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Fedor vs. Hunt
By Zach Arnold | November 21, 2006
That is your main event for the PRIDE Heavyweight Title on 12/31 at Saitama Super Arena.
Topics: All Topics, Japan, Media, MMA, PRIDE, Zach Arnold | 24 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Although I wanted to see Fedor vs. Josh, it should be a good fight. Maybe Josh really is more hurt than we though. I’m still surprised they still didn’t go with Yoshida vs. Fedor. To me I thought that was their only chance to get a last minute tv deal.
Ack I almost forgot (please merge the two)
I voted Fedor vs. Yoshida cause I wanted to see that too…..And to piss off a few PRIDE marks.
I love how zach does a fan poll on pride with a sarcastic tone, and asks fans which they want to see.
Fedor vs crocop should not be on there, mirko has said he is not ready, so why put that on the poll, it is about as likely as fedor vs tim sylvia would be.
The only fights better then this would probably be josh vs fedor, werdum vs fedor would be interesting, but fedor is so boring and not a ratings draw, obviously zach knows why pride made this match.
That should say werdum is boring by the way.
I guess mirko and josh weren’t doable. This will end VERY fast.
Apparently Mirko and Josh weren’t in shape to take on Fedor. I don’t blame them, a bad loss could see their hopes of ever getting a title evaporate. I would personally have liked to see Fedor vs Werdum. In the absence of Mirko and Josh that would have been the most skilled replacement IMO. Oh well, Fedor by vicous arm rip off in 1 minute.
I’ve wanted to see this fight for a long time. Can Hunt withstand the punishment from Fedor long enough to land a big shot? Fujita stunned Fedor. Can the big man from New Zealand?
Fedor will take Hunt to the ground and hit him with an armbar or kimura. Fedor loves these tools and Hunt has proven himself to be extremely weak in defending them. I’ll enjoy it, but i’m not looking forward to it.
Roadblock, the thing with Fujita was Fedor had no idea he had any power, which in retrospect neither did anyone else. So I doubt he’ll put himself in a position to get clocked. Prior to the Barnett fight I would have given Mark Hunt more of a chance but I think Barnett exposed just how weak Hunt’s takedown and submission defense is. He’s still a dangerous guy but unless Fedor just totally underestimates him and does something stupid it should be a relatively easy win.
Great fight, but for the TITLE?
The most curious reaction will be from the Japanese fans. Will they accept this as a New Year’s Eve-level main event (excluding the issue of fight quality) or will they be disappointed that they aren’t seeing Fedor vs. Mirko or even Fedor vs. Yoshida?
“The most curious reaction will be from the Japanese fans. Will they accept this as a New Year’s Eve-level main event (excluding the issue of fight quality) or will they be disappointed that they aren’t seeing Fedor vs. Mirko or even Fedor vs. Yoshida?”
Crocop has been pretty vocal about not being able (healthy enough) to fight on NYE, so it shouldn’t be a big surprise. However, I can certainly understand them preferring Yoshida or Barnett.
For my part, I would rather see Barnett, but only at 100%. If he’s not ready, then Hunt will do. I’m sure PRIDE has a plan for Yoshida, so his eventual matchup should be interesting.
This is a fight I wanted to see so it’s all good. I would’ve liked to see Fedor vs Barnett @ NYE then Fedor vs Cro Cop 2 in Vegas (so I can be there live.) Plus that gives Cro Cop more time to recover from surgery.
As for the Japanese reaction…I am kind of surprised they didn’t do Yoshida vs Fedor. Regardless, the card will be stacked and there will be something for everyone. With the USA Pride card only 2 months after, hopefully most people make it out of NYE injury free. They’re going to have to put on a much better Pride card on paper than last time, or I think the 2nd show will tank.
Let me comments take nothing away from Fedor Emelianenko. He is the best Heavyweight in the world and has beaten every single challenger that has stood across the ring from him.
With that said, it is sad that Fedor has 1 title defense in 2006, and it is against a fighter who isn’t even a Top 5 Heavyweight in Pride.
Zach, this is definatley better as far as new material goes. As far as Donut62 goes, it seems that he either does not understand pride or business or perhaps both. NYE is the biggest event of the year and since Pride books the fights not the fighters themselves booking themselves as Donut believes, Pride is trying to put a card together that will attract a live PPV in Japan as well as keep interest in future fights. By placing Mark Hunt against Fedor, they are pairing the last man to beat Cro Cop in a fight that Cro Cop barring injury would have been in.
This fight due to the popularity of Mark Hunt a former K1 champion, vs the present Pride champion will draw as large as any fight out there and Pride does not have to see Yoshida lose again, which would hurt as there is no real Japanese heavyweight that could win in this division.
So kudos to Zach Arnold on this thread and to Donut62, try to educate yourself a bit more before you shoot off about MMA.
Eh not the fight I wanted to see. if anything its a curious fight but its going to come down with Fedor taking Hunt down and then GnPing him until the ref stops the match. Everyone knows Hunt has NO ground game what so ever. BUT I am happy to see the likely of Fedor/ Mirko at LV coming up…I doubt Fedor will get hurt fighting Hunt unless he rebreaks his hand on Hunts iron head.
Screw that. Air Auckland is hitting St Petersberg HARD!!!
Hunt by ABD!!
I don’t know who Diamond Dave Williams is, but apparently he can’t decipher opinion from fact, and apparently for some reason he hates me. I understand life must be hard with the reading comprehension of a 3 year old child, but I stated that I would have liked to have seen Werdum fight Fedor out of personal preference. Obviously, Mr. Sakikibara did not call me and seek my guidance, nor did I expect him too. Hunt is infinetely more popular than Werdum in Japan and this match up makes the most sense publicity wise.
IMO I dont think Hunt/ Fedor will attract nearly that much attention as Fedor/Yoshida would of in Japan. Japanese fans arent stupid they know Hunt, though he was a K-1 WGP winner, is VERY VERY limited in MMA. I would really like to hear why Barnett/Fedor wasnt chosen…maybe he got hurt or they will save it for LV (NO!) because Barnett is american..?
JOSH: Takada stated that both Barnett and Mirko weren’t at 100% or in the shape they need to be to fight with Fedor. With Barnett I think that’s more than understandable as the dude fights soooo many times with little rest.
As for the fight I think its pretty interesting however I don’t think Fedor would even dream of making the tactical error of standing with Hunt and giving him the opportunity to land the big bomb. As exciting/enticing as the fight looks from the standpoint that they might stand and bang it out, that’s likely not what’s going to happen and Hunt is too green to pose much of a threat to Fedor. That being said I think he stands a better chance than Yoshida and I really wouldn’t have wanted to watch that fight.
Donut, please don’t start throwing insults around. This not Sherdog this is a site where opinions should be tossed around, but with logic attached to the opinion. I reason I have always enjoyed Zach Arnold’s sites is that even if Zach did not have the answers, he always tried to provide the top opinions out there. Your opinion my friend, is not only not well thought out, but does not add any substance to the site. So please in your impending tidings on any topic take the opportunity to research your thoughts and try to augment your communications with Fight Opinion in order to have a thought that could add to a discussion, not just toss some absurd idea that you feel is worth any of us taking the time to comsume.
Well for one thing the argument of a Werdum vs. Fedor fight could have been made as “revenge” for beating Aleks. However, that fight occurred in Amsterdam so who knows how many JPN fans, outside of the hardcore, would even know or care about it since it didnt happen in the PRIDE ring. Werdum is no doubt a dangerous, dangerous groundfighter….however he’d likely face the same situation as Nog has 2(3) times, without possessing the iron chin.
i want to see match fedor vs silva or fedor vs mauricio shogun rua.