American Top Team standout Denis Kang will take on the debuting Red Devil fighter Andrei Semenov.
DEEP Welterweight Champion Jutaro Nakao moves down to lightweight for a fight with ZST GP Champion Marcus Aurelio.
Continuing the Yoshida Dojo vs. U-File Camp rivalry,　first-timer Ryuihci Murata stands across the ring from U-File fighter Kazuki Okubo.
Former American sumo wrestler Sentoryu will do battle with British heavyweight James Thompson.
DEEP & ZST cult favorite Masakazu Imanari will face former Shooto Welterweight Champion Joachim Hansen.
Team Grabaka fighter Kazuo Misaki returns to Pride to take on Chute Boxe terror Daniel Acacio.
Shooto Welterweight Champion Tatsuya Kawajiri will face off against Brazilian Top Team’s Luis Buscape.
Pride fan favorite Ikuhisa Minowa will go into battle with UFC veteran & Hawaiian fighting legend Kimo.
Pride Bushido Light Middleweight ace Ryo Chonan will face the resurrected and rather upset Hammer House fighter Phil Baroni.
And to end the night, Pride Bushido Lightweight ace Takanori Gomi will go to war with Cage Rage Lightweight Champion Jean Silva.

Light Middleweight Bout: Denis Kang vs. Andrei Semenov

American Top Team standout Denis Kang takes on the debuting Red Devil fighter Andrei Semenov. Denis Kang trains out of the American Top Team with Marcus Aurelio, Aaron Riley and Ricardo Liborio, while Andrei Semenov trains out of the Red Devil Fight Club with Fedor Emelianenko, Amar Suloev and Ibragim Magomedov. Kang is coming off a successful debut at Pride Bushido 6, where he arm barred DEEP veteran Takahiro Oba. Semenov has been recently finding success in his native Russia in the M-1 MFC promotion, having become the M-1 MFC Middleweight Champion. These fighters have already met once at M-1 MFC: Russia vs. The World 7 with the fight ending in a controversial draw. Now, two years later, both fighters will be looking to settle the score with the winner most likely getting a spot in the Pride Light Middleweight GP later this year. Both fighters have vastly improved since the last time they meet and should put on an exciting and competitive fight.

Denis Kang has a 1-0 record in Pride and an overall MMA record of 17-7-1. Kang submitted DEEP veteran Takahiro Oba with an armbar at Pride Bushido 6. In the fight  they began by trading shots before Oba shot in for a takedown that Kang defended and forced a clinch on the ropes. Kang got a takedown and started to ground and pound before moving to mount. Oba reversed Kang but couldn`t keep him down. Kang landed a couple of good shots before getting a takedown, landing in side mount. Kang managed to work to full mount, and began landing some hard shots on Oba before attempting an armbar that he abandoned to go back to mount position. Oba reversed him once again but Kang was able to get back to his feet. They quickly hit the ground again with Kang in mount; he then swung over and got the armbar for the win. In Kang’s previous fight he submitted Red Devil fighter Alexi Veselovzorov with a rear naked choke at M-1 MFC: Heavyweight GP. Kang also won the Spirit MC: Grand Prix by beating Jin Ho Yang with strikes at Spirit MC: Grand Prix late last year. He has decent striking skills but is known for his excellent ground game.

Andrei Semenov will be making his Pride debut and has an overall MMA record of 25-5-2. Semenov beat British middleweight Matt Ewin by decision at M-1 MFC: Heavyweight GP. He certified himself as the top middleweight in Russia by winning the M-1 MFC: Middleweight GP in early October. In the first round of the tournament, Semenov was able to force a cut stoppage of up and coming European middleweight Martin Kampmann. The semi-finals saw him submit Azred Telkusheev with a rear naked choke, and in the final he beat Gracie Barra Combat Team fighter Flavio Luiz Moura by decision. Semenov is a good striker, and he has shown in his past fights that he has good wrestling skills to complement his great ground and pound.

As mentioned, they have already met in a fight that ended in a controversial draw. On the ground, Kang was able to outwork Semenov and must have believed that he had done enough to win the fight, but it was not seen that way by the judges. It’s been two years since that fight, and both men have moved on to bigger and better things. Kang finally made his Pride debut, and Semenov has been dominant in Russia and now is making his debut. Kang is the better ground fighter of the two, though Semenov is better on his feet. This fight will come down to who it is that can end up on top once they hit the ground. Kang will be looking for submissions, while Semenov will be looking to ground and pound. In what should be a close fight, Kang should be able to outwork Semenov en route to a decision.

Prediction: Denis Kang by decision

Lightweight Bout: Jutaro Nakao vs. Marcus Aurelio

DEEP Welterweight Champion Jutaro Nakao moves down to lightweight to take on ZST GP Champion Marcus Aurelio. Jutaro Nakao trains out of the Shooting Gym Osaka with Takashi Nakakura, Masashi Yozen and Seigi Fujioka, and Marcus Aurelio trains out of the American Top Team with Denis Kang, Aaron Riley and Dennis Hallman. Nakao is coming off a dominating and impressive performance over U-File Camp fighter Kyosuke Sasaki at DEEP: Real Rhythm. Aurelio too is coming off a dominant performance over another U-File Camp fighter, Daisuke Nakamura at Pride Bushido 6. Both fighters will be looking to impress as the Pride Lightweight GP approaches and they’ll both be looking for a spot in it. Nakao has been dominating the DEEP scene for the past year and has finally worked his way back up to a big show. Aurelio has been quoted as saying that no one has seen the real Marcus Aurelio yet, and that he will show it at Pride Bushido 8. Expect this one to be an exciting grappling battle as both fighters are excellent ground fighters.

Juatro Nakao will be making his Pride debut and has an overall MMA record of 18-9-2. Nakao became the DEEP Welterweight Champion at DEEP 16 by winning two fights in one night. He pounded out a stoppage of Daisuke Nakamura in the final. Both fighters clinched from the opening bell, and Nakao scored the takedown, landing in Nakamura’s guard. Nakamura was able to reverse Nakao and finds himself in Nakao’s guard. Nakamura pounded on Nakao until Nakao reversed hima and started landing some hard shots as the round ends. In the second round, once again, the fighters clinched and Nakao got the takedown, but this time Nakamura ends up on top. Nakamura landed some good shots but Nakao reversed him and landed in side mount. He went for an armbar that Nakamura defended and in a amazing display of ground technique, both fighters reversed each other for the remainder of the round, with Nakamura winning the exchange just as the round ended. In the final round, Nakamura attempted a flying knee, but he ends up flat on his back. Nakao attempts a foot stomp but gets his leg caught. He manages to get Nakamura’s back before transitioning to mount. He then pounded on Nakamura until Nakamura’s corner threw in the towel to stop the fight. Earlier in the night, Nakao knocked out ADCC Japan Champion Shinya Aoki. Both fighters also clinched at the start, before going to the ground with Aoki landing in side mount. Aoki picked Nakao up and slamed him down to the mat. They were restarted on their feet but again clinched and ended up back on the ground. Once again, they were restarted on their feet, resulting in Nakao slamming Aoki to the ground. They were, once again, restarted on their feet, this time though Aoki landed a right hand, which Nakao countered with a beautiful straight that knocks him out. Nakao has been showing improved striking in his most recent fights and he has an excellent ground game.

Marcus Aurelio has a 1-1 record in Pride and an overall MMA record of 12-2. Aurelio basically dominated Daisuke Nakamura at Pride Bushido 6. To start the fight Nakamura landed a nice low kick and Aurelio answered with a couple of shots before getting Nakamura’s back. Aurelio went for the choke but Nakamura wass able to reverse him. Back on their feet, Aurelio shot for a takedown but Nakamura sprawled and ended up on top. Aurelio got back to his feet and managed a takedown before getting Nakamura’s back. Aurelio was unable to get the choke and went for an armbar, turning that into a triangle choke just as the bell rings to end the round. In the second round, they traded shots with Aurelio succeeding with a takedown where he landed in side mount before getting Nakamura’s back. Nakamura reversed him and landed some nice ground and pound before looking for a kneebar. Aurelio defended well and ended the fight in Nakamura’s half guard. At Pride Bushido 4, he lost a split decision to DEEP Lightweight Champion Donkojonosuke Mishima in what was the fight of the night. They traded strikes for a bit before Aurelio shot in for a takedown, but Mishima sprawled and got top position. Mishima landed a couple of good shots, while Aurelio works for a submission from the bottom. Aurelio got a tight triangle choke locked on but Mishima escaped, landing some huge shots. Back on their feet, Aurelio landed some decent strikes that hurt Mishima, but it went back to the ground. The rest of the round was more of Mishima landing brutal ground and pound, while Aurelio worked for submissions from the bottom. In the second round, Aurelio got a takedown that Mishima reversed, leaving Aurelio little to do but try for submissions from the bottom. The fight ended with Aurelio in side mount and Mishima defending strikes from the underneath. Aurelio defeated ZST ace Naoyuki Kotani at ZST 5 with a TKO stoppage due to a cut. He has good striking and a excellent ground game that he promises to display more of in this fight.

Both fighters will be looking to make an impressive impact on the fans and Pride management, in order to gain entry to the Pride Lightweight GP. Some fans believe that this one has a chance to be a snoozer but I think that both fighters will put on an excellent display of ground technique. Aurelio has been working hard on his striking, even going to Holland earlier this year to train in Muay Thai. Nakao has finally made his way to Pride after dominating the DEEP scene for the last year. He has had trouble in the past against superior ground fighters but both men seem to have an equal ground game. I expect an exciting ground fight with tons of reversals and submission attempts all over the place. The fight comes down to who has the better stand up of the two, and I think that Aurelio just edges out Nakao in that department. I see Aurelio controlling the stand up and being able to stay out of trouble on the ground en route to a decision victory.

Prediction: Marcus Aurelio by decision.

Light Middleweight Bout: Ryuichi Murata vs. Kazuki Okubo

Continuing the Yoshida Dojo vs. U-File Camp rivalry, the debuting Ryuichi Murata takes on U-File fighter Kazuki Okubo. Ryuichi Murata trains out of the Yoshida Dojo with Hidehiko Yoshida, Kazuhiro Nakamura and Makoto Takimoto while Kazuki Okubo trains out of the U-File Camp with Kiyoshi Tamura, Ryuki Ueyama and Daisuke Nakamura. Murata will be making his MMA debut in addition to his Pride debut, and has been training at Yoshida Dojo since May in preparation for this fight. Okubo was last seen in Pride at Pride 24, where he lost a decision to Takada Dojo fighter Daijiro Matsui. Since then Okubo has been a staple in DEEP with the exception of his last two fights. The rivalry between Yoshida Dojo and U-File Camp has been growing ever since Kiyoshi Tamura fought Makoto Takimoto at the last Pride show. It should be an interesting fight.

Murata, along with Michihiro Omigawa, joined Yoshida Dojo in early May to make the transition from Judo to MMA. He has some good credentials for someone who never got a chance to compete in the Olympics. He was the 1999 All Japan Judo Champion, 2001 Hungarian International Judo Champion, 2002 All Japan Judo Champion and the 2003 Georgian International Judo Champion. Murata has been training since May for his MMA debut and has been more fortunate then his teammate Omigawa, who got less then a month to prepare for, and got an overall tougher opponent. Murata should bring a good ground game with they only questions being, how good is his striking and can he take a shot?

Kazuki Okubo has a 0-1 record in Pride and an overall MMA record of 6-7. Okubo was recently knocked out by Jeremey Horn at Euphoria MFC 3 in the first round. The entire fight was fought on their feet with Okubo landing a good right cleanly on Horn. The end came when Horn landed a hard left hook to the body of Okubo that just made him crumble down to the mat. Okubo was submitted by Gracie Combat Team Fighter Flavio Luiz Moura with a guillotine choke in the opening round of the M-1 MFC: Middleweight GP. Okubo’s last win was at DEEP 15, where he submitted Ill Nun Kim with an arm triangle choke in the second round. Okubo has decent striking and has a good ground game.

DSE is just trying to build up the rivalry between Yoshida Dojo and the U-File Camp, which I think will lead up to a Yoshida vs. Tamura rematch somewhere down the line. Murata has been given a credible and beatable opponent in Okubo, which he should take advantage of. Okubo is most likely getting his last chance in Pride, and would probably like to show how much he has improved since his last DSE sponsored outing. Murata looks like he has some potential to be a good fighter as long as he is brought up slowly, which DSE seems to be trying to do instead of just throwing him in with the sharks as they did with Omigawa. Okubo is a good fighter but I believe that Murata is the hungrier fighter of the two and probably has a better ground game than Okubo, who seems to do bad when put up with a good ground fighter. Murata should take this one to the ground quickly and lock on a submission late in the first round.

Prediction: Ryuichi Murata by submission in the first round.

Heavyweight Bout: Sentoryu vs. James Thompson

Former American sumo wrestler Sentoryu does battle with British heavyweight James Thompson. Sentoryu trains out of Team Dragon but has trained in the past with Takada Dojo. James Thompson trains out of Team Ultimate Combat with Javier Garcia and Ruben Vazquez. Sentoryu is coming off a disappointing loss to the much smaller Makoto Takimoto at Pride Shockwave 2004. Thompson is coming off a win over the relatively unknown Nikolajus Cilkinas at Urban Destruction 1. Both fighters will be looking to get a win here as the winner will most likely get a return ticket to Pride’s main show. Sentoryu has been working hard on improving himself as an MMA fighter and is taking his new career very seriously. Thompson will be looking to show his true skills as a fighter as he never got a chance in his Pride debut back at Pride 28. Expect this fight to be a quick and entertaining slugfest that should end with a knockout.

Sentoryu has a 1-2 record in Pride and a matching overall MMA record. At Pride Shockwave 2004 Sentoryu lost a close decision to the much smaller Makoto Takimoto. It was a slow fight as both fighters circled and jabbed for most of the first round. It eventually went to the ground for an instance but neither fighter was able to keep it their for long, and they went back to jabbing. The second round is the same as both fighters once again circled each other and pick their shots. Takimoto was able to bloody Sentoryu, who also got a yellow card due to inactivity. The third round is much of the same except towards the end of the fight, where Takimoto scored with a Judo throw on Sentoryu to end the fight. Sentoryu got the first win of his career at Pride Bushido 5, where he quickly knocked out Mal Foki. They traded strikes with neither fighter landing anything significant until Sentoryu snuck in a right hook that dropped Foki. Sentoryu pounded on Foki until the referee jumped in to stop the fight, just twenty two seconds in.

James Thompson has a 0-1 record in Pride and an overall MMA record of 7-2. Thompson recently defeated relatively unknown Nikolajus Cilkinas with strikes in the first round at Urban Destruction 1. Thompson lost his Pride debut in twelve seconds, when he was knocked out by Aleksander Emelianenko at Pride 28. Thompson rushed Emelianenko and pushed him down but Emelianenko got to his feet and dropped Thompson with a punch. Thompson then got to his feet and did his best trading with Emelianenko but he was again dropped with a right hook. Emelianenko went in for the kill then, but thankfully the referee stopped the fight before he can damage Thompson more. Pride noticed Thompson after defeating UFC legend Dan Severn by decision at Ultimate Combat 11. Thompson seems to be a decent brawler but I haven’t seen much of his ground game.

The winner of this fight will most likely get a chance to fight on Pride’s main show in the future. Sentoryu seems to be very dedicated to his MMA career and is serious about improving himself as a fighter. Thompson appears to be a good fighter, but most MMA fans remember him as being the guy who Aleksander knocked out in twelve seconds. Here he gets a shot to prove just how good he really is. Thompson should have a good reach advantage over Sentoryu, who is a short heavyweight in comparison with others. Sentoryu has some serious strength though and if he can land a decent shot, it could be lights out again for Thompson. I believe that the reach advantage will be too much for Sentoryu to overcome and he will probably be the first man to go down.

Prediction: James Thompson by TKO in the first round.

Lightweight Bout: Masakazu Imanari vs. Joachim Hansen

DEEP & ZST cult favorite Masakazu Imanari does battle with former Shooto Welterweight Champion Joachim Hansen. Masakazu Imanari trains out of Team Roken with Tsuyoshi Kurihara, Yoshinori Oniki and Isamu Sugiuchi. Joachim Hansen trains out of Team Scandinavian with David Bielkheden, Sauli Heilimo and Jani Lax. Imanari is coming off a draw with newest Pride fighter, Yoshiro Maeda at DEEP 18. Hansen is coming off a dramatic victory over former Shooto Welterweight Champion Caol Uno at HEROS, in a fight that is a serious contender for fight of the year. Imanari had a tough time in his Pride debut at Bushido 5, against Brazilian Top Team fighter Luis Buscape. He will be looking to show off his submission skills in this fight. Hansen finally makes his long awaited Pride debut, and he’ll be looking to back up all the hype that surrounds him with an impressive performance. This should be a quick and exciting fight that most likely will be over before the end of the first round.

Masakazu Imanari has a 0-1 record in Pride and an overall MMA record of 6-3-1. Imanari last fight ended up in a draw at DEEP 18 against recent Pride fighter Yoshiro Maeda. In that fight Imanari immediately rolled on the ground for the start, and tried to catch Maeda’s leg, but Maeda defended well. Imanari again rolled and caughs Maeda in an omoplata but Maeda escaped, making Imanari transition for an armbar and then a triangle choke, all defended. In the second round Maeda started landing some good shots and defends all of Imanari’s offense. Maeda landed leg kicks, while Imanari was on his back. In the final round, Imanari kept going for a rolling takedown and Maeda patiently landed hots that kept Imanari at bay. In the end, the judges felt that neither fighter had done enough to win, so they ruled the fight a draw. His fight before it saw him submitt Renato Tavares with a heel hook in the second round at DEEP 17. Imanari has some excellent submission skills but his stand-up is non existent, which puts him at a huge disadvantage.

Joachim Hansen will be making his Pride debut and has an overall MMA record of 10-2-1. He is coming off a dramatic knockout over former Shooto Welterweight Champion Caol Uno at HEROS. Uno caught Hansen’s kick at the start of the fight, and they clinched with Hansen ending up on his back on the mat. Uno was contempt to ground and pound in and out of Hansen’s guard, while Hansen landed the odd up kick to the Japanese fighters face. Uno tried to pass guard and Hansen managed to get his back, stand back up, and slam him to the mat. They get back to their feet with Hansen holding Uno’s waist and Uno going for a kimura. They again hit the ground with Uno using effective ground and pound until the end of the round. They traded shots in the second round but once again Hansen ended up on his back with Uno landing nice ground and pound. Hansen went for a triangle that Uno shrugs off, and Hansen landed a decent up kick allowing his time to get back to his feet. Hansen was able to dominate the stand up for the rest of the round. He landed a couple of shots before taking the fight to the ground and getting full mount, but Uno reversed him. For the rest of the round, the fighters scrambled for position while going for submissions. With about fifteen seconds left in the fight, they are back on their feet and as Uno looks at the corner Hansen lands a flying knee that knocks him out cold. Hansen made short work of Red Devil lightweight Sergei Goliaev at Euphoria MFC 2. Goliaev started the fight by throwing low kicks but Hansen quickly scored the takedown andd moved from half guard to side mount, then immediately into full mount. However, the fighters were restarted on their feet so Hansen shots for and gets another takedown, which he followed up with by getting Goliaev’s back, securing the rear naked choke and tapping him out.. Hansen is a good striker with excellent ground and pound and decent submissions.

DSE has given Hansen a tough and credible opponent in Imanari but it’s someone that he should be able to beat. Imanari is a good fighter with some amazing submission skills but his stand-up, as mentioned, is non-existent, which is something he needs to have in order to be able to compete with the best. Hansen will be the bigger and stronger fighter of the two as Imanari usually fights at 145lbs. Imanari’s submission of choice seems to be any kind of leg lock, which could led to his downfall as this fight could be very similar to Hansen’s fight with Rumina Sato. Hansen will be looking to make a statement as many who haven’t seen him in action are currently overlooking him; those who have know he is one of the top lightweights in the world. Hansen should be able to pound out a stoppage from Imanari en route to a successful Pride debut.

Prediction: Joachim Hansen by TKO in the first round.

Light Middleweight Bout: Kazuo Misaki vs. Daniel Acacio

Team Grabaka fighter Kazuo Misaki returns to Pride to take on Chute Boxe terror Daniel Acacio. Kazuo Misaki trains out of Team Grabaka with Sanae Kikuta, Akihiro Gono and Yuki Sasaki. and Daniel Acacio trains out of the Chute Boxe Academy with Wanderlei Silva, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Luiz Azeredo. Misaki makes his long awaited return to Pride after an impressive win over Acacio’s Chute Boxe teammate Jorge “Macaco” Patino at Pride Bushido 3. Acacio comes back after his demolition of Japanese ground wizard Daiju Takase at Pride Bushido 6. Both fighters are entertaining and looked to be very evenly matched heading into this fight. Acacio has finally broken through into the biggest stage in MMA after spending the last couple of years tearing up the Brazilian MMA scene. Misaki looks to begin a new chapter in his MMA career after having fought in Pancrase the majority of it.

Kazuo Misaki has a 1-0 record in Pride and an overall MMA record 14-4-2. Hei submitted Gracie Barra Combat Team fighter Flavio Luiz Moura with a choke in the second round at Pancrase Spiral 2. However, he failed in his attempt to become the KOP Middleweight Champion at Pancrase Brave 10 by losing a decision to Nathan Marquardt. Both fighters were tentative to start the fight as they traded low kicks and try to find distance for their punches. Misaki landed a couple of punches that make Marquardt back up, but he comes in with a flurry. Misaki is unfazed by it though and they traded lowkicks to the end of the round. Misaki throws a couple of low kicks to start the second round, but is tagged with a good shot by Marquardt who then charges in with a flurry that dropped Misaki, but Misaki was able to survive. Misaki went for a kimura that failed, and they traded shots on the ground until they are restarted on their feet and trade some blows until the round ends.. In the third round, Misaki came all out with punches and low kicks, but Marquardt clinched and landed a couple of knees. They traded shots in the middle of the ring and Misaki was once again dropped by a punch, but he got right back up. They throw down for the rest of the round with neither fighter getting a clear advantage over the other. In his prior fight, Misaki submitted Team Quest fighter Ed Herman with an arm triangle choke at Pancrase: Pancrase vs. Team Quest Show. They traded shots and Misaki was, yet again, dropped by a punch but recovers well, keeping Herman in his guard. Herman landed some solid shots to Misaki’s face, while Misaki looked for a triangle choke. Herman slammed Misaki as he tried to reverse Herman, and the round ends. In the second round, Herman landed a nice shot before both fighters clinched and traded knees. Herman went for a takedown but Misaki sprawled and threw a couple of punches. Misaki managed to get a takedown of his own, and began landing some good ground and pound. He moved to side mount then to mount, where he got the arm triangle choke that caused Herman to pass out. Misaki is a good striker and has a good ground game but is known for his overall toughness.

Daniel Acacio has a 1-0 record in Pride and an overall MMA record of 9-1. Acacio is coming off the destruction of Japanese ground wizard Daiju Takase at Pride Bushido 6. Both fighters traded shots before Takase attempted a takedown that Acacio stopped by sprawling, and Takase ended up on his back. Acacio landed a couple of leg kicks before they were restarted on their feet. Acacio defended another takedown from Takase and landed a foot stomp before Takase worked his was back to his feet. Acacio landed some good shots here, and Takase scored with some decent counters of his own as he desperately attempts another takedown that fails. Acacio then began to land soccer kicks, foot stomps and punches that really start to take their toll on Takase. The scene repeats itself over and over for the rest of the round, but the fighters end the round clinched against the ropes. In the second round, Acacio just landed shots at will as Takase tried to get a takedown, but like the first round they are all unsuccessful. Acacio just mercilessly beating on Takase, landing soccer kicks and foot stomps until Takase’s corner threw in the towel. At Storm Samurai 5, Acacio beat Danilo Motoserra by decision. Acacio dominated the fight by out striking Motoserra the entire time, and controlling the fight on the ground with foot stomps en route to a decision victory. Acacio is an excellent striker and has a decent ground game being a black belt in Luta Livre.

This is the fight that I’m looking forward the most, and I feel that this one could have been an excellent tournament match in the Pride Light Middleweight GP. Both fighters are tough and rugged fighters that will most likely trade shots in the middle of the ring until one of them goes down. Misaki has already said that he is going to use a quick pace to get Acacio out of his rhythm, but being a Chute Boxe fighter Acacio should be able to handle the fast pace that Misaki plans to set. This is the hardest fight to make a prediction on because both fighters are so evenly matched and I enjoy watching them both. Misaki might just have a slight advantage on the ground and has a bit more experience than Acacio in fighting on big shows. In what I expect to be the fight of the night, Misaki should be able to edge out a decision victory in a close fight.

Prediction: Kazuo Misaki by decision.

Lightweight Bout: Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Luis Buscape

Shooto Welterweight Champion Tatsuya Kawajiri takes on Luis Buscape. Kawajiri trains out of Team Tops with Mitsuhiro Ishida, Ryuta Sakurai and Shigetoshi Iwase. Buscape trains out of the Brazilian Top Team with Mario Sperry, Ricardo Arona and Milton Vieira. Kawajiri is coming off an easy win over Korean lightweight Kim In Seok at Pride Bushido 7. Buscape is coming off an impressive performance in a losing effort to Chute Boxe standout Luiz Azeredo at Pride Bushido 6. This is going to be a tough fight for both men as Kawajiri wasn’t tested at all in his Pride debut and Buscape should give him that test and see whether he really is the best lightweight in the world. Buscape will be looking to prove that he indeed is a serious contender and not a pretender in the lightweight division. This should be a highly competitive fight and the fighter who can get superior ground position could very well win the fight.

Tatsuya Kawajiri has a 1-0 record in Pride and an overall MMA record of 14-2-2. Kawajiri basically destroyed Korean lightweight fighter Kim In Seok at Pride Bushido 7. Both fighters started by trading shots, Kawajiri with punches and Seok with low kicks. They clinched and went to the ground, where Kawajiri started landing some effective ground and pound. Kawajiri moved to side mount but Seok caught his head as they were broken up to check a cut on Seok’s face. They restarted and Kawajiri was just landing shots at will with Seok looking to survive. Seok’s face was covered in blood and Kawajiri moved to mount, which prompted Seok’s corner to throw in the towel.

On Shooto’s 4/23 show Kawajiri stopped European Shooto Welterweight Champion Jani Lax with strikes. Kawajiri immediately got a takedown from the start of the match, which seemed to surprise Lax. Kawajiri just landed some vicious ground and pound on Lax, who never got a chance to get any offense in. Kawajiri looked to pass guard but Lax prevented him from doing so but left his face open for shots. After some time, Kawajiri was landing shots as much as he pleased and the referee finally stopped the fight. Kawajiri became the Shooto Welterweight Champion by stopping Vitor ‘Shaolin’ Riberio at the Shooto Year End 2004 show. Kawajiri started the fight by throwing low kicks, while Shaolin was content with throwing punches. Shaolin was unable to get Kawajiri on the ground and they exchanged strikes again until Shaolin got his back.  Kawajiri turned out of it and landed a nice knee. Kawajiri came out more aggressive in the second round as he landed more punches and low kicks. Kawajiri landed a nice right hand that stunned Shaolin and he pounced on him with some brutal ground and pound until the referee stopped the fight. Kawajiri has some great striking but his wrestling and ground and pound are his real strengths.

Luis Buscape has a 2-1 record in Pride and an overall MMA record of 10-2. Buscape lost a close split decision to Chute Boxe lightweight Luiz Azeredo at Pride Bushido 6. In what was the fight of the night, Azeredo and Buscape put on a excellent display of grappling. Buscape immediately got a takedown, as they struggled for position Azeredo went for an armbar that Buscape defended well. Back on their feet Buscape got another takedown and after some time, Azeredo went for another armbar that Buscape escaped. Back on their feet again, Buscape got a standing Kimura but Azeredo countered it with an armbar that Buscape narrowly escaped with Buscape ending up on top. Azeredo reversed Buscape and was now in Buscape’s guard. Azeredo stood up and attempted a jumping stomp that Buscape defended well. They made their way back to their feet and Buscape got another takedown right before the end of the round. The second round was slower then the first with Buscape getting a takedown and Azeredo going for submissions, while neutralizing all of Buscape’s offense.
 
Buscape won a decision over ZST cult favorite Masakazu Imanari at Pride Bushido 5. Imanari went for Buscape’s leg but Buscape leapt over him and took his back. Imanari went for an armbar but Buscape defended well and moved into side mount. Buscape went back to his feet but slipped into side mount again and landed some shots to Imanari’s body. Imanari escaped but was caught in a arm triangle that he escaped by getting Buscape’s arm. Buscape freed his arm and landed a couple of shots on Imanari before standing back up. Buscape got side mount but Imanari put him into his guard. They restarted on their feet and Buscape threw down but Imanari took it back to the ground. The rest of the round saw Imanari trying for rolling leg takedowns, while Buscape landed a couple of shots on him. Towards the end of the round, Buscape took the mount and went for a arm triangle but the bell rang. In the second round, Imanari continued with takedown attempts, while Buscape was content to strike on his downed opponent. Imanari struck a couple of funny poses but Buscape took advantage by landing some good low kicks. The fight ended with Buscape in Imanari’s guard and he was given the decision victory. Buscape also submitted former Shooto lightweight star Hiroyuki Abe with an arm triangle choke in the first round at Pride Bushido 4. Buscape has shown some decent striking and is known for his excellent ground game.

This was a rumored fight for Pride Bushido 7 but Buscape had to pull out because of health issues.  Now its going to happen and it should be a competitive fight. Buscape reminds me a lot of Shaolin, who Kawajiri recently beat in impressive fashion. Kawajiri is determined to prove to everyone that he is the top lightweight in the world and all that stands in his way is Buscape. Both fighters have a good wrestling base but Kawajiri seems to be the stronger of the two and he has the better ground and pound. Buscape should have the better submissions but he is going to need to land on top in order to get a decent chance to catch Kawajiri with a submission. This one could very well look like the Kawajiri vs. Shaolin fight. Kawajiri should be able to control the stand-up and once it hits the ground, look for him to ground and pound Buscape all the way to a stoppage.

Prediction: Tatsuya Kawajiri by TKO in the first round.

 
Openweight Bout: Ikuhisa Minowa vs. Kimo

Pride fan favorite Ikuhisa Minowa does battle with UFC veteran & Hawaiian fighting legend Kimo. Ikuhisa Minowa is a freelance fighter, who has trained all around the world and has even trained with Brazilian Top Team. Kimo is a freelance fighter, who trains with his own team and has a black belt in BJJ. Minowa is coming off a tough loss to ‘New York Bad Ass’ Phil Baroni at Pride Bushido 7. Kimo is coming off an unimpressive victory over MMA newbie Marcus Royster at Rumble On The Rock 7. Minowa will be looking to gain entrance to the Pride Light Middleweight GP, while Kimo will be looking to get back to Pride’s main show to compete with the heavyweights. Kimo enters the fight with a significant size advantage over the smaller Minowa. Expect this one to be a quick and exciting fight that shouldn’t make it out of the first round.
 
Ikuhisa Minowa has a 4-4 record in Pride and an overall MMA record of 28-21-8. Minowa lost a tough and exciting fight at Pride Bushido 7, to former UFC fighter Baroni. Both fighters started by trading shots until Baroni took Minowa down to the ground. After Baroni stood back up, they clinched in the corner with Baroni landing a hard body shot and they separated. They traded shots with Minowa getting the better of the exchanges and they clinched again with Minowa getting a takedown. Minowa landed in half guard and threw punches and knees to Baroni’s body. After the fight was paused to check a cut on Baroni’s face, Minowa tried for an ankle lock but ended up back in half guard. Minowa once again went for a ankle lock but Baroni defended and got on top. Baroni landed a couple of shots before Minowa reversed him but Baroni reversed him and achieved a full mount to end the round. In the second round, both fighters were visibly gassed and were just trading bombs with Baroni getting the better of the exchanges. Baroni dropped Minowa with a flurry and finished him off with a couple of soccer kicks before the referee stopped the fight.

At Pride Bushido 6, Minowa quickly submitted Dutch bad boy Gilbert Yvel. Most expected a quick and brutal knockout by Yvel but Minowa had other ideas. It wasn’t long before the fight hit the ground and it went downhill for Yvel from there. They began to play footsies and Minowa was able to lock on a toe hold that had Yvel tapping very quickly. Minowa also ended 2004 on a positive note by submitting Stefan Leko at Pride Shockwave 2004. Minowa started the match by attempting a drop kick that just missed. He then went for a rolling leg takedown and ended up grabbing Leko’s leg. He started to lock on a heel hook and once Leko hit the floor, he began to tap out. Minowa has decent striking but is more widely known for his ground game.

Kimo has a 0-0-1 record in Pride and an overall MMA record of 9-4-1. Kimo is coming off a unimpressive performance against MMA newbie Marcus Royster at Rumble On The Rock 7. Kimo looked bad and had trouble finishing Royster, who showed good raw strength. Both fighters were badly gassed early and Kimo was able to submit Royster with a forearm choke late in the first round. Kimo lost his last UFC appearance to fighting legend Ken Shamrock at UFC 48. Kimo started the fight off with a flurry but Shamrock clinched and defended well. Both fighters traded knees in the clinch, and just as Kimo leaned forward a little Shamrock landed a knee right on his chin that knocked him out cold. Kimo defeated UFC legend David ‘Tank’ Abbott at UFC 43. Kimo got an early takedown and worked for position, while Tank just laid there. Kimo moved into mount and was able to secure a side choke that had Tank tapping out rather quickly. Kimo has a good ground game but his striking is a bit lacking.

Sometimes I wonder, why Pride wants to kill Ikuhisa Minowa? Did he make some kind of comment to offend them or do they just don’t like him because he is originally from Pancrase. Minowa has been matched up with bigger and stronger opponents on several occasions in Pride but has overcome the odds in some instances. Kimo has a good ground game but his clear advantage will be the huge size difference. If Kimo has worked hard on his cardio and doesn’t gas as badly as he did in his last bout, he should be able to win. Minowa’s only chance is if somehow he can pull a submission out or if Kimo gasses early, where he can take over the fight. Minowa gassed against Baroni but it seems that he was sick prior to the fight, so it may just have been a one time thing. I believe that Minowa will pull the miracle out once again and submit Kimo late in the fight.

Prediction: Ikuhisa Minowa by submission in the second round.

 
Light Middleweight Bout: Ryo Chonan vs. Phil Baroni

Light Middleweight ace Ryo Chonan does battle with the resurrected Hammer House fighter Phil Baroni. Ryo Chonan trains out of G-Square with Kazuhiro Nakamura, Hirotaka Yokoi and Tsuyoshi Kohsaka. Phil Baroni trains out of Hammer House with Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman and Brandon Lee Hinkle. Chonan is coming off a disappointing performance in a win over Nino ‘Elvis’ Schembri at Pride Bushido 7. Baroni is coming off a something of an upset over Ikuhisa Minowa at Pride Bushido 7. This fight could be a prelude of the kind of action we can expect in the upcoming Pride Light Middleweight GP, and should be high paced and exciting. Baroni continues to resurrect his career in Pride and Chonan continues to try to build on the respect he has earned in the past year. This one could turn out to be an exciting slugfest and could very well be the fight of the night.

Ryo Chonan has a 3-1 record in Pride and an overall MMA record of 10-4. Chonan won a decision over Chute Boxe BJJ master Nino ‘Elvis’ Schembri, in what was a disappointing performance by his standards. Both fighters started by trading shots and then Nino clinched, pulling guard. Chonan landed some good shots on Nino but Nino stalled the fight by using his gi top to hold on to Chonan. They restarted and once again ended up on the ground with both fighters not doing much. Both were carded and restarted with Nino getting a takedown, ending up in Chonan’s half guard but Chonan reverses him just as the round ends. In the second round, the fighters clinched and ended up on the ground with Nino going for an omoplata that Chonan defended well. They restarted on their feet and Chonan landed a low kick that dropped Nino, who went for a takedown but failed. They ended up on the ground and Chonan landed a couple of shots before they were restarted due to Nino’s holding. They clinched and went to the ground again but Chonan was landing hard shots and going for foot stomps as the fight ended.
 
At DEEP 18, he defeated Brazilian Top Team fighter Roan ‘Jucao’ Carneiro. Carneiro got a takedown and started landing some good ground and pound but they were stood back up. Carneiro gets another takedown and lands in Chonan’s half guard then took the mount but Chonan reversed him and landed in Carneiro’s guard. Chonan landed some big shots on Carneiro and the round ended in that fashion. The second saw Carneiro getting takedown after takedown but Chonan remained calm and worked out of it. Towards the end of the round, Carneiro mounted Chonan and landed some big shots but Chonan was saved by the bell. In the third round, Chonan ended the fight with a flying knee that made its mark on Carneiro. Chonan got the biggest win of his career when he submitted Anderson Silva at Pride Shockwave 2004. Both fighters started the fight striking with Silva using his reach to get the better of the exchanges. They hit the ground and Silva got Chonan’s back but Chonan was able to reverse and landed in Silva’s guard. Chonan was landing some effective ground and pound until they were stood back up for inactivity on Silva’s part. They exchanged more strikes until the end of the round. In the second round, Silva was again able to use his reach to land the better shots, while Chonan worked in a couple of low kicks. In the final round, Chonan kept working the low kicks until out of nowhere executing a beautiful scissor sweep takedown into a heel hook that forced Silva to tap. Chonan has some solid striking and has some slick submissions that make him a great fighter.

Phil Baroni has a 1-0 record in Pride and an overall MMA record of 7-5. Baroni is coming off a hard fought knockout of Ikuhisa Minowa at Pride Bushido 7. Both fighters started by trading shots until Baroni took Minowa down to the ground. After Baroni stood back up, they clinched in the corner with Baroni landing a hard body shot and they separated. They traded shots with Minowa getting the better of the exchanges and they clinched again with Minowa getting a takedown. Minowa landed in half guard and threw punches and knees to Baroni’s body. After the fight was paused to check a cut on Baroni’s face, Minowa tried for an ankle lock but ended up back in half guard. Minowa once again went for a ankle lock but Baroni defended and got on top. Baroni landed a couple of shots before Minowa reversed him but Baroni reversed him and achieved a full mount to end the round. In the second round, both fighters were visibly gassed and were just trading bombs with Baroni getting the better of the exchanges. Baroni dropped Minowa with a flurry and finished him off with a couple of soccer kicks before the referee stopped the fight.
 
Baroni arm barred Chris Cruit at Extreme Fighting Challenge 11. Baroni clearly overmatched Cruit from the start, stopping him with strikes in the first round. But after a brief conversation with both corners, they agreed that the stoppage was premature, so the fight was restarted. In the second round, Baroni didn’t waste much time and was able to get an armbar on Cruit that forced him to tap. Baroni was upset by relatively unknown fighter Pete ‘Drago’ Sell, who took the fight on short notice. They started the fight by clinching and Sell was able to trip Baroni, getting the fight on the ground. Sell worked some good ground and pound with punches and elbows that cut Baroni. Baroni escaped and landed a couple of good shots before the end of the round. Sell came out striking in the second round and Baroni responded with a takedown. Baroni worked some ground and pound before they were stood back up for inactivity. They exchanged strikes for a bit before Baroni got a takedown to end the round. Baroni started the third round by taking Sell down but was unable to stay busy and they get stood back up. Baroni got another takedown but was caught in a guillotine choke that slowly drained his energy and he was forced to tap. Baroni is known for explosive strikes and has been improving his ground game with Marc Laimon.

DSE brought Baroni in, expecting him to lose to Minowa but when that didn’t happen they are going to cash in with his notoriety to the American fans by matching him up with Chonan. Chonan has already stated that he wants to use Baroni as a stepping stone to be more recognized with the American fans. Some bad blood is starting to come up with both fighters as Baroni was irate with Chonan’s comments and is going to try to prove him wrong. Baroni has some major heart but has some serious cardio problems that seem to have held him back and in this case I think that’s going to lead to his downfall with the more skilled Chonan. Chonan isn’t afraid to trade shots, as he displayed in his fight with Anderson Silva and he has a solid chin, which kills Baroni’s chance of winning. Expect Chonan to trade bombs with Baroni and then take over once Baroni gasses out.

Prediction: Ryo Chonan by TKO in the first round.

 
Lightweight Bout: Takanori Gomi vs. Jean Silva

Pride Bushido Lightweight ace Takanori Gomi takes on Cage Rage Lightweight Champion Jean Silva. Takanori Gomi trains out of the Kiguchi Dojo with Yusuke Endo, Masaru Gokita and Naoki Sakurada. Jean Silva trains out of the Chute Boxe Academy with Wanderlei Silva, Luiz Azeredo and Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua. Gomi is coming off a stunning knockout over Silva’s teammate Luiz Azeredo at Pride Bushido 7. Silva is coming off a draw with UFC veteran Leigh Remedios at Cage Rage 10. Gomi is arguably one of the best lightweights in the world as he is on a six fight winning streak in a Pride ring. Silva is probably the top lightweight fighter in the United Kingdom by being the Cage Rage Lightweight Champion and has some serious skills. Both fighters have their eyes on the Pride Lightweight GP with Gomi most likely already in it and Silva trying to earn a spot in it. This one could turn out to be an exciting slugfest that should have the fans on the edge of their seats.

Takanori Gomi has a 6-0 record in Pride and an overall MMA record of 19-2. Gomi is coming off a stunning knockout of Chute Boxe fighter Luiz Azeredo at Pride Bushido 7. Azeredo came out with a flying kick and then landed a punch that stunned Gomi. Gomi recovered and threw back with little success as Azeredo landed low kicks. Azeredo clinched and landed a couple of knees before the fight was stopped to check a cut on his face. Azeredo was landing low kicks, while Gomi stalked him and picked his shots. Gomi landed a couple of good body shots, while Azeredo kept pushing the pace of the fight. Gomi landed a 1-2 combo that knocked Azeredo out cold and tries to land more but was stopped by the referee. Gomi later apologized for his actions and showed some sportsmanship by checking on Azeredo. At Pride Shockwave 2004, he knocked out former UFC Lightweight Champion Jens Pulver. In what was probably the fight of the night, both fighters let the leather fly and slugged it out for six exciting minutes. Gomi attempted just two takedowns in the entire fight and Pulver was able to defend well. Gomi was able to slowly pick Pulver apart by wearing him down with some good body shots and knees to the body. At the halfway point in the match, Gomi began to take over by landing the better shots and he continued to land the knees to the body. The end came when Gomi landed a hard left uppercut right on Pulver’s chin that knocked him down, then Gomi followed up with two shots before the referee stopped the fight. At Pride Bushido 5, Gomi nearly tore Charles ‘Krazy Horse’ Bennett’s arm right out of its socket with a painful Kimura. It was an entertaining fight with the winner never in doubt, Bennett showed some good raw skills. Gomi was dominant through much of the fight with the better stand-up and superior ground control. The end came when Gomi locked on a Kimura on Bennett but to Bennett’s credit, he never tapped to it even though he was about to have his arm ripped right off by Gomi. Gomi has excellent striking ability and has some solid ground skills that make him a top fighter.

Jean Silva will be making his Pride debut and has an overall MMA record of 11-2-3. Silva drew with UFC veteran Leigh Remedios at Cage Rage 10, in his third defense of his Cage Rage Lightweight title. Silva started out by attempting a flying knee and following it up with a flurry of punches. Both fighters clinched with Silva getting a takedown and landing in Remedios’ guard. Silva stood up and Remedios followed him up with Silva throwing a kick at Remedios. Remedios forced Silva to the fence and clinched until he broke out with a flurry. Silva got another takedown and pounded on Remedios, while Remedios went for an armbar that Silva escapes. Silva tried a cartwheel guard pass just as the round ended. Both fighters traded shots in the second round with Silva landing a stiff uppercut and Remedios getting a takedown. They both stood back up with Remedios landing some nice low kicks before taking Silva down again. Remedios went for a heel hook just as the round ended. In the last round, both fighters traded shots until Silva went for a takedown that was defended well. Silva landed a front kick to Remedios’ body and they went to the ground with Remedios on top. Silva went for a triangle choke that Remedios defended well as both fighters stood back up. They ended the fight by trading shots in the middle of the cage. Silva submitted French fighter Sammy Schiavo with a triangle choke at Cage Rage 9. Silva started the fight with a spinning kick then clinched, landing some good knees on Schiavo. Schiavo lands a knee to Silva¡Çs groin that forces a stoppage of action. On the restart, Schiavo goes for a spinning kick but Silva clinches and is hit in the groin again. They trade strikes and Schiavo went for a takedown but Silva sprawled and fell on to his back. Schiavo tried to pass Silva’s guard but was caught in a triangle choke that forced him to tap. Silva drew with Ollie Ellis at Cage Rage 7 in his first title defense. Silva is an unorthodox fighter but his striking is improving and he has a solid ground game.

Gomi takes on his third Chute Boxe lightweight fighter in Jean Silva.  So far he is 2-0 against the Brazilian team and will be looking to make it a hat trick. Silva makes his much awaited debut in Pride after being rumored to for the past several months. Gomi is looking forward to fighting in the Pride Lightweight GP later this year and Silva is looking to earn his ticket into the tournament. Silva is a good fighter but I doubt that he poses much of a threat to Gomi. Gomi is just at the top of the world right now and I don’t think Silva will be the man to topple him from that spot. Hopefully Silva can turn in a good performance so he gets invited back to fight in Pride later this year. Gomi should be able to control the fight and should be able to stop the Cage Rage Lightweight Champion in the first round.

Prediction: Takanori Gomi by KO in the first round.