PRIDE New Year's Eve Card

PRIDE Shockwave 2005

Each year, the PRIDE Fighting Championships have a card on New Year's Eve that is designed to be their highest drawing card of the year. Sporting events on New Year's Eve are a tradition in Japan and each year PRIDE competes with K1 for viewers. This year PRIDE is pulling out all the stops, with the finals of two Grand Prix tournaments plus some other amazing fights. Let's take a look at the matchups.

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160lbs. Grand Prix Title:
Hayato Sakurai(24-6-2) #2 ranked Lightweight
vs
Takanori Gomi(23-2) #1 ranked Lightweight

The top two Lightweight fighters in the world square off in the finals of the 160lbs. Grand Prix. Gomi is riding a nine fight winning streak and is ready to prove to the world he is the best at this weight. Sakurai comes in off two impressive victories in the Grand Prix over Jens Pulver and Joachim Hansen(who owns a victory over Gomi). Sakurai has looked very tough since dropping weight to compete in the Lightweight division.

Even with his recent resurgence at a new weight, I don't think Sakurai will win this fight. Gomi is explosive and I think he will be able to take Sakurai down and control this fight.

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183lbs. Grand Prix Title:
Murilo Bustamante(12-4-1) #5 ranked Middleweight
vs
Dan Henderson(18-4) #1 ranked Middleweight

The other Grand Prix title match pits a rematch of a fight two years ago between Bustamante and Henderson. Bustamante endured a three match losing streak after leaving the UFC as it's Middleweight champion and competing in the 205 division in PRIDE. Murilo has returned to his winning ways since going back to the Middleweight division with wins over Masanori Suda and Ikuhisa Minowa and will look to avenge his prior loss to Henderson and claim the Middleweight title. Dan Henderson has always competed on a high level as an undersized 205lbs. fighter. After losing in the 205lbs. Grand Prix earlier this year, Dan entered the 183lbs. Grand Prix and has been dominant in both fights thus far, winning both by KO over well regarded Japanese fighters Ryo Chonan and Akihiro Gono.

Dan Henderson is very tough to beat at this weight and I see him steamrolling his way to the Middleweight Grand Prix title. Bustamante is always tough and won't make it easy for him, but I see Henderson coming out on top, sprawling and brawling his way to victory.

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Ricardo Arona(12-3) #5 ranked Light Heavyweight
vs
Wanderlei Silva(29-5-1) #3 ranked Light Heavyweight

Another feature match on the card is the rematch of the 205lbs. Grand Prix semi-finals. Wanderlei Silva was the king of the 205lbs. division for a long time before Arona knocked him off. Arona then fell in the finals to Silva's teammate, "Shogun" Rua. Silva will be looking to re-establish himself and prove the first fight was a fluke. Arona will be his steady self, sticking to his game plan of grounding Silva and working for position. Silva fought very cautiously in their first fight. We'll see if he comes out guns blazing in this fight.

Although Silva is one of my favorite fighters to watch, I just don't know if this fight will be different from the first. He could catch Arona with a good shot and finish him. And that's what I'm hoping to see. But I see this going to a decision, with Arona once again controlling the action enough to win a decision.

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Mark Hunt(2-1)
vs
Mirko Cro Cop(17-3-2) #3 ranked Heavyweight

This will be a battle of two of the most feared strikers in Mixed Martial Arts. Both of these K-1 veterans will be looking to stand and trade. Mirko has more experience in this style of fighting but the chin and heavy hands of Mark Hunt always pose a threat to anyone willing to go toe to toe with him.

Cro Cop is the more technical striker and I believe he will be able to pick Hunt apart and win a decision based on his effective striking. But there is always the chance Hunt could land a big punch.

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Fedor Emelianenko(22-1) #1 ranked Heavyweight
vs.
'Zuluzinho'(2-0)

Zuluzinho is the son of Rei Zulu who lost two legendary fights with Gracie family champion Rickson Gracie back in 1980 in Brazil. Zuluzinho is a massive 6'7" and 340lbs. However, I really don't think that will matter much against the best fighter in the world. Fedor will win this fight by whatever method he wants. Guys with 2 total fights, despite their family lineage or size, should not be thrown into a fight with a man like Fedor. This one could get ugly quickly.

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Hidehiko Yoshida(5-3-1)
vs.
Naoya Ogawa(7-1)

This fight is a Japanese fight fan's dream. Yoshida is a former Olympic Judo Gold Medalist. Ogawa won a silver medal in the Olympics in Judo and is now a famous pro wrestler in Japan. I've never been a fan of Ogawa in the ring but he brings an amazing level of excitement among the Japanese fans to any real fighting event he is involved in. You always have to wonder, however, if the fights he is involved in are on the up and up. There have been questions in the past. If this is indeed a real fight, Ogawa will have a significant size advantage but I think Yoshida's toughness and experience against top competition will propel him to a victory.

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Kazushi Sakuraba(17-9-1)
vs
Ikuhisa Minowa(30-22-8)

Sakuraba built his reputation as the "Gracie Hunter" with victories over four members of the famous Brazilian fighting family. Sakuraba's record doesn't look particularly impressive because he is constantly matched with opponent's much larger than himself. But he is a fighting icon in Japan and has many impressive victories against tough competition. He is coming off a win over Ken Shamrock to face another Japanese icon, "The Punk" Ikuhisa Minowa. Minowa has been in the fight game for nearly 10 years now. His flamboyant style has made him a fan favorite despite his up and down record in the ring. Minowa is still dangerous and his wrestling ability could possibly give Sakuraba some problems. But for once Sakuraba will be the one with the size advantage and I think he will take this fight without too much trouble.

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Makoto Takimoto(2-1)
vs
Sanae Kikuta(24-6-3)

Takimoto is another Olympic Gold Medalist in Judo that PRIDE has recruited to mixed martial arts. Kikuta is a longtime veteran with solid wins and only a few losses, usually to top competition. Takimoto is a great athlete but I think his inexperience will be his downfall in this one.

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Yuki Kondo(44-16-5)
vs
Kazuhiro Nakamura(7-4)

This is yet another one of the fights designed to attract a big Japanese television audience. Kondo is a savvy veteran of the sport who has held the prestigious "King Of Pancrase" title. Nakamura is a judo expert and protege of Hidehiko Yoshida. To me this fight is a toss up. I tend to favor the more experienced fighter in these sort of fights, but Nakamura may have a little size and strength on Kondo. I'll go with Kondo by decision, but nothing will surprise me in this one.

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Pawel Nastula(0-1)
vs
Aleksander Emelianenko(7-1) #10 ranked Heavyweight

Fedor's younger brother Aleksander takes on mixed martial arts newcomer Pawel Nastula. Nastula has legit ground skills and would have an advantage over Emelianenko in that realm. But I don't think Nastula will be able to get this fight to the ground. Aleksander will use his striking advantage and end this one on their feet.

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Giant Silva(1-4)
vs
James Thompson(10-2)

7'2", 400lbs. former WWF wrestler Giant Silva continues his unsuccessful journey into mixed martial arts. This is strictly a sideshow, with the Japanese fans intrigued by the size of the two fighters. Thompson, at 6'5", 264lbs., is not used to being the far smaller man but it shouldn't matter too much in this one. Thompson will be too much for Silva and will overwhelm him with hand speed.

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Overall, even though it includes a few fights that I'm not looking forward to, this is a tremendous card. The Grand Prix finals in both weight classes should be spectacular and Silva-Arona, Hunt/Cro Cop, and Kondo/Nakamura are fights I am looking forward to. Here's hoping the event is as good live as it is on paper.

Until next time,
Jason

UFC Middleweight Title: Can anyone dethrone Rich Franklin?

UFC Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin has one loss in his career. That loss, two years ago this month, is to Ryoto Machida, who has fought all of his fights at heavyweight. No one at Light Heavyweight or Middleweight has come very close to beating Franklin, and you have to start to wonder if they will.

Franklin is a huge middleweight who seems to be physically bigger and stronger than everyone he faces at that weight. There was a tremendous outcry when Nate Quarry got a title shot that he wasn't ready to fight Franklin. But who is? The next in line certainly seems to be Canadian David Loiseau. The Crow might actually provide an entertaining match just because his standup may give Franklin problems. But on paper, Franklin should be able to use his takedowns and ground skills to dominate this fight. If Franklin does indeed dispatch of Loiseau, who's next? Matt Lindland, who would be the natural #1 contender is no longer with the UFC. Franklin and Jeremy Horn have trained together and are unlikely to fight. Nate Marquardt is a decent choice, but is still battling steroid allegations. Ivan Salaverry was released from his contract and is coming off a uneventful loss to Marquardt. He would need to build back up with a couple of wins. Perhaps a couple more wins from a TUF contestant like Mike Swick or Chris Leben could put them in contention, but that is a ways in the future as well. What are the other options? BJ Penn to step up a weight class? Franklin to fight at 205?

Unfortunately, Franklin's stiffest competition fights overseas in PRIDE. Dan Henderson and Murillo Bustamante, along with Anderson Silva, are the most likely candidates to beat Franklin but those aren't fights we are likely to see. Hopefully, for the UFC's sake, a contender emerges to challenge Franklin in the near future. Else we could see Franklin dominate this weight class for a long time to come.

MMA Top 10 Fighters and Broadcasters Poll

The new Mixed Martial Arts rankings are out by what I consider to be the most respected poll. I generally agree with these rankings but a few things stand out to me. First check out the rankings:
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HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION(205lbs+)
1. Fedor Emelianenko - 100 Points (10 first place votes)
2. Minotauro Nogueira - 90 Points
3. Mirko Cro Cop - 75 Points
4. Andrei Arlovski - 69 Points
5. Sergei Kharitonov - 56 Points
6. Josh Barnett - 43 Points
7. Tim Sylvia - 47 Points
8. Heath Herring - 20 Points
9. Fabricio Werdum - 17 Points
10.Alexsander Emelinanenko -15 Points
Others receiving votes - (12)Frank Mir,(11)Ron Waterman, (10)- Ricco Rodriguez

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION(205lbs.)
1. Chuck Liddell - 96 Points (6 first place votes)
2. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua - 89 Points (4 first place votes)
3. Wanderlei Silva - 74 Points
4. Randy Couture- 63 Points
5. Ricardo Arona - 52 Points
6. Rogerio Nogueira - 42 Points
7. Tito Ortiz- 23 Points
8. Alistair Overeem - 35 Points
9. Babalu Sobral - 34 Points
10.Quinton Jackson - 21 Points


MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISON(185lbs.)
1. Dan Henderson - 89 Points (5 first place votes)
2. Rich Franklin - 88 Points (5 first place votes)
3. Matt Lindland - 68 Points
4. Anderson Silva - 65 Points
5. Murilo Bustamante - 49 Points
6. Jeremy Horn - 48 Points
7. Nathan Marquardt -45 Points
8. Ivan Salaverry - 43 Points
9. Evan Tanner - 33 Points
10. Joe Doerksen - 15 Points

WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION(170lbs.)
1. BJ Penn - 97 Points (6 first place votes)
2. Matt Hughes - 96 Points (4 first place vote)
3. Georges St. Pierre- 89 Points
4. Karo Parisyan - 60 Points
5. Frank Trigg - 55 Points
6 .Charuto Verissimo - 49 Points
7. Sean Sherk- 31 Points
8. Jake Shields - 26 Points
9. Diego Sanchez - 20 Points
10. Nick Diaz - 19 Points


LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION(160lbs.)
1. Takanori Gomi
2. Hayato "Mach" Sakurai
3. Joaquim Hansen
4. Yves Edwards
5. Tatsuyo Kawijiri
6. Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro
7. Genki Sudo
8. Jens Pulver
9. Luiz Azeredo
10.Hermes Franca
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At first glance it's obvious that the power of the Heavyweight division lies overseas in Japan. 8 of the top 10 fight in Japan, with UFC champ Arlovksi and former champ Sylvia being the only UFC representatives in the top 10. Frank Mir is in the "Others receiving votes" section along with Ron Waterman and Ricco Rodriguez. I believe the UFC should sign both of those fighters. And there are rumblings about the UFC signing the Big Cat, Tom Erikson, which I also think would be a good move. That is assuming Waterman and Erikson can make the 265lbs. UFC weight limit.

The Light Heavyweights are a little more distributed between PRIDE and UFC. Chuck Liddell sits atop the rankings as he continues to ride his current hot streak and prepare for a huge third fight with Randy Couture Superbowl weekend. Shogun Rua, coming off his win in the PRIDE Grand Prix is second and is rumored to be fighting Heavyweight James Thompson on PRIDE's New Year's Eve card. Wanderlei Silva and Ricardo Arona will rematch on that same card, giving the 205 division and big shake up over the next few months. Also still lurking in the top 10 is new UFC signee Tito Ortiz, who looks to make his mark on this division in the coming year.

We have a new #1 at Middleweight coming out of the recent PRIDE 183lbs. Grand Prix. Dan Henderson barely passes up UFC champ Rich Franklin for first. Recent WFA signee Matt Lindland comes in at third. Murillo Bustamante, who is ranked fifth, will fight Henderson at the PRIDE New Year's Eve card. The bottom half of the top 10 is interesting because of Ivan Salaverry and Nathan Marquardt, both of whom are still in limbo about where they will fight next. Salaverry was released after a lackluster performance against Marquardt and his association with Tito Ortiz. Now Ortiz is back. Will Salaverry be far behind? And Marquardt is dealing with the steriod allegations brought against him after the Salaverry fight. And the glaring omission from this list from my perspective is David Loiseau. Loisueau defeated ninth ranked Evan Tanner in his last fight and is fighting Franklin for the UFC title Superbowl weekend.

I addressed the Welterweight division in a previous post. The interesting thing is UFC Champ Matt Hughes, despite his recent win streak, is ranked behind former champ BJ Penn. Penn does hold a victory over Hughes, and I am looking forward to his return to the octagon. Georges St. Pierre and Karo Parisyan are both part of the Matt Hughes sweepstakes. Frank Trigg and Charuto Verrissimo are both entered in the upcoming ROTR 175lbs. tournament, as well as eighth ranked Jake Shields. There are several other good fighters in that tournament such as Ronald Juhn, Dennis Hallman(who holds two wins over Matt Hughes), and former UFC Middleweight champ Dave Menne. The winner of that tournament will move up the rankings ladder. TUF 1 winner Diego Sanchez cracks the top 10 for the first time as he comes in ninth, just ahead of his last opponent, Nick Diaz.

Since the UFC dropped it's Lightweight division, all of the major talent has gone overseas into PRIDE Lightweight division. The finalists of the Lightweight Grand Prix come in at first and second, with the champion to be determined at the New Year's Eve card. With most of the Top 10 in PRIDE, this should be an exciting division in 2006.

This is an exciting time for Mixed Martial Arts with the big PRIDE New Year's Eve card just around the corner and some exciting UFC events coming at the beginning of the year.

Until next time,
Jason