Dream 14: The Big Clash

SAN FRANCISCO (GaeaTimes.com)- The Dream 14 Event at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan gave a perfect platform to Strikeforce welterweight champ Nick Diaz to make a comeback as he took on the free falling Hayato Sakurai on May 29. The show was aired in America at 3am but that wasn’t a deterrent for the mixed-martial arts fans. The highlight clashes happened between ‘Kiko’ and ‘Kid’, Hideo Tokoro and Akiyo “Wicky” Nishiura in the featherweight bout and Imani Lee vs. Ikuhisa Minowa.

One of the two fights that stood out in the eventful evening was Imani Lee taking on the self-styled super hero of Dream- Ikuhisa Minowaman, better known as ‘Super Hulk’. The fighter is known for his ability to defeat larger opponents. The fight started too easy for Ikuhisa Minowaman when he pinned Imani Lee in the very first minute. The re-introduced white cage allowed him to trap Imani Lee in the mesh and batter him. After several failed attempts to get a chicken-wing grip on Imani Lee’s right arm, Ikuhisa Minowaman suddenly mounted on him in the 2nd last minute of the first round. Eventually Imani Lee surrendered to a a game ending rear-naked choke by Ikuhisa Minowaman.

Imani Lee not just weighed around 100 pounds more than Ikuhisa Minowaman but also had previous stints in boxing, kickboxing and even WWE. Mixed martial arts looked a little too uncomfortable for him as he allowed Dream’s ‘Super Hulk’ to continue the winning streak. Another notable happening was Wicky defeating Hideo Tokoro by TKO. Right after winning, Wicky took the mic and said that he wants Bibiano Fernandes’ belt.