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Don't click unless you wanna know/discuss Pride results
Well, I just got back from my first live Pride. All I can say is wow, that was one heck of a show. Tokyo Dome seemed to be more crowded than it was for the K-1 Grand Prix last year.
1st Match:
Renzo Gracie vs Michiyoshi Ohara - Renzo by unanimous judges decision
Renzo seemed to be trying to fight like Ryan this time...he was not very aggressive with takedowns however was generally on the attack with punches. The better part of this fight was spent in a clinch with neither fighter doing much of anything. Ohara was yellow carded twice for holding the ropes. I don't think he threw one punch the whole match.
2nd Match:
Quinton Jackson vs Yuki Ishikawa - Jackson by 1st Round KO
3rd Match:
Dan Henderson vs Murilo Ninja - Henderson by judges decision
I dunno what fight the judges were watching, but I saw Ninja basically maintain a side mount for the first and second round, then Dan getting the best in the 3rd round. I definitely would not call the whole fight for Dan though.
4th Match:
Masaaki Satake vs Semmy Schilt - Schilt by 1st Round KO
Did anyone expect different? Schilt is like 2 feet taller than Satake.
5th Match:
Igor Vovchanchyn vs Mario Sperry - Sperry by submission (choke)
I was really suprised that Mario won so fast. It was about the 2 minute mark when he sank an arm triangle choke and Igor tapped.
6th Match:
Tom Erikson vs Matt Skelton - Erikson by submission (choke)
Tom used a one handed strangle (didn't know that was legal actually) to win in the first round.
7th Match:
Nobuhiko Takada vs Mirko Cro Cop - Draw
This was the letdown of the night. I normally don't bash on fighters but this was just inexcusable. Takada ran from Mirko the whole match, and anytime Mirko tried to approach Takada would just buttscoot. He must have plopped on his rear thirty times.
I hope Pride doesn't invite Takada back anymore. Even the Japanese crowd was booing him.
8th Match:
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs Heath Herring - Nogueira by unanimous decision
Heath Herring proved a worthy contender for the first Pride Heavyweight championship match, making this the most exciting match of the evening. Heath constantly pulled off impresive escapes from Nogueira's ground attacks, but unfortunately could never form to much offense of his own.
9th Match:
Kazushi Sakuraba vs Vanderlei Silva - Silva by injury at the end of the 1st round
Sak and Silva each had pulled off good moves through the match, but in the last minute Sak tried an armbar and Silva answered by picking him up about six feet in the air and then slamming him to the mat, with Silva's own weight falling on Sak as well. Sak had landed on his shoulder and it looked to maybe have displaced it. After the match Sakuraba cried while apologizing to his fans. He looked as sharp as ever for the match, as if he had trained very hard for it.
1st Match:
Renzo Gracie vs Michiyoshi Ohara - Renzo by unanimous judges decision
Renzo seemed to be trying to fight like Ryan this time...he was not very aggressive with takedowns however was generally on the attack with punches. The better part of this fight was spent in a clinch with neither fighter doing much of anything. Ohara was yellow carded twice for holding the ropes. I don't think he threw one punch the whole match.
2nd Match:
Quinton Jackson vs Yuki Ishikawa - Jackson by 1st Round KO
3rd Match:
Dan Henderson vs Murilo Ninja - Henderson by judges decision
I dunno what fight the judges were watching, but I saw Ninja basically maintain a side mount for the first and second round, then Dan getting the best in the 3rd round. I definitely would not call the whole fight for Dan though.
4th Match:
Masaaki Satake vs Semmy Schilt - Schilt by 1st Round KO
Did anyone expect different? Schilt is like 2 feet taller than Satake.
5th Match:
Igor Vovchanchyn vs Mario Sperry - Sperry by submission (choke)
I was really suprised that Mario won so fast. It was about the 2 minute mark when he sank an arm triangle choke and Igor tapped.
6th Match:
Tom Erikson vs Matt Skelton - Erikson by submission (choke)
Tom used a one handed strangle (didn't know that was legal actually) to win in the first round.
7th Match:
Nobuhiko Takada vs Mirko Cro Cop - Draw
This was the letdown of the night. I normally don't bash on fighters but this was just inexcusable. Takada ran from Mirko the whole match, and anytime Mirko tried to approach Takada would just buttscoot. He must have plopped on his rear thirty times.
I hope Pride doesn't invite Takada back anymore. Even the Japanese crowd was booing him.
8th Match:
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs Heath Herring - Nogueira by unanimous decision
Heath Herring proved a worthy contender for the first Pride Heavyweight championship match, making this the most exciting match of the evening. Heath constantly pulled off impresive escapes from Nogueira's ground attacks, but unfortunately could never form to much offense of his own.
9th Match:
Kazushi Sakuraba vs Vanderlei Silva - Silva by injury at the end of the 1st round
Sak and Silva each had pulled off good moves through the match, but in the last minute Sak tried an armbar and Silva answered by picking him up about six feet in the air and then slamming him to the mat, with Silva's own weight falling on Sak as well. Sak had landed on his shoulder and it looked to maybe have displaced it. After the match Sakuraba cried while apologizing to his fans. He looked as sharp as ever for the match, as if he had trained very hard for it.
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