Alistair Overeem vs. Ricco Rodriguez on tap for DREAM.15

[Kebal]

Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem's next title defense is currently uncertain, but his next opponent isn't.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned from sources close to the promotion that Overeem (33-11 MMA, 3-0 DREAM) has verbally agreed to face former UFC champion Ricco Rodriguez (42-11 MMA, 0-0 DREAM) at DREAM.15.

Bout agreements are expected to be finalized shortly, and a formal announcement for the heavyweight contest should come soon after.

Featuring a lightweight title fight between current champion Shinya Aoki and Japanese superstar Tatsuya Kawajiri, DREAM.15 takes place July 10 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The card airs live in North America on HDNet.

Rodriguez is the second U.S.-based fighter and MMAagents client to be added to the DREAM.15 card after UFC veteran Jake O'Brien was secured earlier this week for a light heavyweight matchup with Gegard Mousasi.

Overeem is a four-time DREAM veteran. The Strikeforce champ owns stoppage wins over James Thompson, Mark Hunt and Lee Tae-Hyun under the DREAM banner, while a September 2008 fight with Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic ended in a no contest after "The Demolition Man" landed several accidental knee strikes to his opponent's groin.

Overeem had been expected to fight Fedor Emelianenko under the Strikeforce banner, though the Russian's recent loss to Brazilian Fabricio Werdum complicated the organization's heavyweight title picture, and the Dutch striker's next move in the organization is still unclear.

Meanwhile, Rodriguez is a name that may be unfamiliar to new UFC fans but certainly holds a place in MMA history. A seven-time UFC veteran, Rodrigurez claimed the organization's heavyweight title with a 2002 win over Randy Couture, though he would surrender the belt in his first defense to a then-undefeated Tim Sylvia.

Rodriguez battled through substance abuse and weight issues in the years following his abbreviated UFC title run. Nevertheless, the 32-year-old is currently on a seven-fight win streak, and he's won 13 of his past 15 contests.

Rodriguez had been linked to a July 18 bout with Jeff Monson under the Australian-based Impact FC banner, but MMAjunkie.com has learned that the former UFC champ will likely not participate in the event in order to fight Overeem.

[ataraxia]

Pfffff...

[Judas]

Pfffff...

[Kebal]

ja veel keus is er niet voor ze, als de partij nog doorgaat natuurlijk, want dat is ook niet zeker

[Bertje]

Nou nou nou wat een makkie!

[phranq]

Zet de stretcher maar vast klaar..

[chief108]

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[Il Loco]

wat een flut match up..

[thefxr]

ik ken hem alleen van celebrity rehab!

[Judas]

Hij heeft wel ooit Big Nog laten tikken. :whistling:

[I_LOVE_KNOCKOUTS]

You said it, Judas! "ooit"...

Wat een mismatch.

[Vitor Belfort]

Ricco wou toch op LHW gaan vechten? Hij vocht laatst al op iets van 219lbs en lijkt fitter dan ooit... Laatste overwinning was volgens mij tegen Travis Lutter op highkick KO

[I_LOVE_KNOCKOUTS]

Ricco wou toch op LHW gaan vechten? Hij vocht laatst al op iets van 219lbs en lijkt fitter dan ooit... Laatste overwinning was volgens mij tegen Travis Lutter op highkick KO

Ik zat voor de gein effe te zoeken, en de beste man heeft na zijn winst op Travis Fulton (net ff een andere ;)) nog een keer gevochten. Vanaf juni 2009 heeft hij maar liefst 9(!) keer gevochten en is in die periode 8-1 met 3 submissions en 4 (T)KO's. Hij heeft nu een win streak van 7 partijen! Weliswaar niet tegen de grootste namen maar is weer goed bezig en aan z'n ritme zal het dus niet liggen.

Wellicht niet zo'n mismatch als ik dacht, want een Ricco in vorm heeft wel wat in huis.

[sikkwittet]

ricco was vroeger wel oke

niet super top vind ik, maar wel oke


heb ooit es van bertje een verhaal over ricco gehoord.

dus ik denk dat het best een veilige bet is dat ricco niet komt opdagen

[chief108]

LOL...

[Judas]

Ik ga voor de upset. Ricco by leglock.

[chief108]

Ik ga voor de upset. Ricco by leglock.
wat zouden de ods voor die uitslag zijn?

[snip83]

wat zouden de ods voor die uitslag zijn?

zelfde als die van badr tegen herpes

[Judas]

wat zouden de ods voor die uitslag zijn?

Zelfde als Fedor vs Werdum.

[Judas]

Of Chuck N. vs Balkenende.

[O11]

Ricco4PREZ!!!

[flip-mo]

*zucht*

wat een mismatch....

[Socra]

Zelfde als voor Italië -Slowakije.

[chief108]

wist niet dat die ook voor Strikeforce vochten tegenwoordig....

[Ninurta]

wordt druk in de kooi dan ja

[Ninurta]

on-topic pffffff lame match

[FOCUS]

die stoot van Bas zit er lekker op

[Kebal]

ja maar dat is el guapo, die had Overeem ook niet kunnen hebben

[chief108]

ja

[Judas]

si

[Kebal]

Alistair Overeem's Participation at DREAM.15 in Doubt

Reports surfaced online late Tuesday evening that Alistair Overeem vs. Ricco Rodriguez was all but signed for the DREAM.15 card on July 10.

However, a source close to Overeem told MMA Fighting that the fight isn't close to being official and that there is a "90%" chance that Overeem won't be fighting on the card altogether.

In addition, Overeem's trainer, Martijn de Jong, told The Fight Show's Mauro Ranallo Wednesday afternoon that Overeem is "definitely not" fighting Rodriguez at DREAM.15.

The trainer added that Overeem is currently in Sweden, and his camp will officially decide whether he will fight on the card Friday.

On the flip side, DREAM officials and Rodriguez's camp have informed MMA Fighting that contracts have been sent out and that both camps have verbally agreed to the fight.

There was talk at one time of having Overeem fight Andrei Arlovski, Ikuhisa Minowa or Tim Sylvia at DREAM.15, but those plans all fell through for different reasons. It appears as though matchmaking is one of the major hurdles affecting the Strikeforce heavyweight champion's participation on the card.

Of course, this is Japan, and as we all know by now, things can change on a dime when it comes to DREAM matchmaking.

[d4nd3l10n]

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh227/MMAFAN77/cybereem2012.jpg

[THE HAIROBSERVATOR]

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh227/MMAFAN77/cybereem2012.jpg

..in zo'n serie is hari aan het einde kaal:finger:
GRTZX:D

[Kebal]

Trainer: Overeem out of DREAM.15 fight with Rodriguez, DREAM future uncertain

Alistair Overeem (33-11 MMA, 3-0 DREAM) will not fight Ricco Rodriguez (42-11 MMA, 0-0 DREAM) at DREAM.15 – and he may not fight in the promotion ever again, according to his representative.

Martin De Jong, who trains the Strikeforce heavyweight champion, said his camp will talk to DREAM representatives at the end of this week to determine Overeem's future in the Japanese promotion.

"Right now, I can just say he's not going to fight Ricco, and he's not sure if he's going to fight in DREAM," De Jong today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

MMAjunkie.com first reported Tuesday that verbal agreements were in place for the July 10 bout, which takes place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. In fact, DREAM officials had distributed bout agreements and planned to announce the fight this week.

Rodriguez's agent, Ken Pavia, today said that he holds a signed contract for the bout. De Jong, though, said there's no such paperwork on his side.

"I didn't get any contract, and Alistair didn't agree, so it's not going to happen," he said.

The trainer said Overeem has no problem fighting Rodriguez at some point, but the Dutch slugger simply isn't sure if he'll fight at the July event. If he does, another opponent is probably more likely.


"The only thing that's uncertain is that he's not sure he's going to fight in DREAM.15," De Jong said. "If he's going to fight, he's probably not going to fight Ricco Rodriguez. We didn't receive any contract. [DREAM] proposed Ricco Rodriguez, but they didn't send a contract and definitely we did not sign it."


"If Alistair's going to fight at DREAM.15, then he's not going to fight Ricco. That's pretty much for sure."

Overeem signed a multi-year, multi-fight agreement with DREAM in 2009 that drew the ire of stateside fans who said he neglected his duty to defend his Strikeforce belt.

Most recently, Overeem pulverized Brett Rogers in May at "Strikeforce St. Louis: Heavy Artillery" to defend his title for the first time in since winning it nearly three years ago.

Following Fabricio Werdum's upset of Fedor Emelianenko at this past Saturday's "Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdum" event, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said Overeem could meet either Emelianenko or Werdum in his next stateside fight.

[FOCUS]

hij moet toch wedstrijdritme opdoen
ik hoop dat ze nog een deal rond kunnen krijgen met iemand die het niet erg vind om verpletterd te worden

[chief108]

da's het probleem idd

een tegenstander die echt wat kan vinden
of iemand die voor een zak geld wel wat tijd wil doorbrengen in een ziekenhuis

[Kebal]

ja maar ricco wil dus blijkbaar wel
snap in ieder geval niet goed, als Overeem dus wel gaat is het waarschijnlijk tegen een andere tegenstander. En die gekke manager van Ricco heeft het contract al wel?

nou ja we zien dan wel

[THE HAIROBSERVATOR]

http://i670.photobucket.com/albums/vv70/bdixon13/ricco1.jpg
GRTZX Ik wil hem nu wel zien vs die RICCO RODRIQUEZ:w00t:
http://www.kimurawear.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/ricco.jpg

[chief108]

ja maar ricco wil dus blijkbaar wel
snap in ieder geval niet goed, als Overeem dus wel gaat is het waarschijnlijk tegen een andere tegenstander. En die gekke manager van Ricco heeft het contract al wel?

nou ja we zien dan wel
het is en blijft een vaag wereldje hoor

[THE HAIROBSERVATOR]

..gewoon nu ff tegen Ricco dan naar de UFC want
wat je graag wilt krijg je meestal toch niet dus doeidoei fedor welcome
dana en daar gaan we dan door de HW division of the UFC !!
Ik hoop op een entree van MMALI in Oberhausen UFC121 !!
GRTZX :bash::fight:

[chief108]

http://vaitor.com/other/Archiv%2038/chewing.gif

[Kebal]

het is en blijft een vaag wereldje hoor

ja idd, maar ook niemand van al die sites die even uitzoekt hoe het zit, doen alsof het de normaalste zaak is dat iemand beweert een ondertekend contract te hebben.
Terwijl de anderen misschien wel willen knokken maar zeker niet tegen Ricco.
Bij Fedor was de minste scheet al dat hij iedereen ducked, dan hadden die reporters hier ook wel wat van kunnen maken toch?
Hoeft van mij niet maar toch wel gek dat ze er niet naar zoeken

[chief108]

de manier van zaken doen is ook heel vaak vaag hoor...
Betje vertelde ook zoiets op de BBQ
Dream had een eknokker nodig op short notice
Bertje zegt: is goed kost je 30.000
zij accoord
bellen ze volgende dag terug met de vraag of het nou in dollars of euros was afgesproken

hetzelfde heb ik gezien met dat gala in Rotterdam van KO-events
ging ook over bedragen van 10-duizenden eurie
gewoon ff over de telefoon of per email

veel shit staat ook niet op papier
er is altijd een mooi grijs gebied zoals Roy S dat zou zeggen

[Kebal]

zou er bijna zelf een site om beginnen om het uit te zoeken
als ik niet te lui was

[Kebal]

De Jong added that Overeem has no problem fighting Rodriguez, but they may skip DREAM.15 due to other issues with the promotion that he wouldn't discuss.

ook weer opgelost

[chief108]

geld dus
of BB die weer vrienden loopt te maken :)

[Kebal]

Alistair Overeem Clears Air, Will Not Compete at DREAM.15

Despite reports to the contrary, Alistair Overeem says he will not be fighting Ricco Rodriguez later this week at DREAM.15.

That's the word from the Strikeforce heavyweight champion himself, who sent MMA Fighting a personal statement, which will hopefully clear the air on the matter.

"I have heard numerous rumors about me fighting at Dream on July 10. I want to give my side of the story before speculation arises:

"After my Brett Rogers fight on May 15, I decided to take time off and do media appearances -- MMA expo in Canada, E3 expo, Strikeforce events -- and enjoy some time off with my family. I knew Dream wanted me on the show, but I didn't want to go back in training preparation. Then, they offered me a fight against Andrei Arlovski for the Dream heavyweight title. As I have said on occasions, fighting for a belt means something more, and I wanted that Dream title so much that So as a result, I agreed to lay off my media and holiday plans, and went back to training.

"During my training I found out that Andrei Arlovski was not going to be my opponent, and they changed opponents numerous times. I've heard names like Tim Sylvia and Minowa. At one point, I received notice that they had found a opponent but that the Dream heavyweight title was not on the line anymore. With all the changes and the title fight no longer a possibility, I simply had to turn down the opportunity.

"The next day, I immediately took a flight to San Jose to hype up my possible fight against the winner of Fedor Emelianenko or Fabricio Werdum. I then heard rumors that Dream had booked me in a fight against Ricco Rodriguez. I want to make it very clear that I never verbally agreed to fight him and I never signed a contract with Dream to fight him. I feel very sorry for Ricco Rodriguez's camp if they still think the fight is on, and I apologize to my fans that have bought a ticket to see me compete. I hope this statement has shed some light on the unfortunate situation."

When MMA Fighting spoke to Rodriguez's agent, Ken Pavia, on Saturday, Pavia still maintained that the fight was a go and all plans were in place for Rodriguez's trip to Japan.

[Kebal]

haha wel grappig dat hij net zoveel weet als de gemiddelde forumwarrior over wie zijn tegenstander is

vooral diegene die de grap startte dat Minowaman degene zou worden

[thefxr]

en zo wordt A.O naar de ufc gedwongen.

[Kebal]

http://middleeasy.com/images/stories/Odin/overeemmove.gif

[Judas]

Fucking paard is het.

[Vitor Belfort]

Fucking paard is het.

Klopt:

http://i48.tinypic.com/wj77s2.jpg

[I_LOVE_KNOCKOUTS]

Vaag dat die manager van Rodriguez nog steeds denkt dat alles doorgaat.

[chief108]

http://i44.tinypic.com/4gn9ya.gif

[Kebal]

Keiichi Sasahara Explains Alistair Overeem's Absence

DREAM Executive Producer Keiichi Sasahara met with the press Thursday to attempt to clarify the on-again, off-again situation regarding Alistair Overeem's participation at DREAM.15. Well, clarify is probably the wrong word.

"Towards the end of the negotiations, because of reasons that I am not able to tell you, although the two fighters agreed to fight, it happened that these fighters could not fight. It's not because of money, but if the reasons are something that I cannot tell you then you might be able to guess what they would be. Because of that, we are not able to have these two fighters fight."

Ricco Rodriguez was at no point mentioned by Sasahara as Overeem's opponent. Instead, former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski was planned.

Sasahara's full statement after the break.

"We really wanted Alistair [Overeem] to fight. Today, unfortunately it is not happening so we will only have seven fights. I have to apologize to the fans who have been looking forward to seeing Alistair fight in Japan. I'm sorry.

"I just want to you explain to you the background of this. Alistair was supposed to fight Andrei Arlovski and they actually both agreed, we were ready to make an official announcement and then of course then the contractual agreement needed to be signed by both fighters. However towards the end of the negotiations, because of reasons that I am not able to tell you, although the two fighters agreed to fight, it happened that these fighters could not fight. It's not because of money, but if the reasons are something that I cannot tell you then you might be able to guess what they would be. Because of that, we are not able to have these two fighters fight.

"So Alistair was supposed to fight at DREAM.15 and we were trying to find new fighters or other fighters for Alistair. We offered the Alistair fight to many different fighters, but Alistair was motivated to Arlovski. Arlovski is not an easy fighter to find a replacement for. And again, we were not able to find a replacement.

"Alistair was supposed to fight Arlovski and we didn't know who was going to be the winner. The winner was then supposed to fight at DREAM.16 in September for the heavyweight championship. But that scenario is now gone. We need to think about whether we will have the championships anyway. Maybe we will move to plan B. In any case, we would like to plan some other fighters for Alistair in the future.

"I think there is a possibility [that the fight will happen in the future]. You know, these two fighters, personally agreed [to fight]. But that didn't happen. Of course we want these two fighters to fight in the future, it would be a great fight. However when we think about fighter's feelings, they might not want to think about it for a while so maybe we should give them some time."

[thefxr]

wat een gelul, Reem heeft nooit gezegd dat ie op Dream zal vechten, hij heeft het zelfs tegengesproken voordat dit naar buiten toe kwam!

[Kebal]

Valentijn weer met zijn prank calls zeker

[FOCUS]

Ik vind het wel klote dat het zo rete-moeilijk is om een matchmaking te realiseren.
Daar wordt niemand blij van, AO zelf ook niet, lijkt me.

[snip83]

Laat Valentijn dan maar knokken :D

[Kebal]

Ik vind het wel klote dat het zo rete-moeilijk is om een matchmaking te realiseren.
Daar wordt niemand blij van, AO zelf ook niet, lijkt me.

ik hoopte dat we hem snel weer zouden zien na Rogers.
Was toch mooi geweest als hij even tegen Arlovski ging bij Dream

[Kebal]

En Rico ook maar niet meer

Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Ricco Rodriguez will not be fighting at DREAM.15.

FiveOuncesofPain.com recently received word through sources close to Rodriguez that his previously anticipated showdown with Alistair Overeem is definitely off.

5 Oz was also able to confirm that DREAM officials attempted to salvage Rodriguez’ participation on the card after Overeem decided he wasn’t interested in the match-up, but none of the replacement opponents, such as Ikuhisa “Minowa-man” Minowa, felt as if they had enough time to train for the bout.

Rodriguez is currently riding a seven-fight win streak in the heavyweight division, with six of those victories ending decisively by submission, KO or TKO.

[Kebal]

en om het maar af te sluiten ricco nog in actie dit jaar
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[chief108]

hahaha die neger man....
wat een gast

thnx voor de filmpjes maat

Was toch mooi geweest als hij even tegen Arlovski ging bij Dream
ja man ja...

had hij ook mooi op KO kunnen winnen
maar is toch geen koekie
had ik wel willen zien iig

[Kebal]

Ricco Rodriguez: Overeem Didn't Want to Take the Risk

Former UFC heavyweight champion Ricco Rodriguez's scrapped bout with Alistair Overeem at DREAM.15 was supposed to be the next step in his road back to relevancy. After a stint on Celebrity Rehab for his issues with drugs and obesity he has cleaned up and a fight with Overeem would have been a major step back into the MMA spotlight and could have resurrected his career.

It was not to be though as Overeem and his camp did not consider Rodriguez a worthy opponent and so he made his trip to Japan for nothing.

"They way it was explained to me was that Overeem had a contract with DREAM. Bottom line is if they find you an opponent then you are supposed to step up. I feel that Overeem and his camp didn't want to take risk. The reality is that he doesn't feel like I'm a worthy opponent and he has his right to feel that way. The reality is that he doesn't want to lose to someone that wasn't as big as Arlovski, or as big as Fedor. There was too much risk in this fight."


"[DREAM] put me on a plane and I was signed to fight Overeem and then, from what I understand, Overeem's camp didn't accept the fight. They (Overeem's camp) led us to believe that they were going to take the fight from the beginning and then, from what I was told, they were very respectful and they apologized to myself and my camp, but they would not take this particular fight."

And so Rodriguez boarded a plan for Japan and while he was in the air, the rest of the world found out that Overeem would not be there when he arrived.

"I'm sad that Overeem didn't accept [the fight]. I feel like Overeem and his camp knew that there was a possibility of a loss. They didn't feel like it was a win-win for them and in hindsight, it was probably a good call. They don't understand how great a shape I am in and how hungry I am for this opportunity. Seven straight wins this past year. This would have been really my time to shine here and I'm upset that it didn't go through."

"To me though, it is a compliment. If you know you can crush me, why not just come in and pick up your pay check, put on a great show for the fans and do that job? He didn't want to do that. In my perspective as an athlete, you are here to fight. Here to put on a show and do a great job for the fans and do your job. If I'm not the opponent of your suiting then come down and crush this guy and move on to the next opponent. I'm waiting for the opportunity. I'm hungry. This just lets me know I'm getting closer to the opportunity. Something big. Overeem knows that and they can't take the risk, it's to much of a gamble for them."

DREAM and FEG has often received criticism for their tendency to book fights late and there have also been reports of late payments for some of the foreign fighters. Rodriguez had no problems of that kind with DREAM however.

"DREAM has been nothing but pleasant to me since I've been here. They made this phenomenal. I can only tell you that I've heard stories where people have had problems getting paid and this and that but DREAM stepped up to the plate did everything and then some. I'd be blessed to come back and work for this company. I'm not just saying that, I speak freely. They have been completely apologetic. I feel like they have been honest and they made everything very kosher with me. If this is the way they are going to do business then I have no problem coming back and working with them."

Rodriguez was initially set to fight in Impact FC in Australia on July 10. The same day as DREAM.15. His missed opportunity in Japan was not the reason for that fight being cancelled though.

"I was supposed to fight Jeff Monson but the commission didn't allow several fighters to fight on multiple shows in such a short time. I spoke with the promoter and I believe they are doing another show in August and I'll go back there then and fight. So yeah, the promoter cancelled it."

For a fighter who has just flown half way around the world for no real reason, Rodriguez is surprisingly calm and patient.

"I'm not getting the opportunity to train for three months to prepare for a fight like all the other guys. My job now is to stay in top physical condition so that when I get the opportunity, I'll be ready to fight. I know that people wont take me seriously until I execute a big fight in a big show. Then they'll take me seriously. That's what I'm doing. I'm waiting. I'm patient. I'm playing the game. When the time comes I will prevail."

[Kebal]

Ricco kan er nu wel een goed verhaal van maken

[Kebal]

ja man ja...

had hij ook mooi op KO kunnen winnen
maar is toch geen koekie
had ik wel willen zien iig

precies, rest maakt me geen reet uit, had hem gewoon graag zien knokken maar ja

[Kebal]

ach nu Fedor verloren heeft durft niemand meer een risico te nemen
ik ken mezelf ook al weken niet meer

[chief108]

durf amper te posten

[Kebal]

Ricco could replace O'Brien vs Mousasi


TOKYO -- Ricco Rodriguez is sitting in Japan, patiently waiting for a fight at Dream 15, though time is running out.

The former UFC heavyweight champion says he was scheduled to fight Alistair Overeem this Saturday at the Super Saitama Arena. However, the Dutch striker stated this week through his camp that he’d never agreed to the bout.

In an exclusive interview with Sherdog.com, Rodriguez explains the circumstances behind the bout's cancellation, the possibilityof stepping in for an overweight Jake O'Brien as a last-minute replacement against Gegard Mousasi, and seizing opportunities to make a comeback at light heavyweight and heavyweight.

Sherdog.com: Tell us how you got this point -- how you had a fight, then didn't have a fight, then came here to Japan.

Ricco Rodriguez:Behind the scenes, a lot of people need to understand that negotiations are a big part of this business. My thing personally is to stay physically fit and waiting for this opportunity, and at the last minute, I knew it was my only chance of getting a shot at fighting back in Japan. Dream has been nothing but excellent to me. They told me that if I got on this flight and canceled my other fights, that this was definitely going to happen.

It was presented to Overeem a while ago and he accepted the offer. I signed the contract, came down, and was prepared to fight Overeem. Later, I found out through Overeem's camp that they released a formal announcement that they apologized to myself and my camp and that they would not be accepting the fight. Yesterday was the first time I was told that they didn't feel that I was suitable.

And the reality is -- between you and me -- as a fighter, if you are trained to fight and you definitely know you have the upper hand on someone, you know, why not take the fight and put on a great show for the Japanese fans, and also take your purse money?

The reality is that they felt that there was too much risk involved in this particular fight. His camp and himself felt that this was not a good position for him, meaning that if he beats me, it wasn't a big victory, and if he loses to me, he had everything to lose. I felt that Dream was giving me the opportunity to kinda' dust me off and say, ‘You know what, let's give this guy an opportunity. He's hungry and is 7-0.’ That's one thing about the Japanese -- they love watching the comeback kid, and that's why I've loved working with Dream, because they were willing to give me that chance.

I think that Overeem did what was best for his career in this particular situation. Like I said, I have no beef with Dream. They've treated me phenomenally, they've kept their word, they've been awesome. I spoke with Ken Pavia at MMA Agents in the past few days, and finding out what's going on, negotiating, trying to find a new opponent, but the reality is that no one wanted to fight me.

I know I'm not going to be given anything easy at my position and where I am at in my life. I know that the only way that I'm gonna' excel is by taking a fight on the last minute and being able to execute on one of these deals.

Sherdog.com: So when did you arrive in Japan?

Rodriguez: I've been here since Tuesday, and the way I see it, Overeem was all over the posters, all over the media. He should have come here to fight anybody. The fact that he was asking for Arlovski, asking for someone bigger, you know, I don't see that as really working out for him seeing as he's the champion over in Strikeforce. So, I think he's really trying to protect who he is right now and what he's about. And you know, when you're in that position, you have to do that.

Sherdog.com: Did you know ahead of coming to Japan that he wasn't going to be here and that you were potentially just coming over for a vacation?

Rodriguez: Not at all. I actually have two fights lined up in July, fighting in USA MMA and Absolute Fighting Championships out in Indianapolis. By no means would I be coming out here for a vacation. I was coming out here for a fight. They did try to find a suitable opponent for me and everyone declined.

I would not have come out here just for a vacation and just to shake hands, so to speak. Ken Pavia at MMA Agents was promising me X, Y, and Z as an opponent to fight, but we came up short. There's also been talks of fighting Gegard Mousasi, and making 205 or 208 because Jake O'Brien's having a tough time making the weight.

You know how Dream does business -- everything happens at the last minute. Sometimes it's good for the fans and the world to see, and sometimes it's bad when everything falls through.

Sherdog.com: If O'Brien doesn't make weight, do you fight Mousasi? Or if Mousasi doesn't accept, do you fight O’Brien at heavyweight? Which is it?
Rodriguez: Listen, the only thing that would suck is that if I were to fight Gegard, I'd have to cut the weight now and I might not make it. And if I fight Jake, then, you know, I'm prepared to fight anyone. I'm waiting for this opportunity. I came here to fight for Dream, for the Japanese fans, I'm prepared. My goal right now is to be in the best physical shape of my life right now. Like I said, I'm just waiting, for this opportunity, as much as possible.

Sherdog.com: What are you weighing at right this moment?

Rodriguez: Right now I'm walking around at 230 and I'm usually fighting my opponents at 215 or a catch-weight of 220. But you know, if heavyweight is where it's going to be, that's where I'll go. But my goal is to eventually get down to 205. I'm just waiting for an organization to pay me decently to get down to that weight to fight.

Sherdog.com: So it's not a long-term thing with Dream then? Just a one-time deal for this fight?

Rodriguez: Well, I think we have a mutual understanding with each other now, and they see that I'm ready to fight for them and ready to fight whoever they put in front of me. And from what I understand with Ken Pavia and MMA Agents, they are basically negotiating something for September.

Sherdog.com: The Dream 16 card in September?

Rodriguez: Yes.

Sherdog.com: Well, Dream is basically the revival of Pride, who you have history with. How has it been working with them again? Has it pretty much been all the same faces and such?

Rodriguez: It's somewhat new and old faces, but the reality is like I've said in the past -- I've burned a lot of bridges, and people don't remember that I've been fighting since I'm 18 years old. I'm 32 years of age now and the truth of the matter is that there are a lot of bridges that were burned and they're finally cooling down now, and I'm just waiting for this opportunity to step up and showcase my skills. I would like to walk away from the industry on my will, meaning that I want to walk away and leave behind me something bigger and better than the way a lot of people saw it. People have seen my past and the things I went through, my challenges with my weight, you know.

One thing that I love about fighting is that you're able to recreate yourself in this business, and you're able to show what you are really made of if you come up and do the right thing.

Sherdog.com: So you're essentially one fight, one opportunity away from making that “big thing,” having a legacy develop here?

Rodriguez: I believe so. I was really that close this weekend to overcome something huge, and I believe that the reason Overeem and that camp didn't want to take that fight was that once they were doing a little homework on me, seeing how lean I was and seeing that I had seven straight wins, and how almost all of them are KOs or TKOs, you know, they started to think, ‘Is this worth the risk of how much we worked?’

A lot of people don't understand that once you get to this level, at the top, it's one or two fights from either making it or losing everything you worked for. You look at the time Overeem's put into this and he's gotta' protect it. I respect what he's doing, and his camp is doing the right thing.

With Fedor losing, it makes (Overeem) a better champion so to speak. You know, demolishing Brett Rogers, he's sitting somewhat at the top. He is the champion, you know? And that's big for him. It's huge.

And to be honest, I think Overeem was a perfect style matchup for me. I think I would have taken him past the first round and he would have been in trouble. That's my personal opinion.

Sherdog.com: Let's talk short-term and long-term future. Short-term -- like the next two days -- what's going to be happening for you?

Rodriguez: Short-term, I'm going to watch a good show in Japan, and go see my old neighborhood in Musashi-Koyama and go buy some merchandise from Takada Dojo. Eat some great Japanese food, go get a couple mild runs outside, and enjoy my time here in Japan.

Long-term, I think I'm going to build a relationship with Dream and eventually get the opportunity that I would like to receive as a gentleman, and what I mean by that is, ‘Hey Ricco, you're going to fight this person at this time,’ and I'll train and do the right thing. I'm hoping and praying for that, and it would be nice.

If it doesn't, I'm going to go back home, train, and go back to the fights that I had scheduled. I pulled out of one, and I can't really do anything about that one.

Sherdog.com: To make it here?

Rodriguez: No, no, my fights back in the states. I have one fight at USA MMA on July 31 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. That one will stay on schedule.

Sherdog.com: Who are you fighting in your next two bouts back in the states?

Rodriguez: I was supposed to fight Bobby Martinez in Absolute Fighting Championship out in Indianapolis, but because of this fight, I had to pull out. Hopefully, we can put something together (with Dream) for September. That's what the talks are. I'm letting my agent and trainer work that out.

Sherdog.com: And that's something you mentioned earlier that you wanted to do at 205? Or would you still be fighting at heavyweight?

Rodriguez: Most of the time, I do a catch-weight of 220, or I fight at heavyweight. You know, I just try not to fight anyone at 265, just because I'm making the cut to 205. But the reality is that no one wants to fight me at 205 on the C and B-levels of MMA.

The reality is that the people that are stepping up to fight me now are the people who want to get that step over Ricco Rodriguez, meaning that, you know, ‘I beat a world champion.’ I'm giving them the opportunity, but I'm not getting the opportunity myself. The only time I got the opportunity was right now with Dream to fight Overeem, and I jumped on it because it would have put me right back in the top 10.

Sherdog.com: How long ago did you receive the offer to fight Overeem?

Rodriguez: Well, to be honest with you, it was on the table once before, and then it went off, and then I got a call about a week ago, and they asked, ‘Do you want it?’ And I said, yeah, I'll take it. And that's when I flew down here, to take the fight. I always knew that this opportunity was going to come. Training with Saul Soliz, we knew it was only a matter of time.

You know, it might not happen this weekend, it might not happen this month, but it's going to come back again. And I'm prepared. And that's the thing I think people don't really understand. I think I really freaked a lot of people out when I came to the weigh-ins today. They all saw how lean I was, they saw how great a shape I've been in.

[Kebal]

Jake O'Brien Possibly Out Against Mousasi - Ricco Rodriguez In

Gegard Mousasi has often talked of fighting at heavyweight. Ricco Rodriguez has often talked of moving down to light-heavyweight. Now they might meet in the middle. Although Jake O'Brien was apparently only one kilogram over (2.2 lb) the 93 kg (205 lb) weight limit, Rodriguez is now saying via twitter that DREAM is now offering him Mousasi.

Only hours before Rodriguez's tweet, MMAFighting.com asked the question to the former UFC heavyweight champion if he would be interested in taking a fight if offered one at this late stage.

"You know, who knows. If Jake O'Brien doesn't make weight, who knows? Maybe me and Gegard will fight. I did everything, I cancelled other fights to come here, to get this opportunity with DREAM. I'm not going to mess it up, I believe that the loyalty I showed with DREAM will give me an opportunity to step up. I just don't see them coming up with something at the last minute. But the reality is that they tried to find opponents for me. They tried to contact everybody they knew and every person turned it down."
Rodriguez is currently too heavy to make the 205 lb limit and with less than 24 hours before the event the bout would have to be fought at a catch weight. This would make the idea of the light-heavyweight tournament seem void but at least we would be left with more than six bouts.

"My goal now is to not be in the heavyweight division much longer and to make the cut to 205. Right now, [my weight] is at 230 because I thought I was fighting Overeem so I was bulking up but my walking around weight is around 220. If they told me to fight Gegard, I would have fought him but because I was fighting Overeem I was bulking back up."

If the fight does go ahead then the flight to Japan and his preparedness will have certainly paid off.

"I'm not getting the opportunity to train for three months to prepare for a fight like all the other guys. My job now is to stay in top physical condition so that when I get the opportunity, I'll be ready to fight. I know that people wont take me seriously until I execute a big fight in a big show. Then they'll take me seriously. That's what I'm doing. I'm waiting. I'm patient. I'm playing the game. When the time comes I will prevail.

"My weight being a problem in the past and other things, I want people to see that I am very serious about fighting. My goal is to retire at 35 and end on a good note."

There has been no public comment from FEG and requests for comment have not been responded to.