Return of the Kid
Kid Yamamoto, who will be making a much-anticipated return to action at DREAM 9 graces the cover of the June issue of the Japanese combat sports magazine, Kakutougi Tsushin.
The interview with Yamamoto features a photo footage of his workout with muay thai fighter-turned-mixed martial artist, Rambaa “M-16” Somdet. Kid lauds Somdet’s stand-up as “perfect for MMA – totally exemplary.” He states that he has been working on honing and integrating muay thai techniques to his arsenal.
7/13/09: Masato vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri!?
Fighting and Entertainment Group (the parent company behind K-1 and DREAM) Event Producer Sadaharu Tanikawa expressed his hope for the rumored K-1 bout between the Japanese kickboxing icon, Masato and Tatsuya Kawajiri.
Masato, a two-time K-1 World MAX Champion, has announced his pending retirement earlier this year. He will retire at the end of the year after fighting on July 13 and on New Year’s Eve. While he plans on facing this year’s K-1 Max Champion on New Year’s Eve, his opponent for the July 13 remains up in the air.
Shooto/PRIDE/DREAM veteran, Tatsuya Kawajiri made his K-1 debut at the Dynamite!! 2008 last New Year’s Eve and scored a dominant, first-round TKO victory over K-1 veteran, Kozo Takeda. He will face Gesias Cavalcante at DREAM 9 on May 26. Should he prevail over Cavalcante, he likely will be en route to a title shot later this year.
Well-aware of Kawajiri’s potential scheduling conflict with DREAM, Tanikawa nevertheless billed Kawajiri as the “number one candidate” for Masato’s opponent for K-1’s July 13th event.
Memorable quotes from Takanori Gomi
In a feature-length interview, Takanori Gomi offers a piece of insight into his recent past and briefly discusses his wish regarding the future direction of his career:
“After I had become a champion and attained a respectable status, I was fortunate enough to be offered a long-term contract and gain financial stability in my life. However, in retrospect, that might have numbed me motivationally – it simply didn’t jibe with me. I was struck by the realization that my style is to just go ahead and sign for a single fight, put on an explosive performance, and have the promotion invite me back with a stronger opponent.”
“I just want to concentrate on one fight at a time and enjoy the ride without any constraint. Instead of ensconcing myself in any given promotion, I want to proceed with my career as Takanori Gomi, the mixed martial artist.”
