Complete Pride- Final Conflict Recap! - 11/9/2003
by John Merrill with Photos by Michael Grannis

InsideFightings correspondents in Japan, John Merrill and Michael Grannis have once again surpassed all expectations by delivering a thorough breakdown of one of Pride FCs most exciting fight cards to date!
-Editor

On this dreary Tokyo afternoon, the average passerby could hardly have guessed the magnitude of the war that was brewing right beneath their noses.

Widely billed as the biggest MMA event of the year, PRIDE Final Conflict was on the verge of exploding. Legends would be reborn, bets would be settled, and champions would be crowned. Excitement was in the air.

After a stirring display of introductions and pyrotechnics, the evenings excitement began with a devastating opening match Gary Big Daddy Goodridge vs. Dan The Bull Bobish. Although both competitors seemed cool and confident entering the ring, the fight would be decided within moments. As both fighters came at each other striking, it was Goodridge who landed a blow, which apparently resulted in an injury to Bobishs eye. At the post fight press conference, Goodridge would say of the fight, I feel like I didnt really fight it was too quick. My opponents a big baby. When asked if he had any message for Bobish he simply remarked, WHAAAAH!

The second fight of the night featured the much-anticipated first-round match between Chuck The Iceman Liddell and Quinton Rampage Jackson. This fight had been one of the most highly debated, and most difficult to predict of the nights main events. To say that many people had been looking forward to this showdown would be an understatement. Not the least of whom would be UFC President, Dana White.

It didnt take long to get an idea of what kind of fight this was going to be a slugfest in the truest sense of the word. Both fighters came out throwing bomb after crushing bomb, and demonstrating a terrific ability to both receive, and deliver an exorbitant amount of punishment. For those MMA fans that crave stand-up action, this was a battle for the ages! The heart demonstrated by both fighters was undeniable proof of their hunger to be champions.

As the fight progressed, it seemed that Rampage was winning the standup war, and midway through the first round, the struggle finally went to the ground. But it didnt stay there for long. Chuck Liddell began to show clear signs that the punches were taking their toll on both his stamina and his reaction time. His foot-speed seemed considerably slower than usual.

Midway through the second round, Chuck Liddells never-say-die attitude resulted in his receiving a solid minute of ground-and-pound from Rampage. Liddells warrior spirit would probably have allowed the beating to continue for the entire round before hed consider submitting. The fight was eventually stopped due to strikes, and Rampage advanced declared the winner. As he left the ring victorious, Rampages departing comment said it all One more.

The third fight of the night was no less anticipated than the former. The PRIDE FC Champion would meet the national hero, The Axe Murderer Wanderlei Silva vs. Hidehiko Yoshida. Silva entered the ring looking especially relaxed and confident in himself something we would see a lot of this night. Yoshida also looked remarkably poised considering the challenge ahead of him.

Both fighters began fighting rather cautiously, but in a somewhat unexpected display of dominance, the fight almost immediately went to the ground after a takedown by Yoshida. Following a near triangle choke by Silva, both fighters were resituated in the center of the ring, and the grappling resumed with Yoshida in the top position. A quick reversal and another takedown later, Silva suddenly found himself in the top position and delivering the ground-and-pound from within Yoshidas guard. The situation was beginning to look rather bleak for Yoshida, who seemed to be losing the battle from that position.

The fighters eventually found their way back to their feet and in the second round, Yoshida demonstrated a surprising willingness to go toe-to-toe with Silva. This plan seemed to be working fine until near the end of the second round when Yoshida caught a brutal knee and several other blows to the head, opening up wounds on his face. Refusing to give up, Yoshida took it to the ground one last time, but he had run out of chances. Almost simultaneously, the bell ended the match and the decision would be a unanimous one in favor of Silva.

The fourth fight of the night between Dan Hollywood Henderson and Murilo Bustamante certainly had some tough acts to follow, but, needless to say, the prospects for a memorable match seemed promising. It seems safe to say that the fight was indeed memorable, if not a bit on the short side. Both fighters spent the first seconds sizing each other up rather cautiously, and then Bustamante lunged for a takedown attempt. An elbow to the back, a quick deflection, and several crushing punches later, Bustamante was on the ground and apparently disoriented. The referee quickly intervened on behalf of Bustamante, and minutes later both fighters were embracing in a great show of sportsmanship neither showing any real signs of damage.

The next match between Heath The Destroyer Herring and Norihisa Yamamoto appeared to be a great opportunity for Herring to show that he was still dominant in the world of MMA. Herring opened the fight aggressively with a quick punch and a knee, but then both fighters moved into a grappling position in the corner of the ring, and a subsequent stalemate. When the stalemate was broken, the result was a return to a series of heavy kicks and punches delivered by Herring, and Yamamotos inability to cope with these blows led him to take the fight to the ground. From this point, the match became a combination of wrestling and raining blows, alternating between both competitors. This pattern would continue for the duration of the first and second rounds.

Finally, in the third round, Herring took advantage of a much-fatigued Yamamoto and delivered the high kick that would seal his fate. As Yamamoto collapsed to the canvas, Herring seized the opportunity to sink a rear naked choke and end the match.

The sixth bout would be a showdown between MMA legends Kevin The Monster Randleman and The Gracie Hunter Kazushi Sakuraba two fighters faced with a golden opportunity to reestablish their reputations in the ring. As Randleman entered the ring, one could easily sense a new focus and determination in his demeanor. Was this indeed a new and improved Kevin Randleman as promised? Sakuraba entered the ring dressed as Nintendos Mario, on his way to do battle with the barrel rolling Donkey Kong. Seems like the same old Kazushi Sakuraba that weve grown so fond of over time.

The fight began very cautiously, with neither of the fighters opting to exchange much in the way of standing blows. The first round quickly developed into nothing more than a wrestling match, where few strikes were thrown, and little headway was made. It was Randleman who dominated from the top position.

The second round, however, began with a brief flash of excitement as Sakuraba bravely charged Randleman, only to be laid on his back by a quick flurry of punches. But the second round would, alas, develop into a ground battle once again, and it would end that way. The third round appeared to be the same story, and Randleman seemed well on his way to a decision, when suddenly Sakuraba showing a flash of brilliance, had Randleman sweating a possible submission. A moment later, Randleman rolled head-over-heels, and was tapping-out frantically from an arm bar. Sakurabas comeback was off and rolling!

Next was the ultimate showdown of styles master striker Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic against jiu-jitsu phenomenon Rodrigo Minotauro Nogueira. Quite possibly the most anticipated fight of the night, it seemed impossible to believe that this showdown wouldnt have some sort of decisive statement to make about the evolution of MMA.

As the fight began, both fighters tentatively approached each other, apparently feeling-out the situation. For a moment at the beginning, it seemed as if the fight might end in Nogueiras favor as the fight quickly went to the ground. But Mirko, demonstrating an admirable proficiency in ground fighting, quickly worked his way back to his feet. The fight was back in Cro Cops world.

The round quickly changed into a striking battle as both fighters continued to tentatively trade blows. This developed into a cycle of strikes and falls, with Nogueira often trying to lure Cro Cop to the ground. But Mirko wouldnt have it, and he constantly beckoned Nogueira back to his feet. The round belonged to Cro Cop, and this was especially evident in the final seconds. Only moments before the bell, Mirko landed a devastating high kick to Nogueiras head, which sent him reeling. In the excitement of the moment, it almost seemed at first as if the referee had ended the match in favor of Mirko, and Nogueira was quick to voice his protest as well. Mirko looked unstoppable.

With his back seemingly against the wall, Nogueira exploded into action by putting Cro Cop on his back almost instantly. Despite admirable resistance by Mirko, Nogueira rained-down blow after blow upon his increasingly desperate opponent. Finally, just as Mirko appeared to have broken free from Nogueiras clutches, Minotauro caught Cro Cops extended arm, and proceeded to roll into an arm bar, ending the match. The battle of the styles had a victor at least for the moment and the interim champion was crowned.

It was finally time to settle a rivalry that began at PRIDE 25. Quinton Rampage Jackson made it very clear that he was ready for his reign as the PRIDE Middleweight champion. Wanderlei The Axe Murderer Silva made it clear that he was not. Someone would have to give.

The fight began with a seemingly close call as Rampage rushed to do one of his trademark slams on Silva, and Silva countered by wrapping himself around Rampage, and attempting a choke. Once Rampage forced his way out of the choke attempt, the fight went to the ground, and Rampage proceeded to bombard a somewhat flustered Silva with knees and punches.

After a yellow card was given to Silva for inactivity, the fight was put back on its feet, and what followed was simply unbelievable. Silva immediately began to use virtually every weapon in his Muay Thai arsenal to unload on a suddenly very dazed and stunned Quinton Jackson. But Rampage wasnt ready to give up so easily, and almost 10 knee blows to the head later, he was still kicking. But even the strongest chin has its limits, and seconds later Rampage had joined a proud list of world-class fighters fallen prey to the trials of the Final Conflict.

As always, PRIDE has delivered a spectacular show once again. Legends were reborn, bets were settled, and champions were crowned once again. We can hardly wait for the sequel!

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