Kid Yamamoto to Return (Finally) at DREAM.9; 'Superdreadnought' Matches Also Featured
(Kid Yamamoto highlight reel, y'all. Bounce ta dis.)
As previously rumored, former K-1 HERO's champ and #4-ranked featherweight Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto will end a year-and-a-half hiatus at DREAM.9 (May 26th; Yokohama, Japan) when he enters their ongoing featherweight grand prix, taking an automatic bye to the quarterfinals. Yamamoto hasn't competed since his second-round TKO victory over Rani Yahya at K-1 Premium 2007 Dynamite!! on New Year's Eve 2007, which was his 14th-consecutive win. And it seems like DREAM's organizers have a sense of humor, because they're slotting him against former U.S. wrestling champion Joe Warren, who, like Yamamoto, was involved in a reputation-injuring marijuana scandal. (Weed is a big no-no over there. Very dishonorable.) May the best pothead win? DREAM.9's featherweight GP matchups will be arranged thusly:
Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto vs. Joe Warren
Masakazu Imanari vs. Bibiano Fernandes
Yoshiro Maeda vs. Hiroyuki Takaya
Abel Cullum vs. Hideo Tokoro*
* Tokoro replaces Daiki Hata, who injured his right orbital bone during their opening-round fight at DREAM.8.
In addition to the tournament fights, DREAM.9 will reportedly feature bouts between Tatsuya Kawajiri and Gesias Cavalcante, and Gegard Mousasi vs. Rameau Thierry Soukoudjou; Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza and Paulo Filho are also rumored to be on the card against yet-unnamed opponents. And Nightmare of Battle passes along this mysterious update:
I have no idea what that means, but my best guess is superheavyweight chicken-fights. Don't let us down, Japanese freak-show culture!
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Comments
Portzportsky Says:
kudos the CP boys for pulling that russian sucker punching video. I know most that commented probably wont notice. Good stuff.
Richard Tucker Says:
Superdreadnought = three-man tag-team MMA.
You heard it here first.
Marbles Says:
My prediction: Kid Yamamoto def. Joe Warren via KO (flying knee), 0:04 of round 1
jdavis Says:
Sounds like they have booked Paulo Filho to fight a world war 1 era battleship, something that even people who have never watched MMA before can enjoy.
CookieMonster Says:
The Kid is back!!!
Fuckanosama Says:
The Japanese often refer to strong or influential foreigners coming to Japan as 'black ships' (after Perry's dreadnoughts which forced the country to open in the 19th century) so my guess would be this refers to some foreign fighters...maybe.
Goog Says:
I don't like that little shit. He's a completely disrespectful asshole. Doesn't break on a tapout, won't quit hitting after a ref stoppage, he steps over his beaten opponent and kicks him in the head... he's a no class miniature fuckbag. Hope he gets killed.
Anonymous Says:
Filho already fought a WW1 era battleship during his last fight against Sonnen. During that fight, he also fought two baby hippos, a pallet of sod, B Real from Cypress Hill and his second stepfather, a man who tried to care but didn't know how.
Luukos Says:
I agree with Goog, he is a good fighter though.
War Says:
Didn't know "The Kid" was such a dirtbag
rampaging Says:
He won't last long with those codes of ethics
Clyde Says:
Can someone explain how weed is a big deal in Japan but couldn't give a fuck about the steroids?
LukeTheDuke Says:
He's a nasty little bastard for sure.
ItburnswhenIpee Says:
Superdreadnought has got to include Butterbean...
Beaver Beater Says:
Half his fights should have ended in DQs with his stupid antics, he needed 4 guys to pull him off an unconscious opponent. Great fighter, horrible person.
Rakshas Says:
Wow, Yamamoto has absolutely zero class.
I couldn't believe how long he held that rear naked choke after the ref was literally sitting on top of him trying to break it. Not to mention him wailing on the guy outside the ropes to the point where the corners had to empty to drag him off.
He's nothing but a thug who's particularly good at beating opponents after the fights over.
My Fight Wiffa Cheeto Says:
I need HDNet... stat.
The Kid Says:
and I'm back! with the beaver hats and ben davis slacks.
Anonymous Says:
The dude on the ropes was saying stuff about Yamamoto's family... As for the dude with the fro, I'll let you have that one lol
Jubbie Says:
They lump weed into the same category as "hard" drugs like Coke/Heroin. It's like auto-prison with possession usually. They can have a pretty exaggerated media vision of things like weed over there. It's portrayed as if it's like acid or shrooms and coke combined.
I agree about Kid. A complete dick in the ring but a crazy fighter. I think there's some background to some of the dickery though, something like one of them made remarks about his family.
Jubbie Says:
You beat me to the punch about Kid, Anonymous. Damn refreshes.