Heath Herring vs. Yoshiki Takahashi

The first fight of the Grand Prix featured ‘The Texas Crazy Horse’ Heath Herring looking to continue his recent winning streak against long-time Pancrase institution Yoshiki Takahashi.  Takahashi came out looking relaxed and loose, while Herring came out looking somewhat anxious. 

Herring wasted no time and exploded into action with a forward kick, but the action was temporarily stopped due to a possible brush to Takahashi’s eye.  Once fighting resumed, Herring continued his explosive ways throwing a flurry of front and high kicks in rapid succession.  Takahashi shot and took Herring to the ground, collapsing on top of his back.  From there, he started to rain knees to the top of Herring’s head.  Eventually, Herring worked his way out of this situation and got the takedown, but stuck his neck out a bit too far and almost got choked-out by a well-sunk guillotine.  After pulling free, both fighters were repositioned in the center, and this time Herring really brought the fight to Takahashi landing one brutal hammer after another to his face from within the guard.  After a frightening number of well-landed blows, this pounding paid-off as Takahashi’s face suddenly went blank.  Herring had visibly knocked him cold!  Heath Herring by brutal first round knockout.

Murilo Rua vs. Sergey Kharitonov

The second fight of the night featured high-octane Chute Boxe team representative Murilo ‘Ninja’ Rua against undefeated Russian Top Team specialist Sergey Kharitonov – two fighters with reputations for finishing their opponents, and finishing them quickly.  Ninja came out looking for a number of low kicks right away, and it seemed that Kharitonov favored the defensive approach at first.  Ninja initiated a clinch from which Sergey used an impressive judo trip to throw Ninja to the ground.  Kharitonov then attempted to mount from that position, but this didn’t last long and Ninja worked his way back to his feet.  Both fighters at this point were showing that they weren’t afraid to take a hit, and Kharitonov demonstrated impressive composure in the face of Rua’s attacks.  Eventually, it was Kharitonov who became the aggressor, looking for openings in Rua’s defense, and landing a number of well-placed body blows and kicks.  Then suddenly, in a flash Kharitonov landed a brutal right hook to Ninja’s head, and his legs began wobbling from the effect.  As Ninja began to collapse to his knees, Kharitonov followed-up with a killer punch that sent an already kneeling Murilo Ninja to the canvas unconscious.  A technically sound first round knockout for Kharitonov and the Russian Top Team. 

Henry  Miller vs. Pablo Silva

The third fight of the night featured former sumo wrestler Henry ‘Sentoryu’ Miller against the monstrous physical specimen known as ‘Giant’ Silva.  Although both fighters were lacking in PRIDE experience, certainly neither was lacking in sheer size.  Both fighters felt each other out for a brief moment, and then Sentoryu successfully shot for a hard-earned right leg takedown.  However, from within Silva’s massive guard, Sentoryu found it nearly impossible to reach his face with punches and appeared to be rapidly tiring from the effort.  Sentoryu eventually worked his way to the side mount position.  This would prove to be his last mistake, however, as ‘Giant’ Silva, demonstrating a surprising knowledge of submissions, successfully applied a somewhat unpolished kimura from the bottom.  ‘Giant’ Silva by considerably improved ground game. 

Semmy Schilt vs. Gan McGee

The fourth bout of the night featured long-time K-1 and PRIDE sensation Semmy Schilt in another battle of the giants with former UFC heavyweight contender ‘Big’ Gan McGee.  Schilt began in an aggressive but calm fighting stance but, somewhat surprisingly, McGee opted to turn the fight into a wrestling match with a double-leg takedown.  With surprising ease, McGee worked his way into the full-mount position, and attempted to rain some of the same damaging blows to Schilt’s head that had previously finished other unfortunate opponents.  However, Schilt demonstrated good technique in frustrating McGee’s efforts by tying-up his hands and keeping his body close at times.  Despite his disadvantageous position, Schilt eventually managed to do the greater damage to McGee’s face, opening up some serious damage on his nose, and rapidly sapping his stamina.  Within moments, Schilt had reversed his fortunes, and McGee was the one fighting from the bottom with Schilt in the mount.  Seconds later, Schilt, in an excellent display of agility, took McGee’s arm and rolled into an arm bar.  Another decisive first round victory for the members of Team Golden Glory.

Naoya Ogawa vs. Stefan Leko

In the extremely bizarre fifth fight of the night, former Japanese judo champion, pro-wrestler, and undefeated PRIDE veteran Naoya Ogawa would test his striker-slaying skills yet again against hard-hitting K-1 veteran Stefan ‘Blitz’ Leko.  Both fighters came out accomplishing very little, exchanging some weak opening strikes.  Then, in a bizarre turn of events following an ineffective Ogawa right jab, Leko apparently managed to somehow knock himself down!  Naturally, Ogawa jumped on this opportunity to take the fight to the ground, and this is where it would end.  Seconds later, Ogawa would sink-in what appeared to be an arm triangle choke, and Leko promptly tapped-out.  All in all, a very brief and rather unusual fight.

Mirko Filipovic vs. [[Kevin Randleman]]

The next fight of the night featured the first of PRIDE’s ‘Big-3’ Heavyweights, Mirko ‘CroCop’ Filipovic, against a very determined Kevin ‘The Monster’ Randleman.  Most people gave Randleman, fresh off a two-fight losing streak, little to no chance in this one.  But before the match Randleman would say, “CroCop has everything to lose in this fight,” as if to imply that he himself, had little to lose in the PRIDE ring, but everything to gain.

As the fight commenced, Randleman wasted no time in going for the takedown, and forced CroCop into the corner on his feet.  Randleman’s face showed a tremendous amount of calm and focus as he attempted to bring Filipovic to the ground.  However, Randleman couldn’t make anything happen from the corner, and both fighters were then separated.  Action was resumed, and this time Randleman was more tentative about going for the takedown, only once briefly attempting one.  But suddenly, like something from out of a dream, Randleman landed a swift and punishing left hook to CroCop’s chin, sending him reeling to the ground.  Seizing the moment, Randleman immediately lunged upon the fallen Mirko, and proceeded to pound his head into oblivion.  After seconds, CroCop had been knocked cold, and Kevin ‘The Monster’ Randleman was positively exploding in raw celebration.  

Afterward, Randleman would say to the fans, “if you think that I wasn’t scared to come in here and fight this man, you’re wrong – I’m human, like everybody else.” Then, pointing forcefully to the crowd in all directions, Randleman screamed “But for you, you, and you – I’ll go to hell in a hand basket!”  The immediate reaction from the fans was delight.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Hirotaka Yokoi

In the seventh fight of the night, slick submission master and PRIDE Interim Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira would look to improve on the record of the ‘Big-3’ by facing Japanese submission wrestler Hirotaka Yokoi.  Early on in the fight, both fighters quickly went for the clinch, and Nogueira eventually muscled Yokoi to the mat and into the side mount position.  This did not appear to be a very desirable position for Yokoi who seemed a little lost on the bottom.  Suddenly though, Yokoi employed a slick escape, and got the fight back to his feet.  Then, Yokoi would throw Nogueira to the ground, and attempt to pass his guard for some ground and pound action.  This, however, proved ineffective, and Nogueira reversed the situation, only to have the situation reversed yet again.  Yokoi quickly threw a series of punishing straight punches to Nogueira’s head.  Once again, Nogueira defended with kicks from his back, and succeeded at tying-up Yokoi’s hands.  Despite his relative success up to this point, Yokoi seemed to be getting visibly fatigued early in the fight, and eventually the fight went back to the feet.  There, Yokoi would unwisely choose to box with Nogueira for most of the remainder of the round.  This resulted in Yokoi getting tactically taken-apart on his feet, and at one point collapsing exhaustedly into the corner ropes. Briefly, both fighters returned to the ground where Nogueira twice attempted guillotine chokes unsuccessfully from the bottom. 

The second round began with Yokoi briefly tripping Nogueira and taking him to the ground, but both fighters immediately returned to their feet.  There, they decided to box again briefly, but this proved to be just as bad of a decision by Yokoi as before.  In the final moments of the fight, Yokoi would shoot for a weak double-leg takedown, only to have Nogueira collapse on top of him, and proceed to deliver a few well-placed knees to Yokoi’s head.  Seconds later, Nogueira would finish Yokoi from above with a rarely seen front choke sleeper submission. 

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Mark Coleman

Total Elimination’s final bout would be a showdown between two great champions.  Defending 2000 Grand Prix Champion Mark Coleman against current PRIDE Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko.  Coleman came in looking a bit on the light side, but in great shape and very focused.  Fedor appeared to be his same unnervingly calm and reserved self. 

As the fight kicked-off, both fighters came out striking on their feet, but it was Coleman who initially managed the takedown and started to deliver some of his famous ground and pound action to a somewhat stunned and dazed Fedor.  Coleman then took Fedor’s back, and attempted a rear-naked choke in the corner, but this wouldn’t last long.  Fedor worked his way back to his feet and actually briefly applied a guillotine choke to Coleman in return.  But Coleman powered his way out of this choke and proceeded to tackle Fedor once again.  He then resumed delivering a few more brief moments of ground and pound until suddenly, in a rare demonstration of his champion sambo skills, Fedor flipped his legs under Coleman’s neck, took his arm, and delivered an arm bar reminiscent of the one with which Nogueira had defeated CroCop at Final Conflict.  Fedor by arm bar in the first round.