PrideFC News - Page 1

Fighters Only: Do you miss Pride? Rampage: I tell you what, I had some good times over in Pride. The UFC treats me better than Pride but the fans, the whole atmosphere… I remember after the fights in Pride, for the longest time they used to have these after parties right there in the arena. By the time the last fight was over you’d go and have a shower and then in the back room they would have a paty and the owners would talk to you and you would have some of, I guess the VIP fans, who had paid for the expensive tickets. You came back there and had the greatest time, some of the guys would be so cool. I have so much respect for Gary Goodridge, whether he won or lost he would be back there having a good time after the fights. I f I lost I would be all [sad face], moping around, drinking a little beer and eating. Gary would be laughing and joking around. They were the best times, that’s one of the things I miss most about Pride, the after parties right afterwards. The production was one of the best things about Pride. The first time I fought there they lowered me down in this cage, I was like 70 feet in the air and it was scary! Me and Sakuraba were in there, he was on one side and I was on the other. I didn’t know him. That was the first time I met him, up in the cage and he reached over and shook my hand. Sakuaraba turned out to be a really cool guy actually. So what was bad about Pride? A lot of things man. I don’t know what their problem was but they wouldn’t promote me at all, they cheated me out of money from dolls and t-shirts, not paying me… when my contract was up and we were negotiating and I wanted more money and they were telling me ‘oh but you’re a nobody’. This was after I had fought in the Grand Prix and beat Igor Vovchanchyn. Even after I went to that K-1 fight and represented them in K-1, they were mad I won that K-1 fight! Just stuff like that.

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Nearly two years have passed since the collapse of PRIDE Fighting Championships and although the future of the organization most assumed to be dead is somewhat foggy, one fact that has been made crystal clear is that a growing number of ex-employees of the beloved Japanese promotion despise the show’s former American producer, Jerry Millen.

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Mark Coleman “The Hammer is ready for The Natural”

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PDG: There has been mention that injuries were taking their toll on you but it almost seems like a blessing in disguise; instead of fighting someone that has been out of the game for 18 months, you are headlining UFC 109 against Randy Couture. Mark Coleman: That is exactly what this sport is all about and sometimes it's just about being in the right place at the right time. When I was hurt and couldn’t fight Tito Ortiz I was devastated because at the time I felt that nothing could match the magnitude of that fight. I had no idea what was waiting in the wings and I certainly didn't anticipate fighting Randy Couture but yes in hindsight it was definitely a blessing in disguise and in my mind and that of most of the fans this is definitely a bigger fight than one with Tito Ortiz but I still wouldn't mind getting a piece of that douche bag when the time comes.

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A new series that features some of the top matchups from the now-defunct PRIDE Fighting Championships organization debuts Jan. 15 on Spike TV. "Best of PRIDE," which features the video library the UFC's parent company acquired after its purchase of the organization in 2007, airs each Friday at 10 p.m. ET/PT with replays throughout the week. Maxim model Kenda Perez hosts the program.

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Antonio Rogerio Nogueira is set to debut at UFC 105, but don't expect him to fight Lyoto Machida in the future.

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One of the few top ten light heavyweights that is not in the Zuffa has apparently signed with the company, according to his brother, Big Nog.

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Check out some of the new programming to debut this year on Spike TV, including a series dedicated to the greatest fights in Pride history!!!!

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As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) first reported, MMA legend Don Frye (20-7-1) will meet fast-rising prospect Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal (4-0) in the main event of "M-1 Breakthrough" on Aug. 28. Announced as the organization's "new premium fight series," the event will be held in conjunction with IMMAE, and international MMA trade show, at the Los Angeles Convention Center in California. "M-1 Breakthrough" will be broadcast live on HDNet.

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Ready to host its own major shows (rather than co-promoting with other organizations), M-1 Global will kick off a new era of fight promotion on Aug. 28 with a main event of top prospect Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal (4-0) vs. MMA trailblazer and legend Don Frye (20-7-1). Sources close to the negotiations today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) bout agreements have finally been signed for the previously rumored matchup. The event, "M-1 Global Presents Breakthrough," takes place at the Los Angeles Convention Center in California. An HDNet official today told MMAjunkie.com the event airs live on the all-high-definition cable station. The show, which takes place on the eve of UFC 102 in Portland, Ore., is being held in conjunction with IMMAE, an international MMA expo and trade show. M-1 Global, a Russian-based organization, is perhaps best known for its "M-1 Challenge" event series, which M-1 officials bill as the "World Cup of Mixed Martial Arts." The series uses a country-vs.-country format for team competitions. However, while popular with many overseas locations, the event series has experienced minimal success in the U.S. However, event organizers want to penetrate the lucrative U.S. market, and they plan to use a non-team event series (similar to the UFC and Strikeforce) for some future shows. M-1 has traditionally teamed with Affliction Entertainment to co-promote events but will go solo on Aug. 28. Many major names have fought under the M-1 banner – including heavyweight kingpin Fedor Emelianenko – and could be options for future shows. The first event, though, will feature two newcomers to M-1

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Mark Coleman – The Hammer Talks UFC 100

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PDG: What are your thoughts on your opponent; Stephan Bonnar? Mark Coleman: I respect him quite a bit and he has never been stopped in the UFC. He has fought some wars in the cage and he has a huge heart. Stephan has good reach and a good standup game that you have to respect. I have been working a lot in training on my standup and I was hoping to use that in my next couple of fights but I'm going to have to be smart with him and probably take him to the ground. Where I do what I do best – Ground and Pound. I have nothing but respect for Stephan Bonnar and his fight with Forest Griffin was an amazing fight that put the UFC on the map.

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Here’s something wonderful about disavowing any responsibility to your fellow man: You can throw any two people in a ring, instruct them to smack each other in the head until one falls down and then count the gate receipts. (Toughman’s Art Dore -- your patron saint.)

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Four years ago, I was in an MMA pick 'em pool with four acquaintances. UFC and Pride cards, $20 buy-in, points for winner-method-round, and the total points winner took the pot. It was May 2005, and Pride's Bushido 7 was on the slate. I could already feel the 100 bones making the act of sitting down near impossible, almost Costanza-like. Being a massive MMA nerd and with Dream Stage Entertainment having retooled the Bushido program to heavily feature lightweights and homegrown talents, I figured I had a natural leg-up on my pool contemporaries who didn't feel the need to maniacally obsess over the sport. Naturally, I lost the Pride Bushido 7 pool. Actually, I didn't "lose" per se; I came in second place, by one point -- a fate infinitely more excruciating. Within the pick 'em pool, I was the only person who took the debuting Michihiro Omigawa over Aaron Riley. None too surprisingly either. I still consider it one of the worst fight picks I've ever made (maybe this is a column idea in and of itself), not just because of the fact that it robbed me of $100 but because it's as classic an example of overanalysis as you can get. Here was my idiotic rationale, as best I can recall: Omigawa's debut was coming on the heels of his teammate Makoto Takimoto getting a generous decision over sumo Henry "Sentoryu" Miller on New Year's Eve. As another pupil of Hidehiko Yoshida, one of DSE's few major domestic stars whom they wanted to keep happy, I expected Omigawa to be given considerable latitude for the officials. I anticipated that he would avoid mucking about on the feet with Riley, a battle-hardened brawler, and instead would quickly get some takedowns, at which point he would attempt to smother him with his gi and be given a gift decision by the judges due to the politics of the fight game. Anyone with a scintilla of common sense would've looked at the fact that Omigawa was a debuting judoka and that Riley was one of the sport's toughest customers, then would’ve commented it was a good thing Omigawa brought his pajamas with him: He was going to be put to bed -- which he was at six minutes even of the first round. However, with his recent underdog run halfway through Sengoku's featherweight grand prix, Omigawa now strikes different thoughts in my head.

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Shark Fight Promotions are staging a fight in Lubbock, TX on Saturday, May 2. TUF 10 tryout Rex Richards, whose only loss is to UFC HW contender, Shane Carwin, will be making his debut at 265 lbs. against a 13-0 Schoonover. Jesse Taylor will continue to extend his streak to 5 after losing to C.B. Dollaway in his UFC debut. UFC and Pride veteran Don Frye will take on Judo Champion Rich Moss. The fight cards is as follows: Rex Richards vs Darrill Schoonover Shannon Rich vs 'TJ' Waldburger Jesse Taylor vs Eric Davila Wayne Cole vs Marcus Sursa Phil Cardella vs Johnny Flores Louis Luna vs Douglas Frey Brandi Hainey vs Jessica Miramontes Don Frye vs Rich Moss Aaron Garcia vs Elmar Muller Rolando Scott vs Zach Haney

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With his emergence on the scene at UFC 8 in 1996, Don Frye made an indelible mark upon the mixed martial arts world, both for his fighting prowess and unique style. Rooted in a collegiate wrestling background that included stints at high-level programs at Arizona State and Oklahoma State, Frye utilized a different kind of game than those with his pedigree at the time. He had a better understanding of jiu-jitsu, could operate from his back and did not shy away from trading blows on the feet, even when seemingly outgunned. His arrival signaled the prototype of what would later become the standard -- the well-rounded mixed martial artist capable of competing effectively at any range, in any position -- and his career in the UFC and Pride Fighting Championships marked him as one of the game’s most entertaining fighters to watch. Carrying a record of 19-7-1 (1 NC), “The Predator” locked horns with some of biggest names of his era, including Mark Coleman, Ken Shamrock and David "Tank" Abbott. Whether it was his thrilling street-style brawl against Abbott in which he won the Ultimate Ultimate in 1996 or his blood-soaked, gutty technical knockout loss to Mark Coleman at UFC 10, Frye always gave fans more than their money’s worth. He currently resides in Tucson, Ariz. Q: You’ve tried acting lately, appearing in a few productions. How do you like it so far? A: I’ve made a couple movies. Earlier this year, I made “Public Enemies” and just got done with a small role in a movie called “Number 13” with Jason Statham and Mickey Rourke. It was a pretty good experience. Q: You’re a fighter. They’re actors. What was it like meeting and working with them? A: They’re a bunch of good guys. Hell, they’re real polite … just regular old boys. Acting is their job. Q: Rourke had a few pro fights. Did you guys talk about the fight game? A: We sat there and swapped stories. Rouke’s a good ole boy. I really like him. “Godzilla” was my first acting experience. I pretty much was just thrown in there as one of the leads. I played Kevin Douglas Gordon, the captain of a flying submarine. He was gonna try and save the planet.

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In a sport where an evening of hyperextensions and blood-faucet noses is considered getting off lightly, it should come as little surprise that some real savages occasionally enter the ring. You’ve got to have a misplaced synapse or two to eat pain for a living.

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Great fighters are remembered for a collection of moments within a vast library of sights and sounds -- a record of unforgettable victories and their most stinging defeats. But no moment stands out more than when a fighter distinguishes himself as a true force with which to be reckoned, having blossomed beyond the world of contenders and prospects. you know this is just a list someone did in there opinion. i like it but if any of you have ones that you think should have made the list feel free to post

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by Evgeni Kogan "I'm ready. It doesn't matter with who or where. On foot or on horseback. With maces or poleaxes. To fight. To first blood or to death. It doesn't matter, I'm ready to fight." -- Aleksander Emelianenko (Pictures) Living in the shadow of a big brother isn't easy. When you are in the same profession and he's more accomplished and better known, it's hard to stand in the spotlight unobstructed, as your own man. Side by side, the achievements that you've worked your whole life for, that you've gone through hell for in order to become a better person are less dazzling, less impressive when compared to his. You have less say in your fighting future, less media attention when he's caught in a perpetual avalanche of flash bulbs and microphones. You're fighting on the televised undercard when he's headlining the pay-per-view. Dude is so russian

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Mark Hunt has still yet to be given a fighter, but there has been some very interesting match ups!

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Daniel Herbertson was on location in Tokyo to witness the second day of K-1 Max and Dream's Akasaka Fight Festival, where Shinya Aoki (Pictures) and Masakazu Imanari (Pictures) took to the mat for a grappling exhibition. Also, Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures) and Hidehiko Hasegawa (Pictures) displayed some excellent technique.

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FiveOuncesOfPain.com has learned that Affliction’s main event between Fedor Emelianenko and Tim Sylvia scheduled for the promotion’s inaugural card on July 19 is expected to be contested for a heavyweight title.

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