HERO's looking to add 143 lbs weight-class in 2008

In the wake of the HERO's 154 lbs tournaments first round, FEG is examining the possibility to add a 143 lbs (65 kg) weight-class next year. This comes after both Hideo Tokoro and Kazuyuki Miyata where eliminated in tournaments first round, both smaller fighters who would fit better in the 143 lbs weight-class. This would of course also cater better to the organizations big star Norifumi "KID" Yamamoto, a natural 143 pounder.

Also noteworthy is their plan to raise the weight limit for the 154 lbs (70 kg) division to a more PRIDE styled limit of 160 lbs (73 kg), again leaving questions if Gomi is going to fight for HERO's in the future.

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New Takanori Gomi to HERO's talk

You might remember the rumors about PRIDE lightweight champion Takanori Gomi signing with HERO's that floated around some weeks ago.

Now the rumor is back, and with a little more information to back it up. In an interview for the upcoming beach wrestling event on the 29th. Gomi spoke about his desire to fight for HERO's within the year, he confirmed that there is an offer from FEG, and if he was satisfied with it then he wants to fight for them.

I say good for him, UFC is most likely a dead end for most of the Japanese fighters anyway. Now lets hope others will follow him instead of just sitting idle and waiting.

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A not so great night for HERO's

Tanigawa had teased with a big announcement, believed to be the signing of former PRIDE lightweight Takanori Gomi. But the event came and went with no Gomi announcement at all. This should be promotion 101, don't say and hype things you can't deliver on, you'll only make fans angry and create unrealistic expectations. The only "surprise" that came out of this event was that apparently Pancrase veteran Masakatsu Funaki will return on New Years Eve, something I can't imagine anyone being really excited about.

All in all it was a bad night for HERO's and the Japanese fighters. Newly signed Kyoshi Tamura lost a pretty lackluster decision, Hideo Tokoro and Kazuyuki Miyata lost and where eliminated from the 154 lbs tournament, and Ralek Gracie armbarred Katsuyori Shibata in the first round (Ralek Grace vs Funaki anyone?).

Full results, winners in bold:

• Alexandre "Pequeno" Franca Nogueira / Shuichiro Katsumura (KO, R2)
• Andre Dida / Artur Oumakhanov (TKO, R1)
• Ralek Gracie / Katsuyori Shibata (Armbar, R1)
• Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro / Kazuyuki Miyata (Arm Triangle Choke, R2)
• Kultar "Black Mamba" Gill / Hideo Tokoro (TKO, R1)
• Caol Uno / Katsuhiko Nagata (Unanimous Decision)
• Melvin Manhoef / Bernard Ackah (KO, R1)
• Taiei Kin / Kiyoshi Tamura (Unanimous Decision)

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Yoon Dong Sik injured, Ackah vs Manhoef instead

Looks like everyones favorite Korean, Yoon Dong Sik, is injured and won't fight Bernard Ackah on the HERO's show this Monday. Stepping up to take his place is explosive Dutch striker Melvin Manhoef. Both fighters are coming off huge knock-outs, Manhoef against Ruslan Karaev under K-1 rules at K-1 Amsterdam and Ackah against Johnnie Morton at the debacle know as K-1 Dynamite!! USA.

Watch both knock-outs after the jump.

Melvin Manhoef vs Ruslan Karaev, K-1 Amsterdam:

Bernard Ackah vs Johnnie Morton, K-1 Dynamite!! USA:

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FEG expands their HERO's roster with Sokoudjou

Sokoudjou was close to signing with EliteXC. A verbal agreement between the two parties was in place, but all of a sudden FEG (and not K-1 as Sherdog's article noted) stepped up with "significantly more money" and snatched Sokoudjou away. Now significantly more money in relation to the reported $200k that EliteXC supposedly was going to pay Sokoudjou is quite a lot.

This however leaves a lot of questions, does this mean that FEG is serious about the heavier divisions? HERO's has recently signed two former PRIDE light-heavyweights, Sokoudjou and Alistair Overeem, and is possibly pitting them against each other in September. But after that there are not many more fighters to choose from, and their heavyweight division is more laughable then UFC's was a year ago.

There are more FEG signings that make little sense. A couple of months ago grappling ace Marcelo Garcia joined the promotion, but he has firmly expressed that he only wishes to fight at 170 lbs, a non existent division in HERO's. All this looks like preemptive strikes from FEG to prevent other promotions from signing the big names.

The alliance is broken, the gloves are off.

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Is Gomi to HERO's Tanigawa's big surprise?

Sherdog reported yesterday about Tanigawa hoping to reveal a big surprise this Monday on their HERO's card. The rumors flying around is that the surprise is PRIDE lightweight champion Takanori Gomi signing with the promotion. This rumor is coming only a day after Tamura signed with HERO's, and leaves one questioning if the PRIDE fighters now finally are up for grabs by anyone, and not Zuffa exclusives. Another consequence from this is that any belt unification Zuffa is trying to accomplish becomes meaningless when you don't have all the title holders under contract.

With Gomi possibly taking the step to HERO's this also opens up the question if other PRIDE fighters will do the same. Hayato "Mach" Sakurai and Marcus Aurelio is destined for the UFC, but there are a ton of high caliber light weights that are ronins at this point, Joachim Hansen, Gilbert Melendez, Mitsuhiro Ishida, Shinya Aoki and Tatsuya Kawajiri, just to name a few.

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Kiyoshi Tamura goes to HERO's, Sakuraba match-up finally within reach?

It was revealed today that the man with red pants, Kiyoshi Tamura, will fight on the upcoming HERO's card on July 16th. Tamura's fighting Taiei Kin, Kin latest saw action on the New Years Eve Dynamite card where he defeated Tokimitsu Ishizawa with a high kick.

The Tamura signing again opens up questions about a possible match-up with Kazushi Sakuraba, surprisingly not in PRIDE as was teased at PRIDE 34 but now in HERO's.

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More match-ups announced for July 16th HERO's card

Some more match-ups where announced for the HERO's card on July 16th in Yokohama Arena. It's worth to note that Pequeno / Katsumura is not a GP fight.

• GP: Gesias "JZ" Calvancanti (American Top Team) / Andre Dida (Chutebox)
• GP: Kazuyuki Miyata (Freelance) / Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro (Nova Uniao)
• GP: Hideo Tokoro (Reversal) / Kultar "Black Mamba" Gill (Revolution Fight Team)
• Ralek Gracie / Katsuyori Shibata (ARMS)
• Yoon Dong Sik (Freelance) / Bernard Ackah (Freelance)
• Shuichiro Katsumura (Katsumura Dojo) / Alexandre Franca "Pequeno" Nogueira (World Fight Center)
• GP: Caol Uno (Wajyutsu Keisyukai Tokyo) / Katsuhiko Nagata (New Japan Pro Wrestling / New Japan Factory)

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Holy crap Royce, what did you inject?!

A couple of days ago there was a story about Royce Gracie testing positive for steroids at FEG's HERO's show in LA. Royce has since that denied the allegations and maintained that he hasn't been taking anything except natural supplements.

Well here's the latest twist, CSAC released Royce's test values. The tests show Royce's Nandrolone value being 25 times (!!!) above the normal, clocking in at a whooping 50 ng/mL. Does the Gracie diet include bull testicles by any chance?

Both Renzo and Relson of the Gracie family commented on the story when it first broke, saying they haven't had much contact with Royce lately, but mostly voicing disappointment for Royce tarnishing the Gracie name.

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Caol Uno vs Katsuhiko Nagata in HERO's 154 tournament

The first match-up was announced for HERO's 154 lbs tournament. Last years finalist Caol Uno takes on Olympic wrestling silver medalist Katsuhiko Nagata. Nagata is going to train for the fight at the American Kickboxing Academy.

Rumored to participate besides previous announced fighters is Chute Boxe's Andre Dida.

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Royce Gracie tested positive for steroids. Really? Him?

First Morton and now Royce Gracie failed a drug test at the latest HERO's show. Really pathetic and so unnecessary when he was facing a beaten up Sakuraba his own age.

The question is will CSAC overturn the fight's result to a NC? The NSAC overturned Diaz win over Gomi at PRIDE 33 when Diaz tested positive for marijuana, and you would think steroids is a much bigger offence.

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Johnnie Morton: Officially worst - debut - ever

Not only did Morton manage to get knocked out in 38 seconds by a Japanese comedian in his MMA debut, he didn't get payed for it since he refused a post fight urinalysis test.

Now it turns out he got caught with anabolic steroids in his system the pre-fight test shows. This must officially be the worst debut ever by a n MMA fighter, on the positive side at least it didn't rain at the event.

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HERO's announces fighters for 154 tournament

Sherdog reports that FEG released the first names for their upcoming 154 lbs tournament on the July 16th card at Yokohama Arena.

• Gesias "JZ" Calvancanti
• Caol Uno
• Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro
• Hideo Tokoro
• Katsuhiko Nagata
• Kazuyuki Miyata
• Kultar "Black Mamba" Gill
• Shuichiro Katsumura
• Alexandre Franca "Pequeno" Nogueira

I also hope we'll see Ivan Menjivar back in the tournament this year following his great fights against Uno and Tokoro in the HERO's 154 GP last year.

It's interesting to see that none of the PRIDE lightweights have jumped ship to HERO's so far, at least none that we are aware of yet. On the same note Shinya Aoki wrote on his blog today that PRIDE was fine and he was still training for the PRIDE lightweight GP, let's hope he's right.

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