Pride GP Preview
Emelianenko vs. Naoya Ogawa
Aug 12, 2004
Heavyweight GP Tournament Semifinal Bout:
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Naoya Ogawa
EMELIANENKO: PFC Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko is also the RINGS 2001 World Title Series Heavy Weight Class Champion, and RINGS 2002 World Title Series Absolute Weight Class Champion, as well of the holder of numerous sambo and judo championships.
Over the years, Emelianenko has shown his dominance in fighting;
first in Russia, then in RINGS Japan and finally in the Pride
Fighting Championships. His list of opponents is long and
impressive, and includes Rodrigo Nogueira, Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman, Renato Sobral, Kazuyuki Fujita and Semmy Schilt. All of those bouts
had the same outcome: a win for Fedor.
His “loss” to Tsuyoshi Kohsaka was a fluke. At the opening bell they both threw strikes and TK caught him with a forearm/tip of elbow to the temple and it opened him up. No striker is as feared in the heavyweight division as Fedor, especially on the ground. He continues the tradition of heavy-hitting Russian/Ukrainian strikers in Pride initiated by Igor Vovchanchyn.
But enough background on Ogawa. It is time to say what really needs to be said. He has finally shown his hand and stated he doesn’t care about MMA or winning the Pride Grand Prix Heavyweight Championship tournament. He simply considers this event as one big advertising campaign for his pro wrestling show, which I will not mention by name. That motivation is an insult to every true MMA athlete who works every day in every practice and in every fight to simply try and get noticed so that maybe, someday, it will open the door to get the opportunity Ogawa shrugs off as "good publicity."
They may treat him with respect as a fellow athlete, but the other fighters who have worked hard to get here look at Ogawa a little differently. I saw the look on Nogueira’s face when he shook Ogawa’s hand after Critical Countdown. There was vibe in the ring when the final four competitors came together. It brought a whimsical tune to mind: “one of these things is not like the others, one of these things doesn’t belong …” At least it is nice to see him finally get the “Japanese star treatment” given to Kazushi Sakuraba, Kiyoshi Tamura and Ikuhisa Minowa.
To be fair, it was actually the fans in Japan that sealed Ogawa’s fate by voting for this match-up. Being matched with Emelianenko (a punishing striker) rather than Nogueira (a submission master), he’s been thrown to the proverbial wolves in a way only Pride can do.
MY PICK: Emelianenko. Fedor will likely end the night quickly for Ogawa ala Vovchanchyn/Bueno, save his hands, and prepare for either Nogueira or Kharitonov. Don’t be surprised if we see Ogawa forced to unveil another new move at the end hands of Emelianenko, “the Horizontal Hustle,” as he lay twitching on the mat in a fit of involuntary muscle spasms. Hopefully, the referee recognizes this display as the post-fight convulsion it actually is and gets Naoya some serious medical attention. Emelianenko by knockout in Round one.
Possible Heavyweight GP Tournament Final Bout:
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira
MY PICK: Emelianenko. The “final four” could not have worked out better for Fedor. Everyone wants him and Nogueira to fight for the title so there was no way they would meet in the semis. If Emelianenko had to face Kharitonov, we all know they are training partners and, although unlikely, an Amar Suloev-Andrei Semenov (ironically, also Red Devil fighters) type-fight situation from the WVC 11 finals was still a possibility.
If Kharitonov pulls out the upset and makes it to the final, I imagine these two have a “so be it, let the best man win” agreement. Since Emelianenko was given Ogawa and fights after the Nogueira-Kharitonov bout, he’ll know what condition the winner is in or if he’ll have to face the Randleman-Waterman alternate bout winner. It is a great spot for Fedor and I see him not only taking the title, but fighting Wanderlei Silva on New Year’s Eve as well. Emelianenko by technical knockout in round two.
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Naoya Ogawa
EMELIANENKO: PFC Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko is also the RINGS 2001 World Title Series Heavy Weight Class Champion, and RINGS 2002 World Title Series Absolute Weight Class Champion, as well of the holder of numerous sambo and judo championships.
Advertisement
His “loss” to Tsuyoshi Kohsaka was a fluke. At the opening bell they both threw strikes and TK caught him with a forearm/tip of elbow to the temple and it opened him up. No striker is as feared in the heavyweight division as Fedor, especially on the ground. He continues the tradition of heavy-hitting Russian/Ukrainian strikers in Pride initiated by Igor Vovchanchyn.
OGAWA: Japanese professional wrestler Naoya Ogawa is the 1987 World Cup
Judo Champion (Open category), 1992 Silver Medallist in the
Barcelona Olympic Games and brings a record of 7-0 in MMA. He will
be making his fifth (4-0) appearance in the PFC and has beaten UFC
veteran Gary Goodridge
and K-1 standouts Masaaki Stake and Stefan Leko.
But enough background on Ogawa. It is time to say what really needs to be said. He has finally shown his hand and stated he doesn’t care about MMA or winning the Pride Grand Prix Heavyweight Championship tournament. He simply considers this event as one big advertising campaign for his pro wrestling show, which I will not mention by name. That motivation is an insult to every true MMA athlete who works every day in every practice and in every fight to simply try and get noticed so that maybe, someday, it will open the door to get the opportunity Ogawa shrugs off as "good publicity."
They may treat him with respect as a fellow athlete, but the other fighters who have worked hard to get here look at Ogawa a little differently. I saw the look on Nogueira’s face when he shook Ogawa’s hand after Critical Countdown. There was vibe in the ring when the final four competitors came together. It brought a whimsical tune to mind: “one of these things is not like the others, one of these things doesn’t belong …” At least it is nice to see him finally get the “Japanese star treatment” given to Kazushi Sakuraba, Kiyoshi Tamura and Ikuhisa Minowa.
To be fair, it was actually the fans in Japan that sealed Ogawa’s fate by voting for this match-up. Being matched with Emelianenko (a punishing striker) rather than Nogueira (a submission master), he’s been thrown to the proverbial wolves in a way only Pride can do.
MY PICK: Emelianenko. Fedor will likely end the night quickly for Ogawa ala Vovchanchyn/Bueno, save his hands, and prepare for either Nogueira or Kharitonov. Don’t be surprised if we see Ogawa forced to unveil another new move at the end hands of Emelianenko, “the Horizontal Hustle,” as he lay twitching on the mat in a fit of involuntary muscle spasms. Hopefully, the referee recognizes this display as the post-fight convulsion it actually is and gets Naoya some serious medical attention. Emelianenko by knockout in Round one.
Possible Heavyweight GP Tournament Final Bout:
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira
MY PICK: Emelianenko. The “final four” could not have worked out better for Fedor. Everyone wants him and Nogueira to fight for the title so there was no way they would meet in the semis. If Emelianenko had to face Kharitonov, we all know they are training partners and, although unlikely, an Amar Suloev-Andrei Semenov (ironically, also Red Devil fighters) type-fight situation from the WVC 11 finals was still a possibility.
If Kharitonov pulls out the upset and makes it to the final, I imagine these two have a “so be it, let the best man win” agreement. Since Emelianenko was given Ogawa and fights after the Nogueira-Kharitonov bout, he’ll know what condition the winner is in or if he’ll have to face the Randleman-Waterman alternate bout winner. It is a great spot for Fedor and I see him not only taking the title, but fighting Wanderlei Silva on New Year’s Eve as well. Emelianenko by technical knockout in round two.
Related Articles
