Nakahara

(Just throw a band-aid on it.)

Remember when Kazushi Sakuraba said "a small scab" on his leg was the reason he would not be participating in DREAM 2's Middleweight Grand Prix? Well, the scab has been touched by an angel --- or maybe he just decided to cowboy up --- because Nightmare of Battle is listing three match-ups that have been announced for the GP, including one between Sakuraba and newbie Andrews Nakahara. The other two fights will see Kiyoshi Tamura versus Masakatsu Funaki and Denis Kang versus Gegard Mousasi.

Here's the scoop on Andrews Nakahara: he's a 24-year-old Kyokushin Karate fighter, but there is no MMA record for him yet. He was born in Brazil, is six feet tall, and likes intimate dinner conversation. He has done well for himself in Karate tournaments, according to Kyokushin4Life:

-- All American Open Karate Championships 2007 (IKO-1) - 2nd Place
-- All American Open Karate Championships 2006 (IKO-1) - 1st Place
-- All American Open Karate Championships 2005 (IKO-1) - 2nd Place
-- All American Open Karate Championships 2004 (IKO-1) - 7th Place
-- 3rd World Weight Category Championships 2005 (IKO-1) - 1st Place
-- 6th South American Karate Tournament 2004 (IKO-1) - 1st Place
-- Brazilian Open 2004 (IKO-1) - 2nd Place
-- South American Open 2005 (IKO-1) - 1st Place

How well all this may translate to a fight with an MMA vet like Sakuraba remains to be seen. Little else is known about Nak, so who knows how extensive his wrestling and ground work has been. Oh, and if you're the sort that likes cruising around the websites of various dojos, go here to visit Nakahara's dojo.