Issue 166

April 2018

1: Bounce back - Sakuraba vs. Arsene

Coming off three losses in four fights in which he was the victim of unfavorable matchmaking Japanese favorite Kazushi Sakuraba needed a soft touch to get back on track at Pride 23. Enter Gilles Arsene, a man with just one pro fight to his name. To his credit, he managed to survive until round three.

2: Passed by - Hughes vs. Gracie

MMA had moved on since Royce Gracie’s time as UFC tournament champion. Matt Hughes was the modern pound-for-pound king and better than the legend in almost every way. His win at UFC 60 was punishing on the man who helped build the Octagon.

3: Showcase - Cro Cop vs. Caras Jr

When Pride launched its Bushido series of events, it needed a crowd-pleasing main event. Cue head-kick king Mirko Cro Cop. If he wasn’t already guaranteed a KO against an over-matched opponent, a luchador mask impaired Dos Caras Jr’s vision, making things even easier.

4: Flog a dead horse - Ortiz vs. Shamrock 3

Tito Ortiz proved he was superior to Ken Shamrock in their first fight. He doubled down in their second.

But an early stoppage on that occasion made the 42-year-old ‘World’s Most Dangerous Man’ demand one more shot at redemption. He lasted just over two minutes – an outcome that surprised absolutely no one.

5: Rinse and repeat - Gracie vs. Takada

The first ever Pride main event saw Rickson Gracie – perhaps the greatest Gracie – taking on Nobuhiko Takada. The Japanese pro wrestler had no real fighting training, so was easily dispatched by the BJJ master via armbar.

6: Outclassed - Silva vs. Irvin

Anderson Silva did the UFC a solid by jumping in at short notice to headline this hastily thrown-together Fight Night. The idea to add intrigue was to put him opposite a light heavyweight to see if his number one pound-for-pound skills could stand up to a 205lb fighter.

When that man was James Irvin, the answer was an emphatic ‘yes’.