Issue 002

April 2005

February 20 and the action was intense at Saitama Super Arena in Japan as ten Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fights delighted the crowd. Thanks to winning a trip at the Pride Fighting Championships' tryouts at UCLA campus in California on November 20, 2004, I was there. The Japanese crowd is very educated, understanding when one fighter is in a dangerous position or who is better skilled standing up or on the ground. If you give it your best and fight from your heart you're a winner and the Japanese understand this.

Fight 1: Mario Sperry (Brazil) vs Hirotaka Yokoi (Japan)

The fans are always excited when Mario Sperry, the leader of the successful Brazilian Top Team and maker of the best-selling Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) instructional tapes, steps into the ring. He faced off against up-and-coming Hirotaka Yokoi. Both fighters came out of their corners throwing lots of haymakers and clinching. Sperry got a cut near his eye and the crowd wondered if there would be an upset. Yokoi got a takedown but as soon as they hit the mat Sperry was able to slip his head out the back of the headlock hold. Sperry got the top sprawl position and used his positioning skills to remain in control. He kneed the top of Yokoi's head repeatedly. He took a lot of damage as well as cuts to the top of his head for his mistake and the referee finally stopped it, giving Sperry the TKO at 9:08 in round one.

Fight 2: Tom 'Big Cat' Erickson (USA) vs Fabricio Werdum (Spain)

Many gave newcomer BJJ black belt Werdum little chance in this fight over world-class wrestler and Pride veteran Erickson. However, I have trained with him before and consider him the second best on the ground (Jeremy Horn being number one) that I have had the chance to roll with. Erickson's an amazingly powerful wrestler and when he decided to stay on his feet he did. They exchanged punches and Erickson landed good knees from the clinch. Erickson looked like he dropped Werdum at one point but Werdum transitioned into a single leg takedown attempt and came close to getting it. However, Erickson has wrestled all over the world in top-level competition and managed to stuff the takedown. The Big Cat disengaged from the ground game numerous times and motioned for Werdum to get back up. Erickson has heavy hands but Werdum fired back valiantly in a few heated exchanges. During a scramble Werdum was able to slip his head out and take Erickson's back. The BJJ black belt quickly sunk his hooks in and finished Erickson with a rear naked choke at 5:41 of round one! A fight between Werdum and Ultimate Fighter contestant Sam Hoger would determine who the next big heavyweight with true Jiu-Jitsu skills is, and whoever it is could become the next Rodrigo Nogueira!

Fight 3: Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua (Brazil) vs Hiromitsu Kanehara (Japan)

Mauricio Rua, the brother of Murilo 'Ninja' Rua, made short work of Kanehara. He knocked Kanehara down and repeatedly played soccer with Kanehara's head. He would wildly jump in with flying stomps to Kanehara's face and then soccer kick him in the head with little regard for Kanehara's abilities. When both fighters were back in the standing position, Shogun knocked Kanehara down with a knee and gave him a punt kick on the way down to finish the job at only 1:40 of round one by KO!

Fight 4: Igor Vovchanchyn (Ukraine) vs Yoshiki Takahashi (Japan)

After slowing down on how often he fights and dropping weight, Vovchanchyn looked invigorated. Igor launched a fast high kick that Takahashi blocked. They both looked to establish the striking distance they wanted. Igor charged in with a loopy left that missed but followed it up with his devastating right that landed on the button. Takahashi crumbled to his knees, and Igor quickly followed with a few strikes to seal the deal with a KO at just 1:10 into round one!

Fight 5: Kazuhiro Nakamura (Japan) vs Stefan Leko (Germany)

Nakamura is the protégé of Judo legend Hidehiko Yoshida and Stefan Leko is a world-class kickboxer who is trying to make the transition into MMA. Nakamura correctly charged in with punches in order to secure the clinch and drive the better striker into the corner. From there he performed an inner reap judo takedown, landing in Leko's clueless guard. Nakamura pounded away inside of the guard and Leko was defenceless. The referee stopped it at just 0:55, giving Nakamura the TKO win.

Fight 6: Sergei Kharitonov (Russia) vs Choi Mu Bae (Korea)

Choi Mu Bae was severely outclassed in this fight by the always-impressive Sergei Kharitonov. Choi Mu Bae's only moments of glory were comedy relief - when he performed a funny stare down, a lame spinning backfist attempt and a slap. Besides these crowd pleasing gestures, it was Kharitonov's fight by way of total destruction on the feet. Much like Ivan Drago in Rocky 4, Kharitonov is a Russian fighting machine and at 3:23 into round one he got the KO.

Fight 7: Kiyoshi Tamura (Japan) vs Aliev Makhmud (Azerbaijan)

Makhmud, who is dubbed a wrestler, was unable to do anything in this fight except look bad. At first he clinched but was unable to come close to a takedown. He then jumped around ridiculously, not knowing how to block leg kicks and wasted nervous energy. Tamura landed a left kick to the body. Makhmud jumped at Tamura again in a feeble attempt at fighting and got kicked in the groin for his rabbit hopping Makhmud lay face down on the mat in agony. Finally Makhmud decided to attempt to fight again but then seemed to give up. Tamura received an unfulfilling TKO victory at 5:06 of round one.

Fight 8: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (Brazil) vs Alistair Overeem (Holland)

Overeem controlled the first seven minutes of the fight, landing wicked knees in the over/under clinch. Nogueira jumped to guard twice but Overeem stood back up. Nogueira eventually got a takedown into the side mount position. Overeem regained guard and Nogueira punched until the end of round one-which lasts ten minutes in Pride. Round two started with an exchange of outside striking and clinching. Nogueira tried a lateral trip but ended up with bottom guard position. Once back on the feet, Overeem got a throw and landed in side mount. Nogueira re-guarded and shot his legs up high, looking for a triangle choke but Overeem simply stood back up. Nogueira got a trip into side mount but Overeem gained a half guard. Nogueira passed the half guard, mounted, and pounded away until the end of the five-minute second round. In round three Nogueira got a takedown but Overeem was able to get back up. Twice Nogueira had Overeem backed into the ropes, unloading a great flurry of punches and knees. Nogueira attempted a Kimura shoulder lock on the ground but Overeem was able to defend it and get top position. It was a great battle and Rogerio Nogueira deserved the win by unanimous decision!

Fight 9: Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson (USA) vs Murilo 'Ninja' Rua (Brazil)

Ninja came out aggressively and both fighters exchanged punches, knees, and clinching. Rua tried a throw but 'Rampage' Jackson landed on top. Rua scrambled back to his feet and got Jackson's back standing but Jackson spun out. The pace and style of the fight was established as a scrambling and wrestling war. Jackson picked up and slammed Rua but Rua scrambled back to his feet. Rua got a single leg takedown on Jackson in the corner but Jackson scrambled back to his feet. Rua became off-balance while throwing knees and Jackson got a takedown, but yet again Ninja escaped to his feet. Rua got on top of Jackson in his guard. Jackson reversed positions and punched on top for the last 40 seconds of the round. In round two Jackson threw Rua with a headlock. Rua quickly got up but this allowed Rampage to perform a belly-to-back suplex over his head. Jackson passed to half mount, Rua went for an ankle lock as Jackson spun out, landing back on top. Rua shot his legs up high in a triangle choke attempt but Jackson stacked out of it and they scrambled back up into a clinch. Jackson got a takedown into half mount and the round ended. Round three started with an exchange of strikes and clinching. Jackson got top side mount position but again Ninja stood up. Rua picked Jackson up and slammed him but Jackson rolled with the momentum, ending up on top. They scrambled up to their feet yet again. Rua got a takedown and subsequent side mount but this time Jackson pulled his Houdini act and got back to his feet. Rampage picked up Ninja, slamming him on his head and obtained side mount. Jackson landed some knees to the head and was probably awarded a damage point on his opponent for the vicious slam. Rua - to his credit - got back up, and they wrestled and fought evenly to the last minute. Jackson won a close split decision victory.

Fight 10: Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic (Croatia) vs Mark 'The Hammer' Coleman (USA)

Many thought Cro Cop would win, but figured the world-class wrestler Coleman would take him down and test his ground defence. Coleman shot in for the takedown but Cro Cop got double underhooks and calmly threw him off. Coleman shot again and Cro Cop sprawled perfectly with super fast reflexes, circling away. The southpaw Cro Cop hit Coleman with a straight left and you could see that Coleman was worried that he might not be able to take Cro Cop down. He doesn't like to clinch or stay engaged with someone, so he is constantly breaking away to maintain striking distance. Surprisingly, Coleman threw a round kick. Cro Cop stalked Coleman around the ring and Coleman made the mistake of being backed into the ropes. Coleman shot in but Cro Cop defended perfectly with underhooks. With Coleman backed into a corner, Cro Cop hit him with a left hook, a left uppercut, and a left overhand punch, knocking Coleman facedown on the mat. He then kicked him on the top of the head on the ground for good measure, finishing the fight at just 3:42 of round one by KO!