PRIDE Grand Prix 2004: Critical Countdown
Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Heath Herring
Jun 18, 2004
Rodrigo
“Minotauro” Nogueira vs. Heath “Texas Crazy Horse”
Herring
RODRIGO NOGUEIRA: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, two-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion; RINGS King of Kings 1999 Tournament runner up; RINGS King of Kings 2000 Tournament Champion; former PFC heavyweight Champion; 2000 Abu Dhabi Combat Championships 99kg division tournament quarterfinalist; UFO veteran, former WEF Heavyweight Champion; trains with Murilo Bustamante, Ricardo Liborio, Ricardo Arona, Mario Sperry and Rogerio Nogueira and the rest of the Brazilian Top Team; with a 22-2-1 record in MMA making his 12th appearance (10-1-0) in the ring of the PFC.
HISTORY: Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira began his MMA career
in the U.S. at the World Extreme Fighting shows and earned the WEF
heavyweight title by defeating Jeremy Horn. He also began competing
in RINGS events the same year. Rodrigo became the RINGS King of
Kings 2000 Tournament Champion by defeating Valentijn Overeem in
the final and moved on the more open MMA rules of Pride. In just
his third appearance in the PFC, Nogueira fought for and won the
heavyweight title defeating Heath Herring. Rodrigo lost the title
to Emelianenko Fedor in March of 2003 but won an interim
championship title in November 2003 against Mirko Filipovic. He
recently beat Hirotaka Yokoi to advance to the second round of the
2004 Pride GP.
Nogueira/Jeremy Horn: Nogueira was awarded the WEF Superfight Championship title after his bout with Jeremy Horn at WEF 8. In the course of the match, he tagged Horn repeatedly, almost at will with some impressive combinations. The problem was Jeremy appeared unfazed after each exchange. At the time, Rodrigo had a habit of dropping his hands, making him susceptible to a barrage of headshots. Horn nailed Nogueira twice in the head with kicks but couldn’t drop him. Rodrigo took the title via decision.
Nogueira/Bob Sapp: Rodrigo fought the Maurice Smith/Matt Hume trained giant Bob Sapp at the Pride Shockwave show and nearly got himself killed. The PFC heavyweight champion performed commendably but the risks he took to do so were immeasurable. Sapp was not the simply the freakish beast most took him for but showed some conditioning and skill with a possible future in the sport. Rodrigo was able to constrict one of Sapp’s giant limbs and secure the armbar late in the second round.
Nogueira/Emelianenko Fedor: Rodrigo could do nothing to solve the mystery of Fedor for three rounds. Nogueira tried for submission after submission but Fedor gave a sambo clinic, pulling his arm out of locks whenever he felt like it and smashing the face of the Brazilian champion. Fedor took a unanimous decision and the PFC heavyweight title home to the Russian Top Team.
Nogueira/Ricco Rodriguez: We all know about the controversy here. Both fighters stayed busy on the mat with Nogueira constantly working for submission and Rodriguez grounding and pounding from the top. A restart late in the round put them back on the mat rather than from a standing position. When they did get to the feet, Rodrigo was scoring better combinations but Rodriguez brought it back down at the first sign of trouble. In the second and third, Ricco still looked somewhat uncomfortable on the feet (other than some really solid right leg kicks and some flying knees) but on the mat he was in complete control. Rodriguez got out of everything and his G-n-P was top notch. However they want to explain it, I call them like I see them and Ricco beat Rodrigo without question.
Nogueira/Mirko Filipovic: Discussed under Mirko Filipovic bio.
Nogueira/Hirotaka Yokoi: They quickly clinch against the ropes and trade knees. Nogueira brings Yokoi to the mat in side mount and peppers him with strikes. Yokoi escapes and they trade on the feet. A clinch is broken by a textbook throw from Yokoi and he drops hammer fists on Nogueira’s head. Yokoi taunts “Minotauro” from inside his guard to strike him in the face. The Brazilian fighter brings his legs up for an armbar but Yokoi walks out of it. Nogueira reverse position and gains side mount but Yokoi is able to roll him and tag Rodrigo with punches to the face in the corner. A good striking battle ensues with Nogueira kicking from the mat and Yokoi punching down at him. Once back on the feet, they trade in the center of the ring. Yokoi seems to invite Nogueira to strike, even bouncing off the corner as he was hurt by a punch, but they go back to center and the taller Nogueira starts to unload. Rodrigo misses a knee from the Thai clinch but Yokoi hits the mat and is pulled into a front-choke from guard. The round ends and a tired Yokoi looks upset with his performance. They clinch to open round two and Nogueira’s knee to the body is answered with a powerful throw from Yokoi. Nogueira is quickly on his feet and they trade standing. A half hearted shoot is met with a front headlock and knees to the head from “Minotauro.” Nogueira turns him and catches Yokoi with a nifty spinning reverse side choke for the win.
Also worthy of note: Nogueira battled Valentijn Overeem (win/submission, win/submission), Tsuyoshi Kohsaka (draw), Kiyoshi Tamura (win/ submission), Hiromitsu Kanehara (win/ submission), Gary Goodridge (win/ submission), Enson Inoue (win/ submission), Sanae Kikuta (win/KO) Mark Coleman (win/submission) and Semmy Schilt (win/ submission).
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES: As a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, the ground is obviously his forte. No other heavyweight fighter in professional MMA has the submission skills of “Minotauro.” Frank Mir and Ricco Rodriguez are likely the closest. However those who follow Nogueira know he has developed serious striking skills and isn’t afraid to hang on the feet with anyone. His hands have evolved greatly in a short time and he can be considered a serious threat standing. His grip from the guard can also be very difficult to deal with and many fighters have had a hard time getting away from “Minotauro.” Nogueira will pursue a victory by submission until it works and he usually gets it (except for against Fedor). It is tough to narrow down a weakness because he so complete a fighter but I guess I’d have to say his kicking and throwing skills. I still wouldn’t want to be kicked by him mind you, but his hands are far superior to his feet.
HOW HE CAN BEAT HERRING: By submission. Nogueira has been working his stand-up but his strength is on the mat. Heath can hurt Nogueira more standing it is best not to play in his arena. He wasn’t able to submit him last time but the creative choke of Yokoi shows Nogueira is constantly working to improve his game.
HEATH HERRING: American wrestler; known as “The Texas Crazy Horse”; Superbrawl veteran; WVC veteran; Extreme Challenge veteran; 2H2H veteran; USWF veteran; former PFC heavyweight title No. 1 contender; trains under coach Corr Hammers and with PFC veterans Gilbert Yvel, Semmy Schilt, Valentijn Overeem, Alistair Overeem and UFC veteran Remco Pardoel among others and members of the Team Golden Glory; with a record of 24-9-0 in MMA making his 16th appearance (11-4-0) in the ring of the PFC.
HISTORY: Heath wrestled and played football in high school and earned a scholarship to West Texas A&M to continue playing football. While in college, he started to compete in local MMA shows in his home state of Texas including the Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation (fought USWF leader Evan Tanner twice) and the World Vale Tudo Federation in Colorado. In 1999 Heath fought 13 times in a span of just five months. He competed in three four-man tournaments (Superbrawl and the Bas Rutten Invitational) and two eight-man WVC tournaments and advanced to the final bout of all five events. The lone single bout he fought that year was in the Extreme Challenge against NHB “Ironman” Travis Fulton where Heath lost a decision. After the WVC tournament win (defeating Pride veteran “Dirty” Bob Schrijber in the final) Heath was scouted by Ron Nyquist and Team Golden Glory in Holland. This was also around the time when Heath moved to Erie, Pennsylvania to attend Gannon University and continue with his schooling. The Team Golden Glory fighters include Pride veterans Gilbert Yvel, Semmy Schilt, Valentijn Overeem and UFC veteran Remco Pardoel among others. Heath next appeared in the Too Hot To Handle promotion, battling Japan Open Vale Tudo and K-1 veteran Rene Rooze. The kickboxer got himself in foul trouble and Herring had another W. A trip to Moscow, Russia for a Pankration match (lost on a cut stoppage) proved to be a minor setback because a Pride debut was less than two months way. He has fought exclusively for the PFC for the past four years. From mid-2001 to mid-2003, he fought Vitor Belfort, Mark Kerr, Igor Vovchanchyn, Nogueira, Emelianenko and Filipovic. Those are all former or current top three contenders in the division and he’s had just one “filler fight” in the mix (Iouri Kotchkine). After two straight losses, he showed signs of burning out and was fed less threatening opponents like Yamamoto and “Giant Silva.” Now back in his winning ways, Heath was invited to take part in the heavyweight GP and has beaten Gan McGee and Yoshiki Takahashi to advance to the second round.
Herring/Tom Erikson: Heath’s first big test in the PFCs was at Pride 11 against RAW Team wrestler Tom “Big Cat” Erikson. Tom was punishing Heath on the ground for the first few minutes but Herring waited for his opportunity. When the fight went back to the feet, Heath exploded with strikes and finished Erikson on the mat with a rear-choke.
Herring/Enson Inoue: At Pride 12 Herring faced former Shooto light heavyweight champion Enson Inoue and pounded the large Hawaiian with strikes for nearly five minutes before the bout was halted.
Herring/Mark Kerr: Heath’s stock was still high and his challenges increased, as he was pitted against PFC top contender Mark Kerr. Kerr had dominated position in round one. Like with Erikson, a stand-up from lack of action rejuvenated Heath and in round two he was able to land a devastating head kick and finish Kerr with knees on the ground.
Herring/Rodrigo Nogueira: The match with Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira for the PFC Heavyweight Title at Pride 17: Championship Chaos was the best bout of Herring’s career and will undoubtedly go down as one of the best ever in Pride. Even in losing, Herring showed he belonged in the ring with Nogueira. Rodrigo dominated in both stand-up and on the ground but could not finish the young Texan.
Herring/Igor Vovchanchyn: At Pride 19: Bad Blood, Heath sent a message to everyone in the heavyweight division by beating Igor Vovchanchyn. I’m sure even Heath knows he didn’t face Vovchanchyn at his best but when the time came to throw down, he did what he had to stay alive in the division.
Herring/Fedor Emelianenko: In likely the most vicious beating Herring has ever taken, he battled Emelianenko Fedor at Pride 23: Championship Chaos 2. Heath never got started as the Ukrainian used jackhammer fists to pound Herring into the ground and make him a bloody mess. There was nowhere for Heath to turn for most of the 10-minute period because Fedor was beating him to every move. Late in the round, an exhausted Fedor caught a few strikes from Herring but the serious damage had already been done. A stunned crowd, having seen the top contender thrown around like a rag doll, was speechless when the bout was called in between rounds due to the excessive bleeding and swelling of Herring’s face.
Herring/Mirko Filipovic: Herring looked flustered and unfocussed from the opening bell and paid for it. He kept shooting in for the takedown without relaxing. Granted Mirko is a devastating striker and worthy of concern, but the mindset of bringing “Cro Cop” to the ground seemed to overwhelm him and led to his demise. Filipovic looked good, avoiding takedowns and seizing the opportunities Heath provided en route to victory.
Herring/Yoshihisa Yamamoto: This was not the best showing for Herring. Taking a journeyman on the Japanese fight circuit three rounds is not a good sign. Heath’s striking was poor, especially given the muay Thai boxing talent he has at Golden Glory, and his groundwork was unimproved. He sank the choke late in the third and you have to give Yamamoto credit just for being there.
Herring/Giant Silva: Discussed under the “Giant” Silva bio.
Herring/Gan McGee: This one went the distance and many feel McGee had as much right to advance as Herring did. The fighters stood up for most of the round and traded strikes. Both had the advantage at times but McGee continued to keep his hands very low and reacted to what Heath was doing more than initiate attacks. When it did go to the ground, Herring was more active (and likely won the round) but neither looked entirely comfortable there. Herring also won round two simply due to being more active. The final round was clinch-intensive and Heath tried to take charge with punching combinations. McGee showed some spark and connected inside but both fighters were zapped and again Herring took the round because he stayed busy. Heath wins a split decision.
Herring/Yoshiki Takahashi: Herring comes out looking determined, scoring roundhouse kicks to head and body and front kicks to the midsection. Takahashi avoids a takedown by sprawling and applies a front headlock followed by knees to the head. Heath breaks free but Yoshiki reestablishes a tight front choke. They grapple and Heath frees himself to fight inside Yoshiki’s guard. Herring attacks the body with punches and winds up for hard shots to the head. Hammer fists land to the face at will and he continues to do damage until he has pounded the fight right out of Takahashi.
Also worthy of note: Herring battled Evan Tanner (loss/strikes-win/submission), Travis Fulton (loss/decision), Alexandre Ferreira (loss/decision), Bobby Hoffman (loss/decision), Bob Schrijber (win/strikes), Willie Peeters (win/submission) and Vitor Belfort (loss/decision).
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES: Herring has good stand-up skills and a full arsenal of submission techniques. Heath has won via armbar, keylock, Kimura armlock and rear-choke among others. He’s taken out quite a few opponents with strikes as well. When Herring is rolling on a full head of steam, he’s difficult to stop. Weight is often a factor in his advantage (except against Belfort of course). Heath can pound out a win on his feet but he is most devastating on the mat with knees to the head. Although it’s not necessarily what you’d call a weakness, Herring had been fighting a really tough schedule for quite a while and burnt himself out. He is looking better now than he had been for a while but the tournament will surely test his conditioning.
HOW HE CAN BEAT NOGUEIRA: With strikes on the feet. Heath cannot hope to match BJJ black belt Nogueira’s submission skill on the mat so his route to victory has to be standing up. If Heath can catch Rodrigo with a knee to the head from the Thai clinch, it may drop the big guy.
MY PICK: Nogueira. It has been three years since their title fight at Pride 17 and both men have only lost on rare occasions since that bout -- Herring to Emelianenko and Filipovic and Nogueira to Emelianenko ( … and to Ricco Rodriguez if we’re being honest). It seems natural for their paths to cross again with something on the line. In my opinion, Nogueira has grown more as a fighter and has a more well-rounded game since their first meeting. I feel it will be Nogueira by submission (likely a choke) late in the first round.
RODRIGO NOGUEIRA: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, two-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion; RINGS King of Kings 1999 Tournament runner up; RINGS King of Kings 2000 Tournament Champion; former PFC heavyweight Champion; 2000 Abu Dhabi Combat Championships 99kg division tournament quarterfinalist; UFO veteran, former WEF Heavyweight Champion; trains with Murilo Bustamante, Ricardo Liborio, Ricardo Arona, Mario Sperry and Rogerio Nogueira and the rest of the Brazilian Top Team; with a 22-2-1 record in MMA making his 12th appearance (10-1-0) in the ring of the PFC.
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Nogueira/Jeremy Horn: Nogueira was awarded the WEF Superfight Championship title after his bout with Jeremy Horn at WEF 8. In the course of the match, he tagged Horn repeatedly, almost at will with some impressive combinations. The problem was Jeremy appeared unfazed after each exchange. At the time, Rodrigo had a habit of dropping his hands, making him susceptible to a barrage of headshots. Horn nailed Nogueira twice in the head with kicks but couldn’t drop him. Rodrigo took the title via decision.
Nogueira/Heath Herring: This one had everything you could hope for
in a title bout and goes down as one of the best MMA fights and
possibly the best title fight in the history of the sport. Nogueira
controlled the action throughout but could never conquer the
fighting spirit of Herring. It went the distance but the victor was
never in doubt. It is time for the rematch.
Nogueira/Bob Sapp: Rodrigo fought the Maurice Smith/Matt Hume trained giant Bob Sapp at the Pride Shockwave show and nearly got himself killed. The PFC heavyweight champion performed commendably but the risks he took to do so were immeasurable. Sapp was not the simply the freakish beast most took him for but showed some conditioning and skill with a possible future in the sport. Rodrigo was able to constrict one of Sapp’s giant limbs and secure the armbar late in the second round.
Nogueira/Emelianenko Fedor: Rodrigo could do nothing to solve the mystery of Fedor for three rounds. Nogueira tried for submission after submission but Fedor gave a sambo clinic, pulling his arm out of locks whenever he felt like it and smashing the face of the Brazilian champion. Fedor took a unanimous decision and the PFC heavyweight title home to the Russian Top Team.
Nogueira/Ricco Rodriguez: We all know about the controversy here. Both fighters stayed busy on the mat with Nogueira constantly working for submission and Rodriguez grounding and pounding from the top. A restart late in the round put them back on the mat rather than from a standing position. When they did get to the feet, Rodrigo was scoring better combinations but Rodriguez brought it back down at the first sign of trouble. In the second and third, Ricco still looked somewhat uncomfortable on the feet (other than some really solid right leg kicks and some flying knees) but on the mat he was in complete control. Rodriguez got out of everything and his G-n-P was top notch. However they want to explain it, I call them like I see them and Ricco beat Rodrigo without question.
Nogueira/Mirko Filipovic: Discussed under Mirko Filipovic bio.
Nogueira/Hirotaka Yokoi: They quickly clinch against the ropes and trade knees. Nogueira brings Yokoi to the mat in side mount and peppers him with strikes. Yokoi escapes and they trade on the feet. A clinch is broken by a textbook throw from Yokoi and he drops hammer fists on Nogueira’s head. Yokoi taunts “Minotauro” from inside his guard to strike him in the face. The Brazilian fighter brings his legs up for an armbar but Yokoi walks out of it. Nogueira reverse position and gains side mount but Yokoi is able to roll him and tag Rodrigo with punches to the face in the corner. A good striking battle ensues with Nogueira kicking from the mat and Yokoi punching down at him. Once back on the feet, they trade in the center of the ring. Yokoi seems to invite Nogueira to strike, even bouncing off the corner as he was hurt by a punch, but they go back to center and the taller Nogueira starts to unload. Rodrigo misses a knee from the Thai clinch but Yokoi hits the mat and is pulled into a front-choke from guard. The round ends and a tired Yokoi looks upset with his performance. They clinch to open round two and Nogueira’s knee to the body is answered with a powerful throw from Yokoi. Nogueira is quickly on his feet and they trade standing. A half hearted shoot is met with a front headlock and knees to the head from “Minotauro.” Nogueira turns him and catches Yokoi with a nifty spinning reverse side choke for the win.
Also worthy of note: Nogueira battled Valentijn Overeem (win/submission, win/submission), Tsuyoshi Kohsaka (draw), Kiyoshi Tamura (win/ submission), Hiromitsu Kanehara (win/ submission), Gary Goodridge (win/ submission), Enson Inoue (win/ submission), Sanae Kikuta (win/KO) Mark Coleman (win/submission) and Semmy Schilt (win/ submission).
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES: As a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, the ground is obviously his forte. No other heavyweight fighter in professional MMA has the submission skills of “Minotauro.” Frank Mir and Ricco Rodriguez are likely the closest. However those who follow Nogueira know he has developed serious striking skills and isn’t afraid to hang on the feet with anyone. His hands have evolved greatly in a short time and he can be considered a serious threat standing. His grip from the guard can also be very difficult to deal with and many fighters have had a hard time getting away from “Minotauro.” Nogueira will pursue a victory by submission until it works and he usually gets it (except for against Fedor). It is tough to narrow down a weakness because he so complete a fighter but I guess I’d have to say his kicking and throwing skills. I still wouldn’t want to be kicked by him mind you, but his hands are far superior to his feet.
HOW HE CAN BEAT HERRING: By submission. Nogueira has been working his stand-up but his strength is on the mat. Heath can hurt Nogueira more standing it is best not to play in his arena. He wasn’t able to submit him last time but the creative choke of Yokoi shows Nogueira is constantly working to improve his game.
HEATH HERRING: American wrestler; known as “The Texas Crazy Horse”; Superbrawl veteran; WVC veteran; Extreme Challenge veteran; 2H2H veteran; USWF veteran; former PFC heavyweight title No. 1 contender; trains under coach Corr Hammers and with PFC veterans Gilbert Yvel, Semmy Schilt, Valentijn Overeem, Alistair Overeem and UFC veteran Remco Pardoel among others and members of the Team Golden Glory; with a record of 24-9-0 in MMA making his 16th appearance (11-4-0) in the ring of the PFC.
HISTORY: Heath wrestled and played football in high school and earned a scholarship to West Texas A&M to continue playing football. While in college, he started to compete in local MMA shows in his home state of Texas including the Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation (fought USWF leader Evan Tanner twice) and the World Vale Tudo Federation in Colorado. In 1999 Heath fought 13 times in a span of just five months. He competed in three four-man tournaments (Superbrawl and the Bas Rutten Invitational) and two eight-man WVC tournaments and advanced to the final bout of all five events. The lone single bout he fought that year was in the Extreme Challenge against NHB “Ironman” Travis Fulton where Heath lost a decision. After the WVC tournament win (defeating Pride veteran “Dirty” Bob Schrijber in the final) Heath was scouted by Ron Nyquist and Team Golden Glory in Holland. This was also around the time when Heath moved to Erie, Pennsylvania to attend Gannon University and continue with his schooling. The Team Golden Glory fighters include Pride veterans Gilbert Yvel, Semmy Schilt, Valentijn Overeem and UFC veteran Remco Pardoel among others. Heath next appeared in the Too Hot To Handle promotion, battling Japan Open Vale Tudo and K-1 veteran Rene Rooze. The kickboxer got himself in foul trouble and Herring had another W. A trip to Moscow, Russia for a Pankration match (lost on a cut stoppage) proved to be a minor setback because a Pride debut was less than two months way. He has fought exclusively for the PFC for the past four years. From mid-2001 to mid-2003, he fought Vitor Belfort, Mark Kerr, Igor Vovchanchyn, Nogueira, Emelianenko and Filipovic. Those are all former or current top three contenders in the division and he’s had just one “filler fight” in the mix (Iouri Kotchkine). After two straight losses, he showed signs of burning out and was fed less threatening opponents like Yamamoto and “Giant Silva.” Now back in his winning ways, Heath was invited to take part in the heavyweight GP and has beaten Gan McGee and Yoshiki Takahashi to advance to the second round.
Herring/Tom Erikson: Heath’s first big test in the PFCs was at Pride 11 against RAW Team wrestler Tom “Big Cat” Erikson. Tom was punishing Heath on the ground for the first few minutes but Herring waited for his opportunity. When the fight went back to the feet, Heath exploded with strikes and finished Erikson on the mat with a rear-choke.
Herring/Enson Inoue: At Pride 12 Herring faced former Shooto light heavyweight champion Enson Inoue and pounded the large Hawaiian with strikes for nearly five minutes before the bout was halted.
Herring/Mark Kerr: Heath’s stock was still high and his challenges increased, as he was pitted against PFC top contender Mark Kerr. Kerr had dominated position in round one. Like with Erikson, a stand-up from lack of action rejuvenated Heath and in round two he was able to land a devastating head kick and finish Kerr with knees on the ground.
Herring/Rodrigo Nogueira: The match with Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira for the PFC Heavyweight Title at Pride 17: Championship Chaos was the best bout of Herring’s career and will undoubtedly go down as one of the best ever in Pride. Even in losing, Herring showed he belonged in the ring with Nogueira. Rodrigo dominated in both stand-up and on the ground but could not finish the young Texan.
Herring/Igor Vovchanchyn: At Pride 19: Bad Blood, Heath sent a message to everyone in the heavyweight division by beating Igor Vovchanchyn. I’m sure even Heath knows he didn’t face Vovchanchyn at his best but when the time came to throw down, he did what he had to stay alive in the division.
Herring/Fedor Emelianenko: In likely the most vicious beating Herring has ever taken, he battled Emelianenko Fedor at Pride 23: Championship Chaos 2. Heath never got started as the Ukrainian used jackhammer fists to pound Herring into the ground and make him a bloody mess. There was nowhere for Heath to turn for most of the 10-minute period because Fedor was beating him to every move. Late in the round, an exhausted Fedor caught a few strikes from Herring but the serious damage had already been done. A stunned crowd, having seen the top contender thrown around like a rag doll, was speechless when the bout was called in between rounds due to the excessive bleeding and swelling of Herring’s face.
Herring/Mirko Filipovic: Herring looked flustered and unfocussed from the opening bell and paid for it. He kept shooting in for the takedown without relaxing. Granted Mirko is a devastating striker and worthy of concern, but the mindset of bringing “Cro Cop” to the ground seemed to overwhelm him and led to his demise. Filipovic looked good, avoiding takedowns and seizing the opportunities Heath provided en route to victory.
Herring/Yoshihisa Yamamoto: This was not the best showing for Herring. Taking a journeyman on the Japanese fight circuit three rounds is not a good sign. Heath’s striking was poor, especially given the muay Thai boxing talent he has at Golden Glory, and his groundwork was unimproved. He sank the choke late in the third and you have to give Yamamoto credit just for being there.
Herring/Giant Silva: Discussed under the “Giant” Silva bio.
Herring/Gan McGee: This one went the distance and many feel McGee had as much right to advance as Herring did. The fighters stood up for most of the round and traded strikes. Both had the advantage at times but McGee continued to keep his hands very low and reacted to what Heath was doing more than initiate attacks. When it did go to the ground, Herring was more active (and likely won the round) but neither looked entirely comfortable there. Herring also won round two simply due to being more active. The final round was clinch-intensive and Heath tried to take charge with punching combinations. McGee showed some spark and connected inside but both fighters were zapped and again Herring took the round because he stayed busy. Heath wins a split decision.
Herring/Yoshiki Takahashi: Herring comes out looking determined, scoring roundhouse kicks to head and body and front kicks to the midsection. Takahashi avoids a takedown by sprawling and applies a front headlock followed by knees to the head. Heath breaks free but Yoshiki reestablishes a tight front choke. They grapple and Heath frees himself to fight inside Yoshiki’s guard. Herring attacks the body with punches and winds up for hard shots to the head. Hammer fists land to the face at will and he continues to do damage until he has pounded the fight right out of Takahashi.
Also worthy of note: Herring battled Evan Tanner (loss/strikes-win/submission), Travis Fulton (loss/decision), Alexandre Ferreira (loss/decision), Bobby Hoffman (loss/decision), Bob Schrijber (win/strikes), Willie Peeters (win/submission) and Vitor Belfort (loss/decision).
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES: Herring has good stand-up skills and a full arsenal of submission techniques. Heath has won via armbar, keylock, Kimura armlock and rear-choke among others. He’s taken out quite a few opponents with strikes as well. When Herring is rolling on a full head of steam, he’s difficult to stop. Weight is often a factor in his advantage (except against Belfort of course). Heath can pound out a win on his feet but he is most devastating on the mat with knees to the head. Although it’s not necessarily what you’d call a weakness, Herring had been fighting a really tough schedule for quite a while and burnt himself out. He is looking better now than he had been for a while but the tournament will surely test his conditioning.
HOW HE CAN BEAT NOGUEIRA: With strikes on the feet. Heath cannot hope to match BJJ black belt Nogueira’s submission skill on the mat so his route to victory has to be standing up. If Heath can catch Rodrigo with a knee to the head from the Thai clinch, it may drop the big guy.
MY PICK: Nogueira. It has been three years since their title fight at Pride 17 and both men have only lost on rare occasions since that bout -- Herring to Emelianenko and Filipovic and Nogueira to Emelianenko ( … and to Ricco Rodriguez if we’re being honest). It seems natural for their paths to cross again with something on the line. In my opinion, Nogueira has grown more as a fighter and has a more well-rounded game since their first meeting. I feel it will be Nogueira by submission (likely a choke) late in the first round.
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