Hidehiko Yoshida (Pictures) is an Olympic judo gold medalist and World Games gold medalist with over 1,000 judo matches to his credit. Hidehiko was a member of the Meiji University Judo Team with Naoya Ogawa (Pictures). At the ’92 Olympics Yoshida won gold medal in the 78-kg category. He trains with Kazuhiro Nakamura (Pictures) and Tsuyoshi Kohsaka (Pictures).
Yoshida has expanded his striking with K-1 fighter and trainer Chris Johnson and Muay Thai coach Sergio Cunha. Hidehiko has a MMA record of 7-4-1 and makes his twelfth PRIDE appearance (6-4-1).
Hidehiko suffered his first MMA loss to Wanderlei Silva (Pictures) in the Final Conflict card in 2003. He then faced Royce Gracie (Pictures) in a rematch of their controversial grappling bout. This time it was under full MMA rules and though most felt Royce dominated the contest, it was ruled a draw.
At Critical Countdown ’04 he submitted Mark Hunt (Pictures) via armbar in just over five minutes and finished the year in a battle with 2000 Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling champion Rulon Gardner. The wrestler, armed with just a few months training with Team Quest, surprised most with his skills and took a unanimous decision over the judo champion.
Yoshida would meet Silva again in ’05 and even though his performance was more impressive he lost a split decision. Two easy wins led him into a bout against Croatian striker Mirko Filipovic (Pictures), who toyed with Yoshida on the feet and methodically chopped him down with leg kicks in the opening round.
James Thompson (Pictures) (12-5-0) fights as a member of Team Trojan. Thompson’s PRIDE debut came against Aleksander Emelianenko (Pictures). Though he vibrated with rage during the announcements and charged out of the corner like a freight train, the exchange lasted a mere 12 seconds and the bout was called (prematurely in my opinion).
James would go undefeated in 2005 and picked up three wins in PRIDE. He reappeared in PRIDE against former sumo champion Henry “Sentoryu” Miller, scoring a stoppage win. He followed with another TKO against Alexandru Lungu (Pictures).
He made his only PRIDE appearance of ’06 against Kazuyuki Fujita (Pictures) and was dominating the Japanese heavyweight before getting tagged in a heated stand-up exchange. The KO came late in the first round and an improved Thompson had little to be ashamed of.
This is more of an interesting match-up when you take into account they’ve had just over a week to prepare for each other. Thompson says he’s been working with the gi on and off. He will need those skills because no one except Hidehiko knows how he will come out. I say Yoshida goes back to what he knows and wears the gi. It will aid in choking out the giant and that is where this one will end. Yoshida by submission.