Pride GP Preview

Aug 12, 2004
The Road to the Most Coveted Title in Mixed Martial Arts Ends Here

Months of speculation and theory come to an end. Finally, a champion will be crowned. The question is who will win it? Will it be the Russian super-striker, Fedor Emelianenko; the Brazilian submission master Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira; the man who defines the term “dark horse,” Sergei Kharitonov; or the man who no one can believe is even here, Naoya Ogawa?

The four-man tournament is indeed the highlight but the under card has a number of bouts worthy of headline status. PFC middleweight tournament and division champion Wanderlei Silva will take on the top light heavyweight fighter in Japan, Yuki Kondo. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic is back in action for his sixth fight of 2004. He’ll take on the other half of the brothers Emelianenko -- Aleksander. The Brazilian Top Team’s Murilo Bustamante and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Kevin Randleman also see action.

The complete card looks like this:

Brazilian Top Team fighter Murilo Bustamante faces Yoshida Dojo prodigy Kazuhiro Nakamura.

• GP Semifinal Tournament Bout:
Brazilian Top Team fighter Rodrigo Nogueira squares off against the Russian Top Team’s Sergei Kharitonov.

• GP Semifinal Tournament Bout:
The Red Devil Fight Club’s Fedor Emelianenko battles Inoki professional wrestler Naoya Ogawa.

• GP Tournament Reserve Bout:
Hammer House wrestler Kevin Randleman tangles with Team Impact wrestler Ron Waterman.

Croatian kickboxer Mirko Filipovic throws down with Red Devil sambo stylist Aleksander Emelianenko.

Current PFC Middleweight Champion and Chute Boxe fighter Wanderlei Silva takes on King of Pancrase Yuki Kondo.

Bout-by-bout analysis starts in 3 … 2 … Now. ...