FanHouse Hidehiko Yoshida

The two top MMA promotions in Japan, which originally were to go head-to-head in separate events on New Year's Eve, will instead square off inside the ring on FEG's Dynamite!! 2009 card at the Saitama Super Arena, World Victory Road's Sengoku Raiden Championship and FEG's DREAM announced in a press conference Wednesday.

World Victory Road announced Wednesday during Sengoku 10 that it's New Year event this year will happen on New Year's Eve -- directly against its No. 1 competitor FEG's event, "Dynamite!! 2009."

The promotion had been deciding between New Year's Eve or Jan. 3, and last year avoided going head-to-head against Dynamite!! by booking "Sengoku No Ran" on Sunday, Jan. 4. Perhaps the big name signing of 2008 Olympic judo gold medalist Satoshi Ishii has given the promotion the confidence to run a show on the most important television date of the year in Japan. Ishii will make his MMA debut at the event against 1994 gold medalist Hidehiko Yoshida.