Korean Job Discussion Forums

[The Hammer]

Got any picks to win?

Let's get to the fight-by-fight breakdown:

Mirko Cro Cop vs. Josh Barnett: The last time they fought, Mirko won by submission when Barnett was injured just moments into the bout. Now Barnett is back and Mirko is coming off a loss. It is an important fight for both and although Mirko is the bigger star in Japan, I believe it is more pertinent for Barnett to win because Pride needs challengers for Fedor's heavyweight title as there are not many out there. It is grappler vs. striker. Barnett has been knocked out before, by Pedro Rizzo and Mirko could do it. On the ground, Barnett has a heavy advantage. This is a good matchup because anything can happen, but I have to pick Barnett by decision if he is fully healed and ready for a fight of his calibre.
Pick: Barnett via decision

Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Ken Shamrock: The cornerstones of Pride and UFC history do battle here. Without Ken there may be no modern UFC and without Saku there certainly would be no modern Pride. Other than that, there isn't much to this fight. Sakuraba is giving up an awful lot of weight and strength here, but what else is new. Sakuraba is the better striker. Sakuraba is also the better wrestler, but Ken's size may be too much for him here. Both are trained in old-time Japanese submission wrestling so that's another perspective to this fight. The gimmick here is a Sakuraba comeback win over a guy with name value, and he'll probably pull it off. You'd be amazing at the amount of emails I get from new MMA fans that still think Ken Shamrock, who is the most overrated fighter in MMA right now, is still the shit.
Pick: Sakuraba via decision

Sergei Kharitonov vs. Fabricio Werdum: Very interesting fight. Kharitonov brings his sambo and boxing skills against Werdum's submission skills. Kharitonov was too good to be submitted by Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and will not be submitted here. Werdum probably does not have the stand-up ability to match Kharitonov, which could lead to a knockout win by Kharitonov. No matter how it ends Kharitonov is taking this one home to setup a fight with Fedor Emelianenko.
Pick: Kharitonov via TKO

Quinton Jackson vs. Hirotaka Yokoi: Yokoi is known for hanging with Nogueira until the second round in their fight from awhile back, and that's it. Jackson has looked like crap for the last year or so and is in the last fight of his contract. He could end up resigning or going to the UFC. Yokoi showed no standup ability against Heath Herring in a previous fight and Jackson should wipe him out. That is, if he is up to the task.
Pick: Jackson via TKO

Murilo Ninja vs. Murad Chunkaev: Who? Chunkaev is from Chechnya, and is another European pickup for Pride, fighting for Team Golden Glory with a 5-1 record. This should be a good striking fight, although Murilo Rua with the more experience should pull this one out. Chunkaev's one loss was via submission, though, so it is not like he's been knocked out before.
Pick: Ninja via TKO

James Thompson vs. Alexandru Lungu: Lungu is a freakshow from Romania, and weighs in at an obese 368 pounds. Thompson is no midget himself, standing at 6'4" and weighing 265 pounds. Lungu holds a bunch of judo and sambo titles. If Thompson is real he should mop the floor with him.
Pick: Thompson via TKO

Henry "Sentoryu" Miller vs. Zulu: More freakshow non-sense. This will be a brawl and end in a knockout
Pick: Miller via TKO

Yoon Dong Sik vs. Makoto Takimoto: Dong Sik is the guy that was brought into this year's Grand Prix to be the first round tomato can for Sakuraba. Now, he gets the chance to be the tomato can for the struggling Makoto Takimoto, whom I'm sure Pride would like to build into a star considering his sports pedigree in Japan. Takimoto will submit him, but I don't see this as a star (or restart) of a star in the making with Takimoto.
Pick: Takimoto via submission

[hack]

Thanks for posting that-as a former amateur boxer, I love any pugilistic entertainment, but that was very different. I just saw K1 for the 1st time a few weeks ago and liked that but this was better. Your predictions were pretty much right except for 1 that I saw. You're right about Shamrock though-he's washed up but I still love the way he got the UFC going. Make sure you post again when the next 1 comes on.

[T-dot]

Yoon dong shik, should just quit.

that fight was horrid. it was like watching 2 elementary kids fighting with their eyes closed, while swinging and hopin to connect.