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Champion Versus Champion; Gold Medalists Clash At PRIDE Fighting's Shockwave!

December 31, 2004

Saitama Super Arena

Saitama, Japan

TOKYO, Japan –

The two main events for PRIDE FIGHTING’S New Year’s Eve spectacular, SHOCKWAVE, have been

announced.  In the first bout, the highly anticipated rematch … for the title of undisputed heavyweight Grand

Prix Champion of 2004, Fedor Emelianenko versus Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.  In the second bout, for

the first time in mixed martial arts history and under mixed martial arts rules, it will be Olympic gold

medalist versus Olympic gold medalist as Japan’s Hidehiko Yoshida (1992 Judo Olympic gold medalist)

takes on Rulon Gardner of the United States (2000 Greco Roman Wrestling Olympic gold medalist).   Also

on the card, Japanese hero Kazushi Sakuraba will face a yet to be named opponent.    

SHOCKWAVE will take place from the Saitama Super Arena in Japan and is scheduled to debut on North\

American pay per view via iNDEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, and TVN on Sunday, January 2nd, 2005 at

9:00pm EST, 6:00pm PST. 

The first main event match pits champion versus champion as reigning PRIDE FIGHTING heavyweight

champion Fedor Emelianenko goes up against PRIDE FIGHTING’S interim heavyweight champion, Antonio

Rodrigo Nogueira.  This rivalry began at PRIDE 25 BODY BLOW back on March 16, 2003 when Fedor ended

the championship reign of Nogueira, taking the heavyweight title via unanimous decision.  With Fedor

suffering a hand injury in 2003, a rematch was not possible, so Nogueira was matched against Mirko “Cro

Cop” Filipovic for the title of interim heavyweight champion.  In a historical bout, Nogueira overcame a

disastrous first round to submit the Croatian sensation in round two via armbar.  But despite the impressive

victory, fans still longed to see “Minotauro” face Fedor.  Both champions participated in the 16-man

heavyweight Grand Prix tournament of 2004 and the inevitable happened … each man reached the finals. 

With the scenario set, this bout was supposed to prove which man would have the right to be called PRIDE

FIGHTING’S top heavyweight.  Instead, the match was stopped early in the first round due to a very bad cut

suffered by Fedor.  To the protest of Nogueira, the bout was declared a no-contest and neither man was

declared Grand Prix champion.  Now at SHOCKWAVE, the highly anticipated rematch … for the title of

undisputed heavyweight Grand Prix Champion of 2004, it will be Fedor Emelianenko versus Antonio Rodrigo

Nogueira. 

In the second main event, for the first time in mixed martial arts history and under mixed martial arts rules, it

will be Olympic gold medallist versus Olympic gold medallist as Japan’s Hidehiko Yoshida (1992 Judo

Olympic gold medallist) takes on Rulon Gardner of the United States (2000 Greco Roman Wrestling Olympic

gold medallist).  Hidehiko Yoshida is a legend in the word of Judo.  This Japanese star has successfully

competed in the Judo World Championships and the Olympics, capturing the gold medal in the 1992

Barcelona Games (he won all six of his matches by ippon).  Upon his retirement from the sport, Yoshida

was intent on proving the effectiveness of Judo within mixed martial arts.  Thus far he has been successful,

as he has garnered wins against Don Frye, Masaaki Satake, Kiyoshi Tamura, and Mark Hunt.  Just as

Yoshida is a legend in the Judo world, so is Rulon Gardner in the world of Greco Roman Wrestling.  A native

of Wyoming, Gardner’s amateur wrestling career contains an impressive list of accomplishments: in 2001 he

was the Greco Roman world champion, he is a three-time American National Champion (1995, 1997, 2001),

and at the Olympics in Sydney in 2000, he did the unthinkable, winning the gold medal by defeating Russian

Aleksander Karelin, himself a three-time gold medalist and unbeaten in competition for 13 years.  Gardner

competed once again in the Olympics in 2004 and successfully captured a bronze medal in Athens and then

announced his retirement from the sport.  With his place in wrestling history secure, Gardner now looks to

display his skills in the arena of mixed martial arts.  So which style will prove superior … Judo or Greco

Roman Wrestling? 

SHOCKWAVE FIGHT CARD

 Fedor Emelianenko (Russia) vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Brazil)

 (This bout is for the title of PRIDE FIGHTING 2004 Grand Prix heavyweight championship)

Hidehiko Yoshida (Japan) vs. Rulon Gardner (USA)

Kazushi Sakuraba (Japan) vs. TBA

Fight card subject to change.

More bouts to be announced soon.

For more information on PRIDE FC, visit pridefc.com!

-  From Dream Stage Entertainment with a little editing from us (color, highlights, etc...)

(11/1/04)