Pride 12 Card is Here, and the Caterpillar brings predictions

[Hookah Smokin Caterpillar]

Wow, this card looks AMAZING.

: Gilbert Yvel vs Vanderlei Silva - Yvel by Ref Stoppage
This isn't grappling folks, its a striking war. And like Tank Abbott once said about Vitor Belfort, "Roy Jones, Jr. isn't going to knock out Mike Tyson." Of course Vitor did proceed to beat the shit out Ferrezzo, but thats not the point here. Both are amazing, Silva just isn't good enough to over come the size barrier.

: Heath Herring vs Enson Inoue - Inoue by Arm Bar
I don't know much about Heath except I've never seen him fight. Enson is an amazing Heavyweight considering he's actually smaller then a few middleweights out there [Tito, Randleman etc.]. I think he'll have trouble with Heath, but will eventually overcome him because Inoue probably has the best all around skills in the Heavyweight division today. He's just not big enough to compete with your Mark Kerrs and your Igor Vovchanchyns. He promised to come back stronger, so we'll see.

: Akira Shoji vs Allan Goes - Goes by Arm Bar or Decision
Both are mat technichians, but one of them is Allan ****ing Goes and he's kind of the man if being one of the best fighters on the planet means anything to anyone. He's boring though, and may just butt scoot himself into the judges' hearts. This should be a mat clinic, something Pride 10 had nothing of.

: Vitor Belfort vs Dan Henderson - Henderson by Decision or Surprise Submission
Why do I feel like Henderson is going to pull out a Randy Couture and surprise everyone? Just because Allan should've beaten Henderson it doesn't mean Vitor should too. Surprise Submission is what I want to happen but then again it could just be Vitor in 30 seconds.

: Guy Mezger vs Alexander Otsuka - Mezger by KO or Decision
Talk about a fight that no one ever thought of, but can certainly be a show stealer. Otsuka never has bad fights and Mezger seems to have a new style of fighting. Otsuka better take Mezger down if he doesn't want to eat punches all day. Mezger should go over though.

: Igor Vovchanchyn vs Mark Kerr - Igor by KO
Wow, anyone that hates Pride should see this match. Vov vs. Kerr, what in God's name are they thinking?! I will watch Takada KO Mike Tyson, submit Rickson both in obvious works and then have Sakuraba tell everyone that it was actually Takada in a Sak mask beating all the Gracies a million times just to see fights like this. Anyone that complains about Coleman putting over Takada should remember that Pride 12 has Mark Kerr vs. Igor Vovchanchyn! I can imagine Vov winning by KO though, so thats what I'm sticking by.

: Kazushi Sakuraba vs Ryan Gracie - Sak by Leg Lock
Something tells me Sak by leg lock, so thats what I'm picking and thats what I stick by. Ryan should put a Royler Gracie style fight for a while, and may look like he's winning like Royce did, but will end up looking like Shannon "The Cannon." This should be the co-main event and not the main event itself, but it doesn't really matter because Vov vs. Kerr is on this show and so is Yvel vs. Silva. I guess not everyone can be satisfied. I think Sak just might lose it and do something insane in this fight.

[YeLLa-TiGeR]

AWESOME AWESOME CARD!!!!
I cant WAIT for Silva VS Yvel. He was PISSED when Yvel didnt want to continue even after he recovered!

[keithws]

I go with Yvel by KO

Henderson over Belfort: I think Henderson is one tough S.O.B who will get the fight on the ground. He was able to avoid being K.O.'d by Yvel, so I think he'll be smart on his feet. Decision

Goes over shoji by sub: Goes is boring but he's also a stud!

Enson over Heath by sub

Kerr over vov: Ground 'n' pound baby!

Sak over ryan by sub: this fight really didn't need to happen!

Pride once again puts together a fantastic line up. Within half a yr, they'll have the greatest matchup in NHB history when Sak goes against Frank.

later

[Mr. Miyagi]

I wouldn't count out Vanderlei that much, I would take Yvel by decision, the two should be exhausted at the end.

Henderson will, as usual, get a decision, over Belfort.

I would pick Shoji over Goes by decision and here's why. Shoji has faced the toughest list of opponents possible and he's never been finished, he's been out there with Coleman, Vovchanchin, Renzo, Braga, Wallid, Guy Mezger and never been finished, why would Goes be able to do it? Goes may be the superior grappler but he will probably waste time buttscooting and lose the decision.

I think Enson will get KO'd by Heath, he's going to get pushed around on this one. Heath is here to stay and not to be taken lightly.

Vovchanchin will beat the crap out of Kerr late in the first round and ko him.

Sak will knock Ryan around then sub him.

Takada will then come out and challenge someone that is way better than him.

[EJ]

Nice job Hookah!!!


Now, what will really happen:

Vitor over Dan-O by TK-O.

Otsuka over Guy, JD

Silva over Yvel, choke (see Silva vs. Schribjer)

Herring over Enson, TKO

Kerr over Igor, JD

Sak subs Ryan

and Shoji over Alan, JD

[Tiger69]

"Kazushi Sakuraba vs Ryan Gracie - Sak by Leg Lock"

Haha, don't bet on it. Ryan will win, Sak is going down.

[E1am]

that Pride's official homepage always seems to be slow in getting this info out? They don't even have half the fights listed on there yet. This card is shaping up nicely. I can't wait to see it.

[EJ]

You gonna get tix E????

[E1am]

I'll be home visiting my family. But I should be back in time for the TV rebroadcast. Believe me, if I was going to be here, I'd go.

[McLeod]

WOW WOW OWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWO WOW

Can I just tell you all how much I love Pride?
God bless them all.

I love these matches..
Vitor vs. henderson will be extremely intriguing to me simply because I have now seen THREE fights that I think Henderson lost and instead got a decision win.. and against Minatuar I'd bet anything he lost.

Yvel vs. Silva will be even better this time because WE'LL GET TO SEE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Heath vs. Enson will be a rocker because they both take the shots... Heath can never EVER be counted out again though since beating Erickson.

The two co main events obviously rock..

And I love Goes, even if he's somewhat boring.

You know who deserves a flippin shot at Pride?Cacarreco.
Or however he spells it.
And what ever happened to Johil vs Serra?

[Tiger69]

Can't wait to see Sakuraba getting destroyed finally.

[Jimmy23]

Sak will murder Ryan.
Igor vs Kerr?Damn,I cant even begin to predict this one!I eagerly anticipate this showdown,two very good fighters with two very different styles,although I have an odd feeling Kerr might,just maybe,get a surprise knockout of Igor very early on.Yea,no flames,I know how unlikely this seems but dammit if it does happen you heard it here first!

[cello]

I think everyone is counting out ryan alittle too fast. Why is he so sure to lose, only because he is a gracie or because sak is sak? What makes people think that royce and rolyer is better than ryan? I dont think they are. Ryan is a "more aggressive, younger, better striking skill renzo".

By saying that he will definitely loss is ridiculous. Sure sak has the record (any record, compared to ryan) but so what? Does that mean that an "unknown" Who I think is a cross between vitor and renzo has NO chance. Give me a break.

Sak might win, but I wouldn’t bet my house on it like some people seem to be doing.

c

[Tony10]

a) When is this?

b) Great card, I agree with most of you above

c) Funny, isn't it, that what--maybe a year ago--Kerr was considered the invincible monster of MMA and now everybody's predicting without blinking that he's gonna get whupped. Boy that title sure doesn't last long does it?

[Hookah Smokin Caterpillar]

EJ - Damn, will we ever stop agreeing? =) Now I really wish I knew how to make smiley faces in my posts

Cello - I think the problem is, Ryan is a younger Renzo. I've seen him fight and I wasn't impressed, the way he fought just doesn't seem like it would phaze Sakuraba at all. Granted, we all maybe jumping to conclusions, but we're all using what we saw as reason. Whats your prediction for that fight? That Ryan will win? Sakuraba is extremely underrated for a guy thats supposed to be the best pound for pound guy in MMA right now. Enson Inoue or Frank Shamrock could give him a run for that title, but as of right now, he's the man. Maybe he'll lose to Ryan and then lose all the heat he's gathered and be the next Vitor Belfort, but it just doesn't look like it. He's confident, but not cocky, and thats what makes him great. Also, Ryan isn't losing because he's a Gracie, he's just young and inexperienced. Saying he's going to lose is like saying Ken Shamrock is going to have a hard time against Jeremy Horn because he's a Shamrock. Ryan fights a different style then all those other guys Sak fought so he's really fighting a completely different fighter.

Tony10 - I never considered any fighter invincible because no matter what, they'll get beaten. Thats what's great about MMA, the different styles make it hard for you to be undefeated. Mark Coleman beating Don Frye but losing to Maurice Smith sure didn't make sense at the time, but after a while it does. Vitor Belfort losing to Randy Couture at the time didn't make sense either, but it happened. Mark Kerr is still considered, by me anyway, in the top 3 heavyweights right now interchangable with Igor and Coleman. I just think Kerr may go into the fight with the wrong game plan and get KOed; did you forget who he's fighting?

Now that I think about it, I'm not that confident about my predictions. Mr. Miyagi brought up a good point about Allan vs. Shoji, and its making me wonder. Could Shoji beat Allan Goes?