Pride Total Elimination
by Scott Christ
Let's just get right into this, okay?
Taped and airing on PPV in the States on April 25, 2004 from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
Your hosts are MAURO RANALLO and BAS RUTTEN. Pre-show hype stuff features Goldberg.
Introductions for all sixteen fighters with Ogawa, Nogueira, Filipovic and Fedor in the ring.
HEATH HERRING (21-9-0, 6'4", 238, Team Golden Glory) v. YOSHIKI TAKAHASHI (26-17-3, 5'9", 196): Takahashi is a Pancrase veteran (he's 35 years old) that fought and lost to Ken Shamrock twice there, as well as other name fighters several times, as well as having his shin broken by Bas Rutten. He also fought at UFC 12 and won a decision over Wallid Ismail (9-3-0). Takahashi is probably a little higher than that weight for this fight but not much. Herring at 238 is slimmed down from his usual 250-260, and he looks great. In regard to Takahashi, the blonde goatee on a chunky little Japanese man - no. They're throwing some punches and Takamichinoku starts complaining about his eye, but it looks as though a shot he blocked with his arm shoved his own thumb into his eye. Herring is using the high kick to the body liberally with his height advantage. Herring with a hard low kick, but Takamichinoku winds up getting Heath on the mat and throws some knees toward the head. Most of them are being blocked pretty easily. Takahashi tries a guillotine but can't get it locked in. Restart in the center in Takahashi's guard, and Herring takes over with hammer fists in the GNP. Takahashi tries a can opener but it isn't happening, and he's very obviously in a lot of trouble as Herring is hitting uncontested combos. Body, body, body, FACE! Body, body, FACE! And repeat and repeat until Herring lands three sick hammer fists to the nose/mouth and it's over. (KO Herring - 04'53" of the first round) This is the best Heath has looked in a long time, as he got back to being aggressive and using a strategy that was smart instead of being tentative and stupid at the same time. He also just looked in great shape and seems real serious about getting back into contention. Good thing, this is his last real shot.
MURILO RUA (10-3-1, 5'11", 205, Chute Boxe) v. SERGEI KHARITONOV (7-0-0, taller than Rua, 220, Russian Top Team): I really like Kharitonov. Rua is fighting a little heavier than 205 and looks chubby as usual, but it doesn't matter because his cardio is always outstanding. Bas expects fireworks in this one. Rua throws a nice left and Kharitonov comes back with an excellent judo throw. Sharpshooter! Well, no. Kharitonov has a bloody nose from that left. Standing again, Kharitonov hits a right uppercut. This is a brawl and Kharitonov is landing sick and precisely aimed body shots. This is showing a whole other dangerous side to him because his striking is looking excellent so far. Kharitonov staggers Rua with a left but he stays up. Not for long, though. Two body shots, a right hook to the temple wobbles Rua badly to the point where it looks like he's going to collapse, and a left uppercut on the money seals the deal. Goodness me. (KO Kharitonov - 04'14" of the first round)
Pre-match interviews with Silva and Sentoryu are actually funny as both of them are goofballs with no business being here. Silva is very tall and Bas is not so Silva gets him a stool. Sentoryu has an Allen Iverson jersey, but he's from St. Louis. Ranallo asks him why he's wearing that shirt. Answer: "Uh, I like basketball." Silva has friends in New York, apparently. Silva's hands are huge and Bas Rutten's head is not. This is retarded.
HENRY "SENTORYU" MILLER (0-0-0, shortish, fat) v. GIANT SILVA (0-1-0, 7'2", 385): Miller is not THAT fat for a sumo guy, actually just kinda built like an offensive lineman. Silva has apprently been trying to learn about the sport so he can get better. Maybe it's just me but 39 years old is a bit late for that. Miller says he's been working with Sakuraba but it wouldn't really look like it. This winds up on the ground early with Sentoryu in Silva's guard. My notes say "this is stupid." Eventually, Silva gets a Kimura and Miller is forced to tap. This is stupid. (SUB Silva - 04'04" of the first round)
To kill some time, YUKI KONDO and WANDERLEI SILVA enter the ring to talk about their fight at the May Bushido 3 show. That's a great main event that I'll never see because I'm not ordering a PPV that I'll know the results of two months in advance. They spoke in their native tongues and Ranallo tried to explain to us what they were saying but I'm sure it lost something in the translation.
SEMMY SCHILT (22-13-1, 6'11", 295, Team Golden Glory) v. GAN MCGEE (11-3-0, 6'10", 286): Both of these guys are fighting much heavier than usual. McGee manages a "takedown" and he's on top in a full mount. Gan has a bloody nose from something or other. This is a really terrible fight. Schilt tries a sweep and Gan goes into the guard. McGee sits back on his ass and a Schilt kick just misses. McGee hops back on top and gets armbarred to end a horrible fight. Heaver than usual and it showed. (SUB Schilt - 05'02" of the first round)
STEFAN LEKO (0-0-0, 6'2", 218, Team Golden Glory) v. NAOYA OGAWA ("5-0-0," 6'4", 245): Now I know the dorks and defenders will tell me all about his 1992 silver medal in judo but I don't care. One of the Japanese fighters had to advance and amazingly Leko slips while trying to throw a punch, and Ogawa gets him in a side choke for the tapout. (SUB Ogawa - 01'34" of the first round) I am shocked. My heavens.
KAZUSHI SAKURABA comes out to say he's going to fight in June, but an opponent is not named. One can only hope for Frank Shamrock finally.
Bas interviews a napping MIRKO FILIPOVIC. I really can't stand how smug this guy is. I mean seriously. KEVIN RANDLEMAN has a straw hat.
KEVIN RANDLEMAN (14-7-0, 5'10", 204, Hammer House) v. MIRKO FILIPOVIC (9-1-2, 6'2", 213, CroCop Squad Gym): I went in thinking this was really a bad matchup for CroCop because it seemed natural. A great, powerful wrestler against a guy that has no ground game and apparently has no intention of ever getting one because his striking is so deadly! He will break everyone's faces! I have grown to really not like this guy. Randleman muscles CroCop into the corner and keeps him there, maybe to prove a point. Restart since Randleman was doing nothing but holding him there at will. Randleman goes for his shoot and Filipovic avoids it. Randleman is keeping his right hand high to protect against the high kick and his left hand low. Randleman fakes another shot, and then just blasts CroCop with a left hook on the button. Filipovic goes down hard, Randleman jumps on and gets some GNP in, and then it's over before you can blink. I'll be damned. Suck it, CroCop, you arrogant fuck. (KO Randleman - 01'57" of the first round) I didn't see THAT coming. I don't think it exposes Filipovic's chin or anything, though. He just simply was not looking for that at all. Randleman got in his head by taking him into the corner and then shooting right after. The second time was a ploy and it worked perfectly. Randleman's career is revitalized.
MARK HUNT, another former K-1 star, is coming to PRIDE. Good luck, dude. Learn how to fight on the ground.
HIROTAKA YOKOI (10-0-0, 5'11", 220, RiRoots Conan/Rings Japan) v. ANTONIO RODRIGO NOGUEIRA (21-2-1, 6'3", 231, Brazilian Top Team): Yokoi has never beaten anybody but specifically requested to fight Nogueira so that takes balls. Into a clinch right away. Onto the mat, Nogueira gets the side mount. Yokoi with a great escape. Clinch, break. Yokoi with a nice judo throw, then he's a big tough guy in the guard daring Nogueira to punch him from his back. Yokoi a couple of times backs off, dares Nogueira to get up, and then tries to jump on him when he would, but Nogueira doesn't bite. Because he's a calculating machine you asshole. Nogueira tries an omo plata but Yokoi avoids it, and then Nogueira goes for a side choke and Yokoi manages to get away from that too. Yokoi with grazing combos on the mat. Nogueira gets ... a drop toe-hold? Standing up again, Nogueira is controlling as he's a far better stand-up fighter than Yokoi. First round ends.
Yokoi with a gorgeous heel trip, Nogueira gets away. Knee to the body. Awful shot attempt by Yokoi, who is seriously gassed at this point, and Nogueira gets some knees to the head. Nogueira gets side mount and gets some crazy ass upside down side choke. Yokoi taps out. (SUB Nogueira - 01'25" of the second round) Nogueira fought like he always does, dissecting his opponent's thoughts and waiting to capitalize on either a mistake or just plain old fatigue. Both happened here since Yokoi was seriously outclassed, but he made a decent showing for himself at the same time.
MARK COLEMAN (13-5-0, 6'1", 245, Hammer House) v. FEDOR EMELIANENKO (15-1-0, 6'0", 233, Red Devil Sport Club): It's the innovator of the ground-n-pound against the guy who took ground-n-pound to another level. Kind of a significant thing. Coleman's strength and wrestling ability could make for a bad matchup for Fedor. Coleman won the first PRIDE GP in 2000, too. Coleman gets a takedown and has the back, trying for a choke but not getting it. Fedor escapes, Coleman gets a single-leg takedown, using that power and wrestling. Then, before you can even see it coming, Fedor rolls and has an armbar, and the fight is over. That was absolutely amazing. (SUB Emelianenko - 02'11" of the first round)
Post-fight, Fedor is joined by the other winners, sans Ogawa. Randleman kind of calls Ogawa out, and Ogawa answers, then runs back to the dressing room. I guess that'll be a second-round fight. Bad idea if they want Ogawa to win because Randleman can be a great fighter when he wants to, and he appears to want to again. If I were making the second-round fights, and I'm not, I'd go Nogueira/Silva, Kharitonov/Ogawa, Herring/Schilt, Randleman/Fedor. But, again, I'm not.
Decent show, but nothing blowaway great besides Fedor's armbar and Randleman's KO of that shithead CroCop. Go back to parliament, chump. I actually thought the last two UFCs were better than this. Momentum has shifted in the PRIDE/UFC battle, in my opinion.
The Silva/Yokoi fight really would've been a great addition to the June show, but I guess SOMETHING has to pull a live crowd in for the Bushido show, and if there's one thing Japanese fight fans want to see, it's a Japanese fighter beat Silva. At the same time, they respect Silva greatly. That's quality fansmanship.
The next UFC show is also in June, headlined by Kimo v. Shamrock II: This Time They're Totally Old, and what is now a UFC heavyweight title fight between Tim Sylvia and Frank Mir. So I guess I'll see you in June for more of the wonderful world of MMA.