This could prove to be a significant year for European MMA. With Croatian Zelg Galesic, Dutchman Melvin Manhoef and Armenian Gegard Mousasi all having advanced to the Dream Middleweight Grand Prix semi-finals, fans should not be surprised to see fighters from Europe joining the world's elite at 185 pounds.

The trio will next fight at Dream 6 sometime in September at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and will be joined in the semi-finals by Brazilian submission master Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza.

"I think the Dream middleweight division is the toughest in the world -- with the exception of a few names," Galesic said. "All of [the semi-finalists] are tough competitors, and I need to prepare for them all, as I might find myself fighting two different styles in one night."

Galesic (9-3) defeated Magomed Sultanakhmedov and Taiei Kin to advance to the Dream Middleweight Grand Prix semi-finals.

Manhoef (22-4-1), meanwhile, remains confident. The Dutch powerhouse, regarded by many as the hardest hitter in Europe, has made great strides in the past year. Some consider him the favourite heading into the tournament finale. Manhoef stopped Japanese legend Kazushi Sakuraba on strikes at Dream 4 in June and will enter his next match on a five-fight winning streak.

"My goal is to win the Dream middleweight title," Manhoef said. "My grappling is improving every day, and I'm making big progress. I think I can beat anyone at this weight."

Galesic aims to prove the Dutchman wrong and believes his technical approach to striking would pay dividends if he were to meet Manhoef in the tournament. The Croat has only been knocked out once in 12 career bouts.

"He is a strong striker with explosive power," Galesic said. "I need to play a technical game with him. He has the ability to finish the fight every time he lands a shot."

Souza (9-1) poses a definite threat to the Europeans, all of whom favour standing and exchanging. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist has rattled off nine consecutive victories and defeated former Icon Sport middleweight champion Jason "Mayhem" Miller in the tournament quarter-finals earlier this month.

"He is one of the best grapplers in the world," Galesic said. "At the same time, he has a perfect ground game for MMA. It's no secret that I -- and the others -- need to avoid the ground and find the shortest route to his chin."

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KHARITONOV-SILVA IN THE WORKS?

Russian heavyweight Sergei Kharitonov and Brazilian giant Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva could meet for the vacant EliteXC heavyweight championship at EliteXC: Unfinished Business on Saturday, July 26 at the Stockton Arena in Stockton, Calif. Sherdog.com reported the possible bout last week, though EliteXC vice president Jared Shaw later refuted the report in an interview with FiveOuncesOfPain.com.

Kharitonov (15-3) -- who once trained alongside former Pride Fighting Championships heavyweight titleholder Fedor Emelianenko -- has not competed since he defeated Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem at a K-1 Hero's show in September.

Silva (10-1), one of the sport's most talented big men, will enter the bout on a three-fight winning streak, though he has not competed since he earned a split decision victory against former UFC heavyweight champion Ricco Rodriguez at EliteXC: Street Certified in February. He also holds wins against UFC veteran Wesley "Cabbage" Correira, Pride veteran Tom Erikson and former Cage Rage champion Tengiz Tedoradze.

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DRWAL JOINS UFC 87 LINEUP

Tomasz Drwal will go head-to-head with undefeated light heavyweight Andre Gusmao at UFC 87: Seek and Destroy on Saturday, Aug. 9 at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

A native of Krakow, Poland, and the first Pole to compete inside the Octagon, Drwal (14-2, 0-1 UFC) often trains with one-time Olympic gold medalist Pawel Nastula. A senior year university student, the heavy-handed striker was scheduled to face David Heath at UFC 81 in February, but a knee injury forced Drwal to withdraw from the event.

Drwal has not competed since September, when he succumbed to second-round strikes against the unbeaten Thiago Silva at UFC 76. The defeat snapped his 13-fight winning streak. Twelve of Drwal's 14 career wins have come by knockout, technical knockout or submission.

A protégé of Renzo Gracie, Gusmao (5-0) has been on the UFC's radar for quite some time. The Las Vegas-based promotion was reported to have inked a deal with the 31-year-old in November, though it was later discovered he was still under contract with the IFL. Gusmao last competed in September, when he needed just 53 seconds to dispatch Mike Ciesnolevicz at the IFL World Championship. His victory clinched the title for Gracie's New York Pitbulls. He has secured four of his five wins by knockout, technical knockout or submission.

UFC 87: Seek and Destroy
Saturday, Aug. 9
Target Center
Minneapolis

UFC Welterweight Championship
Georges St. Pierre vs. Jon Fitch

Brock Lesnar vs. Heath Herring
Kenny Florian vs. Roger Huerta
Cheick Kongo vs. Dan Evensen
Demian Maia vs. Jason MacDonald
Steve Bruno vs. Chris Wilson
Andre Gusmao vs. Tomasz Drwal
Luke Cummo vs. Tamden McCrory
Ben Saunders vs. Jared Rollins

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BRITISH FEMALE FIGHTER DRAWS MAINSTREAM COVERAGE

Rosi Sexton, who recently agreed to a three-fight contract with EliteXC, may soon become a household name in Britain. The mother of one was featured in a variety of mainstream media outlets this week, from daily newspapers to the Richard & Judy Show on Channel 4.

Besides being one of the top female fighters in the UK, Sexton (8-1) holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge, a fact that has helped spark sudden interest in mixed martial arts in the academic world.

EliteXC has not announced when the Bodog Fight veteran will make her promotional debut. Her last outing resulted in a submission victory over the Red Devil Sport Club's Julia Berezikova in August. Sexton has rattled off three straight wins since she suffered the lone defeat of her professional career, a technical knockout loss to EliteXC superstar Gina Carano.

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EUROPEAN CALENDAR

• July 6 -- Ultimate Glory 8, Triavium Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Holland
• July 12 -- Cage Rage 27: Step Up, Wembley Arena, London
• July 12 -- Cage Warriors: Enter the Rough House 7, Harvey Haddon Sports Centre, Nottingham, England
• July 13 -- Strike and Submit 7, Lancastrian Suite, Dunston, England
• Aug. 16 -- Cage Rage Contenders 11, The Troxy, London
• Oct. 18 -- UFC 89, National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, England

European Correspondent Stash Capar can be reached via e-mail at stash@thefightnetwork.com.