Pride: Bushido III Review
Ricardo Almeida vs. Ryo Chonan
May 25, 2004
Ricardo Almeida vs. Ryo Chonan
This fight was possibly the fight of the night, and definitely the best of the Gracie vs. Japan themed main events. Middleweight King of Pancrase Ricardo “Big Dog” Almeida is regarded by many as one of the most technical fighters on the mat.
Ryo “The Japanese Hurricane” Chonan is more of a stand up fighter,
on the other hand, and was considered a huge underdog in this
particular fight. Ryo himself said in an interview that he
considers Almeida to be a superior fighter. Well, he surprised
everybody who saw the show, as he hung with The Big Dog wherever
the fight went, even hurting him with some well timed strikes on a
few occasions.
The fight started with the warriors trading low kicks, feeling each other out. Almeida got a body lock, but the supreme balance of Chonan kept The Big Dog from taking the fight to the mat. After more of the same, Almeida finally succeeded in grounding the fight, dropping Chonan with a hard slam. Almeida put on quite a display.
Before the fight, Ricardo said he would “be like water,” and that’s exactly what he did, whether he was transitioning to mount or attempting a submission. Chonan was equally as impressive though, easily slipping out of numerous submissions, including a rear choke and a really tight side choke. Chonan almost had a heel hook as well, but the foot slipped out of his grip.
The second round saw more effective striking by Chonan, and more takedowns and positional control by Almeida. After taking the Hurricane down with a single leg, Almeida was almost caught in a triangle. He threw Ryo’s legs off and continued his calculated attack. After a sweep by Chonan, Almeida received many good punches through his guard, and a sneaky knee during a scramble.
Chonan squirmed and shrimped from the bottom, keeping Ricardo’s submission attempts at bay for the rest of the round. Although neither fighter inflicted any serious damage, Almeida was in control for most of the fight. Ricardo Almeida wins by unanimous decision. Gracies 1, Japan 0.
This fight was possibly the fight of the night, and definitely the best of the Gracie vs. Japan themed main events. Middleweight King of Pancrase Ricardo “Big Dog” Almeida is regarded by many as one of the most technical fighters on the mat.
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The fight started with the warriors trading low kicks, feeling each other out. Almeida got a body lock, but the supreme balance of Chonan kept The Big Dog from taking the fight to the mat. After more of the same, Almeida finally succeeded in grounding the fight, dropping Chonan with a hard slam. Almeida put on quite a display.
Before the fight, Ricardo said he would “be like water,” and that’s exactly what he did, whether he was transitioning to mount or attempting a submission. Chonan was equally as impressive though, easily slipping out of numerous submissions, including a rear choke and a really tight side choke. Chonan almost had a heel hook as well, but the foot slipped out of his grip.
The second round saw more effective striking by Chonan, and more takedowns and positional control by Almeida. After taking the Hurricane down with a single leg, Almeida was almost caught in a triangle. He threw Ryo’s legs off and continued his calculated attack. After a sweep by Chonan, Almeida received many good punches through his guard, and a sneaky knee during a scramble.
Chonan squirmed and shrimped from the bottom, keeping Ricardo’s submission attempts at bay for the rest of the round. Although neither fighter inflicted any serious damage, Almeida was in control for most of the fight. Ricardo Almeida wins by unanimous decision. Gracies 1, Japan 0.
