Japan's Finest: The Pride FC Review: Pride 6

Posted by John Wilson on 11.17.2008

So, Pride have introduced the judge’s decision and a lot of people hoped that this would cut down on the amount of fights going the distance. Has it worked? Well looking at Pride 6, the short answer is no…



Pride 6 Review

It’s July 4th 1999, Independence Day to the Americans among us, and Japanese promotion Pride FC’s sixth show. So far there has been a pretty mixed bag with regards to the quality of these events. Sure we have had big name fighters like Mark Coleman, Rickson Gracie, Vitor Belfort and Mark Kerr, as well as the fascinating exploits of Kazushi Sakuraba. However for every one moment of excitement, there seems to be two or three fights full of inactivity or 20-minute draws. At Pride 5 they went a step in the right direction by introducing the judge’s decision and now they are beginning to introduce the additional 5-minute rounds on top of the opening 10-minute round. Hopefully this will make for a first show that is well worth watching throughout, instead of just one or two select fights. We shall see. Nonetheless, we’re at the Yokohama Arena with Stephen Quadros and Bas Rutten for a show featuring; Kerr, Sakuraba, Takada, Goodridge, Vovchanchyn and Mezger among others, so the foundations for a solid show are definitely there.

Opening Match: Carl Malenko (Wrestling, 0-1) vs. Egan Inoue (Jiu-Jitsu, 6-4)

After beginning with another elaborate opening (a curtain around the ring drops, fireworks go off and they show Takada, Kerr, Sakuraba and Braga in the ring) we start our first fight. The opening bout of the show features Egan Inoue for the second time, as he also fought at Pride 5 with a convincing win. Since then he has fought once more, winning by DQ against Marcelo Tigre. Against him is the relative unknown of Carl Malenko. So far he only has one fight, a loss, and so is looking to get his record back level here.

Round 1: Both guys are a similar size here so that shouldn’t be a big problem. Both fighters are able to avoid being taken down at the start then they Muay Thai clinch in the middle of the ring. Egan is hitting some useful knees to the body here that could add up, so Malenko pushes him up against the corner and after really working for it, finally manages to rip Inoue’s legs out with a double leg takedown. From here on, the round just dies. Inoue is continuously switching between an open and a closed guard whilst throwing some weak strikes. Malenko is offering not a lot other than control on the canvas and some weak ground and pound. That’s about seven minutes of inactivity that would really have benefited from a restart. Anyway, I can’t help but give that round to Carl Malenko 10-9, as the takedown was highlight of the opening 10 minutes and he got it.

Round 2: They begin with another clinch in the middle of the ring and Egan is once again pushed back to the corner. Malenko is able to rip out the double leg from the corner once again, and doesn’t have to expend a whole lot of energy to get it this time either. It’s too close to the ring ropes though so the fight is moved back to the center, still in the same position. Malenko tries to push for side control and throws Egan’s legs to the side, but Inoue swivels on his hips well and gets back to guard, actually looking for a triangle choke. Malenko stays calm however and pulls free before trying to pass again but Inoue keeps the fight in his guard. After a lull of activity, Malenko decides to try and pass again but Egan rolls and manages to maintain guard. After doing this one more time, Malenko thinks about a leg lock but then goes back to guard and we see it out there. You could probably score that either way as Malenko had the takedown and control, while Egan nearly got a submission and was the more active perhaps. A close, if not particularly exciting fight. Quadros then reveals that if a fight is too close to score we will be going to a five minute overtime round, after which if it still hasn’t been decided the judges will pick a winner based purely on the overtime round. It turns out that as much as I’m not looking forward to it, we’re going to have an overtime round here.

Round 3 (Overtime): A reversal of fortunes here as Egan is the one who pulls out a takedown from the bell this time and we get to see what Malenko is like from the guard. Inoue tries to pass the guard and just as he starts to succeed Malenko slips out and gets back to standing. Malenko chases Inoue across the ring and Egan hits a side kick to the body before they clinch. Good right hand from Malenko allows him the set-up needed for a double leg takedown and he is in side control momentarily before Inoue gets guard. Malenko eventually passes to side control then turns Inoue over before trying to get his back in one swift move. Egan slips out the back though and now has side control as the fans cheer for the first time in the fight. He transitions to North-South position now and if this was a later Pride it would probably be over. It isn’t though and Malenko scoots the hips well to get back to his feet and even take down a tired looking Egan Inoue once again. From the guard Malenko works some weak ground and pound while Inoue also stays busy with some shots until the bell. A much better overtime round here and it’s also very close. I’d have to give it to Malenko on the takedowns though. The judges also favour Malenko who picks up the unanimous decision. Winner: Carl Malenko via unanimous decision. A mixed fight that got more entertaining as it went on, as Malenko picks up his notably small trophy, compared to the goliaths that were being given out at the first few shows.

Fight 2: Daijiro Matsui (Submission Fighting, 0-0-2) vs. Carlos Newton (Dragonball Jiu-Jitsu, 4-3)

Two familiar faces return to Pride for this one. Newton is back following his loss to Kazushi Sakuraba in a great grappling contest which was now over a year ago from this event. Since then he fought once elsewhere, getting a kneebar victory over Kenji Kawaguchi. Matsui on the other hand is a Pride mainstay, his only two fights coming at Prides 3 & 4. It is worth noting that both fights were draws, will the new judges rulings make him push for a finish?

Round 1: Straight away Matsui goes in low with an ankle pick attempt, but Newton sprawls well and is even able take Matsui’s back, putting the hooks in too. Newton tries an armbar but cannot sink it fully, to the point that Matsui is able to pull free. Matsui is now stood over a bundled Carlos Newton who’s trapped in the corner, which allows the Japanese fighter to drop a stomp onto the face of Newton then rain down some right hands. Out of desperation Newton gets an ankle pick that puts Matsui on his back then moves to side mount. From here he hits some knees and punches to the body then tries another armbar attempt. He isn’t going to get it though and instead takes the back of Matsui as he turtles up on his elbows and knees.

After a minute or so of deciding what to do, Newton goes around to the side and scores with some good knees to the ribs. Matsui doesn’t want anything to do with those and stands up with Newton behind him. His hands are locked firmly around Matsui’s waist and help him to hit a superb suplex that will likely score big with the judges. Once again Newton has his back near the corner and tries an armbar, but Matsui is able to slip out of it for the second time, this time dropping Carlos on his head then smashing a good right straight into the face of the Canadian who pulls guard. Matsui is working the ground and pound now for a short while, until Newton uses the ropes to help him spin into another armbar attempt. It fails and we get back to the feet, only for Newton to take it straight back down again with a double leg and get the full mount. Newton isn’t really a striker though, so uses it as an opportunity to instead turn Matsui over and look for the rear naked choke.

After fighting it well, Matsui once more shows good escape skills to climb out of the back door and work a few strikes while he has the back for a change. Newton thinks anything Matsui can do, he can do better and now he sneaks out the back and is in the guard. A restart to move the fight back into the middle of the ring sees the fight go into a small loss of action, which is ended when Matsui performs a good sweep to get on top. Seconds later and Newton turns Matsui over while he is off balance, getting side mount. Newton lands a few more knees to the body which get Matsui quickly back to his feet and we might be about to get some striking in a predominantly grappling-based bout. A quick trade of shots and a Matsui side kick don’t do a lot of damage so he shoots in for an ankle pick. Newton has it scouted and lands a stiff punch to the mouth, then dropping an axe kick to the ribs before the bell rings. A really fun, action packed round that rarely had a dull moment. Tough to score too, but I would give it 10-9 to Newton based on his aggression.

Round 2: We start off with some more striking, Matsui going high with his right foot then landing a short jab. Matsui is looking the more dangerous of the two on the feet, hitting a stinging kick to the thigh to follow up. Newton then explodes with a flurry that bounces Matsui back off the ropes and into a kick to the body. That looks like it could have hurt Matsui who drops to his knees and is probably thankful to be able to get an ankle pick. Matsui stacks up high in the guard and almost falls prey to an armbar but the momentum carries him through the ropes for a restart. Matsui is showing a bit of damage around his eyes but still wants to fight, pushing the referee to the side in his eagerness which gets him a slight verbal warning but nothing major. The two exchange some kicks and punches before Matsui gets a single leg and we’re back on the floor.

We stay in the guard for the next few minutes now, with one or two restarts when they get close to the ropes. Eventually Newton kicks Matsui away and the Japanese fighter is back on his feet, stood over Newton. Shades of training partner Kazushi Sakuraba now, as Matsui looks for a cartwheel guard pass. It’s well executed, but Newton is able to spin and keep Matsui in his guard. Non-threatening ground and pound from Matsui takes up the closing few minutes, although they separate late on and go back to the feet. Another good low kick to the thigh of Newton then Matsui tries a double leg. He’s foiled by the defence of Newton though who is able to take the back of a balled-up Matsui. Newton is looking for the rear naked choke, but runs out of time before he can synch one in. Another fantastic round and overall a great fight. This was also close, but I’d score it Matsui 10-9 thanks to his superior striking. The idea of an overtime round here is much more appetising than in the first fight, and thankfully we get one.

Third Round (Overtime): The five minutes start with them going to the mat and Newton taking Matsui’s back. Matsui turns to the guard and Newton backs up to his feet, letting his opponent stand-up too. A quick exchange of fists ends when Matsui gets an ankle pick up close to the corner of the ring, prompting a restart in the middle. Newton uses his feet to push Matsui away and they’re back to a standing position, from which they exchange some kicks, punches and failed takedown attempts. Hard looping right from Matsui lands and he fails with another takedown effort, which as Quadros states is becoming more and more obvious as the fight goes on. Another exchange of strikes takes place, with neither fighter really coming out on top, then Matsui is at last able to bring Newton back onto the mat. From here we close out the round and the fight with some strikes from the guard. That’s a hard one to score and it’s a shame we have to pick a winner, although I’ll go for Newton, as he had danger from all aspects of his game and seemed to be more likely to end the fight. The judges surprisingly don’t take too long to render a decision, a unanimous decision in favour of Newton. Winner: Carlos Newton via unanimous decision. Brilliant fight and it seems that these two guys don’t know how to have a boring match in Pride. The perfect antidote to a lacklustre opener and it’s nice to see a warm exchange of words between the two after the fight. Newton gets his trophy for winning and does his Dragonball celebration, which is eaten up by the crowd.

Match 3: Igor Vovchanchyn (Kickboxing, 28-1-1) vs. Carlos Barreto (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, 9-1)

It’s the old MMA classic of striking vs. jiu-jitsu as Vovchanchyn faces Barreto. Vovchanchyn has the exact same record as when he fought Akira Shoji at Pride 5, save for two more ticks in the win column. Barreto on the other hand is making his Pride debut, his only loss coming courteous of a Dave Beneteau decision at UFC 15.

Round 1: They’re interesting to look at as they come together to touch gloves, as Igor is about 8 inches shorter but manages to weigh more, thanks to being a stocky build while Barreto is very lean. Anyway we spend a lot of time circling in the opening minutes, although Vovchanchyn does come in with a slick combo of punches and a low kick to keep things on edge. More backing away from Barreto as Igor works the jab, he most likely knows that trying to stand up with the Ukrainian is suicide and will be looking to get it on the mat. Vovchanchyn is slowly pressing the fight, however Barreto is happy to stay away and counter punch with his reach, despite his shots having next to no power on them. Low kick from Igor then the two go into a clinch, with Igor firing off a right that just misses. Barreto slips to his knees as they break apart but recovers and avoids any damage. We finish off with more jabs from Vovchanchyn whose punches are getting more powerful as time progresses but can’t do a lot with them as time expires. A frustrating round knowing that Vovchanchyn has KO power in his hands but can’t get in close to use it. Hopefully it picks up in the second round although that was definitely 10-9 for Vovchanchyn.

Round 2: A good two minutes of circling like in the first round is ended when Barreto is hit with a glancing right hand and drops to the mat, obviously wanting Vovchanchyn to engage him down there. He’s having none of it though and gets Barreto back to his feet who, after more stalling, receives the equivalent of a yellow card from the referee in the form of a caution. Barreto is engaging a little bit more now, although not much, which is all that Igor needs. He stalks Barreto before feigning the right then swinging in a left hook. It catches the Brazilian flush and he drops down for a moment before quickly getting up and locking up tight to his opponent. A trip follows and finally Barreto has it in his world. Vovchanchyn, not being a ground fighter is just clinging onto the half guard now, hoping for either a restart on the feet or the end of the round. It’s actually a restart in the same position in the middle of the ring that comes next, as they get too near to the ropes for the referees liking. Vovchanchyn has actually opened his guard wide to the point that Barreto could just step through to mount and eventually does. Sensing an opportunity Barreto starts to throw punches from the mount, but Igor catches him off balance and is able to push him back and get back to his feet. That’s the round and it was probably a 10-9 for Barreto as he controlled the fight from the takedown up until the end. It’s scored a draw and so we’re heading to our third consecutive overtime period.

Third Round (Overtime): There’s really not a lot going on in this overtime round as nearly all of it is spent circling and throwing jabs and kicks. It’s actually Barreto who seems the more active in these five minutes, working for his takedown and I’d probably score it 10-9 to him. The overtime comes to a close to a not exactly positive reception from the fans, and Igor doesn’t look very happy with his performance. He shouldn’t be too disappointed though as the judge’s results are in and it’s a split decision in his favour. Winner: Igor Vovchanchyn via split decision. Stephen and Bas both say that Igor probably didn’t deserve to win as it was supposed to be judged solely on the overtime round, in which Barreto was the likely winner. Although, given that Igor pressed for the majority of the contest, I think it’s a fair choice.

Note: On my copy of the event this fight is followed by a special karate match between Hiroki Kurosawa and Nobuaki Kakuda. I won’t include this in the review as it’s not MMA, but just in case you’re interested it goes to a draw. Not necessary, but a nice inclusion on Prides part to split things up a bit, even though it does give us another draw.

Fight 4: Akira Shoji (Jiu-Jitsu, 3-2-4) vs. Guy Mezger (Submission Fighting, 22-8-2)

Back to the MMA now and its Pride mainstay Akira Shoji here once more. Shoji has appeared at every Pride event since its inception and is coming off a loss to Igor Vovchanchyn via decision at Pride 5. Mezger is making his Pride debut following a loss to Tito Ortiz in a rematch at UFC 19: Ultimate Young Guns. Shoji is full of heart, but I expect Pancrase veteran Mezger to have too much firepower for him here.

Round 1: We start this one off with a clinch and I think its worth pointing out that Mezger is sporting a new goatee look. Anyway, Mezger tries a trip but Shoji uses the ropes out of instinct to stay on his feet. They stay in the clinch for a good three minutes here before breaking and trading a few shots. They continue to go in and out of clinches for the whole round, with Mezger even getting behind Shoji at one point but not taking advantage of it. Mezger to me is the dominant force throughout the round, as when they are clinched against the ropes (which is most of the time) he is hitting some good knee strikes to the body to take Shoji’s wind away. Then when they are separated, particularly at the end of the round, Mezger is also coming out on top with his stand-up ability, coming close with a high kick. 10-9 Mezger.

Round 2: Right off the shoot and Mezger is taken down by Shoji, which is good strategy from the Japanese fighter, after Mezger did so well on the feet last round. Shoji is pretty much inactive from here, which is surprising given that Mezger’s guard is open more less constantly, and eventually gets kicked away and Mezger is able to get back to his feet. Mezger works a few punches in then goes to a clinch, hitting a knee as Shoji backs away then they’re back up against the ropes. Guy keeps hitting right hands into Shoji’s mid-section to look busy, but it isn’t enough in the referee’s eyes and we get a restart.

Yet another clinch in the corner comes next and Mezger is using a smart strategy of knees to the leg and right hands to the body to keep Shoji guessing where the next strike is going to come from. Weak guillotine attempt by Shoji fails in the corner and we get another restart from which the two trade kicks. Mezger’s superior stand-up is starting to dominate as they keep the distance between them now, the noteworthy shots being a straight right to the gut and a high kick to the shoulder. We enter into the final three minutes and both guys look fairly tired but are prepared to work still, as Shoji lands a nice inside leg kick. Back in the clinch and Quadros says that Shoji needs something big here to pull it back and I agree, Mezger has been the dominant fighter so far with potentially not long remaining. Another restart sees Shoji manage to get the underhooks on Mezger and trip him to the mat, eventually getting to the mount and beginning to tee off. Mezger climbs out the back door though to end the round, and Shoji will be hoping that last minute or so earns him an overtime period. I personally feel that Mezger took a 10-9 in both rounds and so should be the winner. However the judges don’t feel the same way so we’re going to overtime.

Round 3 (Overtime): If I was Mezger I would definitely be disappointed at not being given the win after 20 minutes although he doesn’t complain too much. Quadros is also sceptical about the decision, and you really get the feeling from the judging and the commentary teams comments that there might be some bias here towards the home-grown fighter. The bell rings and they start off trading punches, although neither fighter clearly comes out on top. They then go to the trademark of this fight, the clinch in the corner and it’s not too long before we get a referee separation.

After being chased down by Mezger and his strikes for a while, Shoji shoots in for the takedown but it’s foiled by a sprawl. They break away and Mezger tries a kick, and then gets taken down. Shoji does nothing from Mezger’s guard besides some weak strikes and Mezger escapes then hits a kick to the body just before the bell. A really close final round as Shoji had the takedown but Mezger was more aggressive and dangerous with strikes. I’d give it to Mezger very slightly, but then if it was down to me we wouldn’t be having this third round. The judges score it differently, the first giving it to Shoji surprisingly and the second to Mezger. This means we get another split decision, and this time it goes in favour of Shoji. Winner: Akira Shoji via split decision. In my eyes this is one of Prides bullshit decisions and one that really shoots holes in the ‘score the fight on the overtime round’ theory. Shoji celebrates humbly, while Mezger heads straight out of the arena and I honestly can’t blame him.

Fight 5: Gary Goodridge (Kuk-Sool-Wan, 9-7) vs. Naoya Ogawa (Pro-Wrestling, 1-0)

Goodridge as readers of this column will know is a veteran of the first four Prides, however most recently fought in the UFC, defeating ‘Chief’ Andre Roberts by submission through strikes after 43 seconds. Ogawa is making the transition from pro-wrestling to MMA, and has done so with a winning start, a first round choke victory over Rens Vrolijk.

Round 1: It’s worth saying that Ogawa is actually the bigger fighter here and will be probably looking to keep Goodridge on the mat to negate his powerful strikes. He’s a popular figure that’s for sure, with an ‘Ogawa’ chant going up before the fight has even started. Goodridge kicks this one off with a bang, rocking Ogawa with a big right hand then following with a barrage of punches. He throws in some knees as well, but you have to question just how many of these are actually getting through as by the time he slows down, Ogawa looks fine. Now its Ogawa’s turn to start with the punches, as he puts ‘Big Daddy’ on the back foot with some good headhunting shots. Sensing an opening Ogawa steps in for a body lock and after breaking free of the ropes gets the trip into half guard. He passes to mount and starts to work an Americana but Goodridge fights it off then powers out, ending up in Ogawa’s guard. Goodridge leans in a bit too far and Ogawa has half a mind to try a triangle or an armbar, but he doesn’t seem to have quite the ability needed to sink it in quickly enough and Goodridge escapes.

Ogawa is constantly looking for the keylock, even from the bottom and Goodridge is bleeding from the mouth. Goodridge bizarrely goes out of his game to try a leg lock which he doesn’t get and ends up giving away his position. Ogawa is now in side control looking for that keylock and Goodridge looks so TIRED it deserves capital letters. He isn’t even offering the bare minimum strike defence and Ogawa just smashes a hammer fist into his face that finally gets some reaction from ‘Big Daddy’. Ogawa goes back to his keylock attempt which is defended and ends up taking Goodridges back as Bas and Stephen argue over whether or not Ogawa has the capabilities to perform an armbar. The rest of the round is spent with Goodridge taking a Grade A pounding from Ogawa, the majority of the time from the mount. Goodridge offers next to no defence against these strikes and it’s somewhat surprising that the referee let it continue to the end of the round and didn’t step in. 10-8 to Ogawa on my scorecard, he dominated in every category.

Round 2: Goodridge is not looking very healthy as we start the second round. He is tired and also bleeding pretty bad from the mouth. Ogawa soon takes advantage of his opponent’s fatigue, and gets a trip to the mat. Finally Goodridge is too tired to fight it and succumbs to the keylock that Ogawa has been pursuing since the beginning. Winner: Naoya Ogawa via keylock submission in 0:36 of Round 2. An entertaining if pretty one sided fight that probably looks better than it is due to the four decisions that went before it. In all honesty, I feel that it was more a case of Goodridge losing the fight through his conditioning and tactics than Ogawa winning it though.

Fight 6: Kazushi Sakuraba (Catch Wrestling, 4-1-1,) vs. Ebenezer Fontes Braga (Luta Livre, 10-3-1)

Sakuraba is in a great run of form against Brazilian opposition, culminating in his dominating decision win over Vitor Belfort at Pride 5. Braga isn’t doing too badly himself though, coming off a draw with Masakatsu Funaki in Pancrase and a submission win over Jeremy Horn in the UFC.

Round 1: We start off the round with an exchange of leg kicks before a clinch and Braga is doing well. He hits some good knees from the clinch and his stand-up looks to be a potential problem for Sakuraba as a powerful roundhouse kick swings just wide of his chin. Sakuraba tries a takedown but it’s countered with a nice sprawl and then another hard knee and a right hand. Saku slowly edges his way back into it though with some solid kicks of his own, then gets the fight on the floor with his now patented single leg takedown. Sakuraba is in the guard now with his head low and Braga tries a triangle but can’t get it. Saku backs out and feigns a jumping guard pass that allows Braga back to his feet. Braga with some strikes and a good sprawl forces a clinch from which the Brazilian hits some knees. A kick is blocked though by Sakuraba who gets another single leg to put Braga on the floor.

After a restart closer to the centre, Sakuraba is able to get to the side mount and then take Braga’s back, looking for the rear naked choke. He hasn’t got the hooks in fully though which lets Braga back to his feet and we’re exchanging strikes again before Sakuraba takes Braga back down to the floor and goes into his guard. Sakuraba has been working more and more ground and pound into the fight as it’s gone on and it’s paying dividends, as now Braga has a cut just above his left eye. A slight moment of inactivity is ended as they begin grappling, with Sakuraba able to transition to side control. Saku starts to fire off right hands and Braga leaves his arm out for a split-second. That’s all Sakuraba needs and he applies an armbar. It’s not the purest one you’ll ever see, but it’s obviously effective as after fighting it admirably with an axe kick, Braga has to tap out with just over half a minute to go till the end of the round. Winner: Kazushi Sakuraba via armbar submission in 9:23 of Round 1. Post fight and Sakuraba throws some T-shirts into the crowd before receiving his trophy. Next up and former UFC Middleweight Champion Frank Shamrock is in the ring, stating that he wants to come and fight in Pride against the likes of Sakuraba, Enson Inoue and Shoji. He finishes by saying that he’ll see everyone soon, although for whatever reason, this never happens unfortunately.

Main Event: Mark Kerr (Wrestling, 10-0) vs. Nobuhiko Takada (Pro-Wrestling, 2-2)

Takada is back after his big ‘win’ over Mark Coleman at Pride 5, and looking to get the double over the big American wrestlers. Kerr is still undefeated in MMA competition, most recently beating Hugo Duarte in one of his many farcical Pride fights. You would assume that as long as this fight isn’t a Kyle Sturgeon or Mark Coleman debacle then Kerr will steamroller Takada.

Round 1: Takada tries to take it Kerr from the bat, but ends up in the body lock taking knees to the side. Kerr follows that up with a throw but Takada pops right back up and tries a kick, only to be taken straight back down again. Kerr winds up in the guard and trying a bit of ground and pound, until Takada kicks him away and goes back to standing. Within seconds however, Kerr has charged in with a double leg and got back to guard. Kerr passes to side control with ease and grabs an arm. He applies a kimura and after a couple of seconds or pro-wrestling ‘will I, won’t I tap?’ Takada gives in. Winner: Mark Kerr via Kimura submission in 3:04 of Round 1. Post fight sees the two share a show of respect then we come to a close.

The 411: All in all I have to say this is a slightly above average show. The major negative is that the opening four fights, five if you include the karate bout, all went the distance. This makes the event drag somewhat, despite there being some great action for those who stick with it. Sakuraba picks up another entertaining win and Ogawa/Goodridge provided a one-sided pounding. Newton/Matsui also brought the goods too. Unfortunately, the lengthy fights, Mezger’s bullshit decision and never being sure of what’s happening in a Takada fight stops this being fully appreciated for its positives.

Final Score:  6.5   [ Average ]