The unmitigated derision which has relentlessly battered Pride Fighting Championships since the announcement of their upcoming ‘Unbreakable’ event is nothing short of baffling, given the intriguing, intricate sub texts which lurk beneath the condemned names on the card.
Criticism has rained in from all quarters regarding the apparent lack of top class combatants, the shortage of captivating contests and a couple of potentially massive mismatches, which could all conspire to produce a brutally banal concoction of extravagant tedium.
Disappointingly though, the harsh reaction to the show appears to have grown from an initial, predictable, knee-jerk reaction which unceremoniously stamped a notion of dissatisfaction all over the occasion without ever giving it a chance to prosper.
It could be argued that this event, a follow up to the successful ‘Shockwave’ show on New Year’s Eve which defeated bitter rivals K-1 in the ever important television ratings battle, was always destined to be something of a damp squib.
However, to pour scorn over Pride’s latest offering so quickly and mercilessly is more than a tad unfair, particularly when you peruse the many plots which are not so strikingly obvious when one first considers the card.
Firstly, ‘Unbreakable’ is a pre cursor to the first ever ‘Openweight Grand Prix’ which is set to pit fighters from Lightweight to Heavyweight in an all encompassing year long tournament. On the one hand this concept is a refreshing return to the early days of mixed-martial-arts, a time which existed long before the term of MMA was coined and the far more brutal ‘no holds barred’ term was banded about.
Then, the Ultimate Fighting Championships pioneered the one night tournament of sporting street fights where combatants of varying weights and backgrounds clashed in an unprecedented mix of styles and size. In the 13 years since, a number of weight classes have been installed, but with a host of competitors now fluctuating in mass and seamlessly moving between divisions, perhaps it is time to open up the field and let the fighters prove just how important size is.
Of course there is one major difference between now and then and that is the skill level of all and sundry, as every combatant is now more than aware of what tools are necessary to succeed in MMA. Thus, with so little to choose between competitors, size can become a determining and even dangerous factor. Essentially this point has lead to the tirade of searing disapproval engulfing the 2006 Grand Prix before it has even commenced.
Nevertheless, the bouts at ‘Unbreakable’ will essentially serve as qualifiers for the tournament proper and every fighter will be keen to eek out the victory which will throw their hat into the ring.
Firstly, ‘2005 Middleweight Grand Prix’ Champion Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua will battle the ‘Heavyweight Grand Prix Champion’ from 2000, Mark Coleman – who despite his recent losing streak remains a serious threat given his undoubted wrestling ability. This match will be a true indication just how much advantage a bulkier opponent has over his foe, because if Coleman is to nullify the superior skills of ‘Shogun’ then he will have to rely on his power and ‘ground ‘n’ pound’ strategy. ‘Shogun’ will be the favourite, but Coleman’s weight advantage could be the determining dynamic and surely that is the point of the ‘Openweight Grand Prix’?
Heavyweight contender Mark Hunt should brush aside any threat Japanese pugilist Yosuke Nishijima provides and while the former champion boxer is not the calibre of opponent most want the New Zealander to meet after his victory over Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovic, with only four MMA fights to date, the 31-year-old needs to face fighters who he can shine against in order to put his newly developed skills into practice, with little prospect of defeat.
If neither of those matches wet the appetite, then the bout between Alistair Overeem and Sergei Kharitonov is certainly worthy of a smattering of salivation. The Dutchman was the surprise package of the ‘Middleweight Grand Prix’, utilising a Guillotine Choke which ripped through the European trials of the ‘2005 Abu Dhabi Submission Fighting Championships’ to devastating effect. The Golden Glory fighter is primarily an exponent of Muay Thai though and will prove a stern test for Kharitonov, who will be keen to keep a prospective showdown with former team-mate and indomitable Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko firmly on track. Given that a win would propel Overeem into the Grand Prix as a serious contender while derailing the Russian’s title bid, then the bout can only be considered as an extremely interesting encounter.
Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson and Pedro Rizzo are both being afforded opportunities to turn their wandering careers back on course with respective match ups against Yoon Dong Sik and Roman Zentzov. The curiosity in these bouts comes not with whether Jackson and Rizzo will win – Yoon is terrible and Zentzov has lost four of his last five matches – but how the victors elect will perform given the wayward nature of their recent showings. Jackson had appeared to have been ushered out of the promotion following his troubles with the Chute Boxe Academy which concluded in two devastating defeats at the hands of Wanderlei Silva and another, for good measure, by Mauricio Rua. The ‘King Of The Slams’ has recently undergone a transformation in character as a born again Christian and just how that will translate to Jackson’s in ring demeanour is another point to consider.
Like ‘Rampage’, Josh Barnett is a fighter in desperate need of one more notch in his win column after two successive losses to Mirko Filipovic heralded his introduction to Pride in the least successful manner possible. His opponent, Kazuhiko Nakamura will be competing to fall back into favour with the Japanese public who have rebelled against his push as the protégé of Hidehiko Yoshida and now hold the opinion that the Yoshida Dojo fighter is overrated and under qualified to hold the position of heir apparent to the Judo legend.
Unbeaten Norweigan John Olav Einemo should prove a stern test for Fabrizio Werdum who is looking to bounce back from his only loss to date which came against Kharitonov at October’s ‘Fully Loaded’ event and a debuting fighter always holds an air of mystery around him, so this bout is one which cannot be ignored.
Finally, two marvels of MMA will be in action with Brazilian Top Team head honcho Mario Sperry fighting Tsuyoshi Kohsaka and Antonio Rodrigo ‘Minotauro’ Nogueira squaring off against Kiyoshi Tamura in the main event.
The bout between Sperry, who is approaching his 40th birthday and the 35-year-old Kohsaka is naturally a battle between two veterans and while this match could be fought at a slower pace, the potential of either man walking away victorious will keep a degree of interest centered around the contest.
Meanwhile, although the showpiece showdown between Nogueira and Tamura may not be the calibre of headline fight Pride purists have come to expect from the promotion, ‘Minotauro’ is going into the bout with a point to prove, which could lead to the BTT member deciding to showcase his value to Dream Stage Entertainment with a display of outstanding ground wizardry. Despite being informed he would be fighting on New Year’s Eve at ‘Shockwave’, Pride failed to find the Brazilian an opponent and have instead shunted Nogueira to a show where DSE asked fighters to take a reduction in pay, amidst a new cost cutting policy.
Many have criticised Pride’s prudence as a reason for more ‘top names’ not appearing at ‘Unbreakable’, but one has to remember that fight fans are traditionally spoiled on New Year’s Eve and this card still features a plethora of World class athletes from the sport of MMA. The prospect of a fantastic night of action is still firmly intact despite the show receiving a slating from the fans and thus you have to conclude the moniker ‘Unbreakable’ has bestowed upon the event for one simple reason – this show is destined to be a doozy.
Ross McTavish is co-editor of the currently free, monthly .pdf publication Total MMA. To receive the latest issue, out this weekend, please send an e-mail to totalmmanewsletter@gmail.com
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