Shinya Aoki and Hideo Tokoro Sparring in Prep for Dynamite!

Dream champion Shinya Aoki and Hideo Tokoro sparring in preparation for the New Year's Eve Dynamite! show in Japan.

Dream 11 Pre-Fight Interviews: Hansen, Aoki, Warren, Sapp & Sokoudjou

Joachim Hansen (Dream Lightweight Champion):

Shinya Aoki:

Joe Warren:

Bob Sapp (Parts 1 and 2):

Sokoudjou:

Finally! Shinya Aoki and Fedor Grapple

For you mat enthusiasts who wondered, late at night, how the best heavyweight in the world and the man with the most colorful pants in the world would match-up, your day is coming soon.

In a Thursday press release, M-1 announced that company man Fedor Emelianenko and Japanese star Shinya Aoki would get it on in a grappling-only match at the next M-1 Challenge event on April 29 in Tokyo.

The match will be five minutes in duration--just enough time for Aoki to feel the 60- plus pound weight disadvantage--but rules have not yet been sketched out.

In M-1 team action, it's Japan vs. England, Team USA West vs. South Korea, and Spain vs. France.

If Aoki submits Emelianenko in Tokyo....the world may spin off its axis.

Shinya Aoki Becomes First-Ever WAMMA Lightweight Champion

While the New Year has yet to arrive in North America, New Year's celebrations have already begun in other regions of the world. In Japan, the New Year has already been ushered in with its annual tradition of promoting major combat sporting events.

With FEG holding a massive 17-bout show combining fighters from its K-1 kickboxing and DREAM mixed martial arts rosters, the promotion held one of the biggest shows ever with their presentation of "Dynamite!!" at the Saitama Super Arena.

"Dynamite!!" featured the crowning of the second-ever undisputed champion in World Alliance Mixed Martial Arts (WAMMA) history with Shinya Aoki defeating Eddie Alvarez via heel hook submission at 1:32 of round 1. In the process, Aoki became the first-ever WAMMA lightweight champion.

Will Eddie Alvarez Sport Aoki's Signature Spandex Pants On NYE?

Psychological warfare is a big part of the mixed martial arts game these days. The most common form of course is trash talk, but what about wearing a pair of your opponent's signature spandex pants going into a main event fight on New Year's Eve?

That's exactly what Eddie Alvarez joked about doing during a recent appearance on MMAWeekly Radio.

"We already mentioned something like that in the gym. I wanted to do something like that, wear a pair of pants and put something like 'Tonight, I'll be wearing the pants.' Something like that," Alvarez said with a laugh.

In the end, Alvarez says that the pants just wouldn't work out for him, especially in a worst case scenario situation.

"I don't know how great it would be going out there," Alvarez said. "God forbid I get submitted with crazy ass pants on. That's not my style, I'd just rather go out in my regular shorts."

The reaction from the Japanese crowd would likely be very mixed as well.

"Everybody will be looking at me, 'look at this (expletive) in the spandex pants," Alvarez commented.

Regardless of his selection of fight wear that night, even Alvarez has said he looks forward to Aoki's entrance.

"You should see when he comes out over there, it's amazing. His song's real catchy too."

That song...Baka Survivor....check it out on YouTube.