Last week news broke that former Elite XC undefeated heavyweight fighter Dave "Pee Wee" Herman (13-0) -- among the best young prospects in the division -- would compete on the Sengoku: "Rebellion 2009" card for World Victory Road at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on January 4.
Today Choi Mu Bae (7-3) was announced as his opponent.
Herman is among the fastest rising mixed martial artists in the heavyweight division right now. He ripped off four straight wins under the Elite XC banner and quickly made a name for himself in the sport.
His ability to finish fights is on par with some of the best in the business. In fact, only once has an opponent of his made it out of the first round. And all of them have either been stopped with strikes or choked out.
Choi is a six-fight Pride FC veteran who last competed on the third Sengoku event back in May, losing to former UFC fighter and top Brazilian jui-jitsu player Marcio Cruz in the first round. The loss was only the third of his career with the other two coming by submission and knockout to Sylvester Terkay and Sergei Kharitonov, respectively.
The South Korean has a few notable wins under his belt worth mentioning. He recently knocked out one-time kickboxing stud Gary Goodridge back in February at a show in Seoul, South Korea, and he also choked out UFC veteran Soa Palelei at Pride 28 in April of 2006.
Choi probably holds the advantage when it comes to experience on a big stage and he won't be an easy opponent for Herman at all ... especially with the fight being in Japan. But Herman's athleticism for a man his size is off the charts and basically this is just another opportunity for him to prove that once again.
Also in action at "Rebellion 2009" is ex-Elite XC heavyweight champion Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva (11-1). He'll meet Yoshihiro Nakao (7-1) -- the guy who infamously kissed Heath Herring before their match three years ago.
That one should be an interesting fight.
In addition, the lightweight and middleweight titles will be on the line as Takanori Gomi and Satoru Kitaoka face off for the 155-pound crown while Jorge Santiago and Kazuo Misaki throwdown for the 185-pound strap.
It should be an exciting night of fights -- don't miss it.