Yarennoka!

Infobox MMA event
name=Yarennoka 2007


promotion=Yarennoka Executive Committee (former PRIDE staff), M-1 Global, and Fighting and Entertainment Group
spokesman= Nobuhiko Takada
date=December 31, 2007
venue=Saitama Super Arena
city=Saitama, Japan
attendance=27,128Fact|date=January 2008

"Yarennoka!" was a mixed martial arts (MMA) event that took place on December 31, 2007 at the Saitama Super Arena in Tokyo, Japan. [cite web
url=http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles.asp?n_id=10153
title=Politics of Promoting on New Year's Eve in Japan
last=Leidecker
first=Tim
publisher=Sherdog
date=November 29, 2007
accessdate=2007-12-21] The event was promoted by former PRIDE Fighting Championships executives and held in association with Fighting and Entertainment Group, DEEP, and M-1 Global. [cite web
url=http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=mmajunkie-Fedor_Choi_official
title=Fedor Emelianenko vs. Hong Man Choi Official for Dec. 31
last=Stupp
first=Dann
authorlink=Dann Stupp
publisher=Yahoo! Sports
date=December 13, 2007
accessdate=2007-12-18] [cite web
url=http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles.asp?n_id=10373
title=Cooperation Makes for New Year's Eve Cards
last=Kotani
first=Taro
publisher=Sherdog
date=December 13, 2007
accessdate=2007-12-18] The event aired on HDNet and was billed as "Fedor Returns" in the United States; while it was shown on SKY Perfect, a Japanese pay per view network.

It was headlined by a fight between former PRIDE heavyweight champion and 2004 heavyweight Grand Prix champion Fedor Emelianenko and K-1 2007 World Grand Prix Finalist Hong-Man Choi. The undercard showcased many top lightweight fighters and was also marked by a marquee matchup of the Pride 2006 Welterweight Grand Prix Champion Kazuo Misaki and the HERO'S 2006 Light Heavyweight Grand Prix Champion Yoshihiro Akiyama. [cite web
url=http://www.sherdog.com/news/news.asp?n_id=10268
title=Return of Fedor Caps Big MMA Month for HDNet
publisher=Sherdog
date=December 7, 2007
accessdate=] [cite web
url=http://www.sherdog.com/news/news.asp?n_id=10062
title=M-1 Global Teams with Former PRIDE Staff
last=Leidecker
first=Tim
publisher=Sherdog
date=November 21, 2007
accessdate=2007-12-18] The event was a farewell show to PRIDE fans after their acquisition by the Ultimate Fighting Championship in early 2007. [cite web
url=http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/sports/2007/12/136_15367.html
title=Freak Show?
last=Tong-hyung
first=Kim
publisher=The Korea Times
date=December 11, 2007
accessdate=2007-12-18]

It is also credited for inspiring the former pride executives and the Fighting and Entertainment Group to create the new fight series, DREAM.

Results

*Heavyweight Bout: flagicon|USA Mike Russow vs flagicon|RUS Roman Zentsov:Mike Russow wins via Submission (North-South Choke) at 2:58 into the first round.

*Lightweight Bout: flagicon|JPN Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. flagicon|BRA Luiz Azeredo:Tatsuya Kawajiri wins by Unanimous Decision 3-0.

*Middleweight Bout: flagicon|JPN Makoto Takimoto vs. flagicon|BRA Murilo Bustamante:Makoto Takimoto wins by Split Decision 2-1.

*Lightweight Bout: flagicon|JPN Mitsuhiro Ishida vs flagicon|USA Gilbert Melendez:Mitsuhiro Ishida wins by Unanimous Decision 3-0.

*Middleweight Bout: flagicon|JPN Kazuo Misaki vs flagicon|JPN Yoshihiro Akiyama:Misaki was originally declared the winner by Knockout but Akiyama's camp protested, claiming that it was an illegal soccer kick. The decision was later overturned to a No Contest.

*Heavyweight Bout: flagicon|RUS Fedor Emelianenko vs. flagicon|KOR Hong-Man Choi:Fedor Emelianenko wins via Arm bar at 1:54 into the 1st Round.

*Lightweight Bout: flagicon|JPN Hayato Sakurai vs. flagicon|JPN Hidehiko Hasegawa:Hayato Sakurai wins via Unanimous Decision

*Lightweight Bout: flagicon|JPN Shinya Aoki vs. flagicon|KOR Jung Bu-Kyung:Shinya Aoki wins via Unanimous Decision

Notes

* A match between Shinya Aoki and Gesias Calvancanti was postponed after Calvancanti tore a ligament in his elbow while training with Brazilian Top Team. [cite web
url=http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=5337&zoneid=13
title=Top Lightweight Match-up Officially Cancelled
publisher=MMA Weekly
date=December 23, 2007
accessdate=2007-12-24] Bu-Kyung Jung, a judo silver-medalist from Sydney Olympics who made his MMA debut in this event, was confirmed to be the new opponent of Aoki.

* Former Pride lightweight Joachim Hansen was originally slated to fight at Yarennoka! [cite web
url=http://mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=5186&zoneid=3
title=Exclusive: Joachim Hansen Confirms NYE Bout
publisher=MMA Weekly
author=Lee Whitehead
date=December 3, 2007
accessdate=2008-01-07] but was moved to the K-1 PREMIUM 2007 Dynamite!! show against Kazuyuki Miyata in return for the fighters K-1 sent over for Yarennoka. [cite web
url=http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/top815.htm
title="FieLDS K-1 PREMIUM 2007 Dynamite!!"
accessdate=2007-12-18
publisher=K-1 Grand Prix Website]

* The knockout in the Misaki-Akiyama match was the result of a controversial head kick delivered as Akiyama was standing up from the mat after being previously knocked down by Misaki.cite web
url=http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles.asp?n_id=10665
title=Five Memorable Moments from the Weekend
last=Hall
first=Joe
date=January 2, 2008
accessdate=2008-01-08] Akiyama's camp later indicated that they believed the kick was an illegal soccer kick, since they claimed Akiyama was in the four points position at the time of the kick.cite web
url=http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles.asp?n_id=10770
title=Akiyama Camp Protests Misaki's KO Kick
last=Breen
first=Jordan
publisher=Sherdog.com
date=January 11, 2008
accessdate=2008-01-12] The event's head referee Yuji Shimada indicated the timing was close but after a video review, the result was overturned and declared No contest [ [http://sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp/fight/other/headlines/etc/20080122-00000013-spnavi-fight.html スポーツナビ｜三崎和雄vs.秋山成勲の一戦はノーコンテストに変更=やれんのか! ] ]

*Before the last fight between Aoki and Jung, M-1 President and CEO Monte Cox thanked the crowd and praised the Japanese fans. He announced that M-1 Global would be back in Japan during 2008. Also, all of the fighters appeared in the ring after the final match to count down to the New Year and give fans their best wishes. [cite web
url=http://mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=5375&zoneid=6
title=Fedor Topples the Giant in Japan
author=Al Yu
publisher=MMAWeekly
date=December 31, 2007
accessdate=2008-01-06]

ee also

*PRIDE FC
*K-1 PREMIUM 2007 Dynamite!!
*K-1
*DREAM

References

External links

* [http://www.yarennoka.com Official Yarennoka! website]