The Card:

Sentoryu vs. Zuluzinho
Murilo “Ninja” Rua vs. Murad Chunkaiev
James Thompson vs. Alexandru Lungu
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Hirotaka Yokoi
Sergei Kharitonov vs. Fabricio Werdum
Makoto Takimoto vs. Yoon Dong Sik
Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Ken Shamrock
Mirko Cro Cop vs. Josh Barnett

The Fights:

Heavyweight Bout: Sentoryu vs. Zuluzinho

Former Sumo wrestler Sentoryu takes on the infamous son of Zulu, Zuluzinho. Sentoryu has a 1-3 record in MMA and trains out of Team Dragon in Japan. Zuluzinho has a 1-0 record in MMA and trains out of the Wolfslair Gym with Mark “The Count” Bisping. Sentoryu is coming off a disappointing loss to British heavyweight James Thompson at Pride Bushido 8, while Zuluzinho is coming off a sloppy knockout win over Rafal Dabrowski at CWFC: Strike Force 2. Sentoryu needs a win in order to stay alive in Pride as another loss might seal his fate for good. Zuluzinho will be looking to prove that he has real skills and that he isn’t just a wild brawler like most believe. Both fighters are huge and will be willing to trade strikes in what should prove to be an exciting slugfest.

In his last fight against James Thompson at Pride Bushido 8, Sentoryu was willing to trade strikes with the more skilled fighter and it proved to be his downfall, as Thompson landed a solid shot that put him down on the canvas for good. Sentoryu had a disappointing loss to Makoto Takimoto back at Pride Shockwave 2004, in what was a very boring fight for the most part. His only win came at Pride Bushido 5, where he quickly knocked out Mal Foki in impressive fashion. He has been training stand up with Nicholas Pettas (K-1) in preparation for this match.

Zuluzinho is a huge fighter and looks to impress in his Pride debut, no doubt with an exciting knockout win. He has only 1 MMA fight, where he knocked out Rafal Dabrowski in what was described to be like something out of UFC 2. Zuluzinho claims to have a purple belt in BJJ but that seems to be a little misleading. He is training in BJJ right now at the Wolfslair Gym, so he should have some kind of basic knowledge on the ground.

This one is just going to be a wild brawl and the fighter who lands the first big shot should come out on top. Zuluzinho is described to have a tough chin, while Sentoryu has been exposed to have a questionable one in his last fight. I’m going to go with Zuluzinho just because he is bigger and seems to be able to take a solid shot better than Sentoryu.

Prediction: Zuluzinho by KO in the first round.

Middleweight Bout: Murilo “Ninja” Rua vs. Murad Chunkaiev

Chute Boxe middleweight Murilo “Ninja” Rua takes on Team Golden Glory middleweight Murad Chunkaiev. Murilo “Ninja” Rua has a 10-5-1 record in MMA and trains out of the Chute Boxe Academy with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. Murad Chunkaiev has a 5-1 record in MMA and trains out of Team Golden Glory with Alistair Overeem. Ninja is coming off a questionable loss to Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at Pride 29, while Chunkaiev is coming off a submission win over Carlos Lopes at 2 Hot 2 Handle. Neither fighter has been active as of late. Ninja hasn’t fought in eight months, while Chunkaiev hasn’t fought for twenty months. Ninja needs a win in order to stay alive in Pride, while Chunkaiev will be looking to impress as this will be his Pride debut. This has the potential to be the sleeper fight of the night as both fighters bring exciting styles to the table fight.

Ninja is coming off a questionable loss to Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at Pride 29. He outworked Jackson in every aspect of the fight for almost the entire time. While neither fighter was able to finish the other, Ninja had done more then enough to win the fight, but the judges thought otherwise. Ninja’s last win was a submission win over Japanese journeyman Alexander Otsuka back at Pride 27, where the fight was officially started twice, the second one after a very lengthy break (one hour) was given to Otsuka to recover from a low blow. Ninja has recently stated he will now no longer fight in the HW division, and will remain MW or perhaps even drop down to 83kg if an offer is made for him to fight there.

Chunkaiev’s last fight was a submission win over Carlos Lopes at a 2 Hot 2 Handle show. Chunkaiev was able to use his superior ground skills and catch Lopes with a rear naked choke early in the fight. Chunkaiev’s biggest win was over Pride and UFC veteran Andrei Semenov, where Chunkaiev managed to ground and pound Semenov en route to a decision win.

Chunkaiev is a good wrestler, andt his striking ability has been improving ever since he joined Golden Glory. Ninja has the experience factor over Chunkaiev and should have the edge on the feet, while Chunkaiev has the advantage on the ground. This is going to be an exciting fight as both fighters are very talented but Ninja should be able to win a decision as long as he can keep it standing and put Chunkaiev on his back when they’re on the ground.

Prediction: Murilo “Ninja” Rua by decision.

Heavyweight Bout: James Thompson vs. Alexandru Lungu

British heavyweight James Thompson takes on the large, debuting Alexandru Lungu. James Thompson has a 9-2 record in MMA and trains out of Team Ultimate Combat with Javier Garcia. Alexandru Lungu will be making his MMA debut and trains out of Romania. Thompson is coming off an impressive stoppage win over Andy Costello at Cage Rage 13 and will be looking to prove that he is ready to step up in competition in Pride with another impressive win. Lungu will be looking to prove that he is indeed ready to make the transition from Judo to MMA like other fighters have. This fight could be an exciting slugfest depending on what kind of strategy Lungu has coming into it.

Thompson has a three fight-winning streak with all his wins in this period coming by way of strikes. He easily disposed of Andy Costello at Cage Rage 13 and did the same with Sentoryu at Pride Bushido 8. Although he has had a couple of impressive wins, Thompson is still best remembered by fans for his quick knockout loss to Aleksander Emelianenko at Pride 28. Thompson is a big, strong striker, but he hasn’t shown much of a ground game in his past couple of fights except for a poorly attempted armbar at Pride Bushido 8.

Lungu seems to have some serious skills coming into his MMA debut. He is a black belt in Judo and a Sambo world heavyweight champion. He has been training for his MMA debut for the past two years and he is a large fighter.

On the ground, I would give the edge to Lungu as he has some legit skills, but Thompson should be able to win this fight because of his experience and because of the uncertainty of wheather Lungu can take a shot or not.

Prediction: James Thompson by KO in the first round.

 
Middleweight Bout: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Hirotaka Yokoi

Fallen Pride middleweight star Quinton “Rampage” Jackson takes on part time MMA fighter Hirotaka Yokoi. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has a 22-6 record in MMA and trains out of Team Oyama with Colin Oyama, though currently things seem to be changing here and he has trained with various fighters and teams. Hirotaka Yoki has a 10-3 record in MMA and trains out of RiRoots with Chonan, Nakamura and Tsuyoshi Kohsaka. Jackson is coming off a devastating loss to Pride Middleweight GP 2005 Champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at Pride Total Elimination 2005. Yokoi is coming off a disappointing loss to BTT leader Mario Sperry at Pride 29. Both fighters have been less then impressive in their last couple of appearances. Jackson has fallen form the top of Pride’s middleweight division and looks to begin his journey back to the top, while Yokoi is at a crossroads in his MMA career. Expect an exciting fight out of these two as they have little to lose and everything to gain.

Jackson was dominated for the entire fight against Shogun, and Shogun was able to out strike him and never gave him a chance to even get started. Jackson ended up with broken ribs as Shogun landed some hard knees to his body and finally finished him with soccer kicks. Jackson won a very questionable decision over Murilo “Ninja” Rua at Pride 29, in a fight where he looked like an outclassed fighter in almost every aspect. Jackson hasn’t been the same since his knockout loss to Wanderlei Silva at Pride 28.

Yokoi had an impressive showing against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in 2004 but since then he hasn’t produced any positive results. In his last fight, Yokoi was looking good early in the fight but midway through, he seemed to have injured himself and it went downhill from there. Sperry took over and was able to finish him with a series of knees late in the fight. Yokoi isn’t really as dedicated to MMA as he should be since he is a pro wrestler, and it’s going to cost him.

Jackson has been training hard since his loss to Shogun and will be looking to prove that he still is the fighter he once was. Since Yokoi is focusing on a pro wrestling recently, it’s really hard to believe that he has been training hard for this fight. Expect Jackson to get off to a slow start but to pour it on late in the round and finish Yokoi with strikes.

Prediction: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson by TKO in the first round.

Heavyweight Bout: Sergei Kharitonov vs. Fabricio Werdum

Rising Pride heavyweight star Sergei Kharitonov takes on BJJ world champion Fabricio Werdum. Sergei Kharitonov has a 12-1 record in MMA and trains out of the Russian Top Team with Volk Han. Fabricio Werdum has a 6-0-1 record in MMA and trains out of Team Cro Cop with, Mirko Cro Cop.  Kharitonov is coming off an easy submission win over Peter Mulder at Rings: Lithuania, and Werdum is coming off an impressive submission win over Red Devil fighter Roman Zenstov at Pride Final Conflict 2005. Both fighters will be looking to move one step closer to a shot at the Pride Heavyweight Championship with a win here. Both fighters are on impressive winning streaks at the moment but one of them will obviously end after this fight. This one has the potential to be the fight of the night as both fighters match-up well.

Kharitonov got an easy armbar win over the unheralded Peter Mulder in his last fight. Kharitonov really impressed at Pride Critical Countdown 2005, where he dismantled Pedro Rizzo in impressive fashion. He was all over Rizzo from the beginning of the fight and never gave Rizzo a chance. Kharitonov out struck Rizzo on their feet and was able to knock him out with a well placed knee. Kharitonov’s only loss in PRIDE was to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira back in 2004, in what was a close fight.

Werdum is coming off an impressive win over Roman Zenstov at Pride Final Conflict 2005. Zenstov gave Werdum trouble early in the fight but Werdum was able to lock on a triangle/armabr that submitted the tough Red Devil fighter. Werdum showed glimpses of his striking ability in his win over Tom Erickson at Pride 29.

This is going to be a great fight, in what should be the fight of the night. Kharitonov has more experience than Werdum and seems to be the better-rounded fighter of the two. Kharitonov will be looking to keep it standing, where he will try to break down Werdum. Werdum will be looking to get it on the ground, where he will look to lock a submission on Kharitonov. Expect Kharitonov to win this one late in the fight as he should be able to finish the very talented Werdum with strikes.

Prediction: Sergei Kharitonov by TKO in the third round. 

Middleweight Bout: Makoto Takimoto vs. Yoon Dong Sik

2000 Olympic Judo gold medalist Makoto Takimoto takes on highly touted Korean judoka Yoon Dong Sik. Makoto Takimoto has a 1-1 record in MMA and trains out of the Yoshida Dojo with Hidehiko Yoshida. Yoon Dong Sik has a 0-1 record in MMA and is a freelance fighter out of Korea. Takimoto is coming off a disappointing loss to Kiyoshi Tamura at Pride Critical Countdown 2005. Sik is coming off an expected loss to MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba at Pride Total Elimination 2005. Both fighters will be looking to prove that they belong in MMA as they both try to stay alive in the ranks of Pride. This one has the makings of an excellent ground fight with the ground credentials that these two fighters have.

Takimoto is coming off a disappointing loss to Kiyoshi Tamura at Pride Critical Countdown 2005. Tamura was able to out strike Takimoto for much of the fight but Takimoto did show some signs of potential in the fight with a couple of flurries that were able to damage Tamura a little. In his MMA debut, Takimoto was able to outwork a heavier Sentoryu en route to a decision win, in what was a disappointing showing for them both. Takimoto has shown that he has some decent striking skills and power behind his strikes but he hasn’t shown much of a ground game for an Olympic Judo gold medalist.

Yoon Dong Sik lasted less then thirty seconds in his MMA debut as Sakuraba was able to land a shot that dropped him, and once on the ground he was unable to defend Sakuraba’s onslaught of strikes.

Most fans aren’t really interested in this fight as neither fighter has done much to garner any interest from them. Takimoto looks to be the better striker of the two and should be able to take out Sik with strikes as Sik has shown that he doesn’t have much of a chin.

Prediction: Makoto Takimoto by TKO in the first round.

Middleweight Bout: Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Ken Shamrock

Pride legend Kazushi Sakuraba does battle with UFC legend Ken Shamrock. Kazushi Sakuraba has a 17-8-1 record in MMA and trains out of the Takada Dojo with Daijiro Matsui. Ken Shamrock has a 26-9-2 record in MMA and trains out of the Lion’s Den with Vernon White. Sakuraba is coming off a heartbreaking loss to Ricardo Arona at Pride Critical Countdown 2005. Shamrock is coming off an expected loss to UFC Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin at the Ultimate Fighter Finale 1. Sakuraba has been hard at work improving himself as a fighter by training at the Chute Boxe Academy for a while. Shamrock will be looking to prove that he still has enough left in him to be a competitive fighter in MMA. This is a dream fight for the longtime fans of MMA with two of the most legendary fighters in our sport today.

In his last fight, Sakuraba showed signs of his old self but Arona was just too strong and relentless for him to do any real damage. In the end, Arona used an array of strikes to bloody Sakuraba’s face which forced a stoppage of the fight after the second round. Sakuraba looked good in disposing Yoon Dong Sik with strikes back at Pride Total Elimination 2005. He has improved his striking in the last couple of months after having spent some time at the Chute Boxe Academy.

Shamrock last was seen being outclassed by Rich Franklin at the Ultimate Fighter Finale 1. Franklin was too talented for Shamrock and he was able to overwhelm him with strikes early in the fight. Shamrock’s last win was a knockout of Kimo at UFC 48, in what was billed as a revenge fight.

Shamrock has been training with the same camp since he began MMA and hasn’t really evolved as fighter for quite some time now, while Sakuraba has gone on to try to improve himself. Sakuraba is the more talented of the two fighters and should have the edge both on the ground and on the feet. Shamrock’s advantage will be that he will be bigger than Sakuraba, but that won’t mean much if he can’t get on top. Sakuraba should be able to outwork Shamrock, in what should be an entertaining fight for all fans of MMA.

Prediction: Kazushi Sakuraba by decision.

Heavyweight Bout: Mirko Cro Cop vs. Josh Barnett

In a rematch of their disappointing Pride 28 bout, the Croatian sensation Mirko Cro Cop takes on the King of Pancarse Josh Barnett. Mirko Cro Cop has a 16-3-2 record in MMA and trains out of Team Cro Cop with Fabricio Werdum. Josh Barnett has a 15-2 record in MMA and trains out of AMC Pankration with Matt Hume. Cro Cop is coming off a disappointing loss to Pride Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko at Pride Final Conflict 2005. Barnett hasn’t fought since his “loss” to Mirko Cro Cop at Pride 28. Cro Cop will be looking to work his way back to a title shot and to the top of the Pride heavyweight division. Barnett will be looking to prove that he indeed is a top heavyweight and that he can compete with the best heavyweights in Pride. This fight should be more exciting than their first, as they can’t have a more disappointing finish than they did in their first fight.

Cro Cop failed in his bid to become the Pride Heavyweight Champion, when he lost a decision to Fedor Emelianenko at Pride Final Conflict 2005. He was unable to drop Fedor on their feet and could not stop Fedor’s takedowns. Cro Cop has shown that he has the ability to recover from a loss and work his way back to the top, but this was a hard loss to take.

Barnett has been inactive for the past year due to the injury he sustained in the fighters first meeting. It was a disappointing fight as Barnett somehow separated his shoulder while he was in Cro Cop’s guard. Barnett has sworn that the rematch will be very different from the first fight and that he will be able to hand Cro Cop back to back losses for the first time in his MMA career.

Barnett has the edge on the ground, while Cro Cop has the edge standing up. If Barnett can take Cro Cop down then he should be able to win the fight but Cro Cop is tough to take down and the only man who has down it with success is Fedor. Cro Cop will be looking to make a statement that he is indeed ready to work his way back to the top with a knockout win over Josh. Barnett’s inactivity is too much for me to justify him winning, so I’m going with Cro Cop by knockout.

Prediction: Mirko Cro Cop by KO in the second round.

A play by play of this event will he held here.