Sherdog.com Preview: Two PRIDE Titles on the Line
Akihiro Gono vs. Denis Kang
Nov 4, 2006
GONO: Akihiro Gono
(Pictures) is a Japanese submission
fighter and boxer with a MMA record of 26-11-7. He represents Team
GRABAKA and has trained with Genki Sudo (Pictures), Sanae Kikuta (Pictures), Yuki Sasaki (Pictures) and Keiichiro Yamamiya
(Pictures).
Spanning six years and 14 bouts (6-4-4), Gono enjoyed a long stint in Shooto. He made the move to Pancrase in ’01 where fought the majority of his bouts for the next three years. Gono took on top talent including fighters Yuki Kondo (Pictures) (lost by corner stoppage), Kousei Kubota (Pictures) (won by decision), Chael Sonnen (Pictures) (fought to a draw) and Brazilians Flavio Luiz Moura (Pictures) (won by decision) and Nilson de Castro (Pictures) (twice, winning by DQ and decision).
Gono made his PRIDE debut in 2004 against Chute Boxe hero Mauricio Rua (Pictures), but he didn’t make the promotion
his home until May of ’05. He earned two wins before getting
knocked out by Dan
Henderson (Pictures) in the Bushido welterweight
tournament. Gono is 3-0 in ’06, with his last victory coming via
dominating performance against Gegard Mousasi (Pictures) in the quarterfinals of the
middleweight GP.
KANG: Canadian Denis Kang (Pictures) is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter who trains with Thiago Alves (Pictures), Jorge Santiago (Pictures), Wilson Gouveia (Pictures), Charles McCarthy (Pictures) and the rest of the American Top Team. Denis wrestled in high school before he eventually found BJJ to be the art that moved him.
He started training with Marcus Soares when he was 20 and has studied the art for nearly a decade. The Spirit MC Grand Prix tournament champion brings a professional MMA record of 25-7-1 (1 NC).
After starting his career at an up-and-down 7-7-1, Kang has gone on to win 18 of his last 19 fights, the only blemish a draw against Andrei Semenov (Pictures) in Russia.
Kang finds himself in Sunday’s semifinals thanks to two dominating performances. He thumped Chute Boxe’s Murilo Rua (Pictures) in 15 seconds and easily handled veteran Amar Suleov in just over four minutes.
PREDICTION: Gono seems to think it is not only easier to game plan for Kang than Filho but that his best bet is to get into a striking exchange with him.
His battle cry is “Denis Kang (Pictures), bring it on!” Anyone else think Gono’s coach is under the mind control of Kang’s camp? Denis brings a complete game. He clearly favors submissions but he’ll be happy to trade strikes on the feet. It is unlikely he’ll be caught sleeping by the less technical Gono. If he really does decide to stand and trade, Kang will likely go into the final bout injury free. Kang by TKO.
Spanning six years and 14 bouts (6-4-4), Gono enjoyed a long stint in Shooto. He made the move to Pancrase in ’01 where fought the majority of his bouts for the next three years. Gono took on top talent including fighters Yuki Kondo (Pictures) (lost by corner stoppage), Kousei Kubota (Pictures) (won by decision), Chael Sonnen (Pictures) (fought to a draw) and Brazilians Flavio Luiz Moura (Pictures) (won by decision) and Nilson de Castro (Pictures) (twice, winning by DQ and decision).
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KANG: Canadian Denis Kang (Pictures) is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter who trains with Thiago Alves (Pictures), Jorge Santiago (Pictures), Wilson Gouveia (Pictures), Charles McCarthy (Pictures) and the rest of the American Top Team. Denis wrestled in high school before he eventually found BJJ to be the art that moved him.
He started training with Marcus Soares when he was 20 and has studied the art for nearly a decade. The Spirit MC Grand Prix tournament champion brings a professional MMA record of 25-7-1 (1 NC).
After starting his career at an up-and-down 7-7-1, Kang has gone on to win 18 of his last 19 fights, the only blemish a draw against Andrei Semenov (Pictures) in Russia.
Kang finds himself in Sunday’s semifinals thanks to two dominating performances. He thumped Chute Boxe’s Murilo Rua (Pictures) in 15 seconds and easily handled veteran Amar Suleov in just over four minutes.
PREDICTION: Gono seems to think it is not only easier to game plan for Kang than Filho but that his best bet is to get into a striking exchange with him.
His battle cry is “Denis Kang (Pictures), bring it on!” Anyone else think Gono’s coach is under the mind control of Kang’s camp? Denis brings a complete game. He clearly favors submissions but he’ll be happy to trade strikes on the feet. It is unlikely he’ll be caught sleeping by the less technical Gono. If he really does decide to stand and trade, Kang will likely go into the final bout injury free. Kang by TKO.
