Dream.1 Light Weight Grandprix 2008 1st Round was the inaugural event of the mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts

Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...

 promotion, Dream

DREAM (mixed martial arts)

Dream is a mixed martial arts organization promoted by former PRIDE FC executives and K-1 promoter Fighting and Entertainment Group. DREAM replaced FEG's previous-run mixed martial arts fight series, Hero's. The series retains many of the stylistic flourishes and personnel from Pride FC...

. It took place on Saturday, on March 15, 2008 at the Saitama Super Arena

Saitama Super Arena

is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Chūō-ku, Saitama City, Saitama, Japan. Its spectator capacity is 37,000 at maximum settings.This main arena capacity is between 19,000-22,500 when events such as basketball, volleyball, tennis, ice hockey, gymnastics, boxing, mixed martial arts and...

 in Saitama City, Japan.

The event featured the first seven tournament bouts of the 2008 Dream Lightweight Grand Prix, fought at 70 kilograms (154 lb), along with a trio of open-weight fights. The evening's main event was a match featuring last year's Hero's

HERO'S

Hero's was a Japanese mixed martial arts promotion operated by Fighting and Entertainment Group, the parent entity behind kickboxing organization K-1. Grown from and branched off of K-1's earlier experiments in MMA, including the K-1 Romanex event and various MMA fights on its regular K-1...

 Middleweight Champion, J.Z. Calvancanti of Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

 and Japanese judoka Shinya Aoki

Shinya Aoki

is a Japanese mixed martial artist, grappler, and former police trainee who is noted for being the DREAM Lightweight Champion and former Shooto Middleweight Champion. Aoki holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Yuki Nakai, as well as a black belt in judo. He is one of the most prominent...

. All bouts were fought under Dream mixed martial arts rules, with a 10 min first and 5 min second round. It attracted a sellout crowd of 19,120 and was broadcast live across Japan on the TBS

Tokyo Broadcasting System

, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....

 television network.

Results

• Heavyweight Bout

  Ikuhisa Minowa

Ikuhisa Minowa

is a Japanese mixed martial artist and pro wrestler currently competing in Dream as . He was a long time veteran of Pride Fighting Championships and Pancrase and has also competed in other mixed martial arts promotions such as K-1 HERO'S, Cage Rage, UFC, and DEEP. At 5'9" he is notable for taking...

 vs.   Lee Kwan Bum

Minowa defeats Lee by submission (kneebar) at 1:25 of round 1.

• Welterweight Bout

  Hayato Sakurai

Hayato Sakurai

is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He was born in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. He has a professional MMA record of 35-11-2 as of April 5, 2009. Sakurai has been fighting in mixed martial arts since October 1996 and was at one time considered pound for pound one of the greatest fighters...

 vs.   Hidetaka Monma

Hidetaka Monma

Hidetaka Monma , is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He started MMA at age of 25, when he joined Wajyutsu Keisyukai A-3 and made his professional debut on September 21, 2001 against Hiroshiji Ito at RINGS Battle Genesis Vol.8...

Sakurai defeats Monma by TKO (strikes) at 4:12 of round 1.

• Lightweight Grandprix 1st Round

  Joachim Hansen vs.   Kotetsu Boku

Kotetsu Boku

is a Japanese kickboxer and mixed martial artist, fighting in the lightweight class. He has mostly fought in Shooto, where he was the Lightweight Champion, but also in DREAM, Cage Force and K-1 Hero's. He is nicknamed "The Korean Tiger" because of his Korean heritage, and he has a tiger tattooed on...

Hansen defeats Boku by decision (unanimous).

• Lightweight Grandprix 1st Round

  Luis Firmino vs.   Kazuyuki Miyata

Kazuyuki Miyata

Kazuyuki Miyata is a Japanese freestyle wrestler and mixed martial artist who currently fights for the MMA promotion Dream in the featherweight division.-Freestyle Wrestling:...

Firmino defeats Miyata by submission (rear naked choke) at 7:37 of round 1.

• Lightweight Grandprix 1st Round

  Katsuhiko Nagata

Katsuhiko Nagata

is a Japanese olympic wrestler and mixed martial artist, who won the silver medal in 63-69 kg Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2000 Summer Olympics...

 vs.   Artur Oumakhanov

Nagata defeats Oumakhanov by decision (unanimous).

• Lightweight Grandprix 1st Round

  Mitsuhiro Ishida

Mitsuhiro Ishida

Mitsuhiro Ishida is a Japanese mixed martial artist who has competed in Shooto, Strikeforce and Pride. He currently competes in Dream and is known for his wrestling ability and endurance.- Mixed martial arts career :...

 vs.   Jung Bu-Kyung

Jung Bu-Kyung

Jung Bu-Kyung is a South Korean judoka and professional mixed martial artist.- Judo career :...

Ishida defeats Jung by decision (unanimous).

• Heavyweight Bout

  Mirko Filipović

Mirko Filipovic

Mirko Filipović is a former Croatian heavyweight kickboxer, mixed martial artist, politician, and law enforcement officer. Filipović was a member of the Croatian Parliament from 2003 through 2007...

 vs.   Tatsuya Mizuno

Tatsuya Mizuno

is a Japanese light heavyweight mixed martial artist. He has fought at events of Dream, Pancrase and M-1 Global.-Biography and career:Mizuno started competing in judo in high school, and holds a 3rd dan black belt in the discipline...

Filipović defeats Mizuno by TKO (punches) at 0:56 of round 1.

• Lightweight Grandprix 1st Round

  Eddie Alvarez

Eddie Alvarez

Eddie Alvarez is an American mixed martial artist, and former Bellator Fighting Championships lightweight champion. Alvarez also competes for the Japanese DREAM promotion, and fought once for ProElite's EliteXC promotion...

 vs.   Andre Amade

Andre Amade

Andre "Dida" Amade is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and Muay Thai kickboxer. Until late 2007 he trained at the Chute Boxe Academy in Curitiba, Brazil....

Alvarez defeats Amade by TKO (punches) at 6:47 of round 1.

• Lightweight Grandprix 1st Round

  Tatsuya Kawajiri

Tatsuya Kawajiri

Tatsuya Kawajiri is a Japanese mixed martial artist and a former Shooto welterweight champion, currently competing in Dream's lightweight division...

 vs.   Kultar Gill

Kultar Gill

Kultar "Black Mamba" Gill is a professional Indian-Canadian welterweight Muay Thai kickboxer and lightweight mixed martial artist, fighting for Team Mamba in Abbotsford, British Columbia....

Kawajiri defeats Gill by decision (unanimous).

• Lightweight Grandprix 1st Round

  Shinya Aoki

Shinya Aoki

is a Japanese mixed martial artist, grappler, and former police trainee who is noted for being the DREAM Lightweight Champion and former Shooto Middleweight Champion. Aoki holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Yuki Nakai, as well as a black belt in judo. He is one of the most prominent...

 vs.   Gesias Calvancante

Gesias Calvancante

Gesias Cavalcante Souza is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. He is the 2006 and 2007 K-1 HERO'S Middleweight tournament champion. He currently fights for Strikeforce and DREAM...

Calvancante delivered an unintentional illegal elbow at 3:46 of round 1 and the match as ruled a No Contest.