Issue 149
December 2016
Date: New Year’s Eve 2004,
Location: Saitama, Japan.
MMA just doesn’t do New Year’s like it used to.
Way back in the heyday of Pride, they knew how to do it right every year – Shockwave. The formula was simple: fill Saitama Super Arena with 50,000 fans and the best fighters in the world, then sit back and watch the fireworks.
Rewind 12 years and the star attraction was two of the best fighters ever – Fedor Emelianenko and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira – fighting for the third time to settle the heavyweight and Open Weight Grand Prix titles.
The Russian put on a show by beating the Brazilian up on the feet to ensure he was still the king when the clock struck 12.
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