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PRIDE 28 Predictions
October 31, 2004 Saitama Super Arena Saitama, Japan
PRIDE 28 is this Sunday and I can't wait to see the action unfold on pay-per-view. But before that happens, I thought I'd
give me two cents on what I think will occur.
I will start with the ones that I think
will end quickly: Aleksander Emelianenko vs. James Thompson Emelianenko, brother of Fedor, has a lot to prove - he needs an impressive win and this is his chance. For some reason, I think he'll try to pull a Fedor ala Ogawa. He will come out with a fury, throwing some bombs. Thompson will be able to cover up on a few of the shots but not all - that's where Thompson will get in trouble - Emelianenko will take a page out of his brothers book and will not let up - the ref will stop the fight in the
first round via TKO to strikes.
Alright, let's see - Overeem all the way - his striking skills are much superior to Kaneharas. For Kanehara to win, he needs to fake out Overeem, acting like he will bang with him and then take him to the ground and try some GnP but I just don't see it happening. Kanehara will not be able to keep Overeem down. Overeem will will use his knees and striking ability to keep Kanehara defensive until he can land the big shot that will put
Kanehara down and out.
Heath Herring vs. Hirotaka Yokoi Herring by TKO toward the end of the first round. Herring will corner Yokoi on the ropes, overwhelm him and
get the ref to stop the bout.
Two guys, at least on paper, who like to bang. Bad deal for Bobish though - Hunt's a former K-1 champion who can take a punch and deliver them as well. I don't think Bobish will be able to handle the power of Hunt's punches and kicks. Yes, I know Bobish is also strong and powerful but Hunt can put the whole package together - Power, strength and technique. Hunt by first round knockout.
Haven't seen these two much. Mu Bae has won both his PRIDE appearances while Palelei did well down under in the XFC. On paper, Mu Bae will probably want to go to the ground while Palelei will want to keep it on top. If Mu Bae can't get a submission in the first, then I like Palelei to win in the second by TKO.
Sergei Ignatev ? Who is this guy right ? Well, he's from the Russian Top Team and from the inquires I made, he sounds like he's got some skills. I get the feeling that this bout will take longer than most people think though. Most of the people I've talk to believe Arona will win and win fast. I believe Arona will win by submission, but maybe late in the first or early in the second.
It's been a while since we've seen Henderson. I get the feeling he'll be out to send a message to the middleweights. Henderson will come out strong and fast, taking Nakamura down utilizing the ground and pound. Nakamura will last one round but will lose in the second via GnP.
Damn, this is a hard one. I know a lot of you are saying this is a no brainer - Cro Cop by KO - but remember Barnett is no chump. He is big and aggressive, not to mention that if he takes you down, he is good on the ground and maybe good enough to finish Cro Cop. It will all depend on how much punishment Barnett receives from Cro Cop. I will still go with Cro Cop by KO but late in the fight when Barnett has a tendency
to drop his hands a bit. (I'll take Barnett by TKO in the second - SN).
This fight will probably be the fight of the night. In their first bout, I remember that Jackson had Silva on the ground a few times delivering some punishment - Silva unable to push Jackson off until the ref stood them up for, I assume, lack of action - although I thought there was enough action. Now I could go on and on about this fight but I'll make it short. This time, I think Jackson will stay busier on the ground, not letting Silva get back up. Now, if Silva wants to bang, that's fine, I think Jackson will trade with him for a bit but he'll want to go to the ground to utilize his GnP and maybe see a Rampage Slam. While on the ground, Jackson will finish him off with knees and punches. TKO win for Jackson midway through the fight and PRIDE will have a
new middleweight champion. That's my two cents. Al
(10/30/04)
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