By FCF Staff
In keeping with tradition, Dream continues to add notable names to the line-up for its upcoming New Year’s Eve Dynamite card in Saitama, Japan. Today the promotion not only announced that Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem will compete at the event, Sergei Kharitonov vs. Tatsuya Mizuno and Satoshi Ishii vs. Jerome Le Banner has been confirmed for the card. (Pictured: Overeem)
Overeem (33-11), who recently added to his credentials by winning the K-1 World Grand Prix, hasn’t competed in a MMA bout since May, when he stopped Brett Rogers. No opponent for the heavyweight has been announced yet.
Ishii (3-1) will head into his bout with Le Banner having won three straight bouts, after the Judo Olympic Gold Medalist lost by decision to Hidehiko Yoshida, at Dream’s NYE Dynamite card last year.
Le Banner (3-1-1) has not competed in a MMA bout since 2006, when the accomplished kickboxer knocked out Jimmy Ambriz at K-1’s fourth Hero’s event.
Kharitonov (16-4) will return to the MMA ring for the first time since April, 2009, when he was submitted by Jeff Monson. The loss ended a three fight winning streak for the Russian heavyweight, which included a 2007, KO win over Overeem.
Mizuno (8-6) is coming off a submission loss to Gegard Mousasi in September, after winning three consecutive bouts; a run which saw the Japanese fighter submit Melvin Manhoef under the Dream banner in July.
Some of the other bouts that Dynamite will feature include Dream welterweight champion Marius Zaromskis vs. Kazushi Sakuraba, featherweight champ Bibiano Fernandes vs. Hiroyuki Takaya, Josh Thomson vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri, and Jason High vs. Hayato Sakurai.
The event will be broadcast throughout North America on HDNet.
