J.G.'s "PRIDE Middleweight GP" Mailbag
PRIDE GP
Josh Gross Jun 24, 2005
We’re less than two days away from the second round of the PRIDE
Middleweight Grand Prix and Sherdog.com readers have e-mailed me
with questions about the potentially historical evening. (Cue the
PRIDE FC opening theme on a 48-hour loop.)
What do the fans want to know? Well, John in Portland can’t for the life of him figure out why he’s gotta wait a week to watch the thing. And Adam in Temecula is scared to death that Cro Cop is risking injury (and an August showdown with Fedor Emelianenko) by deciding to pummel Russian Ibragim Magomedov. Those e-mails plus several questions about the Middleweight GP itself and some follow up reaction to UFC 53 make this a jam-packed J.G.’s Mailbag.
Flirting with Disaster?
Why is Cro Cop fighting Magomedov? Pride already saw what can happen when one of its top fighters fights in a bout you know he’s going to win before he fights the fight everyone wants to see. I don’t get it. Seriously, this is stupid. Mirko won’t lose to this guy, but what if he gets hurt and his fight with Fedor is postponed again! I don’t think I can take it. — Adam F., Temecula, Calif.
If it is, well, feel free to send your hefty manicure bill to the people at PRIDE who decided to make this match.
Even if Cro Cop demanded this fight to keep himself sharp, you have to wonder why it was granted. Do the potential gains of fighting on Sunday outweigh the chances of delaying a fight that has already been pushed back because of injury? I don’t believe so.
Sure, Fedor tore through TK, but he hurt himself in the process. While Cro Cop hasn’t shown propensity for brittle hands that have kept Fedor on the sidelines, anything is possible. And Magomedov, while not in the same league as Mirko or Fedor, is no pushover.
Is Saku’s Eulogy Already Written
I love Kazushi Sakuraba. Really, he’s the man. For f___k’s sake can you tell me what Saku did that made him get matched up with all these killers! He never gets a break. It’s disgusting. I’m shocked he didn’t get matched with Silva for a 4th time. Anyhow, is there any chance he can beat Arona or even make it a competitive fight? Poor Saku. — Richard S., Rochester, NY
Not too many breaks outside the first round of the GP, Richard. Would you rather have Saku face Shogun? Alistair? How about Igor? The only fighter that wouldn’t present an overt risk to his health seems to be Kazuhiro Nakamura, and that match was highly unlikely since Saku dislikes fighting his fellow countrymen.
Arona is no treat, that’s for sure. But in Sakuraba we find a man who’s walked head-first into every challenge: Wanderlei Silva three times, Randleman, Cro Cop, Rampage, Igor Vovchanchyn, Mezger, Belfort. (It’s an insane list, really.) Don’t forget his showdowns with the Gracies. During his nine-year career Sakuraba has had few chances to catch his breath in the ring. More matches with the Dong Siks, Gilles Arsenes and Shannon Ritchs of the world might have kept Saku Dumpty from falling off the wall sooner than he has.
If, as he’s said, Arona decided to test himself on the mat with Sakuraba we could have a classic. But I don’t see the Brazilian Top Team powerhouse playing with Saku on the canvas until he’s had a chance to tenderize him on the feet first. While Arona is no technician with his strikes, he kicks like a mule and is sneaky fast.
I see him trying to overpower Saku with kicks, really hammering away with high- and low-kicks. What does he care if he gets taken down? Arona probably assumes he’s fine on the bottom and he could probably stand up when he wanted.
For Sakuraba to win, he must be his active, unorthodox self on the mat. I don’t believe he can catch Arona, but he can put Arona on the defensive and you simply cannot win a match in PRIDE by avoiding subs. If it goes to the judges, who knows. Arona is rightly concerned about this happening and he realizes his chance of winning decrease the long the bout lasts.
That said, I think it goes the distance and I think Arona is awarded the decision.
Any Surprises on Sunday?
J.G., is there anyway in the world we’ll see an upset in the second round of the PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix? Can Silva actually lose to Nakamura? What about Arona and Sakuraba? I see the other two fights as even, so I don’t count those. Let’s shake this tournament up! — Mike S., Austin, Texas
Let’s start with the two 50/50 fights. Shogun versus Nogueira is a tossup. I really haven’t a clue how this thing will go down. It’s a hell of a fight between two of the world’s best young 205-pound fighters. Alistair versus Igor is another close-your-eyes-and-pick-em fight. I’m leaning towards Igor, but Alistair presents all sorts of match-up problems for him. No matter who wins, it won’t be an upset.
Sakuraba-Arona and Silva-Nakamura provide some intrigue in that both Japanese fighters are obvious underdogs. Of the two, the Silva-Nakamura bout stands out to me as a potential (and by “potential” I mean that if they fought 10 times, Naka could take one or two) shocker. Silva has twice had trouble with Nakamura’s mentor, Hidehiko Yoshida. And Nakamura has adapted his judo game well for MMA.
Clearly, Nakamura has never fought anyone like Silva, the top 205-pounder in MMA today. But he’s scrappy and skilled enough to make this a contest.
PPV Delay is BS
Josh, I just saw that the GP ppv is delayed for a week. I don’t get it. The opening round was the same weekend, right? How come this is delayed. This sucks. I can’t stay off Sherdog or the forums that long. Also, will you guys have spoilers? You put them up last time and that sucked. But with the week delay, I’m just curious what Sherdog will do. — John, Portland, Oregon
You got me. I guess there’s some WWE deal on Sunday that scared PRIDE away from the weekend. And perhaps that combined with Gatti-Mayweather on Saturday they felt it would make a dent (not sure if that’s possible) in their numbers. Feel free to e-mail PRIDE directly and let them know what you think: pridefcinfo@pridefc.com.
It’s a real disservice to fans that are loyal to their brand. I know people who are going to wait, and I’m amazed by them. I’ve never been able to stay away. And the idea of watching tape-delayed events as if they were live makes me sick. But that’s just me.
As far as “spoilers”—a word that bothers the hell out of me, by the way—you bet your cold and rainy butt we’re going to post results, the on-scene report, post-fight videos and commentary as soon as we get it. Sherdog.com is a news Web site. In my opinion, we’d be providing the same sort of disservice to our loyal readers as PRIDE is to their fans if we didn’t post the news when we got it.
Now, I’ve gotten complaints and suggestions. Why not just throw the results/photos/videos behind links? No. Sorry. It’s not up to me to hide it from you. You don't want to know, stay on Sherdog.net and stay away from the (here’s that word again) “spoilers” forum.
Looking Ahead: Brazil vs. Brazil Finals?
Okay, Wandy, Arona, Shogun and Rogerio. Which guy is your pick to win the whole thing because you know it’s going to be a Brazilian that wins it, unless you have something against Brazilians then you probably won’t think one of these guys will win. But seriously, which one and why?
I’m picking Shogun, he’s looked unstoppable and he is just too much for anyone else. Look at what Rampage said about him! He’s better than Silva?! Wow. But he’s my pick to win the whole shebang. If it’s Shogun then it’s gotta be Silva. Can you imagine that fight? — No Name Given
Hmm, sorry to disappoint my Brazilian friends but I’m picking Igor Vovchanchyn to win the GP. Of the four Brazilians in the field, however, the favorite has to be Silva. He’s won everything and I have no reason to pick against him. (The fact that I’m listening to Darude’s “Sandstorm” as I type this isn’t dissuading me, either.)
Shogun has been impressive, but I don't think he can beat Arona or Vovchanchyn. While they’re different fighters, I feel the same about Nogueira as I do Shogun. Arona is the wildcard. The guy is a beast and presents problems for everyone in the field. But I don’t believe he’s got enough to get past Silva.
What do the fans want to know? Well, John in Portland can’t for the life of him figure out why he’s gotta wait a week to watch the thing. And Adam in Temecula is scared to death that Cro Cop is risking injury (and an August showdown with Fedor Emelianenko) by deciding to pummel Russian Ibragim Magomedov. Those e-mails plus several questions about the Middleweight GP itself and some follow up reaction to UFC 53 make this a jam-packed J.G.’s Mailbag.
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Why is Cro Cop fighting Magomedov? Pride already saw what can happen when one of its top fighters fights in a bout you know he’s going to win before he fights the fight everyone wants to see. I don’t get it. Seriously, this is stupid. Mirko won’t lose to this guy, but what if he gets hurt and his fight with Fedor is postponed again! I don’t think I can take it. — Adam F., Temecula, Calif.
John, as you sit in front of your computer late Saturday night
awaiting PRIDE results, you won’t be the only one chewing his
finger nails like a beaver attacking creek-side trees. Somewhere
deep on the bowels of Saitama Super Arena PRIDE president Nobuyuki
Sakakibara will hope beyond hope that the best possible heavyweight
fight in the world — and I’m not being hyperbolic: no boxing,
kickboxing or other combat sport heavyweight bout deserves to be
mentioned alongside PRIDE heavyweight champion, the undisputed No.
1 heavyweight in the world, Fedor Emelianenko versus
Croatian bomber Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic — won’t be postponed
again because of injury.
If it is, well, feel free to send your hefty manicure bill to the people at PRIDE who decided to make this match.
Even if Cro Cop demanded this fight to keep himself sharp, you have to wonder why it was granted. Do the potential gains of fighting on Sunday outweigh the chances of delaying a fight that has already been pushed back because of injury? I don’t believe so.
Sure, Fedor tore through TK, but he hurt himself in the process. While Cro Cop hasn’t shown propensity for brittle hands that have kept Fedor on the sidelines, anything is possible. And Magomedov, while not in the same league as Mirko or Fedor, is no pushover.
Is Saku’s Eulogy Already Written
I love Kazushi Sakuraba. Really, he’s the man. For f___k’s sake can you tell me what Saku did that made him get matched up with all these killers! He never gets a break. It’s disgusting. I’m shocked he didn’t get matched with Silva for a 4th time. Anyhow, is there any chance he can beat Arona or even make it a competitive fight? Poor Saku. — Richard S., Rochester, NY
Not too many breaks outside the first round of the GP, Richard. Would you rather have Saku face Shogun? Alistair? How about Igor? The only fighter that wouldn’t present an overt risk to his health seems to be Kazuhiro Nakamura, and that match was highly unlikely since Saku dislikes fighting his fellow countrymen.
Arona is no treat, that’s for sure. But in Sakuraba we find a man who’s walked head-first into every challenge: Wanderlei Silva three times, Randleman, Cro Cop, Rampage, Igor Vovchanchyn, Mezger, Belfort. (It’s an insane list, really.) Don’t forget his showdowns with the Gracies. During his nine-year career Sakuraba has had few chances to catch his breath in the ring. More matches with the Dong Siks, Gilles Arsenes and Shannon Ritchs of the world might have kept Saku Dumpty from falling off the wall sooner than he has.
If, as he’s said, Arona decided to test himself on the mat with Sakuraba we could have a classic. But I don’t see the Brazilian Top Team powerhouse playing with Saku on the canvas until he’s had a chance to tenderize him on the feet first. While Arona is no technician with his strikes, he kicks like a mule and is sneaky fast.
I see him trying to overpower Saku with kicks, really hammering away with high- and low-kicks. What does he care if he gets taken down? Arona probably assumes he’s fine on the bottom and he could probably stand up when he wanted.
For Sakuraba to win, he must be his active, unorthodox self on the mat. I don’t believe he can catch Arona, but he can put Arona on the defensive and you simply cannot win a match in PRIDE by avoiding subs. If it goes to the judges, who knows. Arona is rightly concerned about this happening and he realizes his chance of winning decrease the long the bout lasts.
That said, I think it goes the distance and I think Arona is awarded the decision.
Any Surprises on Sunday?
J.G., is there anyway in the world we’ll see an upset in the second round of the PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix? Can Silva actually lose to Nakamura? What about Arona and Sakuraba? I see the other two fights as even, so I don’t count those. Let’s shake this tournament up! — Mike S., Austin, Texas
Let’s start with the two 50/50 fights. Shogun versus Nogueira is a tossup. I really haven’t a clue how this thing will go down. It’s a hell of a fight between two of the world’s best young 205-pound fighters. Alistair versus Igor is another close-your-eyes-and-pick-em fight. I’m leaning towards Igor, but Alistair presents all sorts of match-up problems for him. No matter who wins, it won’t be an upset.
Sakuraba-Arona and Silva-Nakamura provide some intrigue in that both Japanese fighters are obvious underdogs. Of the two, the Silva-Nakamura bout stands out to me as a potential (and by “potential” I mean that if they fought 10 times, Naka could take one or two) shocker. Silva has twice had trouble with Nakamura’s mentor, Hidehiko Yoshida. And Nakamura has adapted his judo game well for MMA.
Clearly, Nakamura has never fought anyone like Silva, the top 205-pounder in MMA today. But he’s scrappy and skilled enough to make this a contest.
PPV Delay is BS
Josh, I just saw that the GP ppv is delayed for a week. I don’t get it. The opening round was the same weekend, right? How come this is delayed. This sucks. I can’t stay off Sherdog or the forums that long. Also, will you guys have spoilers? You put them up last time and that sucked. But with the week delay, I’m just curious what Sherdog will do. — John, Portland, Oregon
You got me. I guess there’s some WWE deal on Sunday that scared PRIDE away from the weekend. And perhaps that combined with Gatti-Mayweather on Saturday they felt it would make a dent (not sure if that’s possible) in their numbers. Feel free to e-mail PRIDE directly and let them know what you think: pridefcinfo@pridefc.com.
It’s a real disservice to fans that are loyal to their brand. I know people who are going to wait, and I’m amazed by them. I’ve never been able to stay away. And the idea of watching tape-delayed events as if they were live makes me sick. But that’s just me.
As far as “spoilers”—a word that bothers the hell out of me, by the way—you bet your cold and rainy butt we’re going to post results, the on-scene report, post-fight videos and commentary as soon as we get it. Sherdog.com is a news Web site. In my opinion, we’d be providing the same sort of disservice to our loyal readers as PRIDE is to their fans if we didn’t post the news when we got it.
Now, I’ve gotten complaints and suggestions. Why not just throw the results/photos/videos behind links? No. Sorry. It’s not up to me to hide it from you. You don't want to know, stay on Sherdog.net and stay away from the (here’s that word again) “spoilers” forum.
Looking Ahead: Brazil vs. Brazil Finals?
Okay, Wandy, Arona, Shogun and Rogerio. Which guy is your pick to win the whole thing because you know it’s going to be a Brazilian that wins it, unless you have something against Brazilians then you probably won’t think one of these guys will win. But seriously, which one and why?
I’m picking Shogun, he’s looked unstoppable and he is just too much for anyone else. Look at what Rampage said about him! He’s better than Silva?! Wow. But he’s my pick to win the whole shebang. If it’s Shogun then it’s gotta be Silva. Can you imagine that fight? — No Name Given
Hmm, sorry to disappoint my Brazilian friends but I’m picking Igor Vovchanchyn to win the GP. Of the four Brazilians in the field, however, the favorite has to be Silva. He’s won everything and I have no reason to pick against him. (The fact that I’m listening to Darude’s “Sandstorm” as I type this isn’t dissuading me, either.)
Shogun has been impressive, but I don't think he can beat Arona or Vovchanchyn. While they’re different fighters, I feel the same about Nogueira as I do Shogun. Arona is the wildcard. The guy is a beast and presents problems for everyone in the field. But I don’t believe he’s got enough to get past Silva.
