Meeting with the media Tuesday in metropolitan Tokyo, Fight Entertainment Group president Sadaharu Tanigawa released the full main card lineup for Oct. 28's HERO'S card at the Jang Chung Gymnasium in Seoul, South Korea.
In an interesting and surely appealing decision, FEG opted to put together the event's two biggest drawing cards in the main event, pitting returning HERO'S tournament champion Yoshihiro Akiyama (Pictures) against middleweight stalwart Denis Kang (Pictures).
FEG announced earlier this month that the event would feature the return of Akiyama, as well as the HERO'S debut of Spirit MC champion Kang, however, it was anticipated that both fighters would be featured in showcase fights in front of the South Korean crowd, where they're both extremely popular fighters.
The bout will be the first for Akiyama in nearly eleven months, after his well-documented suspension following his scandalous win over MMA icon Kazushi Sakuraba (Pictures) last New Year's Eve. In the days following the bout, it was revealed that the 32-year-old Akiyama had used a skin moisturizer on his body prior to the bout, prompting FEG to declare the bout a No Contest, and indefinitely suspend the former stalwart judoka.
Kang last saw action in March, where he fought before the Seoul crowd in Spirit MC. However, in the process of taking a commanding decision over Jung Gyu Choi, Kang sustained a broken right hand which required surgery, and has since kept him on the shelf.
Tanigawa also announced that grappling superstar Marcelo Garcia (Pictures) will make his much-anticipated MMA debut on the card, taking on South Korean Dae Won Kim (Pictures) at a contracted weight of 181 pounds.
Garcia, 25, is considered by many to be the best pound-for-pound submission grappler in the world, with exceptional achievement in both BJJ and no-gi grappling competition. He was originally slated to make his MMA debut on May's Gracie Fighting Championships card against Marcus Avellan before the bout was scrapped. Shortly after, Garcia inked a deal with FEG to compete in HERO'S, leading to heavy anticipation of his debut.
Also, South Korean judo star Dong Sik Yoon (Pictures) will square off with young Chute Boxer Fabio Silva (Pictures). Yoon is coming off of a quick submission win over once-touted Croat Zelg Galesic (Pictures) in September, while on the same bill, Silva was outgunned by dynamic Dutchman Melvin Manhoef (Pictures) in 60 seconds.
The aforementioned Galesic will also return to action, taking on K-1 convert Taiei Kin (Pictures). Kin, 37, is an ethnic Korean, and is coming off the biggest win of his short 14-month MMA career, having dominated Japanese star Kiyoshi Tamura (Pictures) en route to a unanimous decision in July.
Recent HERO'S signee Ikuhisa Minowa (Pictures) will also see duty, taking on Atlanta Games judo silver medallist Min Soo Kim (Pictures). Minowa made a successful HERO'S debut in September, taking out larger Rickson Gracie (Pictures) pupil Kevin Casey (Pictures). The hard luck Kim, loser of four straight, was last pulverized by debuting Brock Lesnar (Pictures) in the headliner of June's K-1 Dynamite!! USA.
Former UFC titlist Carlos Newton (Pictures) will meet Shungo Oyama (Pictures) at a 198-pound catch-weight; ssireum champion Lee Tae Hyun will face Yoshihisa Yamamoto (Pictures); and comedian-turned-fighter Bernard Ackah (Pictures) will take on Hawaiian prospect and B.J. Penn (Pictures) pupil Poai Suganuma (Pictures) at 205 pounds.
The Kang-Akiyama, Yoon-Silva and Taiai-Galesic fights will all feature a 10-minute opening round, a five-minute second round, and potential third five-minute extension round if necessary. The other bouts will all be contested over three five-minute rounds.
In an interesting and surely appealing decision, FEG opted to put together the event's two biggest drawing cards in the main event, pitting returning HERO'S tournament champion Yoshihiro Akiyama (Pictures) against middleweight stalwart Denis Kang (Pictures).
FEG announced earlier this month that the event would feature the return of Akiyama, as well as the HERO'S debut of Spirit MC champion Kang, however, it was anticipated that both fighters would be featured in showcase fights in front of the South Korean crowd, where they're both extremely popular fighters.
The bout will be the first for Akiyama in nearly eleven months, after his well-documented suspension following his scandalous win over MMA icon Kazushi Sakuraba (Pictures) last New Year's Eve. In the days following the bout, it was revealed that the 32-year-old Akiyama had used a skin moisturizer on his body prior to the bout, prompting FEG to declare the bout a No Contest, and indefinitely suspend the former stalwart judoka.
Kang last saw action in March, where he fought before the Seoul crowd in Spirit MC. However, in the process of taking a commanding decision over Jung Gyu Choi, Kang sustained a broken right hand which required surgery, and has since kept him on the shelf.
Tanigawa also announced that grappling superstar Marcelo Garcia (Pictures) will make his much-anticipated MMA debut on the card, taking on South Korean Dae Won Kim (Pictures) at a contracted weight of 181 pounds.
Garcia, 25, is considered by many to be the best pound-for-pound submission grappler in the world, with exceptional achievement in both BJJ and no-gi grappling competition. He was originally slated to make his MMA debut on May's Gracie Fighting Championships card against Marcus Avellan before the bout was scrapped. Shortly after, Garcia inked a deal with FEG to compete in HERO'S, leading to heavy anticipation of his debut.
Also, South Korean judo star Dong Sik Yoon (Pictures) will square off with young Chute Boxer Fabio Silva (Pictures). Yoon is coming off of a quick submission win over once-touted Croat Zelg Galesic (Pictures) in September, while on the same bill, Silva was outgunned by dynamic Dutchman Melvin Manhoef (Pictures) in 60 seconds.
The aforementioned Galesic will also return to action, taking on K-1 convert Taiei Kin (Pictures). Kin, 37, is an ethnic Korean, and is coming off the biggest win of his short 14-month MMA career, having dominated Japanese star Kiyoshi Tamura (Pictures) en route to a unanimous decision in July.
Recent HERO'S signee Ikuhisa Minowa (Pictures) will also see duty, taking on Atlanta Games judo silver medallist Min Soo Kim (Pictures). Minowa made a successful HERO'S debut in September, taking out larger Rickson Gracie (Pictures) pupil Kevin Casey (Pictures). The hard luck Kim, loser of four straight, was last pulverized by debuting Brock Lesnar (Pictures) in the headliner of June's K-1 Dynamite!! USA.
Former UFC titlist Carlos Newton (Pictures) will meet Shungo Oyama (Pictures) at a 198-pound catch-weight; ssireum champion Lee Tae Hyun will face Yoshihisa Yamamoto (Pictures); and comedian-turned-fighter Bernard Ackah (Pictures) will take on Hawaiian prospect and B.J. Penn (Pictures) pupil Poai Suganuma (Pictures) at 205 pounds.
The Kang-Akiyama, Yoon-Silva and Taiai-Galesic fights will all feature a 10-minute opening round, a five-minute second round, and potential third five-minute extension round if necessary. The other bouts will all be contested over three five-minute rounds.
