"Ninja" to Face BTTŒs Filho, Weir set for PRIDE Debut

TOKYO, March 14 — PRIDE today announced four additional matches for its April 2 Bushido card at the Ariake Colosseum in Tokyo, Japan.

"Ninja" Murilo Rua (Pictures) finally gets to make his anticipated debut at welterweight (183-lbs.), where he takes on BTT's Paulo Filho (Pictures). A candid war of words between the two fighters culminated at PRIDE: "Final Conflict" last August when Filho's teammate Ricardo Arona (Pictures) faced Rua's brother and stablemate Mauricio Rua (Pictures). The Brazilians traded physical gestures during the announcer's in-ring pre-fight introductions.

Also added to Bushido 10, Canadian Denis Kang (Pictures) takes on Mark Weir (Pictures), who is coming off back-to-back knockout victories over PRIDE veterans Akira Shoji (Pictures) and Kyosuke Sasaki (Pictures).

SHOOTO welterweight champion Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures)`s teammate Mitsuhiro Ishida (Pictures), who in February earned the Pacific-Rim 155-lb. title by besting Paraestra Hiroshima's Kenichiro Togashi (Pictures), makes his PRIDE debut against another newcomer in Gracie Barra Orlando`s Paul Rodriguez (Pictures). To finish, Akihiro Gono (Pictures) is pitted against South Korea's Dae Won Kim.

Full Bushido 10 Card
Takanori Gomi (Pictures) vs. Marcus Aurelio
Dan Henderson (Pictures) vs. Kazuo Misaki (Pictures)
Yuki Kondo (Pictures) vs. Phil Baroni (Pictures)
Murilo Rua (Pictures) vs. Paulo Filho (Pictures)
Joachim Hansen (Pictures) vs. Luiz Azeredo (Pictures)
Jens Pulver (Pictures) vs. Masakazu Imanari (Pictures)
Denis Kang (Pictures) vs. Mark Weir (Pictures)
Mitsuhiro Ishida (Pictures) vs. Paul Rodriguez (Pictures)
Akihiro Gono (Pictures) vs. Dae Won Kim
Seichi Ikemoto (Pictures) vs. TBD
Ikuhisa Minowa (Pictures) vs. Paulo Cesar Silva (Pictures)