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Post by DUCE on Jul 16, 2005 19:31:27 GMT -5
The Japanese media announced that the following matchups will most likely take place on PRIDE GP finals card on August 28th:
PRIDE middleweight GP semifinals:
Vanderlei Silva vs. Alistair Overeem
Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua vs. Ricardo Arona
Single matchups:
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic
Mark Hunt vs. Sergei Kharitonov
Fabricio Werdum vs. Alexander Emelianenko or 'Tank' Abbott
Vitor Belfort vs. Yuki Kondo
Hidehiko Yoshida vs. TBA (possibly Gilbert Yvel)
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Post by DUCE on Jul 16, 2005 19:33:31 GMT -5
Fedor versus Mirco will be great! I really look foword to that.
Mark Hunt versus Sergei will be great!
Vitor versus Yuki will be great!
Silva versus Overseem will be great!
Shogun versus Arona will probably be the match of the year!
UFC can not produce a card like this.
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Post by Magog on Jul 17, 2005 4:32:31 GMT -5
DO you think Vitor will continue his down hill slide? I really hope he can pull out a win here.
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Post by DUCE on Jul 17, 2005 11:04:36 GMT -5
HOLY CRAP! Who do I believe here Sherdog or Fightsport they counterdict eachother!
July 17, 2005
by Josh Gross (joshg@sherdog.com)
During Sunday's Bushido 8 event in Nagoya, Dream Stage Entertainment announced pairings for the remaining four 205-pound fighters in this year's PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix.
Current PRIDE middleweight champion and defending middleweight Grand Prix champion Wanderlei Silva fights Brazilian Top Team's Ricardo Arona, one of the most feared 205-pound grapplers on the planet. The other side of the Final Four sees Silva's Chute Boxe teammate Mauricio Rua stand across from athletic striker Alistair Overeem.
August 28's PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix "Final Round" is the culmination of an event that began in April, when several of the world's finest 205-lb. fighters rounded out the then 16-man field. In June, eight men were chopped to four, leaving only the late summer Sunday in which one fighter is asked to win twice to capture the tournament.
Silva-Arona is a grudge match fans have clamored for since Silva won the PRIDE middleweight belt in November 2001. Splitting Silva and Rua leaves open the possibility of teammates fighting in the finals; in the end, it's clear, PRIDE decided it best to risk that than the potential outcome — and the inevitable questions that would accompany it — of a semifinal encounter.
Overeem is the only non-Brazilian eligible to win the second 205-lb. GP belt. In his first-round match-up, the Dutchman shockingly guillotined Brazilian Vitor Belfort. His submission string continued in the quarterfinals when he used the same choke to finish durable Igor Vovchanchyn. Rua's destruction of Quinton Jackson and a 20-minute war with Rogerio Nogueira were impressive to make him the current favorite to walk away with the tournament. Silva comes in a close second in the sports books, then Overeem and Arona.
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Post by DUCE on Jul 17, 2005 11:05:37 GMT -5
Yeah, I hope Vitor can beat Yuki. Yuki will always have life in Japan. But if Vitor continues to suck it up he might have to go back to Brazilian TV for a couple of years...
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Post by DUCE on Jul 17, 2005 11:09:31 GMT -5
Vitor will still have life if Alstair Overeem wins the GP and he loses to Yuki Kondo.
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Post by Curt on Jul 17, 2005 15:30:19 GMT -5
Oh man. Both those semi-final matches look awesome. I think both matches could go either way but here's my predictions...
-Silva Via KO second or 3rd round.
Arona will score a few a takedowns but not without eating some strikes on the way in. IMO Silva's submission defense will fend off Arona who wont be able to do any damage on the ground. After several more restarts,more of Silva's vicious stand up, and Arona's tendency to gas out the inebitable will occur. A huge right hook will stagger Arona followed by knees from the clinch.
-Rua Via KO 2nd round (ground and pound)
I just dont see this one goin the distance. With Rua's aggresive style and Overheems tendency to fade someone's gonna get KO'd. I do however think Overheem will get the better of the stand up. Rua's iron chin and mental and physical enduraunce will get him the takedown later in the 2nd round. From there I think (key word, think) Rua end it with strikes from the mount.
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Post by DUCE on Jul 17, 2005 15:44:11 GMT -5
If that happens then will Rua bow out with an injury so he wont have to face Silva? In a perfect world Randy Couture would run in as an announced alternate...
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Post by Magog on Jul 18, 2005 3:12:47 GMT -5
If that happens then will Rua bow out with an injury so he wont have to face Silva? In a perfect world Randy Couture would run in as an announced alternate... Perfect world nothing, that would be mma heaven. |
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Post by DUCE on Jul 19, 2005 21:25:46 GMT -5
Filthy Pride/UFC make it happen!
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Post by CP on Jul 25, 2005 22:48:57 GMT -5
Yoshida's opponent is rumored to be Tank Abbott.
Those semi-finals and potential finals matches look excellent. I am also definitely looking forward to Cro Cop/Fedor, Vitor/Kondo and Hunt/Sergei.
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Post by MAgog1 on Jul 26, 2005 12:01:52 GMT -5
Yoshida's opponent is rumored to be Tank Abbott. Those semi-finals and potential finals matches look excellent. I am also definitely looking forward to Cro Cop/Fedor, Vitor/Kondo and Hunt/Sergei. I can picture Tank abbot in Pride when all 9 hells freeze over. |
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Post by CP on Jul 27, 2005 11:22:59 GMT -5
Get ready for all 9 levels of hell to freeze over then. This is the confirmed card:
Wanderlei Silva vs Ricardo Arona (GP Semi-Finals)
Alistair Overeem vs Mauricio Rua (GP Semi-Finals)
Fedor Emelianenko (c) vs Mirko Cro Cop (PRIDE Heavyweight Title)
Igor Vovchanchyn vs Kazuhiro Nakamura (Winner get an alternate spot for the Finals of the GP)
Hidehiko Yoshida vs Tank Abbott
Middleweight GP Finals
Rumored fights:
Vitor Belfort vs. Yuki Kondo
Sergei Kharitonov vs. Mark Hunt (that could be an awesome fight if it does happen)
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Post by Tim Dalton on Jul 27, 2005 14:03:06 GMT -5
I'm going to pick Silva and Overeem to win their respective matches. Silva just because - he's Silva. Overeem has come a long way in the last year. He really shocked me against Igor. Rua is real tough and this will be a good fight. Honestly, I could see any one of the four taking the whole thing.
I think Fedor will pound Cro Cop. That left high kick is always dangerous, but I think Fedor has a better all around game.
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Post by DUCE on Jul 28, 2005 22:37:59 GMT -5
TANK VS YOSHIDA
Prediction; Tank knocks him out shocking the crowd! Ryo Chonan part 2! Bas vs Tank? KO 1 round
Yuki Kondo vs Vitor Belfort
Prediction; Vitor will mow him over he is pissed and despirate! Vitor KO 1 round
Rua vs Overeem
Prediction; a war goes to decision Rua wins and bows out.
Arona vs. Silva
Prediction; Good fight Arona does very well but its stopped after a nasty cut over Arona's eye in round 2.
Nakamura vs Igor
Prediction; Nakamura gets TKO'd in the second.
Igor vs. Silva
Prediction; Silva turns Igor into whats for dinner and gets the decision.
Fedor vs. Cro Cop
Prediction; Cro Cop shocks us with new found skills and gets a submission off of Fedor!
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