DREAM
DREAM · 2008 – 2012
Defunct
- Founded
- Feb 13, 2008 (first event March 2008)
- Founders
- Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG) with former PRIDE staff
- Home base
- Tokyo, Japan
- Fate
- Folded in 2012; succeeded in spirit by RIZIN.
Notable Eras
- FEG and Real Entertainment partnership, 2008–2011
- Decline with FEG's financial collapse
Key Events
- DREAM 1 (2008)
- DREAM 2008 Lightweight Grand Prix, won by Joachim Hansen
- Dynamite!! New Year's Eve shows
Legendary Champions
- Shinya Aoki
- Gegard Mousasi
- Alistair Overeem
- Bibiano Fernandes
- Hiroyuki Takaya
The Full History
2008: Born from PRIDE and HERO'S
After PRIDE's sale, K-1's parent FEG and former PRIDE staff joined forces to create DREAM in 2008.
2008–2011: Grand Prix Years
DREAM ran tournaments across the weight classes and co-promoted New Year's Eve Dynamite!! shows.
2012: Final Show
FEG declared bankruptcy in May 2012. DREAM held a final New Year's Eve event in December 2012 with outside backing.
Why It Closed
Its parent went bankrupt. K-1 parent FEG declared bankruptcy in May 2012. Glory Sports International staged a final show, DREAM 18, on December 31, 2012.
Legacy
The bridge between PRIDE and RIZIN that kept Japanese MMA alive through its leanest years.
