously doing MOST things right. Coming onto message boards and trying to push an anti-UFC agenda, like far too many fans try would be like somebody constantly trying to act like the European Basketball leagues are in the same universe as the NBA. It’s crazy. But somehow in MMA, it’s an accepted practice.

          Just because people think it’s normal, doesn’t make it so.

        • Alexander Francisco Mogue says:

          No Huddle, you constantly attempt to push your ridiculous agenda and opinion upon us every second you can. You always push the ‘UFC is the better than the world’ message to us. Dude, we get it. No need for you downplay someones accomplishments.

      • mr. roadblock says:

        Smoogy, are you a crack smoker?

        Overeem’s monumental run at HW includes 4 straight wins over guys who were coming off losses. Fujita and James Thompson were in multi-fight losing streaks when they fought Overeem.

        Overeem is a lot of fun to watch fight. The way Bob Sapp used to be a lot of fun to watch fight. But to argue about him being #1 or even top 10 is pretty ridiculous.

        Let’s see him fight Saki again in K-1 in a regular fight and see what happens or fight some real competition in MMA.

        • Chuck says:

          Overeem IS a top ten fighter. Maybe no higher than eight, but he surely is top ten. How he got there? When he beat Brett Rogers, who was top ten after he beat Andrei Arlovski. Even 45 Huddle admits this. This is how the top ten heavyweights should look like (basically):

          1.)Cain Velazquez
          2.)Fabricio Werdum
          3.)Brock Lesnar
          4.)Fedor Emelianenko (I am a huge Fedor nut-hugger and I am still putting Brock one spot ahead of him)
          5.)Junior Do Santos
          6.)Shane Carwin
          7.)Frank Mir
          8.)Alistair Overeem
          9.)Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera
          10.)Antonio Silva

        • Mr. Roadblock says:

          I meant to say ‘or even top 5’.

          I’ll give you him at 8 if you want. But that’s about it. The whole Arlovski-Rodgers-Silvia-Bigfoot Silva group is grotesquely overrated itself. But HW isn’t a very deep class outside of the top couple of guys.

          Still Overeem is just a freakshow at this point. Although, a fun freakshow to watch fight.

        • edub says:

          Things:

          -A loss against a completely garbage opponent effects rankings a lot differently than a win over one. that’s why nobody likes those types of matchups. It’s why Overeem doesn’t get that much credit for beating a Todd Duffee (eventhough it was the best match up at the time IMO) rankings wise, and why Aoki should take a free fall for getting KOd by a kickboxer in an MMA round.

          -Overeem is a top ten fighter now for the exact reasons Chuck mentioned, and my personal top 10 is very close to the one he posted.

          -Why would UFC fighters call out people who they have no chance to fight against? Is it better for Overeem to claim he is the best at everything now by winning a K1 GP without Hari, or Bonjasky and beating Todd duffee?

          -Overeem is not the best HW Kickboxer in the world. He still has never fought Schilt, Bonjasky or Ghita, and his best wins in the tournament were against a beat up Saki and Aerts. Hell is first round win probably could’ve been a DQ considering he continually grabbed the back of Spong’s head with two hands and delivered knees.(That rule should be changed back BTW).

          -Overeem is big and strong, but still hasn’t fought a wrestling based HW… ever. Rogers is big and strong, but has no wrestling background, and Duffee is the same way.

  2. Mr. Roadblock says:

    Japanese MMA sucks right now. As former PRIDE fanboy #1, I’m not thrilled about that.

    I hope someone can put together an organization that consistently puts on goods shows and builds up fighters I start to care about.

    I was going to make a joke about this win making Overeem #1. But apparently some people are being serious and saying that. LOL. Overeem is fun to watch and all, but let’s get real.

    I hope Sakuraba hangs it up. It’s just sad to see him standing in there, not moving, getting drilled for no reason.

    • Yeah, until he fights someone who can grapple I’m not sold either.

      I said years ago that Sakuraba was like Holyfield to me – if he wants to get maimed for spare change, I can’t stop him. This is what he wants, so be it.

  3. sammy says:

    Dont even try to compare Overeem being overrated with Fedor…Fedor beat the very best heavyweights in the world, had an unprecedented unbeaten streak, and earned his #1 status completely legitimately. Just because UFC marks like you refused to accept it doesnt mean it was an imaginary status…like Overeem.

  4. Michaelthebox says:

    At this point, I think Overeem is a legitimate challenger for number 1 in the HW division. But we just don’t know until he faces a quality wrestler with power, aka Carwin or Velasquez. Those are the only two I think can possibly take him, at this point.

    And yeah, claiming he’s had the best 2010 of any MMA fighter? Wtf? I hope he misphrased, and he just meant he’s had the best combat sport results of any MMA fighter (which is true).

    • 45 Huddle says:

      “At this point, I think Overeem is a legitimate challenger for number 1 in the HW division.”

      Based on what alternate reality?

      Alistair Overeem ran through many opponents in PRIDE. This is a guy who only has 1 decision victory 45 MMA fights. Throughout his entire career, he has run through most of the B-Level fighters out there. He did it in PRIDE. He is doing it today. That is who Alistair Overeem is. He looks AMAZING against the non-Top Tier fighters.

      Nothing has proven that he can make it over that mountain in MMA. He hasn’t fought a top level guy in MMA for over 3 years. Which is why he is looking so amazing to some people.

      History is the best indicator of the future. The guy looked less then average once he took a step up in competition in PRIDE. It is highly likely that the same will happen once he does the same in MMA again.

      So to even put his name in the running for #1… Even in terms of potential, is just insane.

      • smoogy says:

        Serious question: Have you actually watched Overeem fight since PRIDE? It sounds like actual in-ring performances don’t factor at all into your thought process. You make it sound like the ability to impress is inversely proportionate to how bad your opposition is, yet none of the other heavyweights in MMA have shown a fraction of the amazing technique Overeem possesses standing up. There are multiple consensus top 10 HWs who probably can’t take him down… what exactly are they going to do, beat him at kickboxing?

        • 45 Huddle says:

          Yes, I have seen most of his fights.

          People like you need to take into consideration STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE!

          Some guys look great beating up B-Level talent. Others do not. Yet that does not automatically translate into how they will do against A-Level talent.

          We have seen this before from Overeem. He got into the 2005 Grand Prix Semi-finals with ease. A lot of hype surrounded him. Yet as soon as he fought the next level of competition, he got beaten.

          That is Alistair Overeem’s entire history in MMA. When he fights the best, he crumbles. THAT IS WHO ALISTAIR OVEREEM IS AS A MMA FIGHTER!!

          Just because he has had 3+ years of not fighting those top guys…. And looking amazing doing so…. Doesn’t change who he is as a fighter.

          Could that change? Absolutely. But he would seriously need to prove it before any rational person should change their opinion on his MMA fighting abilities.

          “There are multiple consensus top 10 HWs who probably can’t take him down… what exactly are they going to do, beat him at kickboxing?”

          You mean the same guy who got beat down (stopped) in 3 straight fights against Nogueira, Arona, & Rua? Not to mention KO’d by Sergei when he was on top of his game. He is beatable on his feet and on the ground in MMA.

          Chuck Liddell KO’d him on his feet. When people hit back at him in MMA, he often times crumbles.

          Guys don’t get 10+ losses on their record this early in their career without having some serious holes in their game.

        • 45 Huddle says:

          The biggest difference between you and me is….

          I am basing my opinion off of his history.

          You are basing your opinion based on what you think his potential could be.

          History is so much more often a better indicator of the future. And most guys with “potential” fail. Look at how many absolutely hyped up studs the UFC spits out making them look average….. Overeem was a gatekeeper in PRIDE. Why would he be any different now?

        • Oh Yeah says:

          Fighters always have to take a step up into uncharted territory at some point, some break through and some don’t. Based on history – Who would have thought that Rashad would beat Liddell, Mir would beat Nog, or Edgar would beat Penn? Even Shogun had a rather mediocre UFC run until he found himself caught in the middle of the “Machida Era”.

          Overeem is at that tipping point right now, and his skills suggest he will belong somewhere in the upper echelon once all is said and done.

          In Pride, he barely made 205, largely by cutting out strength training. In the time since, he’s put on muscle, acquired world class striking abilities and has become one of the least frantic yet most devestating fighters at HW.

          There’s always a fine line between overprojecting and being late the the party. In this case, I think it’s more appropriate to lean towards success, especially when we’re talking about an MMA fighter who all of a sudden developed into the #1 fighter in K-1.

  5. edub says:

    I actually thought Sakuraba was doing better this fight. He was stationary and got caught a couple times by Zaromskis, but after the first stoppage for his ear he started to counter decently. He never got hit cleanly again, and the only reason Sakuraba got TKOd was because his bleeding cauliflower infested ear exploded in half when Zaromskis went for the clinch. This was no beatdown like the one Mayhem gave him. Sure he got hit hard a couple times, but he was doing just fine after the first stoppage.

    I would rather see Sakuraba retire, but if he wants to continue to fight at least he’ll be fighting guys his own size for once at 170.

  6. Ed says:

    Nikkan Sports reported the attendance to be 26,000. Jason High posted a photo on twitter of a packed upper deck at the Saitama Super Arena, so the number seems plausible (and somewhat impressive, given the gloom and chaos leading up to the event).

    http://twitpic.com/3lknsr/full

  7. EJ says:

    Come on now Zach that’s a cheap shot at Duffee with the “TRT” nickname. We all know that it’s Todd “Pin me Pay Me” Duffee since he just went over to Japan to cash a check and nothing else as was clear by his performance. I’ll also echo that I don’t get the obssession some in the media have with hyping Overeem, there really is this weird almost cult of people who are just desperate to annoint anyone outside the UFC as the best which is pathetic.

  8. Stel says:

    Saku was so weak and unstable he almost fell down when he threw his mask into the audience!
    The only time he moved was when he got hit.
    Saku is just a weak upper body on a platform now.
    He has no shot and he can’t even maintain contact long enough to go for a clinch takedown and his striking will never overcome non gracie fighters.
    What will fall off next? His leg? his head? no one wants to see that.
    I have supported saku and knew he had some more good fights in him when most had called for his retirement. However after last night I am hoping he retires, maybe after a rematch with royler gracie.

  9. Paradoxx says:

    “There’s nobody who I want to fight. They can come to me. They can challenge me and I will always accept.”

    That pretty much sums up why Overeem will never be a real top HW.

  10. Dogbone says:

    Lol who ever said overeem was a freak show must be on dope. You don’t beat guys like rogers,duffee,hari,saki & win k1 gp’s & major world titles & be a freakshow. People may liking him to bob sapp right now but thats because the mass appeal both have. That’s where it ends overeem is and always has been a skilled fighter in all aspects of MMA.

    What’s crazy is as much as fans discuss overeems standing as top 10 or top 5 fighter. All he has to do is beat werdum who is #2 or #3 & he will definitely solidify his standing as top 3 in the world. Then if he goes on to fight & beat fedor he will no doubt position himself as arguably the #1 HW in the world because of his accomplishments in k1 & mma. Say what you want about overeem the man can accomblish things that no other heavyweight in the ufc or strikeforce can come close to obtaining not fedor or cain.

    • Paradoxx says:

      You’re pretty much agreeing with all of Reem’s detractors. Of course if he actually fights some top HWs, of course he will be considered a top HW.

      but all he has right now is a weak win column and a ton of potential.

      Beating a bunch of mid-level (At best) MMA fighters and some k-1 greats while they’re injured is not very impressive.

      That 3 belt pic is nice PR, but in reality it’s just like the Hendo 2 belt pic: complete BS if you followed his actual career.

  11. Dogbone says:

    Beating roger & duffee is actually no different from beating rothwell & kongo or struve & gonzaga or any mid level fighter in the ufc. It doesn’t take much to get a top 10 rating in the heavyweight division, monson is still in the top 25 for gods sake. Most of the best heavy weights in & out of the ufc feast on mid level competition to get top ten ratings. They must fight each other to get top 5 billing. Even though cain became top 5 after beating rothwell & carwin beat gonzaga to get top 5. Overeem may have fought somewhat weak comp to be a top ten fighter, but would you put nelson,struve,schaub,kongo,big foot or rogers ahead of him hell no so with that said he is top ten lol.

    • Paradoxx says:

      Overeem is hyped as a top 5. which is laughable at best, disgusting at worst.

      And I’d take half the guys you listed over Reem. Losing to top HWs is not as embarrassing as avoiding them altogether.

  12. […] year’s Dynamite show, which I lambasted as K-1’s public execution (and it proved to be so), drew exactly what you expect for a card with no major television money […]

  13. […] got to be eating at him right now. I said that last year’s NYE event at Saitama Super Arena felt like a public execution and it turned out to be so. The conventional wisdom in Japanese insider circles is the following […]

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