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Groin, Groin Gone! Jackson dubiously DQ'd after accidental groin strike; Stiebling runs streak to 5 - 0 versus Brazilians; Goes hospitalized but in stable condition with brain injury By Aaron Crecy FUKUOKA, Tokyo--Entering the evening, the Pride 18 card brought little anticipation as almost every fight on the card seemed a mismatch. However, Dream Stage Entertainment managed to enliven the evening with a controversial disqualification, awarding Daijiro Matsui the victory after an unintentional knee to the groin by Quinton Jackson. Though most of the bouts proved inconsequential--Semmy Schilt scored an easy knockout in the main event, Vanderlei Silva delivered an uninspired performance and Jeremy Horn was methodical but monotonous--Igor Vovchanchyn and Murilo "Ninja" Rua redeemed themselves admirably after losses in Pride 17. But it was American Alex Stiebling who stole the show, warding off several seemingly indefensible submissions to score a third round TKO over Allan Goes behind a succession of devastating knees to the head. Rushed to a nearby hospital via ambulance, Goes twice lost consciousness en route. Hours later, it was disclosed that the affable Brazilian had suffered a brain hemorrhage. Thankfully, Goes was reported to be in stable condition but will remain in the hospital for at least two more days for observation. Fortunately, his wife traveled with him to the fight and is at his side. Please include Allan and his family in your prayers this holiday season. Pride 18 Cold Fury 2 Results & Fight Summaries Fight One Daijiro Matsui def. Quinton Jackson, DQ, 0:14 R1 (Matsui cannot continue due to knee to groin) Just fourteen seconds into the fight, Jackson felled Matsui with an inadvertent knee to the groin. After writhing in pain for several minutes, Matsui was removed from the ring on a stretcher. Although the announcer said that Matsui would try to continue after the fourth fight, he was unable to and Jackson was disqualified--a dubious decision when the most appropriate course of action was to call the fight a No Contest. Ignoring the precedent they themselves had set--when Gilbert Yvel was unable to continue after a kick to the groin from Vanderlei Silva in Pride 11--officials chose to disqualify Jackson rather than deem the bout a No Contest. Though clearly accidental, Pride determined that the knee was intentional, which enabled them to award the win to Matsui, a fan favorite and a member of the wildly popular Takada Dojo. Coincidence? Perhaps--or perhaps not. Ultimately, such a decision serves only to discredit the integrity of the Pride organization, which is unregulated and answers to no governing body. Fight Two Alex Stiebling def. Allan Goes, TKO (knees and strikes), 0:47 R3 Stiebling spent most of the first round calmly defending Goes' submission attempts, exhibiting great courage and determination as he countered a judo choke, then an arm bar and finally, a kimura. While escaping the kimura, Stiebling appeared to tap but the referee failed to stop the fight. Instead, the action continued and Stiebling scored an improbable escape, immediately going to a heel hook. In the ensuing scramble, the American stood and nearly escaped, but Goes scored another takedown and returned the fight to the ground. Goes looked the worse for wear between rounds as he inhaled heavily and stared blankly at the canvas. The momentum clearly shifted as the second round opened, with Stiebling landing several right hands. Then, Goes shot in, only to encounter several inhospitable knees. He quickly pulled guard, where Stiebling scored with punches to the head from above. Stiebling soon stood up to avoid a Goes arm bar and delivered several low kicks. He then backed away, forcing Goes to his feet. Once standing, Goes immediately shot in but Stiebling met him with a hard sprawl and the Brazilian pulled guard yet again. The third round opened in much the same manner as the previous period, with Stiebling landing hard knees off a Goes shot. This time, when Goes pulled guard, Stiebling stood and delivered a huge foot stomp to the head, quickly dropping to side mount after Goes turtled. With an unobstructed access to Goes' head, Stiebling finished the fight with a succession of heavy knees and elbows. Fight Three Murilo "Ninja" Rua def. Alex Andrade, 3-0 judges' decision Rua delivered a 20-minute beating, gaining momentum as the fight wore on. After an initial flurry of activity in the first round--with Rua scoring a takedown and Andrade a spectacular reversal behind the strength of a standing kimura--the fight became painfully one-sided. After Andrade allowed him to his feet, Rua showed his gratitude with a quick takedown and a sustained pounding from inside the guard for the remainder of the round. The second and third rounds saw Rua open up as he punished the game but gassed Andrade with a succession of high kicks and flying knees. On the ground, the emerging Chute Boxe star landed heavy shots to the face, bloodying and badly bruising his Lions Den foe. Andrade was issued a yellow card for passivity in the third round, and after the brief respite, Rue continued the singular onslaught until the final bell mercifully tolled. Fight Four Norihisa Yamamoto def. Jan "The Giant" Nortje, submission (arm bar), 1:43 R1 After enduring an initial flurry that left him dazed and grounded, Yamamoto rallied to take down the larger Nortje. Biding his time, Yamamoto patiently worked to an arm bar and finished the fight. Fight Five Igor Vovchanchyn def. Valentijn Overeem, submission (heel hook), 4:35 R1 Vovchanchyn got the best of an early exchange, dropping Overeem with a big right hand. However, Overeem managed to return to his knees and gathered in the Belarussian's legs before elevating and slamming him to the mat. Overeem worked from the guard for a brief time and then stood up and attempted a standing heel hook. Vovchanchyn rolled out of the hold and scored a reversal, gaining a side mount and then a full mount. The Dutchman soon notched his own reversal, landing inside Vovchanchyn's guard. He again attempted a standing heel hook, but Vovchanchyn locked up a heel hook of his own and Overeem was all too eager to submit. Fight Six Jeremy Horn def. Akira Shoji, 3 - 0 Judges' Decision Horn put on tactical and technical performance, slowly gathering momentum as the fight wore on. Shoji scored an early takedown with an outside trip and worked from inside Horn's guard for the remainder of the round but was largely ineffective. In the second round, Horn used several jabs and high kicks to make his presence felt. Shoji went to his guard, but the fight was soon restarted, with Horn landing more strikes and Shoji pulling guard once again. Horn was able to gain a full mount and, using his longer limbs, tied up Shoji's arms and delivered punches to the head. Countering an improbable arm bar attempt as the round came to a close, Shoji scored a reversal at the bell. The final round saw Shoji open with a takedown before the resolute Horn scored a reversal and landed some hard knees. Shoji went to guard once again, and Horn quickly passed to a side mount and then a full mount. After swallowing a series of stinging shots to the face, Shoji gave up his back and Horn transitioned to a rear naked choke. Unable to secure the finishing move, Horn contented himself by hammering Shoji to the head with the side of his fist for the remaining minute of the round. Fight Seven Vanderlei Silva def. Alexander Otsuka, Doctor's Stoppage (bleeding heavily from broken nose), 2:22 R3 Exhibiting only flashes of his trademark aggression, Silva still succeeded in dominating the backpedaling Otsuka. Between clinches, an uncharacteristically patient Silva threw occasional right hands, knees and low kicks. Often finding himself standing above a butt-scooting Otsuka, Silva delivered a series of vicious low kicks that left an angry red welt, one that seemed to mutate as the fight wore on. Looking a bit slower than usual and not nearly as crisp, Silva showed flashes of the animal rage that has made him famous, barely missing with several foot stomps and kicks to the head. Late in the first round, however, he landed one of each, dazing Otsuka at the bell. Though Otsuka finished the second round with a takedown and a knee to the head, Silva dominated the action much like he had in the first round. Delivering more leg kicks and foot stomps as Otsuka butt-scooted, Silva threw in a big roundhouse kick to the ribs for good measure. Silva clearly overwhelmed Otsuka in the final round, scoring an early takedown and then standing up to kick his downed rival. The fight was restarted after several effective kicks to the leg and ribs, and Otsuka immediately shot in for a double leg. It was at this point that Silva delivered the finishing blow, an unkind knee to the face that drew a steady stream of blood upon contact. The fight was halted by a ringside physician moments later as Otsuka, who appeared to have lost a tooth earlier in the fight, clearly suffered a broken nose and perhaps even collateral damage. Fight Eight Semmy Schilt def. Yoshihiro Takayama, KO (straight left to head), 3:09 R1 Though Takayama was surprisingly aggressive, charging forward to a bodylock and throwing several punches, Schilt dominated this brief encounter with an assailment of sharp left jabs and straight kicks. Unable to work inside the rangy Schilt's unusually lengthy reach, Takayama instead served as a capable heavy bag as the Dutchman put his skills on display. The fight ended abruptly after an ill-intended left jab caught Takayama squarely in the face and dropped him to the mat. Complete coverage of the event in the January 2002 issue of FULL CONTACT FIGHTER, subscribe now! Check out the FCF Shop for the lowest prices on Pride videotapes & DVDs! |
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