FieLDS Dynamite!! 2009 quick Q&A with HDNet Fights President Guy Mezger

Just hours before the action-packed FieLDS Dynamite!! 2009 year end show gets underway, President of HDNet Fights Guy Mezger has checked in with MMAmania.com (www.mmamania.com) to weigh in on the upcoming mega-event and even share his pick for the main event.

With the participation of notable fighters from both DREAM and Sengoku such as Hidehiko Yoshida and Kid Yamamoto, can Dynamite!! 2009 be a catalyst in revitalizing MMA in Japan?

Yes, Japanese MMA is slowly working itself back to being a major player in Japanese sports and tv media.  In the USA,  the average person hears less of it because of all the mainstream media coverage/outlets for UFC and Strike
Force.

For Dynamite!! 2009, DREAM and Sengoku have been working to reconcile their differences in rules and weight classes. Given the recent trend among Japanese promotions in modifying their rules and structure to resemble unified rules, do you think that the collaboration between DREAM and Sengoku can perhaps spur the standardization of rules, weight classes, and other regulatory matter across various Japanese promotions?

One could only hope that will be the case.  But I don't have hopes too high it will happen just yet.  MMA needs a standardized format for all MMA regardless if it is American, European, or Asian.

World Victory Road has run into financial strife in planning its NYE event. Will the merged fight card at Dynamite!! 2009 help Sengoku through exposure to large audience during the prime TV slot?

The cool thing is that we will be seeing really for the 1st time the athletes from two different MMA org fighting each other.  A real head to head competition.  This is really good for MMA as a whole and would love to see more of it (although I would hold my breath).

The whole DREAM vs. Sengoku format has obvious appeals in pitting fighters from two competing organizations. At the same time, it comes at the expense of title bouts in the respective organizations (i.e. Aoki-Kawajiri DREAM lightweight title match) that fans have been looking forward to. Do you think that DREAM and Sengoku have made a wise decision in staging the inter-promotional bout series?

I guess we will find out.  I think that this is a pretty good idea especially for the NYE show which is known for its gimmicks anyway.  This one is more appealing to me than some popular pro wrestler`s getting smashed by a MMA fighter or some other freak show type gimmick.

It is undeniable that many of the fights have been put together quite hastily and announced with very little time remaining until the event. The result has been a mix of very intriguing matchups (i.e. Omigawa-Takaya) and ones that some may consider mismatches (i.e. Mousasi-Goodridge). What is your assessment of the manner in which the fight card has been assembled?

Well, Pride use to have the some MO so I think the Japanese fans are use to it.  It makes it tough on the fighters and their prep, but they seem to be rolling with the punches on this one.

Which bout are you looking forward to the most?

I am going with the Sakurai vs Gono.  Not even sure why but I like that match up.  The funny thing is that is really has not gotten very much interest here.

Finally, your predictions for the co-main events of the night: Yoshida vs. Ishii and Masato vs. Souwer?

Ishii by landslide and Masato by UD!

HDNet will feature exclusive coverage of "HDNet Fights Presents: FieLDS Dynamite!! 2009," from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on Thursday, December 31 at 3:00 a.m. ET. Replays of the event will air on Thursday, December 31 at 8:00 p.m. ET and Friday, January 1, 2010 at 10:00 pm ET.

For everything you need to know about FieLDS Dynamite!! 2009 click here.