UFC 168: Weidman vs Silva 2

[Egg Shen]

if you want a history lesson it's worth seeing 1-9, but if you want to watch quality Pride shows it's better to skip them shows, and start from 10.

[Shane O' Mac Version 2]

Talking about Bushido or regular PRIDE shows? Seeming like mixed messages from you and Wand there haha.

[Egg Shen]

just bash your way through it son. Bushido was brought in to showcase lower weight fighters at the beginning, they basically turned into general Pride shows in the end though, all them shows are worth watching.

 

God, i miss Pride

[CurryAngel]

The one night lightweight and welterweight tournament for Bushido 9 (or 10?) is possibly the greatest single event in MMA history.

 

For those who might be interested in how Fedor is doing in retirement then

video gives an insight. He's looking in better shape than he did in the last few years of action and seems happy. (Well as happy as an emotionless Russian can seem!)

[wandshogun09]

CurryAngel - Yeah it was Bushido 9. That's the one I was on about. Just a night full of awesome fights. There's the odd dull fight. Baroni vs Minowa 2 is a letdown after how wild the first one. But on the whole it's one of the best cards top to bottom for pure fight quality, that I've ever seen.

 

Talking about Bushido or regular PRIDE shows? Seeming like mixed messages from you and Wand there haha.

 

Yeah I think Ebb meant more the big Pride shows. I think anyway. Because Pride 1-9 are nothing special. There's bright spots of course. Sakuraba vs Newton from Pride 3 is brilliant as is pretty much anything involving Igor Vovchanchyn. But there's a lot of shit on those shows. Really boring long arse fights. Renzo had a couple of stinkers and Severn vs Kimo from Pride 1 is hands down one of the worst fights in MMA history. Pride 10 is the first really great Pride card. And from then on it's more good than bad.

 

The Bushido shows, its nearly the opposite. Most of the best stuff is in the first 9 shows. 10-13 are decent enough but by then Pride was kind of on the way out. Bushido 7 and 9 are the best. And as we've said, 9 is outstanding. I'd rank it among the best Pride shows ever easy along with Pride 33, Shockwave 2004, Final Conflict 2003 and a couple more. Bushido 9 lacks a bit of the star power the others have (Hendo and Gomi are probably the only real big names on there) but fight for fight it's probably the best show Pride ever put on.

 

We've gone way off topic, amazing what one Don Frye video can trigger

 

Anyone seen the Countdown yet? Aired in America last night apparently.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

Final Conflict 2003 was something I bought from a trader back in the mid-2000s. Had a tremendous Parade of Fighters to kick it off if I remember. I still occasionally find myself saying "Antonio Rrrrrrrrrodrrrrrrrigo Nogueiraaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!" under my breath waiting for the bus in my best Lenne Hardt voice.

[Egg Shen]

For those who might be interested in how Fedor is doing in retirement then

video gives an insight. He's looking in better shape than he did in the last few years of action and seems happy. (Well as happy as an emotionless Russian can seem!)

yeh, nice to see the great man staying in shape

[wandshogun09]

Bit late but

 

 

 

Final Conflict 2003 was something I bought from a trader back in the mid-2000s. Had a tremendous Parade of Fighters to kick it off if I remember. I still occasionally find myself saying "Antonio Rrrrrrrrrodrrrrrrrigo Nogueiraaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!" under my breath waiting for the bus in my best Lenne Hardt voice.

 

Yeah they used to do that fighter parade thing for most of the shows back then. Speaking of Nogueira and the fighter parades, there was a story going around that at one of the Pride Grand Prix tournaments Nogueira was late to the show and stuck in traffic or something. So they pulled the old wrestling switcheroo and his twin brother went out instead. No-one noticed.

[CurryAngel]

Yeah they used to do that fighter parade thing for most of the shows back then. Speaking of Nogueira and the fighter parades, there was a story going around that at one of the Pride Grand Prix tournaments Nogueira was late to the show and stuck in traffic or something. So they pulled the old wrestling switcheroo and his twin brother went out instead. No-one noticed.

 

 

I think that was Pride 25 when he first fought Fedor. Pride 25 is is another fantastic show featuring Anderson and Carlos Newton in a good fight, Sakuraba shocked, Rampage knocking out Randleman and Fedor absolutely battering Nogueira and hitting maybe the hardest punch in the history of ground and pound.

 

[cleslie92]

The discussion on Pride Bushido in here led to me making a sizeable purchase last night...damn you all!

[Egg Shen]

haha, good work Cleslie.

 

Fedor's ground & pound was something else.

[jimufctna24]

I was only thinking the other day that I missed Pride, I still think their production values in 2003-2006 were stronger than what UFC churns out today. There was just more feeling and meaning for lack of better terminology, more thought was put into it, it had a more modern feel to its presentation. The ramp and the setting seemed very modern, and Prides trademark theme still holds up today.

 

UFC sometimes falls foul to feeling like its 2001-2002 with "face the pain" and the presentation has a grimy and sterile feeling to it. Its not a American/Western thing, as Showtime made Strikeforce feel more modern and mainstream, whilst HBO and SKY Sports do a cracking job of their boxing presentation. UFC is not Cage Rage bad, but it still feels a bit too grimy and early 00's for myself.

 

I remember some of the best times I have had as a MMA viewer were from following Pride in 2006. Even before I followed it "in the moment" there is little doubt it had the best talent from 2002-2006.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mGYL7eWDxk...MjQTuJqZ8lROBao

 

The countdown show is alright, I only watched the Anderson vs Weidman bit, which I have linked above. There is some decent insight, but it is not must-see TV like the UFC 100 preview, or the Primetime series at its best.

[CurryAngel]

Yeah, Pride really was real fighting mixed with a pro wrestling feel. Everything about it seemed leagues above the UFC; 70,000 fans and bright lights, screaming lady versus dark, dingy arenas. 2002-06 there was only one real organization to watch.

 

Their build up videos for big fights are just incredible. I don't speak Russian, Croatian or Japanese but

hype video for Fedor-CroCop pisses all over the generic UFC talking heads that have been around forever. There are only so many times you can put up with people talking about "leaving it in the cage", "the best insert fighter name you'll ever see".

 

Even the silent crowd mixed added to the big time feel. You could hear the impact of the punches and kicks as well as see them. It's why THAT punch by Fedor is probably the most impressive thing I've ever seen in MMA. Greater than any fancy kick or dance move from Anderson.

 

The Wanderlei-Rampage rivalry was pure professional wrestling with pull apart brawls in the ring and constant bitching in interviews but nowadays it's been replaced by the likes of Chael Sonnen reciting promos word for word. Only Josh Barnett should be allowed to do that because he's awesome!

 

I miss the old days

[wandshogun09]

I think I'll hold off on the Countdown until Friday and do my usual thing of watching that then the weigh in. Might whack the first fight on again as well before Saturday.

 

Two days away now! It was dragging before but with Christmas and everything, it's come around quick now. Doesn't seem like it's only two days away from the biggest show of the year. Is that a good or bad thing?

[jimufctna24]

The Wanderlei-Rampage rivalry was pure professional wrestling with pull apart brawls in the ring and constant bitching in interviews but nowadays it's been replaced by the likes of Chael Sonnen reciting promos word for word. Only Josh Barnett should be allowed to do that because he's awesome!

Yes, the UFC product is more manufactured and formula based.

 

The sad think about Chael is that to begin with he was entertaining and a extension of his real life personality, sadly he became a bit of a parody by early 2012, and looking back it was not as fun. Listen to his interviews in mid 2010, it was far less rehearsed, and less like he was playing a character so to speak. I still like Chael, but his 2010 stuff was more like Barnett, in which he said what was on his mind more than playing a character.

 

Pride did know how to present things as well, this is one that caught my attention when I viewed it. It is the opening to the Open Weight GP Finale in 2006.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABT_WdWIET0

 

Its commonly accepted that Pride built up Fedor vs Cro Cop masterfully, but sadly I only had access on delay so did not get the "in the moment feeling" others did, plus I had not followed Pride pre-2005 at all, so everything was new to me, so I did not get the buzz I should have done.

 

I never got the feeling Pride was too anime like either, like i have read some state, as the American PPV versions I got I just found the presentation to be very modern and universal. It felt more like a global show, rather than a American style presentation like the UFC.

 

Two days away now! It was dragging before but with Christmas and everything, it's come around quick now. Doesn't seem like it's only two days away from the biggest show of the year. Is that a good or bad thing?

 

I think most lose track of what day it is around Xmas time, I did not know it was that close to be honest. I think there will be a buzz in the air come Saturday.