411 MMA Preview: Pride - Bushido 10 Roundtable
Posted by Michael Huckaby on 04.02.2006
It's not the size of the dog in the fight....
Welcome to another edition of your Pride preview hotspot, I'm the party captain Mike and this time I invited some Very Important Persons. I wanted to do a refined tale of the tape picture preview again but you'd find it hard to believe how incredibly difficult it is to find pictures of some of the Bushido fighters. No use crying over spilt milk (unless you spilled it on a valuable painting you‘d stolen), let me introduce our panel:
Japanese fight fan extraordinaire, "Complete Player" Ryan Mancuso
And last but certainly not least, hiding his personal information since birth, 411 forums contributor Caleb "Ninja" Newby
And on with the show:
Seichi Ikemoto vs. Yves Edwards
Hernandez: Edwards has got something to prove. He lost out a tough decision to Hansen and then got upset by Hominick. Edwards once claimed to be the uncrowned UFC Lightweight champ. Well, unless he picks up a win in Japan, I don't see the REAL belt going anywhere around his waist. Winner: Edwards.
Jennette: Edwards needs win in the worst way after losing back-to-back fights including a shocking submission loss to huge underdog Mark Hominick at UFC 58. Ikemoto is a Shooto and DEEP veteran with an 11-11-4 record making his PFC debut here and should be a significant underdog. Edwards should win in impressive fashion and gets his career back on the right track. Winner: Edwards.
Huckaby: I just can't see Yves losing yet again. Maybe he has lost a little something but even if that's true I can't see him falling to Ikemoto. As for Seichi, I don't like to pick anyone who fights out of a camp with an exclamation point in it. It's almost like they're going to come out reckless. Winner: Edwards.
Forster: Edwards has had a bad run lately, however Ikemoto for me just isn't at Edwards level. I think we'll see a return to winning ways for Edwards with a first round KO in this fight. The big question is can he keep it up from there?. Winner: Edwards.
Mancuso: Very short notice fight here for both men. Both men are looking for a win here after receiving losses on the same day with Yves to Mark Hominick at the last UFC PPV and Ikemoto to Jutaro Nakao at a DEEP show. Yves is the favorite here, but Ikemoto should not be taken lightly. Winner: Edwards
Newby: Yves Edwards is back quickly after an upset loss at UFC 58 against Mark Hominick. Yves has now dropped his last two fights and is in need of a win. Despite his recent losses he is still considered a top 155lber. Ikemoto on the other hand is an up and down .500 fighter who has had some exciting bouts, but will find Yevs to be his biggest challenge to date. While Hominick pulled out the upset recently against Yves, I don't expect that to happen this time around. Winner: Edwards.
Paul Rodriguez vs. Mitsuhiro Ishida
Jennette: Paul Rodriguez is an American fighter out of Gracie Barra Orlando making his PFC debut. He is experienced and has fought in various organizations such as UFC, Shooto, HOOKnSHOOT, and most recently Pancrase. Ishida is a Shooto veteran with a strong 10-2-1 record. I look for Ishida to get numerous takedowns and win a unanimous decision thanks to his superior wrestling ability. Winner: Ishida.
Forster: Personally I think these two match up quite well. Ishidas success in Shooto makes me believe we'll see him get the win here although I wouldn't be massively surprised to see Rodriguez catch him in a sub either. I'll go for Ishida via TKO in the second round. Winner: Ishida.
Mancuso: Ishida trains with SHOOTO champion Tatsuya Kawajiri at the T-Blood camp. He has shown really good wrestling in his fights with suplexes. Despite most of his wins were by decision, but he is an active fighter. Finishing off Rodriguez in Bushido could really elevate his status, but it might remain halt as long as Kawajiri is the top gun of the T-Blood camp. Rodriguez seems to be the level of fighter in which a rising fighter shows just how far he has progressed in MMA. Winner: Ishida.
Newby: I believe this is the first PRIDE fight for either of these two fellows. Paul is a competent fighter but excels on the ground. Mitsuhiro is the Shooto Pacific Welterweight Champion. I can see this going either way, and while it is tempting to go for the guy whose name I can say easily, I am going to go with my gut and take Mitsuhiro. Winner: Ishida
Huckaby: Funny thing about MMA, when one guy enters who has many decision wins and his opponent has many decision losses usually the reverse happens in their match. Is this statistically true? I don't know, do I look like a book? I'm going with the apparent 411 underdog, I just think Rodriguez has what it takes to finish so lets do this. Winner: Rodriguez.
Hernandez: Without having seen either two fight, it's hard to call. Both have fought top competition (Rodriguez and Gomi, Ishida and Ribeiro) but lost out. Either way, judging from their fight records, it should be an exciting fight. Winner: Ishida.
Kenji Arai vs Jens Pulver
(Editors note: Imanari pullout occurred during roundtable replies)
Forster: I'm picking Pulver on this one based on experience, he's lost two of his last three fights, but I suspect this will just light a fire under "Little Evils" arse, if Imanari is to take this I'd expect it to be with a quick heel hook but I still give the edge to Pulver. Winner: Pulver.
Mancuso: This will be a really fun fight to watch. Imanari loves to go for leglocks in very unorthodox ways. He will shoot on his opponent by using a baseball slide. He looked impressive at the DEEP Featherweight Tournament he won last December. However, he is stepping up in weight to face the former UFC Lightweight Champion in Jens Pulver. While Pulver has suffered some big losses in recent times to Gomi and Hayato Sakurai, but I think he will pull off the victory here. Winner: Pulver.
Newby: This one could be good. In studying this matchup I learned something interesting. Pulver, former UFC Lightweight Champion, has had two of his six losses via ankle submissions, something that Imanari specializes in. Pulver is currently the Vegas odds favorite, but upsets do happen, and this could very well be the place.
Huckaby: I was always curious why taking a fight on short notice is such a problem for the new guy but it's never mentioned when referring to the previously scheduled guy. It seems to me he'd worked weeks on a game plan and maybe the replacement opponent is completely different. Either way, I can't pick against Pulver via KO. Winner: Pulver.
Hernandez: Imanari is exciting no doubt. Pulver will definitely want to keep this standing as he has the advantage there. I'm going with Imanari with a huge upset. Probably by
submission.
Jennette: This is such a tough call for me. I absolutely LOVE Jens Pulver and his style and I think the fact that he is finally getting to fight a fellow 145-pound fighter is going to make a huge difference. However, Imanari is a submissions ace with several notable wins. Yes, he is 0-2 in Bushido, but outside of Pride he has submitted the likes of Yoshiro Maeda, Mike Thomas Brown and Jorge Gurgel. I'm going to pick Imanari by submission in a bit of an upset.
Denis Kang vs. Mark Weir
Huckaby: Kang should completely dominate here. Besides being an all-around better fighter, Kang hasn't lost in several years and if his talent wasn't enough he knows he can finish fights. Weir has a chance, but not nearly a good enough one to justify picking him. Winner: Kang.
Hernandez: Kang is definitely a better fighter than Weir and on any given night, Kang will come out on top. This being the sport it is though, you should expect anything. Despite that, I'm still going with Kang. He has been on a tear lately. Winner: Kang.
Jennette: Kang is on an incredible hot streak right now having not lost a fight since getting choked out by Mayhem Miller over 3 years ago. Kang has gone 14-0-1 since that loss including 2-0 in Bushido. Weir has turned his career around winning his last three fights by KO after going through a very rough patch in late 04/early 05. Weir is a dangerous striker with underrated ground skills, but in the end, I think Kang is going to get it to the ground and work a decision. Winner: Kang.
Forster: My head tells me Kang continues his run of victorys, however I'm going to be patriotic and pick The Wizard via decision. Winner: Weir.
Mancuso: Not too familiar with either fighter other than Kang likes to win with submissions and Weir goes for the KO. Not really fair for me to make a prediction, but since I have seen more of Kang and he looked good from what I seen. So I'll go with him. Winner: Kang.
Newby: Kang has a gone 15 fights with out a loss, with one draw along the way against Andrei Semenov, who he later defeated by decision last year. Kang's fights typically end via submission, choke or armbar. Mark Weir recently has put together a nice little string of wins for himself after a rough four fight losing streak. I see this one ending on the ground as per most of Kang's fights as of late, sending the streaky Weir back into the loss column. Winner: Kang.
Joachim Hansen vs Luiz Azeredo
Mancuso: This match alone has the potential to be worth the PPV price of Bushido 10. Hansen has a devastating knee lift that KO'ed Caol Uno last year. Plus, he was the first man to defeat Takanori Gomi. Azeredo is a Chute Boxe lightweight who is very aggressive. I am going with Hansen in a really close stand up war to set up a future rematch with Takanori Gomi or Tatsuya Kawajiri in SHOOTO. Winner: Hansen.
Hernandez: First, allow me to cry tears of joy that fights like this one actually happen. Bushido, I love thee! This is going to be a hard one to call. I think after a decision loss in Pride and a DQ loss is Shooto, Hansen is going to want to make a statement with this fight. Azeredo also wants to prove that he's more than Gomi's punching bag. AGH! Too tough to call but it's going to be a dream to watch. Winner: Azeredo.
Jennette: This has the potential to be an amazing fight. Hansen is one of only two fighters to hold a victory over Gomi (BJ Penn being the other) and he is a very experienced and dangerous fighter. Azeredo and Gomi had one of my favorite fights of 2005 at Bushido 7 with non-stop action packed into 3:46 (including one of the best 1-2 knockout combinations of all-time). That image is still burned into my brain and therefore I'm going to pick Hansen to win by knockout. Winner: Hansen.
Forster: Hansen coming off the ballshot heard around the world has something to prove here, only problem is Azeredo is no pushover. I give the edge to Hansen in a close fight although I'll be rooting for Azeredo because of my BJJ bias. Winner: Hansen.
Newby: Another good matchup here pits two strong fighters, Hansen and Azeredo, head to head. A decision victory seems quite possible. Calling this one is a struggle, but I am leaning towards Hansen in a tough, well fought match. Winner: Hansen.
Huckaby: The cream of the crop at the second tier of this weight class, but I'm not as excited about it as everyone else seems to be. I enjoy watching both fighters but until one of them gives me some sense they can hang with Gomi or Sakurai I just can't get as pumped up for it. It really is an intense tossup and I certainly see Hansen winning by KO (and if I had to bet money that's what I'd put it on) but I'm going to be cute and go with Azeredo to finally get over the hump. Winner: Azeredo.
Ninja Rua vs. Paulo Filho
Mancuso: This is a fight that has been teased for many years. It is a continuation of the Brazilian Top Team vs. Chute Boxe rivalry. There will be a lot of hatred going down here. It will be interesting to see Ninja as a 183 fighter here. When Ninja jumped to heavyweight in 2004, he looked in bad shape and was KO'ed by Kharitonov. Hopefully for him, this jump in weight class will put him in better shape and have more success. Filho is very good, and probably would have been in the Bushido tournament had fellow BTT member Murilo Bustamante not entered. I am going with a Filho win to set up a match with Dan Henderson. Winner: Filho.
Newby: Murilo "Ninja" Rua looks to give Filho his toughest test to date. While most peg Filho to have the advantage on the ground due to his extensive BJJ backround, if he can't take Rua down Filho's chin could be in for a world of hurt. This fight could very well go all the way to the decision mark, and if it does, I am going to take the mild upset with Filho outmaneuvering Rua on the ground. Winner: Filho.
Huckaby: I can't believe how little respect Ninja gets on a constant basis. I'm thinking this simply how and not when. Filho will come and grapple with Ninja (as anyone would) trying to wrestle him around and snap something on. The problem of course being that Ninja will constantly find ways to get out and land great punches. It won't be quick and won't be that pretty but I'm never betting against Chute. Winner: Rua.
Hernandez: Another Chute Box / BTT match up. I think this'll be Silva / Arona at 183. If Filho gets Rua on the ground, he won't be able to submit him. And I don't think Rua will be able to avoid the takedown. Prediction: this fight will be boring. I'll give to Filho with a Lindland blanket treatment. Winner: Filho.
Jennette: This is by far and away the fight I most want to see. Filho was recently quoted as saying "Those guys in Chute Boxe have no respect for their opponents. They do not know how to lose. My thing with Ninja is personal and he will end up in the hospital, wait and see." I feel like this fight is going to be an absolute war along the lines of Mauricio Shogun v. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (last year's fight of the year). Ninja at 183 has the potential to be champion and Filho is a baby Arona only with more finishing submission skills. I can't see either of these guys realistically finishing either other (both too good) so I predict Filho will win after a battle. Don't let me down boys. Winner: Filho.
Forster: Everyone in MMA loves a bit of Brazilian top team vs. Chute Box. This fight really could mirror Silva/Arona, the big question is which one of the two fights would it be like? Depending on if Ruas mind is on this fight or on Hammerhouse I think Filho could pull the upset here. Winner: Filho.
Akihiro Gono vs. Kim Dae Won
Newby: I can't rationalize a way to take the inexperienced Judo practitioner Kim Dae Won here, and it seems the Vegas odds agree with me. Gono is an experienced veteran of 40+ fights and a decent all around fighter. Maybe Kim Dae Won will prove me wrong here, if so, more power to him… but I don't think it will happen. Winner: Gono.
Huckaby: There's no way Gono lets this go to the judges but there's no way our young Korean friend goes down without some sort of fight. Gono takes easily, but not really really easily. That's in depth reporting if I've ever wrote it. Winner: Gono.
Hernandez: Gono has WAY more experience than Won. Won's wins aren't that impressive for those reasons alone, I've got to go with Gono. Winner: Gono.
Jennette: Experience. Gono has 41 career fights and has been in the ring with the like of Dan Henderson, Matt Hughes, Mauricio Shogun, and Ivan Salaverry. Dae Won is seemingly an MMA newbie with only 3 career fights. I honestly don't know a lot about Dae Won other then he is a Judoka and Korean. I predict Gono will take this fight with ease. Winner: Gono.
Forster: Isn't his name Dae Won Kim (editors note: I‘m not an expert of Korean culture)? Anyway however you say it, I expect Gono to take this one, the only losses he's had since 2002 are Henderson and Rua and I don't expect that to change at the next Bushido. Winner: Gono.
Mancuso: Kim is a wrestler with good credentials. However, MMA is just starting to develop in South Korea so there are a lot of things he needs to work on. One of those things is striking. Gono has won kickboxing titles so it would be best if Kim went with what he knows best in wrestling. However, I don't see that happening since Gono is competent in that area. Unless Gono gets lazy and decides to grapple with Kim, I see him getting a KO win. Winner: Gono.
Yuki Kondo vs Phil Baroni
Huckaby: I'm starting here because I made several long rants about this whether people cared to listen to me, had ever seen MMA, or was in fact deaf. I had a small party planned, people coming over, we were even going to be cute and get it on Tuesday due to the NCAA title game and the post-WM Raw. Then I read Fox Sports and Pride agreed to cut this fight from the American PPV telecast to show on their PrideFC show. Classy. The fight I was most looking forward to and was paying $30 TWO DAYS after it happened and you're cutting it? Hmm, money or free, money or free. Normally it's an easy answer but screw me twice shame on me. On to the fight, I'm picking with my heart instead of my brain. DO IT YUKI! Winner: Kondo.
Hernandez: Baroni. Nuff said. Winner: Baroni.
Jennette: Although the popular pick here seems to be Kondo who is finally fighting at a more natural 183 pounds, I'm going to pick Baroni by decision since Kondo seems to NEVER EVER win a decision in Pride. Kondo has lost 3 fights in Pride in a row, all by close sometimes-controversial decision. Baroni is a loud-mouthed prick, but I think Kondo's string of bad luck is going to continue. Winner: Baroni.
Forster: Typical Baroni fight prediction time, if this fight is over in the first round Baroni takes it via KO, if it goes past that then Baroni gasses and Kondo takes the decision. I'll give Phil the benefit of the doubt and pick him to take this one. Winner: Baroni.
Mancuso: I am not a Phil Baroni fan, but everyone should respect his punching power. With that said, I don't see him getting the win here. Baroni has strong hands, but Kondo has a pretty strong chin. The only time Kondo was ever knocked out was against Wanderlai Silva, and I think that was more of him backing off after getting hit which let Wanderlai smell blood for the kill. Unless that happens here again, I think conditioning will play a role in the outcome which favors Kondo. Winner: Kondo.
Newby: It will be interesting to see if Baroni can stand and trade with Kondo and score a KO with his punching power. While it is possible, Kondo will take this to the ground and score either the sub or decision victory in the process. Winner: Kondo.
Ikuhisa Minowa vs. Paulo Cesar Silva
Jennette: Holy size mismatch Batman! Giant Silva is 7'2" and 385 pounds and Minowa is only 5'9" and 181 pounds. Still, Silva doesn't have any discernable skills outside of being huge that's why I'm picking Minowa to finish this fight as soon as it goes to the ground. Winner: Minowa.
Forster: Poor giant Silva, he's pretty much seen as the laughing stock of the MMA world and a walking advert for the fact that size means very little if you don't have the skill to go with it. Minowa takes this one via any sub he wants. Winner: Minowa.
Mancuso: Let me look into my crystal ball as to how this fight will go: Minowa vs One-Dimensional Heavyweight (although I am still looking for that one-dimension in Silva's style). If Minowa can avoid that deadly windmill punching and kimura by Giant Silva, then it will be Minowa by leglock in under 2 Minutes. Next! Winner: Minowa.
Newby: So Giant Silva is listed at 7'2" and 385lbs and is taking on Ikuhisa Minowa who stands at 5'9". If this were pro wrestling I would call for an easy squash for Silva, but in the arena of real fighting Minowa has the decided advantage over the one win giant. Minowa via 1st round submission. Winner: Minowa.
Huckaby: Genki Sudo vs Butterbean much? I don't know, I like Silva's "giant windmill" swings and I think if he catches Punk it's over. Let's be honest, Minowa is no Sudo (and in fairness Silva is no Butterbean) however the obvious heel hook pick is still there. I think (huge) if Silva grabs ahold of him he'll finish the fight. I have no balls. Winner: Minowa.
Dan Henderson vs. Kazuo Misaki
Mancuso: This should be a really good fight. Misaki could definitely present a challenge to Henderson. He has had some experience in fighting some good fighters like Nathan Marquardt (rumored to be Rich Franklin's next challenger for the UFC Middleweight Title), Ricardo Almeida and Daniel Acacio. Outside of getting his arm injured in the first Marquardt fight, all of Misaki's losses were by decision. However, Henderson is a level above all of the guys Misaki has faced prior and should win the fight. While I am predicting TKO, but a decision victory for Henderson would not surprise me either. Winner: Henderson.
Newby: This one is pretty easy. Dan Henderson first round. Other than that elusive "punchers chance" Misaki should be in for a short, painful night. Henderson is at another level here than Misaki. Interesting to note that this is the fight that Vegas has the most lopsided as well. Go figure. Winner: Henderson.
Huckaby: The greatest thing about Pride? The thonged man banging his gong? The introductions? The amazing fighters? The little supple ring girls? No no, you're way off. It's the loud announcement of Henderson's name. DAAAAAAAAAWWWWN HEEEEEENDDDOOOSAAAAWWWN. Winner: Henderson.
Hernandez: Dan Henderson will take this, no questions ask. Expect a brutal knockout. Winner: Henderson.
Jennette: Don't let the records fool you. Misaki is a lot dangerous and tougher then one might gather just from looking at his records. However, at the end of the day, he's in the ring with 183-pound champion Dan Henderson. A guy many people believe is the only guy in the 183-185 pound class that can beat Rich Franklin. I think Henderson is in for a tough fight, but at the end of the day, Henderson will catch Misaki and continue his string of dominance in Pride's 183-pound class. Winner: Henderson.
Forster: I don't see this as a real challenge to Henderson and fully expect him to GnP his way to the win by the end of the first. Winner: Henderson.
Takanori Gomi vs. Marcos Aurelio
Forster: Unlike the Henderson fight I see this one as being a challenge to the champion. I still expect Gomi to take it given he hasn't lost to anyone since BJ Penn in 2003, and has since gone on to become the best 155lbs fighter in the world. Look for a good showing from Aurelio but Gomi to take it via KO in the second. Winner: Gomi.
Mancuso: For a company that has been known to protect their top stars, PRIDE has given Takanori Gomi a challenge in every fight he has had there. This is no different here. Aurelio is very good, but Gomi is just too dominant in every part of the MMA game. Gomi might just be the best pound-for-pound fighter in MMA today. I think Gomi will get the victory here in route to setting up rematches with either Joachim Hansen or Tatsuya Kawajiri. Winner: Gomi.
Newby: Logic would dictate that Gomi will have to lose again sometime, and Marcos Aurelio could be the man to do it. Sure, he COULD be the guy to do it, but who am I to pick against "The Fireball Kid"? As long as Gomi doesn't get caught on the ground in a submission this fight is all his. Look for Gomi to win via TKO. Winner: Gomi.
Huckaby: Side note, what's the point of non-title fights? I know they don't want undeserving people holding the belts but then you're just making your champion look weak if he loses without anything going to the winner. I know you can't fight the #1 contender each and every fight… but top 5? If you're the champion you need to be the champion and defend your belt proudly. Fight itself? I want to take Aurelio here in a huge upset but he's just not finishing fights lately and I don't trust Gomi to lose a close decision in Japan. Aurelio will more than put up a fight here and I think there's a decent chance he wins. That said, I'm a girl. Winner: Gomi.
Hernandez: The current Pride Lightweight champ takes on a tough challenge in Aurelio. Unfortunately, it's not tough enough. Gomi has fought better fighters in Jean Silva, Kawajiri, Azeredo, and Pulver. Gomi is so freaking good right now, I can't picture anyone at 155 beating him. Winner: Gomi.
Jennette: What can be said about Gomi that hasn't already been said? Since losing back-to-back fights to Hansen and Penn back in late 2003, the man has simply been unstoppable, winning 10 consecutive fights. The guy, quite simply, is a legend and he's still a few years shy of 30! His opponent is American Top Team fighter Marcus "Maximus" Aurelio and he is going to attempt to do what no man has been able to do thus far, defeat Gomi in a Pride ring. Aurelio is no slouch in his own right, winning his last two fights at Bushido 6 & 8. Aurelio has never been submitted or knocked out in his fighter career and that's why I'm picking Gomi to win via unanimous decision and maintain his status as the best 155-160 pounder in the world. Winner: Gomi.
Enjoy the show…. or just continue dreaming about the OWGP.
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