DREAM.3 recap

1. Takeshi Yamazaki > Shoji Maruyama, decision

Shoji easily got the best of any standup and action but Yamazaki took him down frequently and laid on him while trying half-heartedly for submissions. In the MMA world Yamazaki deserved the win. In a perfect world Shoji deserved the victory.

2. Mayhem Miller > Katsuyori Shibata, strikes, Rd1

Mayhem, wearing Aoki tights, grabbed immediate mount and just unloaded with fists and knees on Shibata’s face making him a mess. He was playing to the crowd and the cameras acting like he does. Just complete domination and fun for Mayhem and the referree kindly stopped the fight.

3. Melvin Manhoef > Kim Dae Won, strikes, Rd1

Seeing this result you might picture it in your head as it was the most obvious of the card but it didn’t go that way. Won won (lulz) some standup early and then he slammed Manhoef down to the ground and was in his half guard. Manhoef was eventually able to get on top and pound him hard until Won quit and the ref mercifully stopped the fight after a hard knee.

4. Daisuke Nakamura > Jung Bu Kyung, strikes, Rd2

Nakamura really controlled the action from the feet and on the ground. Bu Kyung put up a fight but got caught right on the jaw and ref stopped the fight. Nakamura would have won a decision had he not stopped the fight.

5. Nick Diaz > Katsuya Inoue, strikes, Rd1

Diaz won the early standup and messed up Inoue’s nose pretty badly. It got closer but Diaz began just picking Inoue apart punch after punch and you saw the white towel (flag) fly into the ring as Inoue’s corner couldn’t take it any longer. Diaz just picked him apart at the end.

6. Tatsuya Kawajiri > Luis Buscape, decision

Kawajiri dominated the ground game for 14 minutes and Firmino had control for the last minute. No serious damage up and down in an uneventful fight but Kawajiri won a boring decision based on the rules.

7. Eddie Alvarez > Joachim Hansen, decision

Fight of the card so far. Alvarez really controlled the action but Hansen came back with a vengeance in round two. Alvarez won the decision, awesome fight. He won the standup, he won the ground game, just a very good fight though this one was rather close.

8. Caol Uno > Mitsuhiro Ishida, sub, Rd2

Ishida controlled most of the first and used his wrestling when he needed it. Uno put up a solid fight and fought back but Ishida controlled most of the action. In the second round, Uno took him down, got control, and out of almost nowhere landed a choke to finish the fight.