Sakuraba Fights Funaki at K-1 Premium Dynamite

Kazushi Sakuraba will fight MMA veteran Masakatsu Funaki on Dec. 31 at K-1 Dynamite. (MMAweekly.com Photo)

New Year's Eve is always a big night for mixed martial arts in Japan, and 2007 will be no exception.

While top-ranked heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko (26-1-0) fights 7'2" Korean giant Hong Man Choi (1-0-0) in Saitama, another MMA superstar will be fighting the same night in Osaka, as Kazushi Sakuraba (22-9-1) faces Pancrase legend Masakatsu Funaki (40-12-1) in the main event of "K-1 Premium Dynamite 2007".

Also known as "The Gracie Hunter" for his numerous fights with the Brazilian fighting family, Sakuraba is coming off a win over Katsuyori Shibata (2-3-0) in September. Funaki will be making his return after losing by choke to Rickson Gracie (11-0-0) in May of 2000.

The card also includes Rickson Gracie jiu-jitsu black belt Rani Yahya (11-3-0) facing the fearsome Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto (16-1-0) as well as Ikuhisa Minowa (38-26-8) facing the enormous 390-pound Wagner "Zuluzinho" Martins (3-3-0), who is coming off a recent win at "Bodog Fight USA vs. Russia", Nov. 30 in Moscow.

Former Pride competitors Bob Sapp (8-2-1) and Joachim Hansen (15-6-1) will also fight.

Updated Fight Card for K-1 Premium Dynamite
Dec. 31, Osaka, Japan

• Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Masakatsu Funaki
• Kiyoshi Tamura vs. Hideo Tokoro
• Rani Yahya vs. Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto
• Melvin Manhoef vs. Yousuke Nishijima
• Ikuhisa Minowa vs. Zuluzinho
• Kazuyuki Miyata vs. Joachim Hansen
• Bob Sapp vs. Bobby Ologun
• Musashi vs. Bernard Ackah (K-1 Rules)
• Masato vs. Yong Soo Choi (K-1 Rules)
• Hiroya vs. Tsukasa Fuji (K-1 Rules)
• Kenji Kubo vs. Yudai (K-1 Rules)

Watch Bodog Fight: The Vault for MMA downloads every week.

Also, don't miss Bodog Fight on The Fight Network and on The Score.

Bet on MMA in the Bodog Sportsbook.

All lines subject to change.