While I don’t want to over-exaggerate or speak completely in hyperbole, UFC75 is going to be the FREAKING GREATEST THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED. EVER.
After years of waiting on the Fertitta brothers to bring us a true Pride Fighting – UFC merger, here it is laid out before us in spectacular fashion.
UFC75 features the first-ever MMA unification bout, when Quintin Rampage Jackson defends his UFC Light heavyweight Title against Pride Fighting’s Champion Dan Hollywood Henderson. While fighting enthusiasts will note that Jackson is by-and-large a Pride fighter new to the UFC (why you gotta be a dick like that?), when he knocked out Chuck Liddell like he had stolen his momma’s purse he became a fan-favorite and one of Dana White’s poster-boys.
Henderson has taken the long road back to the U.S. and is a far cry from the fighter who competed in UFC17. That said, the competition is a far cry from the previous generation of fighters – Quintin Jackson ain’t no Carlos Newton, that’s for sure. Those who doubt his credentials though should be forced to watch his defeat of Wanderlei Silva to understand what a rounded fighter he is. Considering that he is known for his clinch and grappling, yet defeated the striker Silva on his feet should tell you something. If this match had happened in the UFC, and Silva was Rich Franklin, Henderson would already be co-hosting Best Damn Sports Show Period and appearing in Sports Illustrated.
While still operating in Japan, Pride fighting has officially taken a back-seat to its American brother. One need only look at the second fight on the card to see why. Showcased as the Ultimate Fighter 3 finale that should have been, Michael Bisping and Matt Hamill are set to clash in what should be a fierce grudge match. There’s a tremendous amount of hype about this fight, as Hamill is the superior athlete, but Bisping has quickly become a crowd favorite – especially in his hometown U.K.
Dana White’s ability to generate story lines and publicity is what created the monster that is the current UFC and conversely, doomed Pride fighting. Pride never had an Ultimate Fighter. Pride wasn’t able to make the fighters more so characters in a story, thereby drawing in your average fan (and chicks. Chicks dig that shit.) This is why Chuck Liddell gets cheers everywhere he goes. This is why Tito Ortiz is more a brand than a fighter anymore.
The match between Cheick Kongo and Mirko Cro Cop only further illustrates this divide. Cro Cop was known to MMA fans as a complete and utter juggernaut in Pride fighting. With the most brutal body kicks in the biz and a stone-cold demeanor, he seemed to be an easy transition to UFC fans. That was before Gabriel Gonzaga kicked him in the head like it was a gang initiation and knocked him out cold. If Cro Cop can regain momentum against the up-and-coming striker Kongo he’ll get his chance to be in the top echelon of fighters again. If he falls, Kongo moves up the ladder, while Cro Cop’s career will take a serious detour. One thing is for sure however, while fighters come and go, the UFC’s usurpation of Pride fighting will be a constant.
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When I first heard Cro Cop was coming to the UFC, I got wetter than a 16 year old girl in the backseat of an IROC in the 80’s (Yes, THAT wet).
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