OSAKA, December 31, 2007 -- Veteran Japanese fighter Kazushi Sakuraba, 36, beat Masakatsu Funaki in the Main Event tonight at the K-1 Premium Dynamite!! Also victorious at the New Year's Eve fightsport extravaganza were Kid Yamamoto, Bob Sapp, and 16 year-old karate stylist Yudai.

Since its inception five years ago, Dynamite!! has become one of the world's most popular fightsport productions, broadcast live across Japan with viewer estimates of up to 30 million. This is fightsport entertainment for the entire family -- featuring wily veterans and wide-eyed teens; popular Japanese television tarento; foreign behemoths; and yes, enough elite-fighter matchups to satisfy the martial arts purists.

Dynamite!! was held before a full house at the Kyocera Dome Osaka. Seven bouts were fought under HERO's Rules (mixed martial arts), and eight under K-1 Rules (standup).

In the Main Event it was a couple of Japanese mixed martial arts legends meeting under HERO'S Rules, with a 85kg/187lbs weight contract. Kazushi Sakuraba and Masakatsu Funaki brought a wealth of experience and illustrious careers to the ring. Both are grapplers and so this fight was expected to go to the mat early.

There were a few low kicks and punches to start, both fighters connecting smartly before an off-balance Sakuraba managed a takedown to mount. Funaki coiled up, and after the pair spent some time locked in a Greco-Roman embrace Sakuraba emerged standing over his opponent. Funaki used bicycle kicks to keep his opponent at bay, smacking one up to the face, before Sakuraba grabbed the feet and came down to a side mount to begin fishing for the armbar. The pair were wrapped tight when Sakuraba worked Funaki's right arm free, twisting it behind the back to force the submission and take the win.

"It's been seven years since I fought Funaki and I was surprised at how good his punching and timing are," said Sakuraba in his post-fight interview. "He is stronger than I remember, I was planning to pound on his face, but he was so good at blocking that I couldn't." Asked about FEG Event Producer Sadaharu Tanikawa's call for a Sakuraba vs Rickson Gracie fight next year, Sakuraba replied, "I'm up for it, I've never fought him, but I can only think of one fight at a time. This was a good year and I was relatively uninjured, so I'd like next year to be like that!"

The card's penultimate matchup featured Japanese mixed martial arts star Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto and Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter Rani Yahya in a 61kg/135lbs HERO'S contest. Yahya charged in early swinging away, only to have his momentum kiboshed by Yamamoto's surgical left punch. Yahya made attempts with low and high kicks, but the Kid was better with his counters, and repeatedly closed to point with a strike-and-retreat strategy. Yahya several times saw his leg takedowns stymied, and when the Brazilian did go to the ground Yamamoto declined the invitation, electing to hang back for a re-stand. In the first and second there were periods of frantic punching exchanges, but despite copious attempts, neither fighter could knock the other down.

The Kid's low crouch contrasted with Yahya's upright stance, and allowed the Japanese to both jump forward with punches and stave off takedown attempts. Following more fruitless flailing of the fists in the third, Yahya threw three high kicks, all of which were ably blocked, before Yamamoto connected squarely with a right, then a left, to leave Yahya dazed and down in the corner. The pumped-up Kid stepped in to fire kicks at his opponent's head, making partial contact before the referee intervened to stop the fight, raising Yamamoto's arm in victory.

"I kept a good distance to keep my opponent for coming in with a tackle," said Yamamoto afterward. "His punches were unorthodox so I hesitated a bit. A punch got through in the second round and I was seeing double after that. But in the end I came out with a win!"

Five years ago, American fighter Bob "The Beast" Sapp had one of the most recognizable faces in Japan. Tonight Sapp returned for a HERO'S bout with another very recognizable face, Japanese television tarento and comedian Bobby Ologun of Nigeria. The question was -- which face would be more recognizable after the fight?

After a couple of unabashedly over-the-top ring entrances, the pair set up for their showdown. From the bell, Sapp marched forward as Ologun pranced about out of reach, until finally Sapp got a grip and a takedown. The Beast muscled his way into a full mount which, given his mass, offered Ologun little if any chance for escape. Sapp tried in vain to wrest his opponent's arm free before abandoning that endeavor and simply pounding down the fists to earn a referee stop and the win.

"I'm happy overall," said Sapp in his post-fight interview, "but I know what I need to work on. It's good to be back. I think the audience wants more of the Beast and I want to do more. I plan to sit down with FEG and see what 2008 has in store, it should be a happy new year!"


In other HERO'S fights:

Kiyoshi Tamura of Japan took on compatriot Hideo Tokoro. These are a couple of mixed martial arts specialists, and not a strike was thrown before they went to the mat courtesy a Tokoro takedown. After a restand and a solid Tamura middle kick, the pair went to the mat once more where, alas, not a whole lot happened. Tamura allowed his opponent to stand, threw a kick or two and then they were down again. A round with plenty of ups and downs but little apparent damage. More grappling in the second, Tamura not capitalizing on a rear mount, Tokoro reversing but similarly unable to gain good position before another of many referee-ordered re-stands. But for a solid Tamura left hook, another round marred by a lack of action. With his 17kg/38lbs weight advantage, Tamura had the edge in power, and hard low kicks earned him some points early in the third. A relatively lackluster affair that finally found its conclusion when the pair went to the mat midway through the final round and Tamura extracted an arm and hyperextended for the submission.

Japanese former pro wrestler Minowaman went up against Zulu, a Brazilian who weighs in at a whopping 185kg/408lbs. Minowaman declared before the fight that weight difference was less important than spirit in a fight. But as Zulu stood center ring, Minowaman showed only spirited jogging, circling the ring's perimeter more than a dozen times -- perhaps intent on dizzying his opponent? The cat and mouse game played out for several minutes before Zulu finally got a hold of Minowaman and smothered him. Then the bell sounded.

In the second it was more perimeter play for Minowaman, who only occasionally darted in with low kicks. Again, Zulu eventually caught his opponent, throwing him to the mat like