Tag: Pride

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

wanderlei yuki kondo

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.

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.

‘Rampage’ Jackson Reminds Daniel Cormier of his iconic Bodyslam KO in PRIDE: ‘Is He New to MMA?’

RampageMMA legend Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson has a history lesson for Daniel Cormier. ‘DC’ was on the call when fans…

Rampage

MMA legend Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson has a history lesson for Daniel Cormier.

‘DC’ was on the call when fans bore witness to not one, but two epic bodyslam KOs during Saturday’s action-packed UFC Austin card. The viral finishes came in back-to-back bouts starting with Drakkar Klose who slammed his way out of an armbar attempt, rendering his opponent, Joe Solecki, instantly out cold. It was an insane moment that sent Cormier and the rest of the crew into a frenzy. But that was only the appetizer.

In the very next fight, Cody Brundage scored his own highlight-reel-worthy knockout when he picked up Zach Reese and sent him crashing back to the canvas while fighting out of an arm triangle.

Cormier sold the moment claiming that he had never seen anything like that before, a comment which earned the attention of ‘Rampage’ Jackson.

“How is Daniel Cormier (did I spell his name right) gonna say he’s never seen this? Is he new to MMA? Did he start with only the UFC? Did he not watch PRIDE FC? I need him to come on the jaxxon podcast,” Jackson wrote on X.

‘Rampage’ still has the greatest slam KO in MMA history

When it comes to bodyslam knockouts, there’s no greater example than the one ‘Rampage’ gave us at Pride Critical Countdown 2004. Squaring off with Ricardo Arona, Jackson famously powered Arona up on his shoulders and slammed him back down in a most violent fashion.

Arona was clearly out, but that didn’t stop Jackson from firing a couple of ground-and-pound strikes for good measure. It truly was the Wild West of mixed martial arts.

Rampage Jackson claims PRIDE fights were often rigged: “I know there’s been fake fights in MMA.”

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Pride Fighting ChampionshipQuinton “Rampage” Jackson says professional MMA fights are constantly rigged. During an interview with Chris Van Vliet earlier this month, Jackson spoke about “fake fights” in Pride Fighting Championship. He fought for the Japanese mixed martial arts promotion from July 2001 to February 2006. “I know that there’s been fake fights in MMA,” Jackson said. […]

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Pride Fighting Championship

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson says professional MMA fights are constantly rigged.

During an interview with Chris Van Vliet earlier this month, Jackson spoke about “fake fights” in Pride Fighting Championship. He fought for the Japanese mixed martial arts promotion from July 2001 to February 2006.

“I know that there’s been fake fights in MMA,” Jackson said. “I know that… Say me and you fight and you say, ‘Listen Rampage, I’m gonna give you $10 million to take a dive. I gotta look good though. I gotta really hit you. I’m like, ‘I get hit all the time’. At the end you know that you’re gonna hit me, I know that you’re gonna hit me, but you know you’re gonna knock me the f*** out. I’m just thinking, ‘I’m gonna get hit then I gotta fall down’. Boxers do that shit all the time.” (h/t Sportskeeda)

Rampage Jackson Made a Name For Himself in PRIDE

During his 5-year stint in “PRIDE”, Jackson had notable wins over Chuck Liddell, Ricardo Arona and Murilo Rua. He also fought for the PRIDE middleweight title.

PRIDE was home to many MMA legends, including Fedor Emelianenko, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Dan Henderson and Wanderlei Silva. The promotion closed its doors in 2007 after a 10-year run.