Its official, at a press conference today in Tokyo, Mirko Cro Cop has stated that he has official been released by the UFC and will now fight on March 15 for the new promotion “Dream”, as reported by the Wrestling Observer.

Dreams is a replacement for K-1 Heros which has officially closed its doors. Dream is to hold 6-7 shows in 2008 and will co-promote with M-1 fighter Fedor Emelianenko and Royce Gracie.

Mirko Cro Cop’s tenure in UFC is officially over as he showed up at Wednesday’s press conference at Hotel Metropolitan in Tokyo for the announcement of the debut of a new promotion.

Cro Cop was released from his UFC contract and said he would appear on the debut of a new group, a combined effort of K-1 and the former Pride promotion, which takes place on 3/15 at the Saitama Super Arena.

Staff from K-1 and the former Pride staff, led by K-1 head Sadaharu Tanikawa and Keeichi Sasahara, who was Nobuyuki Sakakibara’s second in command in Pride, were at the event.

Dream 2008 Schedule

Dream – March 15 – Saitama Superarena – Lightweight GP Round 1
Dream – April 29 – Saitama Superarena – Middleweight GP Round 1
Dream – May 11 – Saitama Superarena – Lightweight GP Round 2
Dream – Begining of June – Korea or Yokohama Arena – Middleweight GP Round 2
Dream – July 21 – Osaka Jo-Hall – Lightweight GP Finals
Dream – Begining of Sept. – Saitama Superarena- Middleweight GP Finals

According to the Wrestling Observer, rumors around Japan are that Mirko Cro Cop will announce tomorrow at a press conference in Japan, that he has signed with K-1 to fight in their new MMA organization set to replace the current K-1\Heros.

This might support rumors that the UFC was looking to release Cro Cop from his contract, since Cro Cop makes a reported 350k+ a fight under his current UFC contract.

Reports from Japan, as well as a web site post by Mirko Cro Cop both state Cro Cop will be in Japan tomorrow for a press conference put on by Fighting Entertainment Group (K-1), which will announce the debut of a new MMA promotion to take the place of its Hero’s division.

Cro Cop was the most popular foreign MMA fighter in Japan when he signed a six-fight deal at the end of 2006 with UFC. After going 1-2 in UFC, it was known UFC was considering cutting him from the deal due to the high cost of his contract.

His heading to the opening of the new group would make it likely that is how things turned out but we haven’t had that confirmed from the UFC side.

K-1’s Dynamite NYE show takes place at Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan. The card will have 7 MMA bouts as well as 8 Kickboxing bouts. This will be the most watched MMA event of the year, given K-1 has broadcasting deals set up around the world. (Estimated 30 million viewers)

MAIN CARD

• Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Masakatsu Funaki*
  Result: Kazushi Sakaraba defeats Masakatsu Funaki by Submission(Kimura) in R1.
• Kid Yamamoto vs. Rani Yahya*
  Result: Kid Yamamoto defeats Rani Yahya by KO in R2.
• Bob Sapp vs. Bobby Ologun*
  Result: Bob Sapp defeats Bobby Ologun by KO in R1.
• Masato vs. Yong Soo Choi
  Result: Masato defeats Yong Soo Choi by TKO R3.
• Musashi vs. Bernard Ackah
  Result: Musashi defeats Bernard Ackah by KO in R3.
• Yudai vs. Hiroya
  Result: Yudai defeats Hiroya by Split Decision.
• Kiyoshi Tamura vs. Hideo Tokoro*
  Result: Tamura defeats Hideo Tokoro by Submission (Kimura) in R3.
• Zuluzinho vs. Ikuhisa Minowa
  Result: Zulu defeats Ikuhisa Minowa by TKO in R3.
• Nicholas Pettas vs. Kim Young Hyun
  Result: Nicholas Pettas defeats Kim Young Hyun by TKO in R2.
• Melvin Manhoef vs. Yosuke Nishijima*
  Result: Melvin Manhoef defeats Yosuke Nishijima by KO in R1.
• Joachim Hansen vs. Kazuyuki Miyata*
  Result: Joachim Hansen defeats Kazuyki Miyata by Submission in R2.
• Yudia vs. Kenji Kubo
  Result: Yudia defeats Kenji Kubo by Decision.
• Hiroya vs. Tsukasa Fuji
  Result: Hiroya defeats Tsukasa Fuji by Decision.

*MMA Bouts

Marcelo Garcia vs Dae Won Kim

Dong Sik Yoon vs Fabio Silva

Zelg Galesic vs Taiei Kin

Quick Results

Shungo Oyama defeats Carlos Newton by Submission of R3
Kim Dae Won defeats Marcelo Garcia by TKO (Doctor Stoppage) of R2
Min Suk Heo defeats Katsuyori Shibata by KO of R1
Poai Suganauma defeats Bernard Ackah Submission of R1
Tae Hyun Lee defeats Yoshihisa Yamamoto by TKO of R1
Min Soo-Kim defeats Ikuhisa Minowa by TKO of R1
Zelg Galesic defeats Taiei Kin by TKO of R1
Dong Sik-Yoon defeats Fabio Silva by Submission of R1
Yoshihiro Akiyama defeats Denis Kang by TKO of R1

Akiyama KO’s Kang Video

Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Katsuyori Shibata

Sergei Kharitonov vs Alistair Overeem

K-1 HERO’s Middleweight Tournament
Yokohama Arena, Japan

JZ Calvancanti fighting out of American Top Team, won the Grand Prix tournament for the second year strait. He remains the Middleweight Champion.

• Takenori Sato defeats Kenji Nagai by Submission (Armbar) at 2:40 of the first round.
• Kazuyuki Miyata defeats Harvey Harra by Submission (Armbar) at 1:13 of the first round.
• Andre Dida defeats Caol Uno by Unanimous Decision
• Gesias “JZ” Calvancante defeats Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro by TKO (Strikes) at 0:35 of the first round.
• Ikuhisa Minowa defeats Kevin Casey by TKO (Strikes) at 0:42 of the second round.
• Dong Sik Yoon defeats Zelg Galesic by Submission (Armbar) at 1:29 of the first round.
• Melvin Manhoef defeats Fabio Silva by TKO (Strikes) at 1:00 of the first round.
• Sergei Kharitonov defeats Alistair Overeem by TKO (Strikes) at 4:21 of the first round.
• Kazushi Sakuraba defeats Katsuyori Shibata by Submission (Armbar) at 6:20 of the first round.
• Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto defeats Bibiano Fernandes by Unanimous Decision.
• Gesias “JZ” Calvancanti defeats Andre Dida by Submission (Armbar) at 4:48 of the first round.

1. Alexandre Franca Nogueira defeated Shuichiro Katsumura by TKO at 1:55 of the second round.
2. Andre Dida defeated Artur Oumakhanov by KO at 1:20 of the first round.
3. Ralek Gracie defeated Katsuyori Shibata at 3:05 of the first round.
4. Vitor “Shaolin” Ribiero defeated Kazuyuki Miyata by Submission at 1:54 of the second round.
5. Black Mamba defeated Hideo Tokoro by TKO at 4:47 of the first round.
6. Kaoru Uno defeated Katsuhiko Nagata by Unanimus Decision.
7. Melvin Manhoef defeated Bernard Ackah by KO at 2:13 of the first round.
8. Kin Tai Ei defeated Kiyoshi Tamura by Unanimous Decision

When: July 16, 2007
Where: Yokohama Arena Yokohama, Japan

Tournament Fights

Gesias Calvancanti vs. Andre Dida

Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro vs. Kazuyuki Miyata

Hideo Tokoro vs. Kultar Gill

Caol Uno vs. Katsuhiko Nagata

Non-Tournament Fights

Yoon Dong Sik vs. Bernard Ackah

Alexandre Franca “Pequeno” Nogueira vs. Shuichiro Katsumara

Ralek Gracie vs. Katsuyori Shibata

Today the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) released the financial report for last weeks “Dynamite” USA show held at the Los Angles historic Memorial Coliseum. The premotor Fight Entertainment Group (FEG) reported to the commission a total attendance of 42,757, which more then doubled the previous record in North America of 19,079 held by UFC 68 at Columbus, Ohio’s Nationwide Arena. FEG sold tickets as low as $10 to net a total gate of $2,545,590. While many people questioned the actual attendance of the co-promoted “Dynamite” USA show, FEG came trough and held a decent event.

North American promotions tend hold smaller events, usually at a casino, while Pride FC shows in Japan usually fill large stadiums with 90k+ in attendance.