Michihiro Omigawa (Pictured) has been quietly released by the UFC. How do we know this? Because the featherweight is fighting Tatsuya Kawajiri at “DREAM.18: Special NYE 2012″ on New Year’s Eve.
Omigawa’s departure from the planet’s premier mixed martial arts promotion doesn’t come as a complete surprise. The 36-year-old lost four of his past five bouts inside the Octagon, including his last two scraps.
He most recently dropped a unanimous decision to Manny Gamburyan in August.
Kawajiri, on the other hand, has rattled off four straight wins since getting cut from Strikeforce.
DREAM’s rise from the ashes will be a co-promotion with Glory. The hybrid card features kickboxing and MMA bouts.
Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan serves as host.
Here is the show’s current lineup:
Heavyweight Grand Slam Kickboxing Championship
MMA Bouts:
Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Michihiro Omigawa
Will Brooks vs. Satoru Kitaoka
Phil Baroni vs. Hayato Sakurai
Georgi Karakhanyan vs. Hiroyuki Takaya (DREAM Featherweight champion)
Denis Kang vs. Melvin Manhoef
Bibiano Fernandes vs. Yoshiro Maeda
Shinya Aoki vs. Antonio McKee