Upcoming Pride Grand Prix

[JaredExtreme]

I have never payed for any Pride Pay-per-views, but this card is looking REALLY good. I really dobt Rickson is the eigth slot, but if he was, I would DEFINETELY watch.

Who is else psyched about this?

[tkdkid]

I am, I wish Saku wins.

[falcon3624]

Originally posted by tkdkid
I am, I wish Saku wins.

I don't see why people like that guy. That is one strange character.

[Tom Yum]

NHB has little to do with character and more to do with capability.

He's not impressively strong or muscular, but he is quick on his feet and precise with his technique - but he is quirky. Remember when he fought Vitor Belfort? He landed a spinning back kick square into Belforts gut and fell to the mat with a wince. His thai kicks devastated Gracie's legs. He submitted another Gracie vis a vis arm bar. Yet jumped on another fighters head when he would not stand or throws thai kicks at their rear - clever way to get a grappler to stand up.

Sak doesn't look cool, macho or muscular and acts like a crazy Japan-style game show, but he get's the job done as reflected by his record. I think Tank Abbot once said that Sak was one of his favorite fighters.

[falcon3624]

I mean don't get me wrong. I think that Sak is okay, but as far as ability I don't think he has as much as everyone credits him. I mean Sak is a pro-wrestler over in Japan and you can tell when he steps in the ring. I think alot of his wins have a little to do with the mind games he plays as well. I mean when he is out there he is acting like someone off of WWE and these other guys don't really know what to think about it I guess. Even if he does get some wins cuz he has his opponent freaked out from the get go that is still a win.

[Tom Yum]

His mind stuff is minimal - unless it caused Vitor Belfort to leave himself open for a spinning back kick. He does the wrestling stuff for the $$$, but his skills are for real.

In the U.S., a WCW wrestler named Bam Bam Bigelow tried his hand at NHB (He's a huge man 6'+ 330 lbs) and got submitted by Kimo via rear naked choke. Thus, it takes real talent to cross over into NHB.

Sak is a multi-dimensional person (entertainer and fighter). If you watch more of his fights, his victories come from clever strategy (i.e. jumping on your opponents head and kicking at his butt to get him to stand up). The grapplers just take it and chose not to stand, bc sak has strong kicks and punches. He uses traditional karate strikes in the guard (double knife hand strikes to Gracie's neck) which stunned Gracie enough to loosen up in the guard.

Again, his thai kicks hurt Royce Gracie. Royce is not into stand up, so he has exploited a weakness. During each standoff, Sak threw rapid punch, kick combos to damage Gracie as much as possible before going into the clinch or being pulled into the guard. It hurt Gracie enough to keep him on the defensive in stand up or prematurely rushed Sak to do a take down. Sak is also pretty good at takedown defenses and his pro-wrestling allows him to do unseen moves that catch BJJ guys off guard. He get's one of the Gracies (I forget which one) in an arm-wrist lock - I don't know where he got the technique, but he secures a standing key lock (called 'chicken wing' in HKD), spins the arm and goes under it to get control from behind.

Down load the Royce vs. Sak highlights from Sherdog.com.

[falcon3624]

Originally posted by Tom Yum
His mind stuff is minimal - unless it caused Vitor Belfort to leave himself open for a spinning back kick. He does the wrestling stuff for the $$$, but his skills are for real.

In the U.S., a WCW wrestler named Bam Bam Bigelow tried his hand at NHB (He's a huge man 6'+ 330 lbs) and got submitted by Kimo via rear naked choke. Thus, it takes real talent to cross over into NHB.

I agree the skills are for real. He definately does have some good punching and kicking abilities and he is descent on the ground as well. I have seen the fight with Royce several times. As we all know Royce is not much of a stand up fighter, I really think it is almost painful to watch him on his feet. I noticed that when they are standing during that fight when they got in close the first thing Sak would do is pull his kimono out from his belt so he would be getting tangled in it while he was trying to get a hold of him (very smart move on his part). Although Sak did win that fight I would truely beleive that if Royce had the ability to fight standing he could have taken him.

As far as the stuff with Bam Bam.....he kinda reminds me of Tank Abbott.....he goes out and gets the shit kicked out of him quick and gets it done with.........that is just a case of someone that has no skill going into a sport that requires true fighting ability.

[Tom Yum]

Yeah. I think if you're going to step in the ring, it takes alot more than brute strength and posturing to win (aka Bam Bam)

Cro-cop Filipovic KOd a 660lb bench pressing ex-NFL lineman with a 120lb weight advantage, who KOd one of MT's top fighters.

In the early UFC days, Royce Gracie defeated Dan Severn via, triangle choke. The entire 30 min bout was spent in the corner of the chain link fence - Royce pinned by Severn ~100 lb weight advantage.

[falcon3624]

What I would like to see is Vitor Belefort with Royce's ground game. I love to watch Belefort because he has a very explosive yet very controlled boxing game on his feet. The only bad thing is you never know what Belefort you are gonna get cuz sometimes he just does not fight like the same person as he does other times.

[Tom Yum]

You mean like he pummeled Tank Abbott and Silva "The axe murderer"

[falcon3624]

That is the Vitor that I like to watch. I don't like to watch the one that fought Sak. He didn't look like the same fighter.

[Tom Yum]

Sak is a smart fighter wheras Silva likes to brawl; you couldn't fight both men the same way.

[falcon3624]

And you have to admit that some fights Vitor comes in looking like a totally different person than other fights. One thing is always the same though, that S.O.B. has one hell of a hit for a smaller guy.

[Tom Yum]

He spent A LOT of time with a renound boxing coach who also worked with Tyson(?). Pat Miletich is also a strong puncher, but I think he's even a middleweight. Yves Edwards, yet lighter but has lightning snaps in his punches; if you get a chance, visit Woodlands MMA and watch him spar/hit the focus mitts.

[falcon3624]

Originally posted by Tom Yum
He spent A LOT of time with a renound boxing coach who also worked with Tyson(?). Pat Miletich is also a strong puncher, but I think he's even a middleweight. Yves Edwards, yet lighter but has lightning snaps in his punches; if you get a chance, visit Woodlands MMA and watch him spar/hit the focus mitts.

Pat.....that's the guys name.......the one that approached my buddy at his last NHB fight and asked him to come and train with them. I talked to my buddy the other night and the place he was fighting for in New Orleans has released him so he can sign with Miletich.