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PRIDE: BUSHIDO 4 PREVIEW
By Jade "Ninjamonkey" Prout
The fourth installment of PRIDE: Bushido brings us yet another Japan-versus-Brazil Team Battle, this time pitting the natives of the Land of the Rising Sun against members of the highly formidable Brazilian Top Team. Other names on the card include Hayato Sakurai, Dean Lister, Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic and Takanori Gomi. Let’s take a look at the warriors who will be laying it on the line, and perhaps gain some insight into how the fights might play out…
Kyosuke Sasaki vs Eiji Mitsuoka
Sasaki sports a lackluster 2-5 record as a pro, but he has only been stopped once. His ability to "gut out" a fight and make it to the final bell, win or lose, could be what has earned him a place on this card. His opponent, Eiji Mitsuoka, boasts a starkly contrasting record of 5-2-1. Mitsuoka won his debut some three years ago with a submission (from strikes) over Gerald Strebendt, and lost his most recent fight last year to Chris Brennan. Look for Mitsuoka to come on strong in an effort to erase memories of that encounter.
Hiroyuki Abe vs Luis "Buscape" Firmino
Abe is a Shooto veteran with an MMA record of 6-3-2 and a penchant for striking. His most notable win is a first-round KO win over Alexandre Franca Nogueira, who then submitted him via rear naked choke in a rematch. "Buscape" fought in WVC and M-1 Mix-Fight before making the move to Shooto, and has accumulated an MMA record of 8-1 so far. He has never been stopped, and has earned four wins by submission. This match promises to be highly entertaining, and could go either way.
Dokonjonosuke Mishima vs Marcus Aurelio
Mishima, a standout in both Shooto and DEEP, holds an impressive MMA record of 14-3-2. He has never been submitted, and his only losses are to UFC veteran Din Thomas, Japanese superstar Takanori Gomi and the legendary Ralph Gracie. A crowd-pleasing wrestler, he impressed many fans in his Bushido debut against Gracie, controlling much of the action and landing an astounding number of strikes on the ground. The decision was unanimous, but the fight looked much closer than the judges seemed to think.
Known as "Maximus," American Top Team member Marcus Aurelio holds an 11-1 record as a pro; the single loss came by split decision in his one and only KOTC appearance. His most notable win was a speedy TKO victory over Team Extreme fighter Rich "No Love" Clementi in the final round of the ZST Grand Prix Tournament. This battle could easily turn out to be one of the most exciting fights of the night, and the possible outcome is anybody’s guess.
Amar Suloev vs Dean Lister
Suloev has seemingly been everywhere and done everything, earning a 16-4 record in various venues including M-1 Mix-Fight, AFC, WVC, 2H2H and, of course, the UFC. Amar is, without a doubt, a finisher; he holds eight wins by submission, and seven by KO or TKO. Since his tough loss to Phil "New York Bad Ass" Baroni at UFC 39, Suloev has racked up four consecutive wins, including TKO victories over Yushin Okami and Din Thomas. This will be Amar’s first time fighting for PRIDE.
Also premiering in PRIDE is his opponent, Dean Lister, a highly decorated ADCC submission grappler and former KOTC Champion. All six of Dean’s MMA victories have come by way of submission, and his two losses were both by judges’ decision. In his final KOTC appearance, Lister lost a close decision to the always-dangerous UFC/IFC/PRIDE veteran Jeremy Horn. Lister’s signing with PRIDE was huge news, and fans have been eagerly awaiting this debut. It should prove to be worth the wait.
Ikuhisa Minowa vs Kenichi Yamamoto
Ikuhisa "The Punk" Minowa has a staggering FORTY Pancrase battles under his belt, with an overall MMA record of 24-20-8. Although he has lost all three of his PRIDE fights, those losses were to Middleweight Champion and Grand Prix winner Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva, #1 Middleweight contender Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Ryan Gracie. If the UFC can bring back Tiki Ghosn after three losses in the Octagon, then PRIDE cannot be faulted for giving Minowa a fourth chance to prove his worth.
Kenichi Yamamoto is another fighter who has had a rough time in the big leagues, losing all of his last four fights. Like Minowa, his more recent losses were to some of the best in the game: former UFC Welterweight Champion Pat Miletich, international fighting sensation Genki "The Neo-Samurai" Sudo, and former UFC Heavyweight Champion and PRIDE veteran Kevin "The Monster" Randleman. Minowa seems to have the edge in experience, and Yamamoto hasn’t fought since last March.
Shungo Oyama vs Mirko Filipovic
Alas, poor Shungo, we hardly knew ye! Oyama’s 2-5 record may not be a very clear indicator of his skill as a fighter, as one of his two wins was a unanimous decision over Renzo Gracie, and all of his losses are to similarly recognizable UFC and/or PRIDE competitors: Phillip Miller, Wanderlei Silva, Wallid Ismael, Ryan Gracie and Dan Henderson. However, like Yamamoto, he hasn’t seen action since a loss last March, so ‘ring rust’ could be a factor. Another factor is his opponent… the man called Cro-Cop.
Mirko Filipovic, kickboxer-turned-MMA fighter-turned-politician, bulldozed his way to the top of the PRIDE Heavyweight heap with heavy hands and a lethal left foot. Kazuyuki Fujita, Heath Herring, Igor Vovchanchyn and Ron Waterman (to name a few) have all felt the power of "The Croatian Sensation," and only Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Kevin Randleman have been able to stop him. Coming off a decision win over Hiromitsu Kanehara, Mirko should be hungry for another knockout.
Hayato Sakurai vs Brady Fink
Sakurai is a living legend in Japan, and with good reason: he has 19 wins to his credit. His most notable victims include former UFC Middleweight Champion Dave Menne and former WFA Champion (and current UFC contender) Frank "Twinkle-Toes" Trigg. He has taken few losses, and only to some of the best in the business: rising star Anderson Silva, former UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes, new Shooto Middleweight Champion Jake Shields, Ryo Chonan and, most recently, the undefeated Rodrigo Gracie.
Sakurai’s opponent will be Team Oyama member Brady Fink, whose 2-1 record in MMA seems respectable enough… apart from the fact that the two fighters he’s beaten have a combined record of 0-2. On the flip side, Fink’s only loss was a decision to Jason Pratt, a student of IFC/UFC/PRIDE veteran Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell. That, at least, says something. Still, is a relative rookie like Fink really the caliber of competition that a superstar like Hayato Sakurai should be facing in the PRIDE ring? I guess we’ll find out.
Takanori Gomi vs Fabio Mello
Once again, Gomi looks like Japan’s best hope in the team battle. Gomi is 16-2 in MMA, with about half of his wins coming via judges’ decision and the rest a healthy mix of submissions and TKO stoppages. His only losses are a decision to Joachim Hansen and a submission at the hands of BJ Penn. Anyone who follows this sport knows that those are top-notch opponents, and that there is no shame in losing to either one of them. He has since earned two straight wins by TKO and KO, one of them over Ralph Gracie.
Fabio Mello is much less experienced at 3-1. It should also be noted that his only loss was to Dokonjonosuke Mishima by decision just a few months after Gomi earned a TKO victory over Mishima in Shooto. Go ahead and do the math: Mishima was able to go the distance with Mello, but he was unable to withstand Gomi’s strikes. Does this mean that Gomi will automatically stop Mello? No, of course not; but it certainly suggests that Gomi has a stronger overall offensive game.
Akira Shoji vs Paulo Filho
Shoji’s record reads like a "who’s-who" of MMA. Most of his wins have come his way by decision or submission, a testament to his toughness and his solid ground game. He has lost as many decisions as he has won, but two of those losses were to heavy-hitters Igor Vovchanchyn and Mark Coleman. You have to be one tough S.O.B. to last an entire fight with either one of those guys! In his 7-½ years in mixed martial arts fighting, Shoji has only been submitted once… by none other than Paulo Filho.
Filho sports a perfect 6-0 record in MMA, including decision wins over Shoji’s countrymen Ikuhisa Minowa, Yuki Kondo and Daijiro Matsui. Interestingly, his only submission win to date was the aforementioned armbar victory over Shoji. Filho is one of several Brazilians who have stopped Shoji, along with the Rua brothers, Murilo "Ninja" and Mauricio "Shogun." Nearly two years have passed since Filho defeated Shoji; that’s a fairly long time in this sport. Perhaps Shoji has learned from his past mistakes.
Kazuhiro Nakamura vs Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Nakamura lost his MMA debut against Rogerio in March of last year, via armbar submission. He returned to the PRIDE ring in the inaugural Bushido show, playing a cautious game and taking a win by decision over Daniel Gracie. After earning another decision win, this time in a largely forgettable performance against pro-wrestler "Dos Caras Junior" earlier this year, Nakamura finished Chalid "Die Faust" with an armbar submission at Bushido 3. Now, DSE has given him the chance to avenge his only loss.
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira is, of course, the twin brother of PRIDE Interim Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Rogerio has suffered only one loss, a decision to UFC veteran Vladimir "The Janitor" Matyushenko. Of his eight wins, four were by decision, and three by submission. He has been victorious against other UFC alumni, including Tsuyoshi Kosaka, Guy Mezger, and Kazushi Sakuraba. On paper, Nakamura faces a daunting challenge. Is he up to the task? Only time will tell...
Bushido 4 takes place live in Japan on Monday, July 19th. The North American pay-per-view broadcast airs on iNDEMAND, DIRECTV, and TVN on Sunday, July 25th at 3 PM EST (12 PM PST) and on DISH Network on Sunday, August 1st at 9 PM EST (6 PM PST). For additional replay times, contact your pay-per-view provider.
By Jade "Ninjamonkey" Prout
The fourth installment of PRIDE: Bushido brings us yet another Japan-versus-Brazil Team Battle, this time pitting the natives of the Land of the Rising Sun against members of the highly formidable Brazilian Top Team. Other names on the card include Hayato Sakurai, Dean Lister, Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic and Takanori Gomi. Let’s take a look at the warriors who will be laying it on the line, and perhaps gain some insight into how the fights might play out…
Kyosuke Sasaki vs Eiji Mitsuoka
Sasaki sports a lackluster 2-5 record as a pro, but he has only been stopped once. His ability to "gut out" a fight and make it to the final bell, win or lose, could be what has earned him a place on this card. His opponent, Eiji Mitsuoka, boasts a starkly contrasting record of 5-2-1. Mitsuoka won his debut some three years ago with a submission (from strikes) over Gerald Strebendt, and lost his most recent fight last year to Chris Brennan. Look for Mitsuoka to come on strong in an effort to erase memories of that encounter.
Hiroyuki Abe vs Luis "Buscape" Firmino
Abe is a Shooto veteran with an MMA record of 6-3-2 and a penchant for striking. His most notable win is a first-round KO win over Alexandre Franca Nogueira, who then submitted him via rear naked choke in a rematch. "Buscape" fought in WVC and M-1 Mix-Fight before making the move to Shooto, and has accumulated an MMA record of 8-1 so far. He has never been stopped, and has earned four wins by submission. This match promises to be highly entertaining, and could go either way.
Dokonjonosuke Mishima vs Marcus Aurelio
Mishima, a standout in both Shooto and DEEP, holds an impressive MMA record of 14-3-2. He has never been submitted, and his only losses are to UFC veteran Din Thomas, Japanese superstar Takanori Gomi and the legendary Ralph Gracie. A crowd-pleasing wrestler, he impressed many fans in his Bushido debut against Gracie, controlling much of the action and landing an astounding number of strikes on the ground. The decision was unanimous, but the fight looked much closer than the judges seemed to think.
Known as "Maximus," American Top Team member Marcus Aurelio holds an 11-1 record as a pro; the single loss came by split decision in his one and only KOTC appearance. His most notable win was a speedy TKO victory over Team Extreme fighter Rich "No Love" Clementi in the final round of the ZST Grand Prix Tournament. This battle could easily turn out to be one of the most exciting fights of the night, and the possible outcome is anybody’s guess.
Amar Suloev vs Dean Lister
Suloev has seemingly been everywhere and done everything, earning a 16-4 record in various venues including M-1 Mix-Fight, AFC, WVC, 2H2H and, of course, the UFC. Amar is, without a doubt, a finisher; he holds eight wins by submission, and seven by KO or TKO. Since his tough loss to Phil "New York Bad Ass" Baroni at UFC 39, Suloev has racked up four consecutive wins, including TKO victories over Yushin Okami and Din Thomas. This will be Amar’s first time fighting for PRIDE.
Also premiering in PRIDE is his opponent, Dean Lister, a highly decorated ADCC submission grappler and former KOTC Champion. All six of Dean’s MMA victories have come by way of submission, and his two losses were both by judges’ decision. In his final KOTC appearance, Lister lost a close decision to the always-dangerous UFC/IFC/PRIDE veteran Jeremy Horn. Lister’s signing with PRIDE was huge news, and fans have been eagerly awaiting this debut. It should prove to be worth the wait.
Ikuhisa Minowa vs Kenichi Yamamoto
Ikuhisa "The Punk" Minowa has a staggering FORTY Pancrase battles under his belt, with an overall MMA record of 24-20-8. Although he has lost all three of his PRIDE fights, those losses were to Middleweight Champion and Grand Prix winner Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva, #1 Middleweight contender Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Ryan Gracie. If the UFC can bring back Tiki Ghosn after three losses in the Octagon, then PRIDE cannot be faulted for giving Minowa a fourth chance to prove his worth.
Kenichi Yamamoto is another fighter who has had a rough time in the big leagues, losing all of his last four fights. Like Minowa, his more recent losses were to some of the best in the game: former UFC Welterweight Champion Pat Miletich, international fighting sensation Genki "The Neo-Samurai" Sudo, and former UFC Heavyweight Champion and PRIDE veteran Kevin "The Monster" Randleman. Minowa seems to have the edge in experience, and Yamamoto hasn’t fought since last March.
Shungo Oyama vs Mirko Filipovic
Alas, poor Shungo, we hardly knew ye! Oyama’s 2-5 record may not be a very clear indicator of his skill as a fighter, as one of his two wins was a unanimous decision over Renzo Gracie, and all of his losses are to similarly recognizable UFC and/or PRIDE competitors: Phillip Miller, Wanderlei Silva, Wallid Ismael, Ryan Gracie and Dan Henderson. However, like Yamamoto, he hasn’t seen action since a loss last March, so ‘ring rust’ could be a factor. Another factor is his opponent… the man called Cro-Cop.
Mirko Filipovic, kickboxer-turned-MMA fighter-turned-politician, bulldozed his way to the top of the PRIDE Heavyweight heap with heavy hands and a lethal left foot. Kazuyuki Fujita, Heath Herring, Igor Vovchanchyn and Ron Waterman (to name a few) have all felt the power of "The Croatian Sensation," and only Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Kevin Randleman have been able to stop him. Coming off a decision win over Hiromitsu Kanehara, Mirko should be hungry for another knockout.
Hayato Sakurai vs Brady Fink
Sakurai is a living legend in Japan, and with good reason: he has 19 wins to his credit. His most notable victims include former UFC Middleweight Champion Dave Menne and former WFA Champion (and current UFC contender) Frank "Twinkle-Toes" Trigg. He has taken few losses, and only to some of the best in the business: rising star Anderson Silva, former UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes, new Shooto Middleweight Champion Jake Shields, Ryo Chonan and, most recently, the undefeated Rodrigo Gracie.
Sakurai’s opponent will be Team Oyama member Brady Fink, whose 2-1 record in MMA seems respectable enough… apart from the fact that the two fighters he’s beaten have a combined record of 0-2. On the flip side, Fink’s only loss was a decision to Jason Pratt, a student of IFC/UFC/PRIDE veteran Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell. That, at least, says something. Still, is a relative rookie like Fink really the caliber of competition that a superstar like Hayato Sakurai should be facing in the PRIDE ring? I guess we’ll find out.
Takanori Gomi vs Fabio Mello
Once again, Gomi looks like Japan’s best hope in the team battle. Gomi is 16-2 in MMA, with about half of his wins coming via judges’ decision and the rest a healthy mix of submissions and TKO stoppages. His only losses are a decision to Joachim Hansen and a submission at the hands of BJ Penn. Anyone who follows this sport knows that those are top-notch opponents, and that there is no shame in losing to either one of them. He has since earned two straight wins by TKO and KO, one of them over Ralph Gracie.
Fabio Mello is much less experienced at 3-1. It should also be noted that his only loss was to Dokonjonosuke Mishima by decision just a few months after Gomi earned a TKO victory over Mishima in Shooto. Go ahead and do the math: Mishima was able to go the distance with Mello, but he was unable to withstand Gomi’s strikes. Does this mean that Gomi will automatically stop Mello? No, of course not; but it certainly suggests that Gomi has a stronger overall offensive game.
Akira Shoji vs Paulo Filho
Shoji’s record reads like a "who’s-who" of MMA. Most of his wins have come his way by decision or submission, a testament to his toughness and his solid ground game. He has lost as many decisions as he has won, but two of those losses were to heavy-hitters Igor Vovchanchyn and Mark Coleman. You have to be one tough S.O.B. to last an entire fight with either one of those guys! In his 7-½ years in mixed martial arts fighting, Shoji has only been submitted once… by none other than Paulo Filho.
Filho sports a perfect 6-0 record in MMA, including decision wins over Shoji’s countrymen Ikuhisa Minowa, Yuki Kondo and Daijiro Matsui. Interestingly, his only submission win to date was the aforementioned armbar victory over Shoji. Filho is one of several Brazilians who have stopped Shoji, along with the Rua brothers, Murilo "Ninja" and Mauricio "Shogun." Nearly two years have passed since Filho defeated Shoji; that’s a fairly long time in this sport. Perhaps Shoji has learned from his past mistakes.
Kazuhiro Nakamura vs Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Nakamura lost his MMA debut against Rogerio in March of last year, via armbar submission. He returned to the PRIDE ring in the inaugural Bushido show, playing a cautious game and taking a win by decision over Daniel Gracie. After earning another decision win, this time in a largely forgettable performance against pro-wrestler "Dos Caras Junior" earlier this year, Nakamura finished Chalid "Die Faust" with an armbar submission at Bushido 3. Now, DSE has given him the chance to avenge his only loss.
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira is, of course, the twin brother of PRIDE Interim Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Rogerio has suffered only one loss, a decision to UFC veteran Vladimir "The Janitor" Matyushenko. Of his eight wins, four were by decision, and three by submission. He has been victorious against other UFC alumni, including Tsuyoshi Kosaka, Guy Mezger, and Kazushi Sakuraba. On paper, Nakamura faces a daunting challenge. Is he up to the task? Only time will tell...
Bushido 4 takes place live in Japan on Monday, July 19th. The North American pay-per-view broadcast airs on iNDEMAND, DIRECTV, and TVN on Sunday, July 25th at 3 PM EST (12 PM PST) and on DISH Network on Sunday, August 1st at 9 PM EST (6 PM PST). For additional replay times, contact your pay-per-view provider.
