As it is wont to do, the PRIDE Fighting Championship has long held a reputation for finalizing fight cards at the last moment. That tradition has stayed true to form for the Japanese promoter's foray into the U.S.
Just days before he was scheduled to fight
Kazuhiro Nakamura (Pictures),
Marvin Eastman (Pictures) is off the card due to a contractual dispute between PRIDE and the World Fighting Alliance, for which Eastman is expected to fight
Quinton Jackson (Pictures) on December 9. An opponent for Eastman should be named by Wednesday.
Posting on his Myspace.com blog, Eastman indicated that the WFA threatened him with litigation if he remained on Saturday's PRIDE offering at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Eric Esch (Pictures) will not face
Mark Hunt (Pictures). Instead "Butterbean" fights former pro wrestler
Sean O'Haire (Pictures). Hunt, a former K-1 Grand Prix champion, is likely off the card.
Originally expected to be nine bouts, the final version of "Real Deal" will offer eight.
Fight Card:
Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures) vs. Mark Coleman (Pictures)
Mauricio Rua (Pictures) vs. Kevin Randleman (Pictures)
Dan Henderson (Pictures) vs. Vitor Belfort (Pictures)
Josh Barnett (Pictures) vs. Pawel Nastula (Pictures)
Robbie Lawler (Pictures) vs. Joey Villasenor (Pictures)
Phil Baroni (Pictures) vs. Yosuke Nishijima (Pictures)
Eric Esch (Pictures) vs. Sean O'Haire (Pictures)
Kazuhiro Nakamura (Pictures) vs. TBD