Pride Fighting Championships: Absolute Blockbuster

Pride Fighting Championships: Absolute Blockbuster

By Nate Edwards (Sep 3, 2006)

On September 10th on PPV, fans of MMA are in for possibly the best event of the year: Pride Fighting Championships Final Conflict Absolute. This card will have the semi-finals and finals of this year's sixteen-man open-weight tournament, and many other great undercard match-ups.

For readers who aren’t familiar with Pride Fighting Championships, I am going to do a breakdown of the Semi-Final and Final matches, and give you an analysis of the undercard bouts as well.

Wanderlei Silva vs. Mirko Cro Cop: Absolute Grand Prix Semi-Final Match-up

This match-up has the potential to be the MMA ‘Fight of the Year’. Both fighters are devastating strikers with killer instincts in the ring. Wanderlei Silva, 31-5-1 in MMA, is Pride’s reigning 205lb world champion, and considered by many one of the best mixed martial artists on the planet. Mirko Cro Cop, 19-4-2, is a world-renowned striker in both kickboxing and MMA. With one left high kick, he can end any fighter’s night prematurely.

These two fighters aren’t strangers to one another either. They faced off in a K-1 vs. Pride MMA-rules style match in 2002 that went the distance over five rounds, and ended in a time limit draw (special stipulation). Many observers felt Silva would have gotten the decision if it would have gone to the cards, mainly because he not only held his own standing up with Cro Cop, but took Cro Cop down in almost every round as well, and controlled the action. He was also the aggressor, which threw Cro Cop off his game.

Now fast-forward to 2006. Things have changed. That 2002 bout was only Cro Cop’s fourth MMA fight, and now with more then twenty-five fights under his belt and one of the best developed takedown defenses in the world, it is a whole new ball game. It's not likely that Silva will be able to take Cro Cop down with ease anymore, and it's not likely that Cro Cop will be thrown off by Silva’s constant pressure.

Mirko Cro Cop is a very methodical counter-striker, and his best abilities are reacting off his opponent's mistakes and shooting in for the kill. To go along with that skull-cracking high left kick of his, Cro Cop also has an extensive amateur boxing background, and from his southpaw stance has a very good straight left that Silva needs to be on the watch for because he throws much wider punches than Cro Cop leaving an opening for the straight left right in between them.

Mirko’s strong points are his footwork, power, hand- and foot-speed, conditioning, and a great takedown defense. His weaknesses are that he sometimes tries to pick his spots too much, tends to get frustrated when fights aren’t going as planned, and, in the belief of many after the first Kevin Randleman fight, his chin may be suspect. Mirko’s best chance at victory is to fight his fight. He shouldn't let Wanderlei force him into a straight up war, and he should counter off his mistakes at every opportunity. If he does this, he could very well pull off a decision or score a KO.

As for Wanderlei Silva, this man is a wrecking ball – nothing but raw aggression and the skill to go along with it. He will fight anybody that is put in front of him. Whether it's against big heavyweights like Mark Hunt or Kazuyuki Fujita, or fighting a world-class striker such as Cro Cop, his heart and determination are his best assets. With a Muay Thai background, Silva will be looking to make it an inside fight. The more he can close the distance, the better his chances are. Muay Thai fighters thrive off the clinch and landing knees, and Silva loves to do as much work as possible on the

inside, with knees to the body and head. His explosive nature is part of what makes his skills come to the surface. If he even sees he has an opponent dazed, he will jump on him until the opponent is unconscious. He has above-average hand speed, very strong kicks, and his knees have ruined careers.

Silva’s strong points are his speed, power, great knees and kicks, stamina, and his heavy hands. His recovery time when hurt is among the best in the sport as well. His weaknesses are his wide punching, his penchant to always come forward when he can, and his willingness to trade too much at times even when he is being out-classed.

My prediction: Mirko Cro Cop will pull off a close unanimous or split decision. But it won’t be easy, and this fight is in every sense a coin flip.

Josh Barnett vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira: Absolute Grand Prix Semi-Final Match-up

This fight is a battle of true heavyweights. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is considered by many the second-best heavyweight out there, and Josh ‘The Baby Faced Assassin’ Barnett, with a new dedication to his conditioning, is possibly one of the most well-rounded MMA fighters in the world. Both of these guys have had their ups and downs over the last few years. Nogueira lost to Fedor Emelianenko, then went through elbow surgery and missed most of 2005; and Barnett suffered two losses at the hands of Mirko Cro Cop. But both have since bounced back in dominant fashion. Barnett beat Alexander Emelianenko in the opening round of the tournament, and then Mark Hunt; and Nogueira defeated Wagner ‘Zuluzinho’ da Conceicao Martins in the opening round, and then went on to defeat fellow Brazilian jujitsu ace Fabricio Werdum by clear unanimous decision.

These guys match up very well in terms of style, skill and technique. Nogueira is a gifted athlete. With a Record of 28-3-1, he is among the elite of the heavyweight division. He has great ground skills and technique through his training in Brazilian jujitsu and judo, and very well-rounded boxing technique for his stand-up game. While he may not be able to out-skill a world class striker on his feet, he can usually hold his own until he can find a way to get an opponent onto the ground and into his realm. He has suffered two heartbreaking decision losses to current Pride Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko and seems determined to win this tournament and secure another fight against his arch rival.

He is probably one of the smartest competitors out there and takes a very methodical approach to fighting in general. His strengths are his Brazilian jujitsu, complete ground game, size and strength, stamina, great chin and intelligence. His only looming weaknesses are his problems standing up with world class strikers, dealing with great ground-and-pound fighters with good submission defense, and a lack of aggression at times.

Barnett at one point in time was considered to be possibly the best heavyweight in the game by many writers. He once beat Randy Couture to become heavyweight champion in the Ultimate Fighting Championships. Only catch was, he failed the post-fight drug test for steroids, and was stripped of his title and would never fight for the UFC again. Barnett, whose MMA record is now 18-3, was forced to start from scratch. He first debuted in Pride in 2004 against Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovic, losing the fight due to injury, and in the rematch, losing by decision. At that time, he looked out of shape and undedicated to the sport. But he apparently decided he still wanted to be the best, so he has since not only worked on his conditioning and made it top notch, but begun working with new people to round out not only his stand-up game but his ground game as well.

Barnett is a great wrestler and submission specialist. Like Nogueira, his stand-up is not his best asset, but he is well-rounded enough standing to get to the point of taking his opponent to the ground and finishing him. His strong points are his dedication to improving, his great knowledge in submissions, his strength, size, and will to win. His weaknesses are that he's been exhausted late in fights in the past, he falls into survival mode at times, and is limited in his ability to deal with world class strikers standing up.

My prediction: Nogueira will edge out a very close decision over Barnett in a fight in which many will be amazed by the ground ability both fighters display in every move and attempt.

No matter who makes it to the finals in these match-ups, it is guaranteed to be a quality and skilful display of Mixed Martial Arts. Whether it be the battle of Brazil with Nogueira facing off against Silva, or Cro Cop against Barnett or Nog again, it promises to be an explosive final. Even Barnett vs. Silva would be a very good fight, due to Barnett’s superior size and strength going against Silva’s fury and heart. And whoever wins this tournament could very well be next in line to face Pride Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko very soon.

Now onto the non-tournament matches.

Sergei Kharitonov vs. Alexander Emelianenko

This match-up is possibly the most intriguing of the night, mainly because Kharitonov and Emelianenko used to both train together as part of Russian Top Team. Alexander Emelianenko and his older brother Fedor would both eventually leave RTT and join Red Devil Sports Club. There have been rumors flying around during the years since that there is bad blood between Kharitonov and the Emelianenko brothers, and recently in February, Fedor apparently trained Alistair Overeem for his match against Kharitonov, in which Overeem, using a brilliant ground-and-pound display (something he wasn’t known for), stopped Kharitonov five minutes into the first round. So with the controversy and build-up behind this match-up, it could turn out to be one of the fights of the night.

Kharitonov, 13-2 in MMA, is very well rounded and a disciplined fighter in Sambo, and Alexander Emelianenko, 8-2 in MMA, is a big, powerful heavyweight with quick hands. Both of these guys, standing at 6’4”(Kharitnov) and 6’6”(Emelianenko), are huge fighters, and this could be an explosive war until the end. It could also end up on the ground, because both are ground specialists with good striking from the top position and good submissions and body control as well. Alexander has the overall edge, mainly because of his size and the fact that his stand-up is probably a bit better then Sergei’s, though Sergei may have a slight edge in ground-fighting skill.

My prediction: Alexander Emelianenko will win this fight, most likely by stoppage in the first or second round. If it goes very deep, however, Kharitnov could pull off the upset.

Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua vs. Cyrille ‘The Snake’ Diabate

This match-up marks the return of Shogun Rua. Back in February, Rua made his debut at heavyweight against Mark ‘The Hammer’ Coleman and in a freak incident broke his arm and lost via TKO. Since then he has recovered and is back at 205lbs. Shogun – who at 24 years of age is 12-2 in MMA and is best known for wins over Quinton Jackson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (Rodrigo’s twin brother), Alistair Overeem, and Ricardo Arona in the finals to become 2005 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix champion – is similar to his Chute Boxe mentor Wanderlei Silva in the fact that he uses his aggression to run through opponents. The only difference is Shogun’s stand-up is a little bit more polished, and his Brazilian jujitsu and ground game seem to be strong as well. He is almost like a new-age version of Wanderlei Silva and many think he is the heir-apparent to the 205lb crown.

Cyrille Diabate is 10-5-1 in MMA, and is one of the taller 205lb fighters in the world at 6’6”. He, like Shogun, specializes mainly in Muay Thai kickboxing, and has very dangerous knee attacks. In his last fight, he KO’d Yasuhito Namekawa with a brutal flying knee, and although he has lost to superior ground and stand-up fighters in the past, he has never been stopped in a fight before. This fight could erupt into one of the best fights of the night as well, and be a great stand-up war. I could see Diabate giving Shogun some problems with his reach and length, but overall I think Shogun is just the better fighter. But Diabate is no pushover by any means.

My prediction: 'Shogun' Rua will defeat Diabate by a decision or possibly late KO.

Ricardo Arona vs. Alistair Overeem

A great style match-up and study in contrasts. Overeem, 24-8 in MMA, is a striker, while Arona is a wrestling and Brazilian jujitsu ace who likes to control most of his fights on the ground. Arona, 12-4 in MMA, became the only fighter to defeat Wanderlei Silva at 205lbs in over five years during the 2005 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix. Arona would go on to lose to Silva’s teammate Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua in the finals, and also lose to Silva in a rematch for Silva’s title on New Years Eve of that year. This will be Arona’s first fight in 2006.

Overeem, however, has had a very active year, with five fights already in 2006, scoring wins over Vitor Belfort, Sergei Kharitonov, and finally Sanjin Kadunc in a keep-busy fight. He also lost a fight to Antonio Rogerio Nogueira for the second time when his corner threw in the towel. Overeem, irate over the RTD, was doing well in this fight and didn’t understand what his corner was doing.

Arona and Overeem have different styles. While Overeem primarily likes to stand up and use his great kicks and knees to dictate the pace of his fights, Arona like to use his strength and skill to get his opponents to the ground, control them on top, and look to submit them or ground-and-pound his way to a victory by decision. Overeem however proved in the Kharitonov fight that his striking on the ground has improved immensely, and he has a submission game in his own right. With that said, I don’t feel Overeem wants to go to the ground with Arona, but will instead try to keep this fight standing, using his 6’6" height advantage over Arona.

Arona is very strong, however, and looks like tank at 205lbs. He also has good takedowns. Also, Overeem is well known for exhausting himself late in fights, and has a hard time finishing at full strength when his fights go into deep waters.

My prediction: Arona by decision. I feel that Overeem, while he will do very well on his feet, will not be able to fend off all of Arona’s takedowns. In the late going of this fight, I think Arona will be wearing Overeem down more and more. I expect Overeem to have an impressive first round then fade late, giving Arona the edge and the win in the end.

All in all, this is a great card, and the remaining two fights on the card are also good ones. You have former pro boxer Yousuke Nishijima facing off against Chute Boxe’s Evangelista ‘Cyborg’ Santos in what could be a great match-up of boxing vs Muay Thai; and you also have the battle of Japan between Yoshhiro Nakao (yes the same man that got knocked out by Heath Herring after kissing him during their staredown) and Kazuhiro Nakamura, who is great with submissions and is coming off a win over Cyborg Santos this past July. This card overall, especially based on talent and skill levels on paper, should be one of the best Mixed Martial Events of the year. Many American fight fans may not know some of these fighters but I promise you if you watch this event, you will. Whether it be beautiful submissions, mind boggling KOs, or well-fought decisions, this card will help MMA grow. Nothing to regret; only history to remember.