Pride 28: "High Octane" Preview

With Halloween just around the corner and the complete obliteration of the rival organization's card last weekend due to mass injuries, we could not be certain what we'd get from this Sunday's PRIDE FC. Would we be tricked into viewing whatever remnants could be lured into the ring with the promise of quick cash to fight on short notice? Or would we be treated to an all-star extravaganza with great match-ups from top to bottom? In my opinion, we got the goods.

The Wanderlei Silva- Quinton Jackson main event was the immediate hook. After their last meeting, we knew it had to happen again -- but without the tournament format. Then the rumors of Josh Barnett's long-awaited debut in Pride seemed to be legit. And he'd be facing "Cro Cop," no less? We have an instant double headliner. Instead of the card falling apart, it got even better. Dan Henderson was mentioned, Heath Herring was in the mix and maybe even an Emelianenko brother would fight in the event. But you knew it wasn't over yet because there were no big Japanese names on the card. Then we get wind of Hirotaka Yokoi, Kazuhiro Nakamura and Hiromitsu Kanehara.

Can all this talent really be on one show? And nobody gets hurt or pulls out the week before? They sign Mark Hunt, Dan Bobish, Ricardo Arona and finally give Alistair Overeem another shot before rounding out the card with raw talent from Australia and the U.K.

For me, Halloween can't come soon enough.

The entire card breaks down as follows:

RiRoots Conan submission grappler Hirotaka Yokoi combats Golden Glory fighter Heath Herring;

Korean Team Tackle wrestler Choi Mu Bae takes on Australian Extreme Jiu-Jitsu striker Soa Palalei;

Brazilian Top Team grappler Ricardo Arona confronts Russian Top Team grappler Sergey Ignashov;

Aleksander Emelianenko from Red Devil Fight Club faces Team Ultimate Combat fighter James Thompson;

RINGS veterans collide as Takada Dojo submission grappler Hiromitsu Kanehara combats Golden Glory kickboxer Alistair Overeem;

Team Quest wrestler Dan Henderson goes toe-to-toe with Kazuhiro Nakamura of Yoshida Dojo;

Striker Mark Hunt of Liverpool Kickboxing meets Bart Vale Shootfighting wrestler Dan Bobish;

Josh Barnett of New Japan Pro Wrestling challenges kickboxer Mirko Filipovic from the Cro Cop Squad;

And in the main event, Team Oyama grappler Quinton Jackson battles Chute Boxe assassin Wanderlei Silva for his PFC middleweight championship.