PRIDE or DIE: The History of PRIDE FIghting Championship - PRIDE 6
Posted by Randy Harrison on 05.20.2008
Igor Vovchanchyn returns, Kazushi Sakuraba has another impressive performance and Nobuhiko Takada main events another show. I promise that the fight is on the up and up this time though...I think.
Welcome back to PRIDE Or DIE: The History of PRIDE Fighting Championships and you've picked a great show to read if this is your first time because there are seven fights and quite frankly only one of them has the prospect of being a dud on paper. Coming off of the success of PRIDE 5 with the huge main event "upset", PRIDE 6 takes over the Yokohama Arena, marking the second event for PRIDE in Yokohama and possibly their biggest show to this point. Kazushi Sakuraba looks to continue his streak of great fights against Brazilian challengers when he takes on double-tough Ebenezer Fontes Braga, Naoya Ogawa makes his MMA debut in PRIDE against the always dangerous Gary "Big Daddy" Goodridge, and in the main event, Nobuhiko Takada, coming off of his big win at PRIDE 5, takes on the dominating force that was Mark "The Smashing Machine" Kerr. As usual Bas Rutten and Stephen Quadros are at ringside for the call of all the action so without any further delay let's head back to Yokohama, Japan on July 4, 1999 for PRIDE 6!!
PRIDE 6
As usual the ring is surrounded by four huge curtains which drop to correspond with a HUGE explosion and fireworks. The entire arena goes dark and the crowd roars until a spotlight hits the middle of the ring and the announcer introduces the four fighters in the two co-main event bouts, Ebenezer Fontes Braga, Kazushi Sakuraba, Mark Kerr and Nobuhiko Takada. Takada gets a huge response from the crowd, another explosion hits and the arena goes dark again to end the opening ceremony.
Match One:
Carl Malenko vs. Egan Inoue
This should be a much stiffer test for Inoue than his debut fight at PRIDE 5, that's for sure. Inoue has his brother, Enson in his corner, while Malenko has HIS brother, Dean in his corner. Ok, that last part was BS, but the first part wasn't. Malenko has a wrestling background but neither Bas or Stephen know a whole lot about him going into this fight.
Round One
A front kick lands to the body for Inoue and Malenko tries to get into a front facelock clinch, landing a couple of short lefts from in close. Deep single-leg attempt from Malenko but Inoue sprawls out of it and delivers a nice knee to the head as well as one to the body. Some uppercuts land for Inoue from essentially a collar-and-elbow and he's also working some good knees to the body inside. Inoue continues to avoid the takedown as Malenko keeps driving for it in the clinch, pushing Inoue against the corner. Malenko almost gets the double-leg but Inoue grabs the top rope for a moment, keeping his balance and avoiding going to the mat for a moment. Malenko finally gets the takedown into Inoue's full guard after about three minutes of struggling. Short punches from Inoue on the bottom and Bas and Stephen are both hoping that Malenko will do some striking or something from the top position and that he won't just lay on Inoue. Malenko doesn't listen and continues to lay on Inoue, throwing some short strikes but there's nothing on them. So sleepy. I love ground fighting as much as the next guy, but there is honestly nothing going on. Inoue unleashes a little offense from the bottom in a flurry, but really how much damage can you do throwing punches up in the air off of your back? Malenko continues to snuggle and buries his face into Inoue's chest, riding out the last three minutes of the round by taking heel strikes to his calves and ass, while throwing the odd punch over the top to try to stun Inoue. After the takedown that round just fucking DRAGGED. I'm hoping this is the 10-5-5 round set-up so that I don't have to watch another ten-minute round like that again.
Round Two
Malenko throws a combination, but it's essentially just to let him get close enough to work a clinch and Inoue lands a few more knees on the inside while he sprawls away from a Malenko double-leg attempt. Malenko gets the deep double-leg takedown again into Inoue's full guard and they get reset away from the ropes. Malenko throws a few body shots but again there's no zip on them and Inoue continues with his heel strikes from the bottom. Malenko shocks me and passes the guard, but Inoue gets it right back and looks to be attempting a triangle choke but he can't secure his foot behind the knee to lock it in. Malenko avoids that and they end up right back into the full guard that they've been in for most of the fight. Malenko tried something and almost got stopped, so I expect that's the last we'll see of that kind of effort. Short punches from both men interspersed between periods of inactivity and Malenko tries a guard pass again but can't get anything done. Christ, it's going to be another ten minute round. Joy of joys. They trade the short punches and Inoue throws up a high guard for a moment, but there's NOTHING happening really. Apparently the fight is scheduled for two, ten-minute rounds with an overtime round available if the fight is a draw. Malenko tries to pass guard and then almost grabs a leglock but Inoue shuts it down and gets back to guard quickly enough. After that flurry of "action" it's right back to the guard game with heel strikes and short punches. Honestly ref, ONE fucking stand up, I'm begging you. Inoue looks to set up an armbar in the last thirty seconds but can't get anything locked up and they end up cuddling until the bell sounds.
Since it appears to be a draw, Bas and Stephen think that this will go to a third round, which I would sadly agree with because Inoue won the first and Malenko won the second. We find out that it's a draw and that they will fight a five-minute overtime round and the scoring from the previous two rounds will not factor into the final decision.
Round Three
Bas and Stephen are hoping that the overtime round will lead to a little desperation from both men and that they will fight with a little more urgency and excitement this time. Inoue lands a good right hand from the beginning and Inoue actually scores a takedown on Malenko, ending up on top in the full guard. Inoue tries to posture up but Malenko is working his guard well and keeping Inoue under control. Inoue passes to half-guard but Malenko is actually able to scoot out the backdoor and avoid any trouble, getting back to his feet. Malenko lands a good short right and gets a takedown into side control, but Inoue gets things right back to guard, while I notice that the 24 hour convenience store am/pm is one of the sponsors on the canvas. I guess people had to go get terrible coffee from somewhere to stay up to watch these events and there's nothing like product placement. Malenko and Inoue do some rolling with Inoue ending up on top in side control for a moment before they scramble to their feet where Inoue lands a BEAUTIFUL knee to the head. Malenko gets another takedown and lays in the guard, throwing his patented short punches that have no impact. The fight ends with Malenko on top, which pretty much guarantees he's going to win, despite Inoue landing the better strikes. A close fight all the way around though.
Winner: Carl Malenko, Unanimous Decision
After the fight Malenko does some yelling and pointing after getting his complimentary crystal vase for winning. I think I got something that looked like that after sending in my Publisher's Clearing House deal.
Match Two:
Daijiro Matsui vs. Carlos Newton
Bas and Stephen both think that this is going to be a high-paced, technical grappling match. They talk about Newton being very technical while Matsui lacks a little in that regard but makes up for it in aggression and spirit. The crowd actually seems pretty pumped for this one. Matsui has nearly thirty pounds in size on Newton according to the pre-fight graphics, which could play a factor when it comes to takedowns.
Round One
Matsui CLIPS Newton with a right hook about five seconds into the fight and just misses catching him with it again. Newton lands a HARD right hand of his own, rocking Matsui and forcing him to drop for a takedown attempt. Newton stuffs it and tries to take Matsui's back, getting both hooks in and transitioning it to an armbar attempt. Matsui pulls free of it and works away with some stomps and punches while on top of Newton. Newton reverses again and nearly ends up in the full mount, working for another armbar attempt. Matsui tries for a single-leg but Netwon avoids it and retakes Matsui's back, with both men doing some hand-fighting for position. Newton with a HARD body shot that lands and he starts dropping some knees to the body as well. Mastui stands and looks for a kimura and Newton gets a near German suplex, taking Matsui's back again and trying for another armbar. Matsui picks up Newton for some short slams to try to break the hold but Newton won't let go of it. Matsui finally breaks free and lands some punches as well, ending up on top in Newton's full guard, posturing up to land some strikes as Newton sets up for ANOTHER armbar attempt. Matsui pulls away from the attempt, but Newton has a deep double-leg which leads to a slam that allows him to move to side control with a knee on Matsui's belly. Newton takes the full mount and then the back as Matsui rolls and Newton has both hooks in but Matsui turns into the back control and avoids any real danger. Newton ends up turtled with Matsui taking his back and just as quickly Matsui goes for an armbar and misses, putting him back on the bottom. They stop the action to restart with Newton in Matsui's full guard and Matsui is DIGGING away with heel strikes from the bottom with the pace FINALLY slowing down just a little. They try to trade some punches but there's nothing there and Matsui actually works a wonderful sweep, nearly taking mount before Newton sweeps him right back. Matsui ends up turtled with Newton landing an AXE KICK to the kidneys and another!! Matsui makes it back to his feet and JUST misses a couple of hard right hands before they do some exchanging of punches in the middle of the ring. Matsui misses an ankle-pick and Newton lands the AXE KICK AGAIN!! Matsui rolls over to his back and the bell sounds to end the first round. This was probably the most exciting round of any match in any of the first six PRIDE shows. There have been rounds with great grappling exchanges, but this was the first one that truly felt like mixed martial arts with punches, kicks and grappling all melded into one.
Round Two
Both Newton and Matsui look fresh as daisies after ten minutes of near-constant action. Matsui nearly jumps the start of the second round he's so excited to get after it and get the fight going again. Matsui lands a HARD right hand that Newton responds to with one of his own and they've picked up right where they left off at the end of the first. Another stiff shot as Newton lands a jab and Matsui looks to load up that big right hand again. Leg kicks starting to do some damage for Matsui and Newton lands a hard left and a good front kick before Matsui gets an ankle-pick into a takedown. Newton tries an armbar again but Matsui ends up spilling out through the ropes and they end up having to restart the fight standing up. Matsui is nearly pushing the referee aside to get back to fighting and he lands the low kick again before shooting in for another single-leg takedown. He does a little striking from the top and Newton keeps trying to work out from the bottom, finally rolling into an armbar attempt after a couple of restarts in the middle of the ring. Mastui tries a mule kick that misses and a jumping left kick that also ends up missing and the crowd is BUZZING. Matsui misses a right haymaker and then shoots in low for another single-leg, getting the takedown against the ropes, leading to a reset in the middle. Matsui does a little striking from the top and then gets pushed away to stand above the prone Newton. CARTWHEEL GUARD PASS ATTEMPT!! Newton stuffs it and closes off his guard, but A for effort to Matsui. The pace slows a little bit and they trade shots from Newton's guard for the majority of the rest of the round. Newton pushes him away late and they get back to their feet with Matsui trying another takedown attempt but Newton stuffs it and takes his back. He rides on Matsui's back with both hooks in and tries for a rear naked choke but essentially runs out of time before he can really work for anything. A GREAT fight thus far and I really hope that this one actually gets the overtime round.
The decision is rendered and it's a draw, which means we're going to get to see another overtime period!! I'm MUCH more excited about the prospect of five more minutes of this fight than I was about the first fight.
Round Three
They touch gloves in a show of respect and circle a little before Matsui misses the haymaker, giving up his back standing and Newton ends up standing above Matsui while he's on his back. He just allows Matsui to get back to his feet and they stand and trade some heavy punches before Matsui gets another ankle-pick into a takedown in the corner. They immediately get reset in the middle and Newton looks to try to set up and armbar but there's nothing there and they trade short punches back and forth. Newton looks for a kimura from the bottom but he just uses it to get the fight back to its feet and they trade combinations with Newton actually getting the better punches. Good overhand right from Matsui lands and he just misses it again before shooting for the ankle-pick again, which Newton backs out of and avoids. Two HARD uppercuts land for Newton and they're trading BOMBS back and forth in the middle of the ring. Matsui falls to the canvas and almost eats a front kick while on his knees and Matsui ends up missing another shot, allowing Newton to get some hard punches in on the kidneys. Matsui finally gets the ankle-pick into the takedown and he tries to do some punching from the guard but he can't posture up to get any power on those shots. Short punches from Matsui and holding from Newton close out the round and possibly one of the most exciting fights in the history of PRIDE.
Winner: Carlos Newton, Unanimous Decision
Newton and Matsui both fall to their knees and shake hands, bowing to each other and it looks like Newton is speaking to Matsui and telling him to continue on fighting in the same manner. Newton does his usual celebration after getting his silver cup for winning the fight. We even get to see some replays of the action from the overtime round, with Bas and Stephen talking about how both fighters have improved considerably.
Match Three:
Igor Vovchanchyn vs. Carlos Barreto
Barreto is a submission specialist, which should lead to a good match-up against the striker in Vovchanchyn. Bas hopes that Barreto will work for his submissions, instead of just laying there and trying to avoid getting hit by any of Igor's punches. They both weigh in at around 230 lbs. or so, but Barreto has about six or eight inches in height on Vovchanchyn.
Round One
Barreto circles to his left to avoid Vovchanchyn's power shots and he actually looks pretty uncomfortable with his stand-up technique. Leg kick misses from Barreto and they end up in a clinch after Vovchanchyn lands a good left hook, separating back to the middle of the ring. Barreto goes back to circling on the outside up against the ropes and Igor is continuing to stalk him and chase him down, trying to corner him. Barreto with a front kick to try to keep Vovchanchyn at bay, but it barely lands with Vovchanchyn landing an overhand right before they're back to circling. Left hook and a hard body punch from Vovchanchyn land and it's right back to the track meet. Barreto actually lands a jab and Vovchanchyn flurries but comes up short with his punches. Left hook lands for Vovchanchyn and he gets another good one in before Barreto gets a soft jab to land. Vovchanchyn is bleeding a little from under his right eye and he pushes forward with a hard combination to the body and head. Barreto pushes forward a little and slips just before Vovchanchyn throws a combination and Vovchanchyn lands a HARD leg kick out of that. Vovchanchyn continues to counter-punch by slipping Barreto's jab and landing his left hook and he throws another chopping leg kick. Vovchanchyn JUST misses a right hand and they end up trading feints for a minute or two, circling around the ring until the bell. Ugh. This was a pretty tough round to watch, made even worse coming on the heels of the action-packed Newton/Matsui fight.
Round Two
They touch gloves and go right back to circling around with Barreto prancing around on the outside and Vovchanchyn chasing him around in the middle. Igor throws an overhand right and misses, leading to a clinch that has Barreto trying to pull guard. Vovchanchyn wants none of it and decides to let Barreto back to his feet. A yellow card to Barreto for stalling follows soon after that and Barreto throws a low kick and misses a high kick. Vochanchyn lands a NASTY left hook that nearly drops Barreto and he's HURT. Barreto goes to a clinch, tripping Vovchanchyn down to the mat and getting on top in the half-guard. He does a little work to the body with right hands as Igor holds him down and controls the head and body in the guard. The pace slows to a near-crawl and Barreto tries to pass the guard into mount but Igor defends it well and keeps things where they are. Vovchanchyn actually manages to sweep and pulls away from the guard to get back to his feet and they go back to the circling, with Barreto dropping to butt-scoot for a moment though he gets right back to his feet when the crowd boos him. There's a short break for the referee to fix Igor's glove and they touch gloves on the restart before trading kick attempts. More circling as per the rest of the fight and Vovchanchyn actually ends up going for a takedown, throwing Barreto down before backing away and letting him back up. Low kick lands for Barreto and Vovchanchyn lands a HARD left hook to the chest before they end up back outside and trading low kicks. Barreto actually slaps at him and then gets taken down as Vovchanchyn catches one of his leg kicks and pushes him down with an overhand right. Vovchanchyn looks frustrated at the end of the round and Bas and Quadros speculate that this should be another draw that will lead to overtime. Of course, it is and we're off to a third round.
Round Three
The crowd is really buzzing now as the ring girls come in with their GIGANTIC....overtime round cards. What did you think I was going to say? Barreto fakes a leg kick and goes back to his circle and jab routine, wasting nearly two minutes of the round on circling before Vovchanchyn just starts throwing wild punches to try to make something happen. Barreto avoids a right from Vovchanchyn and actually gets the takedown, working some short punches to the body from the full guard. More short punches and humping from Barreto and the round and the fight ends to some jeers from the crowd. Barreto talks to Vovchanchyn's corner a little, looking like a mixture of respect and being a jerk and Igor looks really dejected as they're waiting for the decision to be read.
Winner: Igor Vovchanchyn, Split Decision
Bas and Quadros both have a bit of an issue with the decision bcause Barreto did more in the overtime round, but you can tell that they're probably still a little happy that Igor won because he was pushing the pace for the entire fight while Barreto ran and ran.
In between this fight and the next MMA fight, there's a full-contact karate bout, competed under bareknuckle rules. It ends up being a draw and they exchange their black belts at the end of it as a show of respect.
Match Four:
Guy Mezger vs. Akira Shoji
Quadros calls this Shoji's toughest fight to date before talking about Mezger's King of Pancrase title. Bas says that Shoji is probably going to have to take this fight to the ground if he's going to have a chance. They think that it's going to be a war of wills and that Mezger is going to have to work to steal the fight away from the hometown hero.
Round One
Mezger has the Pancrase kick pads on with bare feet and they move to a clinch against the ropes with Mezger trapping an arm and riding him against the ropes. Mezger lands some inside body punches and they push away with Mezger throwing some kicks before they get right back into the clinch. Another clinch against the ropes and Mezger continues to land body shots on the inside, punishing both kidneys of Shoji. They break out of the clinch and do some circling before Shoji lands a low kick that was dangerously close to the groinal sack region. Mezger stops and looks to the referee, who does nothing, and they're back to circling before clinching in the corner. Nothing comes out of the clinch and they're back to circling in the middle of the ring. Mezger gets ahold of Shoji's back standing and Shoji is leaning halfway out of the ropes before Mezger drags him back in and slams him down. Shoji pops right back to his feet and they're back to a clinch against the ropes. NICE inside knee from Mezger as they separate and they continue to circle with Mezger pushing the pace before another clinch is initiated against the ropes. A high kick from Mezger gets blocked and they're right back to the clinch. Again, nothing happens and they separate to the center before going back to the clinch and trading short body punches in the corner. Mezger lands a solid combination pushing away from Shoji and lands a nice right uppercut before they scramble on the mat to end the round. Mezger takes the round, but not by a lot and he needs to stay away from the clinches and work his kickboxing and striking on Shoji.
Round Two
They touch gloves to start the round and Mezger lands a couple of jabs and a side kick before Shoji gets a takedown, ending up in Mezger's full guard. They struggle and grapple in the guard, with nothing interesting happening outside of the odd little flurry of activity that leads to another long period of stalling. Shoji postures up for a right hand and that allows Mezger to push Shoji away and get back to his feet. Mezger chases after Shoji with a combination and scores with it and he lands a HARD left kick that does a little damage to Shoji. They clinch in the corner with nothing happening until the referee separates them. They stand and trade a little with Mezger trying for a right uppercut but missing it and they're back to the clinch in the corner with Bas pleading for knees to the legs from Mezger. The referee breaks them up again and they circle, trading some solid kicks and Mezger lands a right to the body before just missing a head-hunting shot. Mezger continues to punish the body from the clinch and they separate again before moving right back to the clinch with Shoji getting a trip takedown in the middle of the ring. Shoji lays on top in the guard and they trade short punches sporadically until Shoji explodes into a side control and full mount, but Mezger gets out the backdoor RIGHT at the end of the round. I think that Mezger did enough to win the fight because that small sequence at the end doesn't discredit the first nineteen and a half minutes of Mezger doing damage. The judges call it a draw and Quadros sounds absolutely shocked. Sadly, I'm not.
Round Three
No glove touch this time, it's all business and Guy is probably pissed that he got screwed out of the decision. Leg kick from Shoji gets checked by Mezger and he fires back with a punching combination before they end up clinched in the corner again. The referee separates them into the middle and Mezger ducks under a Shoji left hook, working the clinch again with knees to the legs and short punches to the body. Another separation and they exchange a little before Mezger misses a high kick, moving forward with another combination that lands. Shoji shoots for a takedown but Mezger does well to sprawl out of it, grabbing a front facelock before they scramble back to their feet. Shoji gets a quick takedown and throws a few left hands from the guard but there's nothing on them. Mezger gets out from underneath and gets back to his feet, chasing after Shoji with a combination and clinching him in the corner, throwing some knees before backing away with a HARD left hand right at the bell.
Quadros and Bas mention that there's a bit of a hometown thing and that with Mezger being the more tired of the two, there could be an interesting decision. They also debate the merits of the takedown against the merits of all of the strikes that Mezger landed earlier in the round and to close the fight. The judges' scores are read and Mezger looks shocked that one of the judges has it for Shoji. Mezger gets the nod from another judge and Shoji ends up getting the last judge for a split decision.
Winner: Akira Shoji, Split Decision
Mezger is incredibly disappointed with the decision and heads to the back while Quadros says that this fight may have taught Mezger that he needs to be a little more aggressive. Still a bit of a bullshit decision no matter how it's sliced, so I don't blame Mezger for being a little pissed.
Match Five:
Naoya Ogawa vs. Gary Goodridge
We see clips of Ogawa training with pro-wrestling legend, Antonio Inoki, as well as doing some pad work and grappling training. Ogawa was much-hyped at this point and it's believed that he was being groomed to face off against Rickson Gracie down the line. Of course, you all know Goodridge's story and his punching power. He's actually also the smaller fighter in this bout, if you can believe it. Goodridge doesn't look quite as muscular as he has in his previous fights though I'm not sure if that will have any effect or not. He does look just as angry
Round One
Goodridge drops Ogawa with a right hand about ten seconds in and it's just FURIOUS action from Goodridge throwing a TON of punches and knees. Ogawa weathers the storm and then fires back with a stiff left of his own that puts Goodridge stiff-legged, and he grabs a bodylock to try for a takedown. The only reason he doesn't get it is because Goodridge holds on to the ropes, but once the referee pulls his hands away, Ogawa gets the trip takedown. Ogawa tries for a keylock but he can't get it and Goodridge actually sweeps, getting on top in the guard as Ogawa tries for an armbar. Goodridge breaks free from the attempt and Ogawa looks like he's trying for a kimura but he lets it go and just controls Goodridge's hands to avoid his striking. Ogawa tries to turn and sweep but Goodridge forces him back down before standing up and attempting a KNEEBAR!?! Ogawa fights out of it and ends up on top of Goodridge in side control, trying for another keylock, which Gooodridge defends with some knees to the head. Ogawa takes Goodridge's back for a second before moving back to side control, landing a HARD hammerfist square in the face. Ogawa's looking for that keylock again from side control and Goodridge rolls to give up his back again with Ogawa trying to get his hooks in. Goodridge tries to roll but he can't get away and continues to take punishment with Ogawa riding his back. He's also bleeding pretty badly from the mouth after those punches and hammerfists and Ogawa tries to capitalize on Goodridge's stamina with a choke but he can't get it and instead has to "settle" for taking the full mount. Another keylock attempt from Ogawa and he gives it up to posture and land a bunch of rights and lefts, straight punches and hammerfists. Ogawa moves back to side control and tries the keylock again but Goodridge rolls into it, giving up his back and rolling onto his back to give up full mount. Ogawa posturing up and POUNDING away while Goodridge does nothing but cover up and pray for the end of the round. This could really be stopped at any time since Goodridge isn't doing ANYTHING offensive other than hurting Ogawa's hands on his face. Ogawa is trying to set up for a straight armbar but can't get it and instead moves back to side control and the keylock attempt. In the half-guard and back to the full mount, with Goodridge looking like a mess, covering the ring with spatters of blood. A HARD knee lands for Ogawa and he tries another keylock attempt from half-guard but the round ends before he can close it off. Just a viciously one-sided beatdown for nearly ten whole minutes, minus Goodridge's flurry to start the fight.
Round Two
They stand and trad to start round two and Goodridge tries to land some heavy shots, actually scoring with a big right hand but Ogawa pushes through it, trips Goodridge down to the mat and FINALLY gets the keylock, forcing the tapout.
Winner: Naoya Ogawa, submission (keylock) at 0:36 of Round Two
After the fight they put on Ogawa's pro wrestling belt, which looks like a version of the old NWA World Championship and actually might have been the real NWA belt at that point.
Match Six:
Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Ebenezer Fontes Braga
It looks from the Japanese promo video that they are going to be trying to build this one off of the fight between Sakuraba and Allan Goes at PRIDE 4, as well as his defeat of Vitor Belfort at PRIDE 5. Bas and Quadros immediately say that Braga is not a BJJ fighter, but a Luta Livre fighter, so he should be looking to stand more than he will be looking to grapple.
Round One
Braga comes out and looks like he's got a much more flowing style than some of the other Brazilian fighters standing. They trade some leg kicks and finally get into a clinch with Braga landing a good knee to the face as Sakuraba is bent over near the ropes. They separate and trade high kick attempts before moving into another clinch against the ropes. Braga grabs the Thai clinch and lands a BIG knee to the head of Sakuraba before landing some short knees to the legs. Right roundhouse kick from Braga JUST misses and Sakuraba shoots in for a single-leg, getting stuffed by Braga's sprawl. He lands a solid right hand and backs away, avoidign another possible shot attempt from Sakuraba. Body kick from Sakuraba gets blocked and he manages to shoot in quick enough to get a single-leg into the takedown. Braga almost gets a triangle choke attempt locked in but Sakuraba postures up to break it and stands out of the guard. Braga starts to throw heel strikes and leg kicks much like Goes did in the PRIDE 4 bout and Sakuraba fires off leg kicks while Braga is on his back, like he did against Belfort in PRIDE 5. Braga comes forward with a combination but most of those punches miss and Sakuraba works to get into a clinch. Sakuraba catches a leg kick and takes Braga down with another single-leg, posturing up in the full guard and nearly getting caught in another triangle before he almost gets past the guard and into side control. The action stops so the referees can get them away from the ropes and Sakuraba ends up on top in the half-guard. Sakuraba works to the body and moves to side control, forcing Braga to turtle to his hands and knees. Sakuraba takes his back and tries for the rear naked choke but can't lock it in and Braga scrambles back to his feet. They trade some leg kicks and feints and both land jabs before Sakuraba scores with a combination to the head and body. Sakuraba shoots for a single-leg and actually ends up in a reverse triangle for a moment before clearing his head from the hold and ending up on top in side control. My feed cuts out for a moment and Sakuraba is in the full guard, posturing up to land some punches before Braga tries to control. HARD left hand from Sakuraba lands and he moves past the guard into the side control position, trying for an armbar. SOLID short right hands land for Sakuraba and he pops over for an armbar attempt, with Braga trying to axe kick free from it. Braga tries to pull free and almost does, but Sakuraba ends up holding onto the hold and he actually forces Braga to submit.
Winner: Kazushi Sakuraba, submission (armbar) at 9:23 of Round One
After the bout Frank Shamrock makes his way into the ring and grabs a microphone, apparently cracking a funny before he says that he wants to fight in PRIDE and that they have the best fighters in the world. He says that he would like to fight Inoue or Shoji, as well as Sakuraba which gets a smile from the man himself and a collective "OHHHHHH" from the crowd at the show. Shamrock says that he'll fight with 100% of his heart and never give up. He looks back to Sakuraba and says, "I'll see you soon."
This leads to the highlight package for the main event, showing Nobuhiko Takada and his two losses to Rickson Gracie as well as his "win" over Mark Coleman. Mark "Keer" is next and we see his fights against Cikatic, Otavio and Duarte. All wins, all weird. It's main event time from Yokohama!!
Match Seven: Main Event
Nobuhiko Takada vs. Mark Kerr
Kerr is about forty pounds bigger than Takada is and they talk about how Kerr is probably coming into this fight looking for revenge for Mark Coleman after his loss to Takada at PRIDE 5. The crowd roars and starts another big "Takada" chant, a la the Coleman fight.
Round One
The bell rings and Takada rushes straight into a clinch in Kerr's corner, and they trade inside knees for a bit before Kerr lands a right hook to the body. They continue to clinch and Kerr gets the takedown but Takada is able to get right back up away from it. Kerr catches a leg kick and ends up getting the takedown off of it, moving right to side control. Takada gets it back to half-guard but he ends up taking some hard punches before getting it back to full guard. Takada kicks Kerr away and gets back to his feet, drawing a round of applause from the crowd, and just as quickly Kerr gets a deep double-leg into a takedown. Takada holds on to avoid damage and keep Kerr from posturing up but Kerr gets into side control and grabs a hammerlock kimura, wrenching on it and forcing Takada to submit after Takada did the whole dramatic "will he or won't he tap" bullshit that Coleman did. Honestly, I wouldn't have complained if Kerr had just ripped the arm off completely.
Winner: Mark Kerr, submission (kimura)
After the match, Takada lays and sells the shoulder a little while Kerr checks out the marks on his legs from the Takada leg kicks. Bas points out that this is the first Kerr fight where something weird didn't happen, which is true, but then again, none of Kerr's other fights looked like half-works. Quadros signs off for him and Bas as we see Takada leave and Kerr standing tall in the ring!
The 411: One of the stronger top-to-bottom PRIDE shows out of the early days of the promotion. Newton and Matsui have one of the greater fights of those days, and one that is actually forgotten by most of the fight fans these days. Add to that the Ogawa debut and his destruction, along with another entertaining fight from Sakuraba and this is a very solid show. There's more than enough great stuff to overlook the Takada/Kerr fight with Takada's pro wrestling crap, as well as the Shoji/Mezger decision, so it get the thumbs-up from me.
