This month we’d like to get your thoughts on Pride’s The Real Deal. The October 21^st event will be Pride’s first show in the U.S. We’d like to hear your thoughts on the event, the impact it may have on the sport and also your thoughts on who will win the announced matches. The results of the survey and some of the commentary we receive may appear in the upcoming issue of FCF.

The Anacondas, based in Los Angeles, and Wolfpack, who train in Portland, advanced with victories over the Sabres and Tiger Sharks, respectively, on Sept. 9 in Portland. Their semifinal matchup features five outstanding bouts. At lightweight, the Anacondas’ Chris Horodecki (London, Ontario) takes on veteran Ryan Schultz (Gresham, Ore.); the welterweight tilt pits Jay Hieron (Las Vegas) and Chris Wilson (Portland, Ore.); Mike Pyle (Dresden, Tenn.) battles Matt Horwich (Gresham, Ore.) in the middleweight bout; at light heavyweight, Alex Schoenauer (Las Vegas) opposes Aaron Stark (Portland, Ore.); and heavyweights Krzysztof Soszynski (Winnipeg, Manitoba) and Devin Cole (Medford, Ore.) complete the Anacondas-Wolfpack matchup.

The other semifinal promises an equally intriguing set of bouts. A pair of once-beaten welterweights, Claude Patrick (Mississauga, Ontario) of the Dragons and Rory Markham (Chicago) of the Silverbacks will do battle; Joe Doerksen (Winnipeg, Manitoba) takes on Ryan McGivern (Bettendorf, Iowa) in the middleweight fight; Brent Beauparlant (Ottawa, Ontario) and Mike Ciesnolevicz (Williamstown, Pa.) will go after the light heavyweight point; and Wojtek Kaszowski (Toronto) challenges Ben Rothwell (Kenosha, Wis.) in the heavyweight bout. Silverbacks lightweight Bart Palaszewski (Wonderlake, Ill.) will battle a Dragons opponent still to be determined. Both teams moved to the semifinals with victories at the World Team Championship event in Moline, Ill., on Sept. 23.

"These four teams proved they belong with tough wins in the quarterfinals, and the result is a card full of fights that fans will really enjoy," IFL co-founder and Commissioner Kurt Otto said. "As a bonus, Mark Kerr’s return to the ring against Mike Whitehead and Daniel Gracie vs. Allan Goes in a battle of Brazilians are very interesting Superfights."

The semifinal winners will advance to the IFL World Team Championship final in December. The site and date of the final, as well as accompanying Superfights, will be announced shortly.

Kerr is a former NCAA wrestling champion and All-American (at Syracuse University) and UFC and PRIDE heavyweight champion who is returning to the ring for the first time since 2004. MMA veteran Whitehead, also a three-time all-America wrestler at North Idaho Junior College, Southern Oregon University and the University of Missouri, has posted a 9-1 record in his last 10 MMA bouts, including five straight victories in 2006. Brazilians Gracie and Goes have both made successful IFL debuts, with Gracie defeating Wes Sims in an IFL Superfight in June and Goes defeating Devin Cole in September as part of the Tiger Sharks.

Training under the keen eyes of Dave Strasser’s Freestyle Academy, [Nick] Agallar has taken his wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu skills to the top of the world’s lightweight class with an impressive 20-3 win-loss record. Being a patriotic American, he also served his country in the U.S. military and recently returned from a 16-month tour of duty in Iraq. With his relentless drive to compete in tact, Agallar will be ready for a fierce test when the bell sounds in his first BodogFight contest.

His opponent is a specimen, as well. [Nardu] Debrah’s freestyle Jiu-Jitsu training will be challenged, as will his ability to adapt and overcome a superior athlete. His commitment to education under Sifu Ralph Mitchel at the Universal Defense Systems, a center that focuses on self-preservation and perfection, has provided the mindset and attitude Debrah needs to achieve great success in MMA and life. Entering the bout, he is purely focused on the matter at hand.