Tag: Pride

“They Really F Me Over” – ‘Rampage’ Jackson Opens Up About PRIDE Pay Issues

"They Really F Me Over" - 'Rampage' Jackson Opens Up About PRIDE Pay IssuesOctagon icon Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson recently opened up about the paltry pay he received while competing in the defunct…

"They Really F Me Over" - 'Rampage' Jackson Opens Up About PRIDE Pay Issues

Octagon icon Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson recently opened up about the paltry pay he received while competing in the defunct Japanese promotion PRIDE FC.

Before capturing the UFC light heavyweight championship, ‘Rampage’ made a name for himself in PRIDE, competing against a slew of fellow MMA legends like Kevin Randleman, Chuck ‘The Iceman’ Liddell, Wanderlei Silva, and Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua.

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However, it wasn’t all sunshine and roses while working for the Tokyo-based promotion. During a recent episode of his JAXXON podcast with guest Jake Shields, ‘Rampage’ told the former Strikeforce titleholder that he only walked away with $10,000 for his scrap with UFC Hall of Famer Kazushi Sakuraba at PRIDE 15 in July 2021.

“That’s an easy answer for me. I like PRIDE better, but I like the pay in the UFC better,” Jackson said. “Yeah, because I guess the pay already—and you’re kind of at the edge when it’s starting to get paid pretty good. PRIDE’s financial issues? PRIDE f*cked me over, bro. PRIDE f*cked me over. They—man—they really, really f*cked me over.

“No, bro. They got me. They got me. Remember I [said] earlier, when I got the Sakuraba call, it was double what I was going to make for Ken [Shamrock]? So PRIDE paid me $10,000. I was going to fight Ken for $5,000, but $10,000 was a lot of money for me back then.”

After an impressive run with pRIDE, ‘Rampage’ took his talents to the UFC and Bellator

After six years in PRIDE, ‘Rampage’ made the move to the UFC in 2007 and added to his legacy with big wins over Dan Henderson, and Lyoto Machida. Along the way, he defeated Liddell via a first-round KO to claim the 205-pound title. He defended it against Henderson at UFC 75 before surrendering it 10 months later against Forrest Griffin.

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Rampage’ spent the last six years of his MMA career in Bellator, going 6-3 in the process. Overall, he went 38-14 with 20 of his wins coming by way of KO/TKO.

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Minowaman vs. Butterbean: 200 lb difference in This MMA Freakshow (and We Loved It)

Minowaman vs. ButterbeanThe year was 2006. The event? PRIDE FC: Bushido 12. The matchup? Ikuhisa “Minowaman” Minowa versus Eric “Butterbean” Esch….

Minowaman vs. Butterbean

The year was 2006. The event? PRIDE FC: Bushido 12. The matchup? Ikuhisa “Minowaman” Minowa versus Eric “Butterbean” Esch. It was the kind of glorious, absurd spectacle that could only happen in the anything-goes world of mid-2000s Japanese MMA.

Minowaman vs. Butterbean

On one side stood Minowa, the fearless “Giant Killer,” weighing in at 198 pounds of scrappy brilliance. On the other side loomed Butterbean, the bowling ball-shaped boxing legend who tipped the scales at over 400 pounds. That’s right, this fight featured a jaw-dropping 200-pound weight difference. Think David vs. Goliath, but with more spandex and way more chaos.

When the bell rang, Minowa wasted no time in showing why he’s an MMA cult hero. He sprinted across the ring and dropkicked Butterbean square in the face like it was a WWE Royal Rumble. The crowd erupted. For good measure, he tried it again moments later, only to find himself pancaked on the mat under Butterbean’s sheer gravitational pull.
Butterbean, despite his mobility challenges, managed to use his bulk to gain top position. Things looked dicey for Minowa, as Butterbean’s mass seemed more like a geological event than a fighting style. But this wasn’t Minowa’s first time grappling with giants.

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Using his superior grappling skills, Minowa deftly swept Butterbean, turning the tide in his favor. From there, it was classic Minowa: ground strikes, slick transitions, and an armbar that looked impossible but somehow worked. Butterbean tried to resist, but after 4 minutes and 25 seconds of the first round, he had no choice but to tap out.

The fight was everything fans loved about PRIDE. This was a fight, theater, comedy, and display of skill all rolled into one. Minowaman with his fearless approach and pro-wrestling-inspired flair, cemented his status as a true fan favorite. Butterbean, for his part, dusted himself off and went on to win his next two PRIDE bouts, finishing his MMA career with a respectable 17-10-1 record.

Minowaman vs. Butterbean may not go down in history as the most competitive fight, but it was pure entertainment. A freakshow match in the best possible way. PRIDE gave us fights no one else would, and for that, we’re forever grateful.

800 Pounds of Fury – The Seismic Battle of a Giants that Shook 2007 – Butterbean vs. Zuluzinho

800 Pounds of Fury - The Seismic Battle of a Giants that Shook 2007 - Butterbean vs. ZuluzinhoIn the annals of combat sports history, few bouts stand out like the super heavyweight spectacle that was Eric…

800 Pounds of Fury - The Seismic Battle of a Giants that Shook 2007 - Butterbean vs. Zuluzinho

In the annals of combat sports history, few bouts stand out like the super heavyweight spectacle that was Eric “Butterbean” Esch versus Zuluzinho at PRIDE 34. Dubbed “The 750-Pound Fight” (though, in reality, it was closer to 800 pounds), this clash of titans in April 2007 was it was a seismic event that physicists would study for generations.

Butterbean vs. Zuluzinho

On one side, you had Butterbean, the 5’11”, 350-pound striker, known for his no-nonsense knockouts and unique appearance. His signature bald head and immense round frame made him impossible to miss. He looked like an American Doctor Eggman. With 77 wins in professional boxing, 58 of those by knockout, Butterbean was a walking wrecking ball.

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On the other side loomed Zuluzinho, a colossus at 6’7″ and tipping the scales at a jaw-dropping 407 pounds. With his massive size, he was an intimidating figure who, at least on paper, seemed like an immovable object. For Japanese audiences of the Kakutogi-boom era, giants such as Bob Sapp and Hongman Choi were simply too small. They only whet the appetite. These audiences begged for something bigger. And Zuluzinho was the answer to their giant fight cravings.

Zuluzinho

PRIDE 34

Fans tuned in for one simple reason: they wanted to see what would happen when 800 pounds of human flesh collided. Would the ring survive? Would gravity give up? Would Butterbean, for the first time in his career, look small?

The answers came quickly, which was a surprise given the size. Despite their reputations for flattening opponents with fists the size of dinner plates, the fight took an unexpected turn. Butterbean, the man once described as “a bowling ball with arms,” decided to skip his knockout power and go for a takedown. Yes, you read that right. Butterbean—known for sending people to dreamland with haymakers—took the fight to the ground like a seasoned grappler. A Ryan Hall with some muscle, if you could imagine.

Butterbean vs. Zuluzinho

If that wasn’t shocking enough, the real surprise came moments later when Butterbean locked in an Americana submission on Zuluzinho, forcing the Brazilian giant to tap out. The crowd, and probably the planet itself, shook with disbelief. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Butterbean? Grappling? Is there even a black belt long enough for his frame?

Physicists may still be scratching their heads over the Butterbean-Zuluzinho fight, a bout that seemed to defy the laws of nature. When two objects of this magnitude collide the formation of a black hole should occur. Instead, what we got was Butterbean, the human wrecking ball, channeling his inner astrophysicist and Gracie by using leverage and torque to topple a man who could easily double as a celestial object.

For Zuluzinho, it was a rough night. Losing to a man half a foot shorter and best known for punching Johnny Knoxville wasn’t exactly the highlight of his career. But for us normal-sized mortals, it was pretty fun.

On This Day: Mirko Cro Cop Knocks Out Alexander Emelianenko with a Head Kick – August 15, 2004

Mirko Cro Cop Knocks Out Alexander Emelianenko with a Head Kick - August 15, 2004Twenty years ago to the day, Mirko Cro Cop delivered an iconic head kick against the highly skilled Russian-born…

Mirko Cro Cop Knocks Out Alexander Emelianenko with a Head Kick - August 15, 2004

Twenty years ago to the day, Mirko Cro Cop delivered an iconic head kick against the highly skilled Russian-born Alexander Emelianenko. This would lead to a match between the Croatian kickboxer against the PRIDE FC world champion, brother of Alexander, Fedor Emelianenko.

Pride FC: Final Conflict 2004

The August 15 event was to be the finals of the Pride 2004 Heavyweight Grand Prix, set to feature the semi-finals and final match of the tournament. Fedor Emelianenko quickly subbed Naoya Ogawa while “Big Nog” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira fought a full fifteen minutes against Russia’s Sergei Kharitonov. Nogueira and Fedor met in the finals, but the fight was called off as a No Contest due to an accidental cut. Thus, the other matches on the card became the memorable moments from this event.

Mirko Cro Cop Knocks Out Alexander Emelianenko with a Head Kick

Mirko Cro Cop Filipovi? was a standout fighter in K-1 Kickboxing. The Croatian-born fighter was a training partner of the first K-1 Champion Branko Cikati?. Fighting during the golden age of kickboxing, he had wars against some of the best kickboxers in history including Andy Hug, Ernesto Hoost, Peter Aerts, Ray Sefo, Remy Bonjasky, Mike Bernardo and Mark Hunt, and others.

But when Mirko Cro Cop transitioned to MMA and competed in PRIDE FC, then he became a megastar. It was his head kick knockouts from the southpaw that made him transcend and become a household name in Japan and among MMA fans. “Right kick hospital, left leg cemetery.”

Igor Vovchanchyn, Dos Caras Jr., and Heath Herring were knocked out by the heavy kicks of the Croatian fighter. But the unbeaten Alexander Emelianenko at a towering 6’3″ was expected to pose a new challenge. Instead, Mirko knocked him out with a signature head kick just two minutes into their meeting.

Wanderlei Silva Stomps Yuki Kondo

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Maybe the most iconic knockout of the career of Wanderlei Silva. A brutal finish from the Vale Tudo fighter. Wanderlei knocks down the Pancrase veteran and then stomps him out on the canvas. An unforgettable image. Yuki Kondo is often dismissed as an easy win but Yuki Kondo was a veteran and this was the first time he’d lost by KO/TKO in his career. I’ve written at length about the BMF career of Yuki Kondo.

On This Day: Wanderlei Silva Delivers One of the Most Brutal Knockouts in History Against Kazushi Sakuraba – Aug. 10, 2003

Wanderlei Silva knocks out Kazushi Sakuraba PRIDE 2003Wanderlei Silvas was in his prime in 2003, and he showed his feared power by brutally knocking out Kazushi…

Wanderlei Silva knocks out Kazushi Sakuraba PRIDE 2003

Wanderlei Silvas was in his prime in 2003, and he showed his feared power by brutally knocking out Kazushi Sakuraba. This was during the Pride Total Elimination 2003, a grand Prix that featured Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, Alistair Overeem, and Chuck Liddell, among others.

Wanderlei Silva knocks out Kazushi Sakuraba

Brazil’s Wanderlei Silva was becoming one of the biggest stars in MMA at this time, he was about to become the face of PRIDE FC. A former Vale Tudo striker who was putting Chute Boxe on the map. Already having captured the PRIDE FC championship, he had defeated notable fighters previously such as Dan Henderson, Kazushi Sakuraba, and Guy Mezger.

The 2003 PRIDE Grand Prix was a stacked tournament that featured major names such as Wanderlei Silva, Alistair Overeem, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, former UFC champion Murilo Bustamante, RINGS legend Kiyoshi Tamura, Olympic Medalist Hidehiko Yoshida, and the UFC entered their biggest name Chuck Liddell into the mix.

Kazushi Sakuraba had made a name for himself in MMA by becoming the Gracie hunter, out-grappling and defeating members of the Gracie family. Sometimes in incredible showcases such as when he faced Royce Gracie for 90 minutes. Later that same night, Sakuraba would compete once against facing the heavy-handed Ukrainian Igor Vovchanchyn.

Japan’s Sakuraba, a noted chain smoker, had a background as a professional wrestler. MMA wasn’t his true aim, but over time he would become a legend in the sport. Today, he would be about the size of a welterweight but at the time he competed against anyone of any size including heavyweights.

silva vs sakuraba

On this day, August 10, 2003, The Brazilian Wanderlei Silva had already defeated Sakuraba twice before, both by TKO. So the ending of this match was not a huge surprise, but the brutality of it was. A massive right hook, blistering speed, that looked to decapitate the Japanese grappler and snapped his neck to his shoulder. A cold-blooded knockout from Wanderlei Silva.

In the tournament, ‘Rampage’ Jackson defeated Chuck Liddel to reach the finals. From there, Wanderlei Silva delivered a barrage of knees to leave him slumped in the ropes with an iconic knockout.

Pride FC: Total Elimination 2003

Also featured at the August 10, 2003, Pride FC: Total Elimination 2003 event was heavyweight great Fedor Emelianenko knocking out Gary Goodridge. Chuck Liddell knocked out Alistair Overeem, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira defeated UFC champion Ricco Rodriguez, and Mirko Cro Cop knocked out Igor Vovchanchyn with a head kick.

On This Day: Wanderlei Silva Delivers One of the Most Brutal Knockouts in History Against Kazushi Sakuraba – Aug. 10, 2003

Wanderlei Silva knocks out Kazushi Sakuraba PRIDE 2003Wanderlei Silvas was in his prime in 2003, and he showed his feared power by brutally knocking out Kazushi…

Wanderlei Silva knocks out Kazushi Sakuraba PRIDE 2003

Wanderlei Silvas was in his prime in 2003, and he showed his feared power by brutally knocking out Kazushi Sakuraba. This was during the Pride Total Elimination 2003, a grand Prix that featured Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, Alistair Overeem, and Chuck Liddell, among others.

Wanderlei Silva knocks out Kazushi Sakuraba

Brazil’s Wanderlei Silva was becoming one of the biggest stars in MMA at this time, he was about to become the face of PRIDE FC. A former Vale Tudo striker who was putting Chute Boxe on the map. Already having captured the PRIDE FC championship, he had defeated notable fighters previously such as Dan Henderson, Kazushi Sakuraba, and Guy Mezger.

The 2003 PRIDE Grand Prix was a stacked tournament that featured major names such as Wanderlei Silva, Alistair Overeem, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, former UFC champion Murilo Bustamante, RINGS legend Kiyoshi Tamura, Olympic Medalist Hidehiko Yoshida, and the UFC entered their biggest name Chuck Liddell into the mix.

Kazushi Sakuraba had made a name for himself in MMA by becoming the Gracie hunter, out-grappling and defeating members of the Gracie family. Sometimes in incredible showcases such as when he faced Royce Gracie for 90 minutes. Later that same night, Sakuraba would compete once against facing the heavy-handed Ukrainian Igor Vovchanchyn.

Japan’s Sakuraba, a noted chain smoker, had a background as a professional wrestler. MMA wasn’t his true aim, but over time he would become a legend in the sport. Today, he would be about the size of a welterweight but at the time he competed against anyone of any size including heavyweights.

silva vs sakuraba

On this day, August 10, 2003, The Brazilian Wanderlei Silva had already defeated Sakuraba twice before, both by TKO. So the ending of this match was not a huge surprise, but the brutality of it was. A massive right hook, blistering speed, that looked to decapitate the Japanese grappler and snapped his neck to his shoulder. A cold-blooded knockout from Wanderlei Silva.

In the tournament, ‘Rampage’ Jackson defeated Chuck Liddel to reach the finals. From there, Wanderlei Silva delivered a barrage of knees to leave him slumped in the ropes with an iconic knockout.

Pride FC: Total Elimination 2003

Also featured at the August 10, 2003, Pride FC: Total Elimination 2003 event was heavyweight great Fedor Emelianenko knocking out Gary Goodridge. Chuck Liddell knocked out Alistair Overeem, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira defeated UFC champion Ricco Rodriguez, and Mirko Cro Cop knocked out Igor Vovchanchyn with a head kick.