Countdown to Dynamite!! 2009: News and notes for Dec. 31 event

The countdown to the largest Japanese combat sports event of the year winds down, as we are only a week out from the event. With the fight cards and the special rules for the "DREAM vs. SRC" bouts nearly complete and awaiting last-minute fine-tuning, following is a compilation of news and notes regarding Dynamite!! 2009 that have surfaced during the last few days.

• Sadaharu Tanikawa, FEG president: "This year`s fight card is stacked with truly competitive bouts, rather than the spectacle-oriented matches befitting the PRIDE-like extravaganza. I would like to strive for at least 20% TV rating with the event (NOTE: The highest rating to date for Dynamite!! is 20.1%)"
• Kazuo Misaki, who will face Melvin Manhoef, confessed during the press conference held on Christmas Day that he had initial qualms about accepting a fight against Manhoef after the dissolution of the putative bout with Kazushi Sakuraba threw his training off course. Nevertheless, he reaffirmed his obligation as a fighter and stated that he will do his best to prepare for Manhoef as the clock ticks for the event. Since leaving his long-time home of Grabaka last month, he has been training at Power of Dream gym (Satoshi Ishii, along with Kazunori Yokota Singh Jaideep, and Tomoya Miyashita on occasion).

• Andy Souwer solicited permission to wear a shoot boxing long spandex, which has been banned in K-1 MAX since September, 2008, for his bout against Masato. Masato not only granted permission but also revealed that he plans on wearing the spats as well. He also explained that long spandex has been banned in K-1 MAX out of concern that the materials used in some spandex help cushion the blow and give the wearer an unfair advantage in fights. Though Souwer will wear a spandex that will be inspected by the K-1 officials beforehand, Masato says that fans need not worry about the spandex because he will defeat Souwer with a blow to the face.
• Yosuke Nishijima requested permission to wear shoes in his K-1 bout against Ray Sefo. Sefo has agreed and the bout will be contested under special rules under which Nishijima will not be allowed to kick.
• Masato is confident about avenging his losses to Andy Souwer in the main event to conclude his illustrious career. He has diligently prepared to fight five, three-minute rounds, built tolerance against low kicks, and gained considerable power to complement his top-notch conditioning. He also predicts that the fight will end via KO by left hook -- a symbolic finish, considering that he knocked out Mourad Sari with a left hook on November1, 2000 and proclaimed upon victory that "his era had begun in K-1."
• Hayato "Mach" Sakurai held an open workout in front of the media on Saturday, December 26. He is reportedly in good physical condition despite his recurring struggle to cut weight. Nonetheless, he reassured that he has enlisted the help of a nutritionist to monitor his diet and that the weight-cut has not been too strenuous. In response to the speculation by many that his struggle with weight-cut played a role in his defeat against Marius Zaromskis at DREAM 9 in August, he reiterated that summer has always been his nemesis: The need for constant hydration during the muggy months of summer contributes to weight gain and this past summer has been particularly brutal for him in terms of keeping up his physical condition and weight down.
• Kazuyuki Fujita on his fight against Alistair Overeem, upon his return from a four-week training camp with Marco Ruas in Los Angeles: "(Overeem) is really a monster with his superhuman physique. With an opponent like him, no other Japanese fighter will likely face him. Who else will, if I don`t!? Everything about this fight is outside the normal parameters, so I should not fight in a predictable manner. I am solidifying my game plan against Alistair as the training winds down."
• The rules and contracted weight limit for different weight classes for the "DREAM vs. SRC" fights have been nearly finalized but they will likely be announced on the day before the event. The decisions will be rendered under the "must-system" to curb draws, and given the odd number (9) of bouts, either DREAM or SRC squad will emerge as the decisive winner of the inter-promotional showdown.

Stay tuned to MMAmania for further news and coverage of the Dynamite!! 2009.