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Joachim "Hellboy" Hansen (19-7-1) versus "The Tobikan Judan" Shinya Aoki (21-4-0)

The Story So Far:

Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for a Rubber Match and just in case that isn't enough, the DREAM Lightweight title is on the line as well.

Aoki defeated Hansen by gogoplata at Pride Shockwave 2006 and is widely acclaimed as the best lightweight not named B.J. Penn. Some would even argue that the man in the magic grappling pants is better than "The Prodigy," though I am not one of those people.

The second time around, Hansen took advantage of an Eddie Alvarez injury to sub for Philadelphia-based Bellator champion and stop Aoki via a vicious string of punches to claim the 2008 DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix and the title belt.

Since then, Hansen has been sidelined with a laundry list of injuries, while Aoki has scored four wins, including victories over Eddie Alvarez and Vitor "Shaolin" Ribiero to go along with a loss to Hayato "Mach" Sakurai.

Conventional Wisdom:

Aoki is the submission specialist and Hansen is the feared and dominant striker. The first time around, "The Tobikan Judan" locked in an extremely uncommon move to secure the win before the two and a half minute point of the first period.

When they met second time, Hansen was the fresher of the two, having dispatched Kultar Gill in their alternates match in early in the first round, while Aoki went the distance with veteran Caol Uno. That freshness was on display as the Norwegian took charge with Aoki on his back and unleashed a hellacius pack of punches, forcing the referee to stop the fight.

Nothing has changed between these two in the interim; Aoki is still one of the most dangerous submission specialists in the sport today, and Hansen, despite his recent trouble with injuries, is still a dominating striker with a strong enough ground game to offer up a solid defense against the myriad submission attempts that will surely come his way.

WKR Analysis:

Control will be key, just as it always is. It's amazing to watch Shinya Aoki operate when he has control of his opponent; the way he transitions through different submission attempts is a thing of beauty and something that the folks who "boo" when a fight hits the ground need to watch and appreciate.

That being said, last time was no fluke. Hansen has serious power and the ability to counter and escape the different attempts Aoki will bring. Conditioning and health are an obvious concern. While he's been medically cleared after having his last scheduled bout canceled, being in the ring against one of the best mixed martial artists in the world is completely different than sparring at your home gym.

For Hansen to be successful, he'll need to show that he has the lungs and cardio to go hard with Aoki from the opening bell. We know the Japanese superstar can go full time if the fight is trending that way, but can Hansen return off nearly a full year out of the ring and last the duration?

Then again, he might not have to if he catches Aoki with one of his hands.

Fun Facts:

By the time you read this, chances are the fights will already be over and you'll know the results.