pride 21 mixed martial arts : SFUK's mixed martial arts reports

The world's top kickboxing company is continuing it's inter-promotion push with the world's top mma company. K-1 fighters already paid their dues in Pride rules at Inoki Bom Baye Aye, fighting a bunch of 2nd and 3rd tier Pride fighters and coming out with draws or humbling losses. Only Crocop really bucked the trend, going 2-0-2 against Pride in mma. K-1 likes to take to the road for its qualifying shows, having several 8-man tournaments with the idea that the winners get into the year-end Grand Prix. Well there was no tournament down in sunny Fukuoka, so I dunno what the deal is this year. All tonights matches were under K-1 rules.

Fight 1 - Mirco Crocop (Croatia) vs Remy Bonjefsky (Holland)

The dutchman's big build in the pre-fight videos was for his high flying jumping knees. What is it about dutch kickboxers and those flying knees? Seems like they all do them and nobody else does. His highlight reel showed a couple of spectacular kayos including one where he literally knocked his opponent sideways, off his feet, for a clean kayo. Crocop, well we all know what he can do.

Crocop put out a staredown but his opponent wouldn't meet it, choosing to look at the referee. As the fight started there was stalking and watching. Remy because he was nervous, Crocop because that's just how he fights. They swapped alot of low kicks in the first round, some pretty hard, and it was all even. Nothing landed upstairs. Crocop looked heavier than normal. By no means fat, but not as ripped as usual. That guy is freaky strong-looking.

Round two opened the same way but this time Crocop was able to hurt his man with a flurry. The dutchman put up his guard and kept it up, not punching. Crocop really opens up when he senses a finish so that's what he did. He battered the guy from pillar to post. Alot of it was hitting the gloves and top of the head, but some good shots got through and the dutchman sank to his knees for a count. He resumed covering up on the restart and Crocop just kept unloading. So the ref stepped in.

Mirco Crocop by RSF after a minute or so of round two

SFUK verdict: A mismatch, as usual in K-1. Remy only made it through the first round because Crocop likes to get a good look at his opponents before he gets going. Remy was hurt the first time Crocop got through and Mirco doesn't let many people off the hook.

Fight 2 - Quinton Jackson (USA) vs Cyrille Abidi (France)

Jackson was wearing his chains to the referee instructions! The ref had to follow him back to his corner to tell him to take them off. He came out in a good kickboxing stance, like he knew what he was doing. They exchanged some light leather and the difference in class was apparent but fortunately Jackson is no Kimo. Abidi turned him right around with a low kick and looked to be settling in to a comfortable rythmn. Jackson was trying jabs and making an effort to box properly but he seemed to sense he was outclassed and did a few shoots. Not takedowns, but three times he tackled as if he was looking for one then just held the clinch till break. He even did a get-behind like he was gonna suplex him. After what Sapp did in K-1 I think the crowd expected it but he broke clean. Then the unthinkable happened. Jackson countered a punch with a right-left-right straight combo (well as straight as he can throw them) and the last one landed hard and dropped Abidi. The frenchman beat the count easy but was a little rocked. So Jackson really went for it now and punched a bit. Just as Abidi seemed to be out of the woods, he backed up onto the ropes and a monster right hook landed spot on the jaw and dropped him for good. He got up at 8 but was wobbling around and it had to be stopped. Jackson took it in his stride, like this happens all the time, then barked like a dog when the ref raised his arm.

Quinton Jackson by KO at about 2min of round one

SFUK verdict: This has to go down as a major upset, like when Patrick Smith kayoed Andy Hug. This is a wrestler who's known to be clumsy with his hands taking out a world-class kickboxer under kickboxing rules. Abidi kayoed Aerts a year ago, so he's definately up there. Imagine if Abidi had kayoed Frye when they fought Pride rules and you have an idea of what this result means.

Fight 3 - Ray Sefo (New Zealand) vs Gilbert Yvel (Holland)

Yvel looks bigger than Sefo but not as wide or as strong. He comes out strong with combos, mostly kicks to the legs. There's venom on them but Sefo cuts most of them easily. After taking the first couple Sefo answers with a crisp body punching combo with a low kick on the end, and that's the writing on the wall. Yvel doesn't like the power but keeps his low kicks coming. Sefo is working a body and leg attack very patiently. After a minute Yvel seems spooked by Sefo's power because he's hunched over in his guard and his low kicks are so timid he's almost retreating as he throws them. He resorts to some desperation jumping knees and punches that Sefo picks off easily. Yvel's high kicks are still thrown with intent but he doesn't land any of them. Towards the end of the round Sefo drops his guard as if to say he's felt the power and isn't impressed.

In round two Yvel is having trouble moving around the ring, obviously worn down by the leg attack. Sefo keeps up chopping right kicks to Yvel's thigh and one of them puts him down. Yvel is grimacing in pain but beats the count. Pretty obvious that Gilbert is on his last legs, so to speak. So he goes on the attack and forces Sefo back into a corner with a desperate run of flurries. Sefo goes with it, picks his time and drops Yvel fast with another kick to the leg. This time Yvel doesn't try to get up

Ray Sefo by kayo at 1min of round two

SFUK verdict: As with the previous two fights, this was a mismatch as the big name K-1 fighter had by far the more class. Yvel give it a good shot but he didn't land the big one like Jackson managed. This puts Yvel's kickboxing in perspective (and mma kickboxing) when he's known as a striker in Pride yet comfortably dismantled by a K-1 name.

Fight 4 - Josh Dempsey (USA) vs Musashi (Japan)

Josh Dempsey talks a good fight, maybe due to a few pro-wrestling bouts he's had recently. In the pre-fight interview he had no respect for kickboxing, saying he just needs to punch a guy in the teeth and he'll forget all about kicking. He makes his ring walk first and then goads Musashi, leaning over the ropes and telling him 'just bring it'. Then he confronts Musashi in the ring forehead-to-forehead Manchester United midfielder-style. He's a character.

He's mouthing off during instructions but I don't think Musashi speaks English. Josh opens like a boxer and stands like one. His punches look excellent and his kicks awful. I guess we should expect as much from the IBF 4th ranked light-heavy. But then again the IBF had been known to rank dead boxers. He lands a few up top and Musashi counters on the legs. Dempsey looks a bit like a fish out of water and nervous under kickboxing rules. Musashi is landing all his low kicks but not throwing many. and they clinch alot. Josh is kinda loading up on the right hand and lets it drop a little just as Musashi throws a nice left kick up top. It lands clean on the face and Josh doesn't see it at all. That has his legs going all honky-tonk and the Japanese fighter unloads. Musashi is really hammering him around and the end looks nigh but he just can't finish and the bell goes.

Josh is still wobbly coming out for round two and takes another kick that unsettles him. He walks away indicating he's got no mouthpiece but the ref turns him back. Dempsey starts throwing some god-awful low kicks, and I mean awful, but one catches Musashi in the plums and the Jap goes down for a timeout. The respite benefits Dempsey who is a bit recovered and can trade punches now. A hard one on the end of an exchange makes Musashi pull back and think about it. By now Josh is dropping his hands to block the occasional low kick, very dangerous, and looking pretty ragged. He kicks a bit but he really shouldn't, not with 40,000 people watching. But Musashi is way to patient and lets it go to the bell.

Musashi goes back to kicking the legs in round four, and though they all land and hurt, Josh isn't showing any ill effects, or at least not tonight. They are both circling alot and not throwing much. Dempsey is fighting weird. Sometimes he looks like a well-schooled boxer and then 10 seconds later like a hopeless amateur. In the last 30, Musashi lands another good high kick and moves in behind it to land a succession of clean punches. Not really knockout calibre, but pretty hard. Josh reminds us just how good boxers' chins are and takes it all without flinching and fires back. It does seem like Musashi's kicks have gotten Josh so far out of rythmn that he can now outbox him on occasion.

Josh comes out pawing with the jab for round five and not really getting off. Musashi waits but doesn't counter. Finally, a minute in, they start fighting again but Musashi knows he's got it won and fights easy. Dempsey is using head movement, which I believe is a first in a K-1 ring. By now the fight has pretty much left them. A pair of high kicks knock Dempsey's mouthpiece flying and he eats more clean punches until the bell, by now just hanging on.

Musashi by unanimous decision (all three 50-45)

SFUK verdict: No doubt about this one, as Musashi faces his second non-kickboxing opponent in a row and this time beats him. Dunno what to make of Dempsey. He looked good at times, and certainly good enough to destroy Musashi under Queensberry rules, but other times he looked terrible.

Fight 5 - Glaube Feitosa (Brazil) vs Martin Holm (Sweden)

Glaube Feitosa's big thing is his left kick over the top, very karate-like. Martin Holm is a late sub who's outsized. They fence a bit and it looks more like a normal kickboxing match than the last one. They seem pretty well matched. Glaube doesn't show any trace of the karate that made his name, he's pure kickboxing now. Marty drops him on his arse for a mandatory eight with a perfect right hook followed by an even sweeter left, both on an unguarded chin. An absolute beauty. Feitosa looks okay when he gets up but he starts running with his guard up so Holm flurries him onto the ropes and unloads some really clean boxing-style punches. A couple of them catch Feitosa clean and his head starts bouncing around defenceless so the ref steps in for the save.

Holm in about 2minutes of round one

SFUK verdict: After looking well matched, as soon as the exchanges started Holm showed by far the better punches and Feitosa paid the price. The knockdown was picturesque, but the finish was just an accumilation of punches.

Fight 6 - Peter Aerts (Holland) vs Andrei Ignashov (Russia)

Andrei is a likeable thai boxer who makes a big play out of his knees, having given Nicholas Petas a mushed up nose in the last Grand Prix. Aerts is on the downhill slide now but still just about capable of main eventing big shows. Aerts comes out aggressive as usual, working behind a jab and clearly threatening the the right. Andrei is composed and lands a good straight right down the middle as Aerts is on his way back from a left hook. They clinch a bit but no real kneeing from fighters with a big rep for them. Andrei shoves him into a corner off a clinch and tries a home run high kick but Aerts knew it was coming and get's his glove up.

Nothing eventful in round two and they just fence and clinch through the first minute of round three until Andrei gets in a stiff right hand. The follow-up has Aerts grabbing and holding. Now Andrei starts to come on and pushes Aerts around with front kicks. Aerts is carded for something I missed, maybe stalling. He gets back into it and punches back with his trademark clumsy overhand rights. But its all a bit scrappy now.

Not much in round four and round five opens with two gay clinches, the first of which sees Andrei thrown to his back. Aerts seems to be spoiling alot as he lunges and then finishes in a clinch. They seem to forget that Pride rules were the last event, not this one. Andrei isn't making any attempt to capitalise on Aerts being winded, throwing really arm-weary punches himself. Both are just holding on and hoping the bell will go

Andrei Ignashov by majority decision (49-49 / 49-48 / 49-48)

SFUK verdict: If ever there was a fight that should show Aerts that he's doesn't have it anymore its this one. He didn't take many shots, didn't throw many and yet by the final bell he was sucking wind so bad that the first 3 rows of the audience had passed out through oxygen deprivation. The rest of us were asleep. The decision reflected how close it was.