Tokyudo
29th March 2006, 08:54 AM
PRIDE Bushido 10 – Preview and Analysis
By Al Yu (Tokyudo@gmail.com)
Event Date: 04.02.06
Fight Card:
Yves Edwards vs Seichi Ikemoto
Mitsuhiro Ishida vs Paul Rodriguez
Jens Pulver vs Masakazu Imanari
Denis Kang vs Mark Weir
Joachim Hansen vs Luiz Azeredo
Murilo Rua vs Paulo Filho
Akihiro Gono vs Kim Dae Won
Yuki Kondo vs Phil Baroni
Ikuhisa Minowa vs Giant Silva
Dan Henderson vs Kazuo Misaki
Takanori Gomi vs Marcus Aurelio
Yves Edwards (28-10-1) vs Seichi Ikemoto (11-11-4)
Prior to losing a close decision to Joachim Hansen at PRIDE Bushido 9, Yves Edwards was on a seven fight winning streak, defeating Josh Thompson, Hermes Franca (2x), and Dokonjonosuke Mishima along the way. Most recently at UFC 58, Edwards was submitted by Mark Hominick in a fight that not many expected Hominick to win. Seichi Ikemoto is a Shooto and DEEP veteran. He recently lost a decision to DEEP Champion Jutaro Nakao. Ikemoto is making his PRIDE debut.
Yves is looking to rebound from his shocking loss. I’m surprised that he would want to take a fight on short notice after a defeat but I guess he’s eager to get back into the ring. This fight is going to be very entertaining. Ikemoto has been more aggressive lately and likes to mix things up with his kicks and strikes. He is coming down in weight to face Edwards and will have a small reach advantage. There should be some good exchanges between these two. Edwards has been in many more battles against much better competition and that will be the key factor here. Yves is going to have the advantage in striking and he should be comfortable if the fight were to go to the ground. Ikemoto wants to make a good first impression and will try to take advantage of Edward’s mental state after a loss. However, Ikemoto has never fought anyone close to the caliber of Edwards. Watch for Yves to use his experience and superior striking to get back on the win column.
Prediction: Yves Edwards TKO Seichi Ikemoto RD1
Mitsuhiro Ishida (10-2-1) vs Paul Rodriguez (8-5-2)
Mitsuhiro Ishida is the current Shooto Pacific Welterweight Champion and teammate of Tatsuya Kawajiri. He won the title last February when he defeated Kenichiro Togashi. Paul Rodriguez is a former Gracie Barra fighter and recently joined American Top Team. He has fought in many MMA organizations including the UFC and Shooto. Last year in his Pancrase debut, he fought Koji Oishi to a draw. This will be the PRIDE debut for both fighters.
Paul Rodriguez brings a solid all-around game. His strength would definitely be his ground game. Ishida has fought better ground fighters than Rodriguez in the past and has never been submitted in his career. Look for Ishida to use his strong takedowns to bring the fight to the ground. From there, he will avoid submission attempts and outwork Rodriguez to take a decision victory.
Prediction: Mitsuhiro Ishida decisions Paul Rodriguez
Jens Pulver (19-6-1) vs Masakazu Imanari (9-4-1)
Jens ‘Little Evil’ Pulver is a former UFC Lightweight Champion and a veteran of PRIDE. Pulver holds wins over Caol Uno, BJ Penn and Dennis Hallman. At Bushido 9, Pulver was stopped by Hayato ‘Mach’ Sakurai. Masakazu Imanari is the current DEEP Featherweight Champion and has made two appearances in Bushido. He recently became DEEP’s first ever Featherweight Champion by submitting Mike Brown and Yoshiro Maeda in a featherweight tournament. At his last Bushido appearance, he was the recipient of a knee to the head from Joachim Hansen, ending the fight in the first round.
Pulver is one of the ‘scrappiest’ fighters I have ever seen. He is almost always smaller than his opponents and is usually the first to dictate the action. This time around he’s going to face someone who usually weighs less than him. Masakazu Imanari is a very unorthodox fighter with some deadly ankle/foot submissions. I haven’t seen too many fighters willing to ‘flop’ to the mat in hopes of securing a heel hook. This fight is going to be difficult for Pulver as he’s never faced an opponent as unorthodox as Imanari. Only two of Pulver’s six losses have come by submission. However, both were by ankle/foot submissions (heel hook and toe hold to be exact). This will be the upset of the night as Imanari’s style is made to frustrate Pulver. Imanari’s reluctancy to trade will result in Jens getting too close and succumbing to his opponent’s ground strategy. Pulver will have to go back to the drawing board after tapping out to a heel hook.
Prediction: Masakazu Imanari submits Jens Pulver RD1
Denis Kang (19-7-1) vs Mark Weir (17-9)
Denis Kang is a coming off of an injury that prevented him from competing in the Bushido tournament. This American Top Team fighter made a successful comeback at AFC 14 where he choked out Ron Fields. In his last PRIDE appearance, Kang defeated the tough Andrei Semenov. Since leaving the UFC, Mark Weir has made his new home at the England-based Cage Rage and is the Cage Rage British Middleweight Champion. He is currently on a three fight winning streak and recently finished Akira Shoji at Cage Rage 14. This will be Weir’s PRIDE debut.
Denis Kang is a fighter with a deceiving record. Early in his career, he suffered many losses. Since then, he’s dedicated himself and compiled a winning streak of fourteen fights. Mark Weir’s career has seen many ups and downs and has been plagued with inconsistency. It seems ‘The Wizard’ is back on track with some solid victories. Kang has shown he’s become more of a complete fighter. On their feet, Weir is going to have the advantage as his striking is his strength. Kang’s stand-up still needs refinement as he sometimes ‘paws’ his left jab and throws looping right hooks. However, Kang does have a nice straight right as Andrei Semenov found out. I can’t see Kang wanting to stand with Weir for too long. Look for Kang to take this fight to ground and wear down his opponent. From there, Weir will make a mistake and open himself to a submission via armbar or rear naked choke.
Prediction: Denis Kang submits Mark Weir RD1
Murilo Rua (11-5-1) vs Paulo Filho (10-0)
Murilo ‘Ninja’ Rua is the older brother of the current PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix Champion Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua. This Chute Boxe fighter is coming off a win over Murad Chunkaiev at PRIDE 30. Murilo will be making his welterweight debut. Paulo Filho is a BJJ practitioner and is a member of Brazilian Top Team. In his last fight, he armbarred Ryuta Sakurai in a reserve match at Bushido 9. Filho is currently undefeated as a professional fighter.
I can’t wait for this fight to happen. It’s no secret that these two don’t like each other. They have publicly discussed their dislike and will finally get to settle their grudge in the ring. Many consider Filho to be a ‘welterweight version’ of Ricardo Arona. Filho definitely has the advantage in BJJ but I feel that Rua has an underrated ground game. In his last fight, ‘Ninja’ showed some of his ground capabilities by submitting the very game Chunkaiev. It’s possible that this fight could be a mirror image of Wanderlei Silva vs Ricardo Arona 1. Rua seems to have a knack for escaping out of submissions and bad positions (with the exception of his fight against Kevin Randleman). I can’t see Filho submitting Rua. What I can see is Filho’s chin getting tested. ‘Ninja’ should prove to be the toughest striker that Filho has yet to face. If Rua has done his homework and worked on his takedown defense, Filho may have a long night ahead of him.
This will be Rua’s first fight at welterweight and he should have a size advantage over Paulo. Throughout his career, he has fought at Middleweight and even Heavyweight. Will the move down in weight affect his conditioning? We shall see soon enough. This fight should be exciting and will exhibit some good ground work. Look for ‘Ninja’ to use his superior striking and size to hand Filho his first professional MMA loss.
Prediction: Murilo Rua decisions Paulo Filho
Akihiro Gono (23-11-7) vs Kim Dae Won (2-1)
Akihiro Gono is a Pancrase, Shooto, and PRIDE Bushido veteran. He lost his PRIDE debut against Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua. Since then, he has defeated Crosley Gracie and Daniel Acacio. At Bushido 9, Gono’s welterweight title hopes ended at the hands of Dan Henderson. Kim Dae Won is a Judo practitioner from Korea. He lost his pro debut and has since earned two decisions over unheralded opponents.
The more I watch Gono, the more I’m impressed. I’ll be honest, I didn’t pick him to defeat Daniel Acacio in the Bushido tournament. He may never be considered one of the elite fighters in PRIDE but he’s definitely no journeyman either. Not much is known about Kim Dae Won other than his lack of professional experience. Both fighters share a same previous opponent in Keiichiro Yamamiya (Kim Dae Won earned a decision while Gono finished his opponent with strikes). Kim Dae Won is the physically stronger fighter but I feel he will be outmatched here. Gono has a good all around game and is the better striker. Look for Gono to wear Kim Dae Won down and finish him off with strikes in the second round.
Prediction: Akihiro Gono TKO Kim Dae Won RD2
By Al Yu (Tokyudo@gmail.com)
Event Date: 04.02.06
Fight Card:
Yves Edwards vs Seichi Ikemoto
Mitsuhiro Ishida vs Paul Rodriguez
Jens Pulver vs Masakazu Imanari
Denis Kang vs Mark Weir
Joachim Hansen vs Luiz Azeredo
Murilo Rua vs Paulo Filho
Akihiro Gono vs Kim Dae Won
Yuki Kondo vs Phil Baroni
Ikuhisa Minowa vs Giant Silva
Dan Henderson vs Kazuo Misaki
Takanori Gomi vs Marcus Aurelio
Yves Edwards (28-10-1) vs Seichi Ikemoto (11-11-4)
Prior to losing a close decision to Joachim Hansen at PRIDE Bushido 9, Yves Edwards was on a seven fight winning streak, defeating Josh Thompson, Hermes Franca (2x), and Dokonjonosuke Mishima along the way. Most recently at UFC 58, Edwards was submitted by Mark Hominick in a fight that not many expected Hominick to win. Seichi Ikemoto is a Shooto and DEEP veteran. He recently lost a decision to DEEP Champion Jutaro Nakao. Ikemoto is making his PRIDE debut.
Yves is looking to rebound from his shocking loss. I’m surprised that he would want to take a fight on short notice after a defeat but I guess he’s eager to get back into the ring. This fight is going to be very entertaining. Ikemoto has been more aggressive lately and likes to mix things up with his kicks and strikes. He is coming down in weight to face Edwards and will have a small reach advantage. There should be some good exchanges between these two. Edwards has been in many more battles against much better competition and that will be the key factor here. Yves is going to have the advantage in striking and he should be comfortable if the fight were to go to the ground. Ikemoto wants to make a good first impression and will try to take advantage of Edward’s mental state after a loss. However, Ikemoto has never fought anyone close to the caliber of Edwards. Watch for Yves to use his experience and superior striking to get back on the win column.
Prediction: Yves Edwards TKO Seichi Ikemoto RD1
Mitsuhiro Ishida (10-2-1) vs Paul Rodriguez (8-5-2)
Mitsuhiro Ishida is the current Shooto Pacific Welterweight Champion and teammate of Tatsuya Kawajiri. He won the title last February when he defeated Kenichiro Togashi. Paul Rodriguez is a former Gracie Barra fighter and recently joined American Top Team. He has fought in many MMA organizations including the UFC and Shooto. Last year in his Pancrase debut, he fought Koji Oishi to a draw. This will be the PRIDE debut for both fighters.
Paul Rodriguez brings a solid all-around game. His strength would definitely be his ground game. Ishida has fought better ground fighters than Rodriguez in the past and has never been submitted in his career. Look for Ishida to use his strong takedowns to bring the fight to the ground. From there, he will avoid submission attempts and outwork Rodriguez to take a decision victory.
Prediction: Mitsuhiro Ishida decisions Paul Rodriguez
Jens Pulver (19-6-1) vs Masakazu Imanari (9-4-1)
Jens ‘Little Evil’ Pulver is a former UFC Lightweight Champion and a veteran of PRIDE. Pulver holds wins over Caol Uno, BJ Penn and Dennis Hallman. At Bushido 9, Pulver was stopped by Hayato ‘Mach’ Sakurai. Masakazu Imanari is the current DEEP Featherweight Champion and has made two appearances in Bushido. He recently became DEEP’s first ever Featherweight Champion by submitting Mike Brown and Yoshiro Maeda in a featherweight tournament. At his last Bushido appearance, he was the recipient of a knee to the head from Joachim Hansen, ending the fight in the first round.
Pulver is one of the ‘scrappiest’ fighters I have ever seen. He is almost always smaller than his opponents and is usually the first to dictate the action. This time around he’s going to face someone who usually weighs less than him. Masakazu Imanari is a very unorthodox fighter with some deadly ankle/foot submissions. I haven’t seen too many fighters willing to ‘flop’ to the mat in hopes of securing a heel hook. This fight is going to be difficult for Pulver as he’s never faced an opponent as unorthodox as Imanari. Only two of Pulver’s six losses have come by submission. However, both were by ankle/foot submissions (heel hook and toe hold to be exact). This will be the upset of the night as Imanari’s style is made to frustrate Pulver. Imanari’s reluctancy to trade will result in Jens getting too close and succumbing to his opponent’s ground strategy. Pulver will have to go back to the drawing board after tapping out to a heel hook.
Prediction: Masakazu Imanari submits Jens Pulver RD1
Denis Kang (19-7-1) vs Mark Weir (17-9)
Denis Kang is a coming off of an injury that prevented him from competing in the Bushido tournament. This American Top Team fighter made a successful comeback at AFC 14 where he choked out Ron Fields. In his last PRIDE appearance, Kang defeated the tough Andrei Semenov. Since leaving the UFC, Mark Weir has made his new home at the England-based Cage Rage and is the Cage Rage British Middleweight Champion. He is currently on a three fight winning streak and recently finished Akira Shoji at Cage Rage 14. This will be Weir’s PRIDE debut.
Denis Kang is a fighter with a deceiving record. Early in his career, he suffered many losses. Since then, he’s dedicated himself and compiled a winning streak of fourteen fights. Mark Weir’s career has seen many ups and downs and has been plagued with inconsistency. It seems ‘The Wizard’ is back on track with some solid victories. Kang has shown he’s become more of a complete fighter. On their feet, Weir is going to have the advantage as his striking is his strength. Kang’s stand-up still needs refinement as he sometimes ‘paws’ his left jab and throws looping right hooks. However, Kang does have a nice straight right as Andrei Semenov found out. I can’t see Kang wanting to stand with Weir for too long. Look for Kang to take this fight to ground and wear down his opponent. From there, Weir will make a mistake and open himself to a submission via armbar or rear naked choke.
Prediction: Denis Kang submits Mark Weir RD1
Murilo Rua (11-5-1) vs Paulo Filho (10-0)
Murilo ‘Ninja’ Rua is the older brother of the current PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix Champion Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua. This Chute Boxe fighter is coming off a win over Murad Chunkaiev at PRIDE 30. Murilo will be making his welterweight debut. Paulo Filho is a BJJ practitioner and is a member of Brazilian Top Team. In his last fight, he armbarred Ryuta Sakurai in a reserve match at Bushido 9. Filho is currently undefeated as a professional fighter.
I can’t wait for this fight to happen. It’s no secret that these two don’t like each other. They have publicly discussed their dislike and will finally get to settle their grudge in the ring. Many consider Filho to be a ‘welterweight version’ of Ricardo Arona. Filho definitely has the advantage in BJJ but I feel that Rua has an underrated ground game. In his last fight, ‘Ninja’ showed some of his ground capabilities by submitting the very game Chunkaiev. It’s possible that this fight could be a mirror image of Wanderlei Silva vs Ricardo Arona 1. Rua seems to have a knack for escaping out of submissions and bad positions (with the exception of his fight against Kevin Randleman). I can’t see Filho submitting Rua. What I can see is Filho’s chin getting tested. ‘Ninja’ should prove to be the toughest striker that Filho has yet to face. If Rua has done his homework and worked on his takedown defense, Filho may have a long night ahead of him.
This will be Rua’s first fight at welterweight and he should have a size advantage over Paulo. Throughout his career, he has fought at Middleweight and even Heavyweight. Will the move down in weight affect his conditioning? We shall see soon enough. This fight should be exciting and will exhibit some good ground work. Look for ‘Ninja’ to use his superior striking and size to hand Filho his first professional MMA loss.
Prediction: Murilo Rua decisions Paulo Filho
Akihiro Gono (23-11-7) vs Kim Dae Won (2-1)
Akihiro Gono is a Pancrase, Shooto, and PRIDE Bushido veteran. He lost his PRIDE debut against Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua. Since then, he has defeated Crosley Gracie and Daniel Acacio. At Bushido 9, Gono’s welterweight title hopes ended at the hands of Dan Henderson. Kim Dae Won is a Judo practitioner from Korea. He lost his pro debut and has since earned two decisions over unheralded opponents.
The more I watch Gono, the more I’m impressed. I’ll be honest, I didn’t pick him to defeat Daniel Acacio in the Bushido tournament. He may never be considered one of the elite fighters in PRIDE but he’s definitely no journeyman either. Not much is known about Kim Dae Won other than his lack of professional experience. Both fighters share a same previous opponent in Keiichiro Yamamiya (Kim Dae Won earned a decision while Gono finished his opponent with strikes). Kim Dae Won is the physically stronger fighter but I feel he will be outmatched here. Gono has a good all around game and is the better striker. Look for Gono to wear Kim Dae Won down and finish him off with strikes in the second round.
Prediction: Akihiro Gono TKO Kim Dae Won RD2