YARENNOKA. One of the greatest nights no one is really talking about

[mkiv]

YARENNOKA: DECEMBER 31, 2007 IN SAITAMA, JAPAN
venue: Saitama Super Arena

-Hayato "Mach" Sakurai vs. Hidehiko Hasegawa
-Gilbert Melendez vs. Mitsuhiro Ishida
-Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Luiz Azeredo
-Shinya Aoki vs. Gesias "JZ" Calvancante
-Kazuo Misaki vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama

-Fedor Emelianenko vs. TBA
-Ricardo Arona vs. TBA
-Aleksander Emelianenko vs. TBA
-Joachim Hansen vs. TBA
-Mark Hunt vs. TBA
-Roman Zentsov vs. TBA

So far alot of the bottom portion of the card is not concrete. In my opinion this card looks solid. Sakurai, Melendez, Ishida, Aoki not to mention the all the TBA fights if they do happen. i think this is the greatest card for the month of december if not all of 2007.

[Yohan]

That's going to be sick if it's true.

[SirVill]

Good old Mark Hunt... New Zealand represent. Too bad he's such a fat bastard.

[slipthejab]

Good old Mark Hunt... New Zealand represent. Too bad he's such a fat bastard.

lol.... a fat bastard with a jaw of granite... not to mention being surprisingly fast for being as chub-bub as he is. Fat or not... you're not about to say that to his face. :P

[Sever]

Word is that HDNet have secured the rights to broadcast this event and every future Fedor fight
Source (http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=5228&zoneid=13)
With New Year’s Eve just around the corner, HDNet has secured the rights to broadcast the highly anticipated Yarennoka! event taking place in Japan on Dec. 31 as confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by HDNet Fights CEO, Andrew Simon.

"Today's announcement with M-1 Global/Fedor clearly demonstrates that HDNet Fights is committed to working on a unified basis to deliver the best fighters and the best fights," said Simon. "HDNet is clearly becoming the home for MMA action and this amazing live event featuring the return of Fedor is our holiday present to HDNet Fights fans. We are working hard every day improving HDNet Fights and this is a great first step in the process."

The event will feature the return of Fedor Emelianenko to active competition against an as of yet unnamed opponent, and along with this deal, HDNet will also gain the rights to broadcast all of Fedor’s future international fights.

The show has already announced many bouts with huge implications including a lightweight battle between two of the top fighters in the world, Gesias “JZ” Calvancante vs. Shinya Aoki.

HDNet founder and owner, Mark Cuban also commented on the huge announcement to broadcast the show on his network.

“This announcement reinforces our commitment to becoming the home for live MMA action,” Cuban stated. “No one else but HDNet will have the return of Fedor live from Japan.”

The television juggernaut also today officially announced the rights to broadcast the upcoming International Fight League’s Grand Prix finals taking place on Dec. 29 from Connecticut.

“This is a great opportunity to work with the IFL for the first time and to bring one of the best cards of the year live to MMA fans and HDNet customers,” said Andrew Simon about the broadcast of the IFL Grand Prix.

The card will feature 5 title bouts and undercard fights featuring many of the top stars in the IFL.

Should be a great event - it's basically a Pride show. Hopefully this will encourage someone to get MMA in Japan back on track

[Linguo]

*boing*

er...I mean...looks like a good card.

[Patrick_baji]

that is by far one of the sickest cards if it pulls off..
fedor and ricardo apparently are definately fighting and hong man choi is rumoured to be as well

according to what I read on wikipedia that is anyway.

[Doublejab]

Wow, better card than alot of the rescent ufcs. Hope this promotion takes off, they seem to have alot of quality fighters. If they could sign Barnett and Coulture they'd have a stacked heavy weight division.

[nready]

Wow, better card than alot of the rescent ufcs. Hope this promotion takes off, they seem to have alot of quality fighters. If they could sign Barnett and Coulture they'd have a stacked heavy weight division.

Well I think Couture is only wants to fight one person that is why he has left the UFC supposedly. It sounds like he left do to his not getting to fight Fedor (Emelianenko).

Here is what is at sherdog. http://www.sherdog.com/news/news.asp?n_id=9455

[Doublejab]

Well I think Couture is only wants to fight one person that is why he has left the UFC supposedly. It sounds like he left do to his not getting to fight Fedor (Emelianenko).

Here is what is at sherdog. http://www.sherdog.com/news/news.asp?n_id=9455

Could well be alot of truth in that, Randy is the ultimate challenge seeker and there weren't that many heavyweights left in the UFC who he really wanted to fight. His contract doesn't expire till October though so could take awhile for a fedor match to happen...

[nready]

Randy will have to fight if they say he has to than? I mean it sounded like there was a real falling out with White.

I would not have given up my spot as a commentator. Some commentators' make allot of money. It makes Couture sound bad.