B.C.'s Bibiano Fernandes Likely To Defend His Featherweight Title Against Joachim Hansen at DREAM 13

FiveOuncesOfPain.com is reporting today that B.C.-trained, Brazilian fighter and DREAM's featherweight champion, Bibiano "The Flash" Fernandes (7-2 [pictured left]) will put his world title on the line at DREAM 13. Fernandes trains with Langley, B.C.'s Revolution Fight Team. The challenger for the belt is rumored to be hard-hitting Norwegian Joachim "Hellboy" Hansen (19-8-1).

Despite winning the DREAM featherweight tournament which ran between March and October of 2009, Bibiano Fernandes is still a relative unknown to the majority of MMA fans. To come out on top of the field of sixteen world-class fighters, Fernandes first defeated Takafumi Otsuka (9-4-1) and Masakazu Iminari (18-7-2) in the early rounds to qualify for the Featherweight Grand Priz 2009 Finals at DREAM 11. Fernendes, who had been overlooked by many from the start, was not a favourite to win it all that night, but that didn't stop him form slapping an armbar on Joe Warren (2-1) or defeating Hiroyuki Takaya (12-8-1) by split-decision to claim the vacant DREAM featherweight title (139lbs. in Japan). Though he still has much more to prove, Bibiano Fernandes' performance at DREAM 11 forced the MMA world to take notice of his well-rounded skill-set and amazing submissions ability.

His rumoured opponent, Jaochim Hansen is much better known to MMA fans for a variety of memorable career moments, not the least of which were contained in his thrilling three-fight series against the world's #2 ranked lightweight, Japan's Shinya Aoki (23-4). Hansen was submitted by Aoki in the dying second of their third fight, giving Aoki the 2-1 edge in the series and apparently causing Hansen to consider dropping weight to 139lbs. to hunt for Fernendes' title.

Interestingly, Hansen vs. Aoki III took place on the very same night that Fernandes won his world title, on October 6th, 2009 at DREAM 11.

***DREAM is currently Japan's premier MMA promotion and is the spiritual successor to the widely beloved PRIDE Fighting Championships. So far, the company has yet to officially confirmed this fight and, for that matter, have not released a firm date for their thirteenth show.