The (World Victory) Road Starts Here
Barnett vs. Yoshida
Mar 3, 2008
Because MMA cannot live on without settling the catch wrestling vs.
judo debate, WVR delivers the return of puroresu's favorite gaijin
against Japan's favorite judoka not named Kosei Inoue.
Much like Inoue, Hidehiko Yoshida (Pictures) has spent the last few years trying to get that dirt off his shoulder thanks to back-to-back losses to Mirko Filipovic (Pictures) and James "DVD Master" Thompson. You can hardly blame a converted judoka for getting the Rizzo-Severn treatment against Cro-Bauer, but Yoshida's loss to the lightly regarded Thompson has left many questioning what place he deserves in MMA.
The same question, albeit for different reasons, constantly chases
Josh Barnett (Pictures). He has been blessed with a
preternatural talent for MMA yet seems about as interested in
dedicating himself to the sport as Roger Clemens is about coming
"clean."
Like so many fight sport combatants before him, Barnett (20-5) has to learn that success comes only when you make MMA your wife and not your mistress. With an opportunity to become WVR's heavyweight ace all but handed to him, he may finally have found the environment he needs to keep his focus on MMA instead of the upcoming special edition collector's boxed set of "Akira."
In other words, don't bank on Yoshida (7-5-1) hitting any epic uchi matas on Barnett or anyone else in the near future. This one will be painfully one-sided in Barnett's favor. He softens up Yoshida on the feet before assuming top position and pounding out an uneventful stoppage.
Hopefully, Barnett's WVR contract includes provisions barring him from making any post-fight "Fist of the North Star" references. Unless of course he dresses up in full anime regalia, in which case I demand WVR allow Barnett the freedom to make us all laugh.
Other Bouts
Rounding out WVR's initial offering is a mixed bag of bouts that features both familiar faces from the days of Pride's past as well as some newcomers eager to establish themselves on MMA's home turf.
First on the ledger is Minnesota's Nick Thompson (Pictures) going against Fabricio Monteiro (Pictures), who happens to be the 4,567th MMA competitor to choose "Pitbull" as a nickname.
While Thompson's decision to go with "The Goat" as his noms de guerre is only slightly more original, he makes up for it with his current 10-fight winning streak. A streak that Monteiro will be hard-pressed trying to stop, as Thompson should be able to grind out a decision win against an overmatched "Pitbull."
Perhaps the one fighter on this card most reminiscent of a rabid pit bull is Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos, who is as known for his sadistic striking as his perpetually empty gas tank. Challenging the under-fueled one is Japanese judoka Makoto Takimoto (Pictures), who has transformed himself into a legitimate mixed martial artist after a rocky start in the sport.
Against Santos, Takimoto (4-3) will have another opportunity to show off his propensity for absorbing punishment against an opponent all too willing to dish it out. Unfortunately for Santos (15-11), Takimoto also has the ability to exploit the Brazilian bomber's suspect grappling.
After taking some skull-scrambling blows from Santos, count on Takimoto recreating a barrel throw competition with Santos playing the role of the barrel. From there, it won't be long before "Cyborg" taps the mat with robotic precision.
In the second of WVR's intriguing undercard middleweight scraps, Ryo Kawamura (Pictures) will take some time off from his personal round robin Chute Boxe tournament to take on Brazilian grappler extraordinaire Antonio Braga Neto.
While Neto's (4-0) MMA career glistens with promise, Kawamura (7-2-2) went from being one of Japan's premier middleweight prospects to another youngster searching for his place in the sport. Reclaiming the acclaim of the past will be beyond Kawamura's reach, and Neto's superior grappling will be too much for Kawamura's one-dimensional striking. An early takedown by Neto will quickly lead to a sudden decrease in the amount of blood reaching Kawamura's cranium.
Speaking of craniums, few fight fans are unfamiliar with Kazuyuki Fujita (Pictures)'s titanic dome and its mythic ability to absorb punishment. Australian kickboxer and MMA neophyte Peter Graham would undoubtedly love to put Fujita's chin to the test, but this is hardly an ideal opponent for the flashy Aussie.
There won't be much time for Graham (0-0-0) to execute his "Rolling Thunder" somersault kick as Fujita (14-6) barrels into him and starts working his usual ground-and-pound game plan.
Kickboxers making their MMA debut generally don't fare well against experienced wrestlers, and this one will hardly be an exception. Fujita should have no problem pounding out a stoppage in the opening frame.
Much like Inoue, Hidehiko Yoshida (Pictures) has spent the last few years trying to get that dirt off his shoulder thanks to back-to-back losses to Mirko Filipovic (Pictures) and James "DVD Master" Thompson. You can hardly blame a converted judoka for getting the Rizzo-Severn treatment against Cro-Bauer, but Yoshida's loss to the lightly regarded Thompson has left many questioning what place he deserves in MMA.
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Like so many fight sport combatants before him, Barnett (20-5) has to learn that success comes only when you make MMA your wife and not your mistress. With an opportunity to become WVR's heavyweight ace all but handed to him, he may finally have found the environment he needs to keep his focus on MMA instead of the upcoming special edition collector's boxed set of "Akira."
Better yet, Yoshida's one-dimensional judo is a poor match for
Barnett's supremely well-rounded style. Surprisingly versatile for
a heavyweight, Barnett has the luxury of being Yoshida's better in
virtually every facet of the game and holds a distinct size
advantage over Yoshida, who in his judo heyday competed at 78
kilograms (172 pounds).
In other words, don't bank on Yoshida (7-5-1) hitting any epic uchi matas on Barnett or anyone else in the near future. This one will be painfully one-sided in Barnett's favor. He softens up Yoshida on the feet before assuming top position and pounding out an uneventful stoppage.
Hopefully, Barnett's WVR contract includes provisions barring him from making any post-fight "Fist of the North Star" references. Unless of course he dresses up in full anime regalia, in which case I demand WVR allow Barnett the freedom to make us all laugh.
Other Bouts
Rounding out WVR's initial offering is a mixed bag of bouts that features both familiar faces from the days of Pride's past as well as some newcomers eager to establish themselves on MMA's home turf.
First on the ledger is Minnesota's Nick Thompson (Pictures) going against Fabricio Monteiro (Pictures), who happens to be the 4,567th MMA competitor to choose "Pitbull" as a nickname.
While Thompson's decision to go with "The Goat" as his noms de guerre is only slightly more original, he makes up for it with his current 10-fight winning streak. A streak that Monteiro will be hard-pressed trying to stop, as Thompson should be able to grind out a decision win against an overmatched "Pitbull."
Perhaps the one fighter on this card most reminiscent of a rabid pit bull is Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos, who is as known for his sadistic striking as his perpetually empty gas tank. Challenging the under-fueled one is Japanese judoka Makoto Takimoto (Pictures), who has transformed himself into a legitimate mixed martial artist after a rocky start in the sport.
Against Santos, Takimoto (4-3) will have another opportunity to show off his propensity for absorbing punishment against an opponent all too willing to dish it out. Unfortunately for Santos (15-11), Takimoto also has the ability to exploit the Brazilian bomber's suspect grappling.
After taking some skull-scrambling blows from Santos, count on Takimoto recreating a barrel throw competition with Santos playing the role of the barrel. From there, it won't be long before "Cyborg" taps the mat with robotic precision.
In the second of WVR's intriguing undercard middleweight scraps, Ryo Kawamura (Pictures) will take some time off from his personal round robin Chute Boxe tournament to take on Brazilian grappler extraordinaire Antonio Braga Neto.
While Neto's (4-0) MMA career glistens with promise, Kawamura (7-2-2) went from being one of Japan's premier middleweight prospects to another youngster searching for his place in the sport. Reclaiming the acclaim of the past will be beyond Kawamura's reach, and Neto's superior grappling will be too much for Kawamura's one-dimensional striking. An early takedown by Neto will quickly lead to a sudden decrease in the amount of blood reaching Kawamura's cranium.
Speaking of craniums, few fight fans are unfamiliar with Kazuyuki Fujita (Pictures)'s titanic dome and its mythic ability to absorb punishment. Australian kickboxer and MMA neophyte Peter Graham would undoubtedly love to put Fujita's chin to the test, but this is hardly an ideal opponent for the flashy Aussie.
There won't be much time for Graham (0-0-0) to execute his "Rolling Thunder" somersault kick as Fujita (14-6) barrels into him and starts working his usual ground-and-pound game plan.
Kickboxers making their MMA debut generally don't fare well against experienced wrestlers, and this one will hardly be an exception. Fujita should have no problem pounding out a stoppage in the opening frame.
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