All signs from this video point towards the DREAM organization conducting an experiment on their October 6th show by interchanging the traditionally used ring for a white six-sided cage.
The cage setting is not entirely foreign to Japanese MMA (the Greatest Common Multiple or GCM promotion uses one), but it's never been featured by any of the major organizations. This is another definite sign of the impact of American MMA's recent boom on global MMA, coinciding with the recent news that Vale Tudo Japan will be revived by Shooto promoter Sustain and will serve as a platform to test changes to Shooto rules, such as the use of standard-sized MMA gloves and five-round fights.
Perhaps equally enticing as the potentially improved aesthetics of the white-colored cage is the prospect of lightweights Eddie Alvarez and Katsunori Kikuno having a showdown at DREAM 12. This match-up was rumored after Bellator FC was shopping Alvarez to DREAM in exchange for a DREAM fighter to compete in the Bellator tournament.
Katsunori Kikuno currently presides as king over the DEEP LW division, and just clobbered Andre "Dida" Amade with his signature crescent kick for his DREAM debut in July. He is an incredibly exciting and unorthodox fighter with unique and effective striking that is complimented by adept Judo and a strong top game.
Alvarez was swimming with the top-ranked lightweight sharks in DREAM before transferring to Bellator, enjoying "fight of the year" nominated wins over Joachim Hansen and Tatsuya Kawajiri, but also suffering a tough submission loss to Shinya Aoki. I know many will agree that it feels like Alvarez may have left some unfinished business to be dealt with in DREAM, and it would be great to see him back in the promotion against their stellar lightweight talent.
