Ten amazing moments in PRIDE FC History

[Nefercheperur]

Auf MMA Fighting wurde heute eine Kolumne online gestellt zu 10 grossen Pride FC Momenten. Ich denke ist ganz gut geschrieben, und wollte es auch hier rein posten.

With the recent acquisition of PRIDE by the Fertitta brothers from Dream Stage Entertainment, it would be appropriate to celebrate the company for its accomplishments in the past ten years.

There were many moments to choose from and it was difficult to narrow the list down to 10, but here are ten amazing moments in PRIDE history…

Rickson Gracie vs. Nobuhiko Takada
The first main event in PRIDE history pitted Rickson Gracie against the Japanese pro-wrestler Nobuhiko Takada. Even though the match was uneventful, it should be remembered as the first of many blockbuster main events that we have seen PRIDE put together over the years.

2000 Grand Prix
PRIDE decided to kick off the new millennium with a bang. An open weight tournament bringing 16 of the world’s best together. In a tournament which featured a 90 minute war, and the birth of an axe murderer, Mark Coleman eventually won the battle of attrition, outlasting every one else on route to becoming PRIDE’s first ever champion. He was widely regarded to be the top fighter in the world.

Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Royce Gracie
The term “changing of the guard” gets thrown around a lot these days, but most people would agree that the match between Royce Gracie and Kazushi Sakuraba at the 2000 Grand Prix was truly a “changing of the guard.” This epic 90-minute war epitomizes the will and determination of a fighter. Kazushi Sakuraba outlasted Royce Gracie, handing him his first legitimate defeat in MMA. The torch had been passed and a new era in MMA began.

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Mirko CroCop
Probably the most anticipated fight in mixed martial arts history took place during the summer of 2005. The setting was Final Conflict 2005. At stake was the PRIDE Heavyweight Championship. For months prior to the bout, fight fans all over the world debated and anxiously awaited the fight to determine the number one heavyweight. Experts predicted a competitive match up pitting two of the most skilled fighters in MMA against each other. And they were right. The two warriors went at each other for 20 minutes of sustained action. In the end, Fedor Emelianenko came out on top leaving no doubt that he was the undisputed king of the PRIDE heavyweight division.

Antonio Rodrgio Nogueira vs. Mirko CroCop
There is only one word to describe this fight: amazing. For the entire first round Nogueira was completely beaten down. He was battered and pummeled with punches and kicks from CroCop. It was a miracle that Nogueira could still stand, let alone continue fighting, but he did. He came out in the second round and secured a take down to pull off an armbar that left the mixed martial arts community stunned. Nogueira showed just what the heart of a champion truly meant as he pulled off the comeback of a lifetime.

Kevin Randleman vs. Fedor Emelianenko
Coming off a shocking win over Mirko CroCop, Kevin Randleman was attempting what many people said was impossible: defeating Fedor Emelianenko. However, he proved everyone wrong…well almost. Randleman used his tremendous strength to pull off one of the most amazing slams ever. He lifted Emelianenko high over his head and dropped him on his neck. Had that been any other man besides Emelianenko the match would have been over. Somehow Emelianenko managed to recover from the slam, flip position and eventually submit Randleman with a kimura. The stunning recovery left the entire heavyweight division asking the same question: “What will it take to stop Fedor?”

2005 Middleweight Grand Prix
In 2005 PRIDE put together one of the biggest and most competitive tournaments in MMA history. The field consisted of 16 of the best 205-pound fighters in the world. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua was left standing when all the dust cleared. In the first round of the tournament Rua decimated Quinton Jackson, which opened the eyes of many who had overlooked this young upstart from Brazil. In the second round he defeated Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in one of the most entertaining matches of that year. At the final show he defeated Alistair Overeem and then Ricardo Arona to top off an impressive tournament run. Rua’s spot as one of the top 205-pound fighters in the world was solidified and can be seen as the future of the division.

Mark Coleman vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Going into this match many people assumed that the seemingly invincible Mark Coleman was going to ground and pound his way against the relatively unknown Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Coleman was never able to unleash his ground and pound assault as Nogueira used his superb jiu-jitsu skills to defend and eventually put Coleman into a triangle choke. The reign of Nogueira had begun.

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Nogueira came into this fight as the heavy favorite. He had practically cleaned out the entire division and looked unbeatable, whereas Emelianenko was stepping into the PRIDE ring for only his third time. Emelianenko however left no doubt in anyone’s mind that he deserved to be at the top of the division as he tore Nogueira up from the opening bell until the very end. He utilized his world famous ground and pound and managed to avoid any submission attempt from Nogueira. This was the match that began Emelianenko’s reign as the top fighter in the world, a title that he still holds to this very day.

Wanderlei Silva vs. Quinton Rampage Jackson II
This match was easily one of the most anticipated rematches. The bad blood between the fighters was well documented, after Silva’s win over Jackson at the 2003 Middle Weight Grand Prix. However, coming off two impressive victories Jackson more then deserved another crack at the belt. The match itself did live up to the hype. Silva delivered a great performance topped off with one of the most memorable knock outs of all time.

Well there you have it. A look back at some of the most amazing, shocking, beautiful moments in the history of PRIDE. Any MMA fan new or old knows what PRIDE has done for the sport of MMA. As sad as it is to see the Dream Stage Entertainment days of PRIDE come to an end, the next few years promise to be an interesting time. As we close one chapter of MMA history we turn the pages to a new one led by the Fertittas that promises to take Mixed Martial Arts to a new level.

http://www.mmafighting.com/articles/sidh...pride.html