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PRIDE 33 Injury Report
By Zach Arnold | February 26, 2007
By Zach Arnold
If there is one positive for hardcore PRIDE fans about the Nevada State Athletic Commission, it’s the fact that they do some thorough medical analysis of fighters for safety precautions. And looking at the list of medical suspensions, there are plenty of implications that could effect PRIDE’s future matchmaking. Now that PRIDE is running in Nevada on a consistent basis, they have to play by the NSAC rules. This will unquestionably effect their matchmaking ability in Japan.
- Vanderlei Silva suspended until 4/11. This means he won’t work the 4/8 Saitama Super Arena event.
- Dan Henderson suspended minimum until 4/11 or when his fractured right hand heals. So a re-match with him and Silva is remotely possible for 4/28 in Las Vegas, but doubtful.
- Antonio Rogerio Nogueira is medically suspended until 4/11, meaning any prospect of a re-match in Japan on 4/8 in Saitama against Sokoudjou is out the window.
- All the discussion about Takanori Gomi vs. Nick Diaz happening on 4/8 in Saitama for the Lightweight title is gone now that Gomi has been suspended until 4/11. Additionally, Diaz has a fractured right orbital bone (eye) and likely won’t be able to fight until at least May. Elite XC has a show in Atlantic City, NJ on 5/5 and PRIDE has a Lightweight tournament show on 5/20 in Japan. The only possibility of Gomi vs. Diaz in the near future is on 5/20 in a non-title match.
Topics: All Topics, MMA, Media, PRIDE, Zach Arnold | 10 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback | Share This
Zack (or Ivan or Jordan),
Are these suspensions consistent with those handed out for other promotions? Slightly shorter? Slightly longer?
Regardless, it doesn’t surprise me that PRIDE’s office–set in their unregulated Japanese promoter ways–managed not to account for the possibility that fighters would be available for their next show. Clearly, no promoter can account for broken bones or serious injuries putting a fighter on the shelf, but when a standard commission-mandated suspension for losing imperils the next show—that’s promoter incompetence.
If PRIDE didn’t think to consult a promoter with significant NSAC experience, then they deserve whatever is coming to them.
The minimum suspensions are 45-day ones, which is pretty common. If you do take blows to the head, not fighting for 6 weeks (or a month and a half) is pretty reasonable. Usually, however, PRIDE runs many shows in a calendar year and with them having to play by NSAC rules, suddenly things aren’t smooth sailing.
In that case, PRIDE is f–king moronic for only leaving 6 weeks between fight dates. If they just left 7 weeks after LV before the next show, a majority of the problems would disappear.
It should be noted that Fishman wants to run Staples Center in Los Angeles as well as the Vegas shows. So, if PRIDE runs every two months, it’s going to be difficult for them to keep continuity in booking especially given that they are trying to run Japan simultaneously as well. In addition, the CSAC has a reputation of longer medical suspensions for cuts and other abrasions than NSAC does. UFC at least has a pattern to go by for suspensions and how it effects their matchmaking, whereas PRIDE is trying to serve two masters and juggle a full plate.
I think PRIDE needs to start widening their pool of fighters or stop booking all of their top guys against one another all the time. Booking their top guys against one another constantly is not going to help them sustain the number of events they want to do throughout the year; where fans in each country want to see their favorites. There is nothing you can do about fighters getting hurt and getting suspended besides being prepared for it.
Mr. Arnold,
You use the word “effect” twice in the opening paragraph. You meant to say “affect”.
Mr. Arnold,
You did it again in your comment (3 posts above)
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