All-Star Final Four Culminate PRIDE Grand Prix
Introduction
Sep 7, 2006
PRIDE’s Open-Weight Grand Prix champion will finally be crowned
this Sunday in Tokyo and there couldn't be a more exciting
field.
With Mirko Filipovic (Pictures), former PRIDE heavyweight champ Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Pictures), current PRIDE 205-pound champion Wanderlei Silva (Pictures) and former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett (Pictures) in the mix, this is anyone’s title.
Three of the four have been champions in PRIDE or elsewhere (RINGS,
Pancrase, WEF, IVC and even Abu Dhabi).
Surprisingly, Filipovic, the only fighter without a major title, is the only combatant to have faced all three of his fellow competitors, going 2-1-1 against them.
In case one of the semifinal winners cannot continue due to injury, Russian Top Team’s Sergei Kharitonov (Pictures) battles former training partner Aleksander Emelianenko (Pictures) from the Red Devil Sports Club for the right face the last man standing.
Will we see Barnett and Filipovic meet for a third year in a row? Could it be an all-Brazilian final with Silva meeting Nogueira? Will “Minotauro” see “Cro Cop” across from him more than two years after he submitted the Croatian super striker? What if Barnett gets the victory of his career over Nogueira and must face the “Axe Murderer” for the title? And who knows, what if we see Kharitonov-Silva or Emelianenko-Barnett II? The list of possible match-ups is intriguing.
However it all plays out, one thing is for sure: we won’t be bored.
With Mirko Filipovic (Pictures), former PRIDE heavyweight champ Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Pictures), current PRIDE 205-pound champion Wanderlei Silva (Pictures) and former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett (Pictures) in the mix, this is anyone’s title.
Advertisement
Surprisingly, Filipovic, the only fighter without a major title, is the only combatant to have faced all three of his fellow competitors, going 2-1-1 against them.
In case one of the semifinal winners cannot continue due to injury, Russian Top Team’s Sergei Kharitonov (Pictures) battles former training partner Aleksander Emelianenko (Pictures) from the Red Devil Sports Club for the right face the last man standing.
Will we see Barnett and Filipovic meet for a third year in a row? Could it be an all-Brazilian final with Silva meeting Nogueira? Will “Minotauro” see “Cro Cop” across from him more than two years after he submitted the Croatian super striker? What if Barnett gets the victory of his career over Nogueira and must face the “Axe Murderer” for the title? And who knows, what if we see Kharitonov-Silva or Emelianenko-Barnett II? The list of possible match-ups is intriguing.
However it all plays out, one thing is for sure: we won’t be bored.
