I can't read japanese, but that picture tells a thousand words.

http://www.so-net.ne.jp/pride/

http://www.so-net.ne.jp/pride/img/n_p031016.jpg

Oh yeah, this was on MMAweekly in english....

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

CRO COP VS MINOTAURO; SAKURABA ON FINAL CONFLICT FIGHTCARD


From Dream Stage Entertainment

October 15, 2003

LOS ANGELES, California – Dream Stage Entertainment announced the addition of two new matches for the FINAL CONFLICT fight card, scheduled for November 9th, 2003 from the Tokyo Dome in Japan:


In the first match, top ranked heavyweight Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic will face former PRIDE FC heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira. After a verbal agreement in August, the originally scheduled match was to be Cro Cop against reigning PRIDE FC heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko, but due to a recently broken thumb, Fedor has been forced to pull out.

The thumb on Fedor’s right hand was injured during in his match against Gary Goodridge at TOTAL ELIMINATION on August 10th. After some time off, the thumb did not improve and the injury was re-aggravated during a training session on September 15th. With no improvement since then, Fedor was forced to back out of his match with Cro Cop.

Because of the sensitivity of the injury, it is unknown when Fedor will be able to train or fight again. As a result, the Nogueira/Cro Cop match will be for the PRIDE FC interim heavyweight championship. The hope is that the winner will be able to face Fedor sometime during 2004 when he is ready to fight again. Fedor would like to apologize to his fans and plans to be in attendance at FINAL CONFLICT as a spectator.


The injury creates a dynamic and style-contrasting match-up between two legendary fighters … Nogueira and Cro Cop. Nogueira, arguably the world’s top heavyweight grappler, is coming off a decision victory against Ricco Rodriguez while Cro Cop, arguably the world’s top heavyweight striker, is coming off of a dramatic knockout victory over Igor Vovchanchyn.


In addition to the colossal Cro Cop/Nogueira match, PRIDE FC legend Kazushi Sakuraba is now set to fight again and is slated to face an opponent yet to be decided (in a match-up with no relation to the middleweight tournament). Sakuraba was eliminated from the tournament after a knockout loss to Wanderlei Silva at TOTAL ELIMINATION.


All of these new matches are in addition to the middleweight tournament, which will feature Hidehiko Yoshida versus Wanderlei Silva and Quinton Jackson against Chuck Liddell. The winners of each of these match-ups will go on to the final round, which will be held on the same evening.


FINAL CONFLICT

Fight Card


For the PRIDE FC interim heavyweight championship

Mirko “Crop Cop” Filipovic vs. Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira


Kazushi Sakuraba vs. TBA


Semi Final round of the eight man middleweight tournament:


Wanderlei Silva (Brazil) vs. Hidehiko Yoshida (Japan)

Quinton Jackson (USA) vs. Chuck Liddell (USA)


More matches for FINAL CONFLICT will be announced soon.

Fight Card is subject to change.


FINAL CONFLICT is scheduled for November 9th, 2003 from the Tokyo Dome in Japan. The event will premiere on North American pay per view (through iNDEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH NETWORK, UrbanXtra, TVN1, Bell Express Vu, and Viewer’s Choice) on November 9th via same day delay.


For more information on PRIDE FC, visit pridefc.com!

http://www.globalmma.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=14468

Honestly I think that nowaday the only guy that can beat Mirko is Fedor....
I hope that Mino will be hard to Mirko but...Mirko will win.

Originally posted by Curly Howard
http://www.globalmma.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=14468
:bounce: :bang: :twak:

Do you ever look at the main page Nuno? Nog is just the man to knock the wheels off the Cro-Cop Bandwagon. Nog by submission. ROUND 1......

no way in hell

Any submission Nog wants.....

riiiight

Yeah, your right Curly, seeing as how Cro-Cops ground game is ****in top notch.....[/Sarcasm]

Originally posted by kaps
Nog by submission. ROUND 1......


There's a front page?

You quoted the wrong post. Smart guy.....

Originally posted by kaps
You quoted the wrong post. Smart guy.....

No smartass, I quoted the part of your post I agreed with and answered your question with a sarcastic question........

HOOOOLYY SHEET!

Originally posted by Nuno
No smartass, I quoted the part of your post I agreed with and answered your question with a sarcastic question........

Originally posted by Curly Howard
riiiight

Originally posted by kaps
Do you ever look at the main page Nuno?

No.


]Originally posted by kaps
Nog by submission. ROUND 1......

Yes.



That better.

Originally posted by kaps
I'm out of ports and in a bad mood

I've noticed the bad mood......

Im not in any differnt mood than usual......

I'm hungry

I think Mirko will win this one.

Agreed with lightweight...

I posted this in the other thread. I havn't seen anything from Cro-Cop that makes me think he will win this one. Nog has a great chin, good enough to get in close enough to clinch and take down or shoot in. Then its a submission clinic......

Originally posted by kaps
I posted this in the other thread. I havn't seen anything from Cro-Cop that makes me think he will win this one. Nog has a great chin, good enough to get in close enough to clinch and take down or shoot in. Then its a submission clinic......

Werd......

Oh, and before I am accused of hating Cro-Cop by somebody *cough*lightweight*cough*, I dont hate him. Infact I think he is an exciting fighter, I'm just not too quick to jump on his bandwagon until I see how he handles himself on the ground......

Originally posted by kaps
Oh, and before I am accused of hating Cro-Cop by somebody *cough*lightweight*cough*, I dont hate him. Infact I think he is an exciting fighter, I'm just not too quick to jump on his bandwagon until I see how he handles himself on the ground......

He may have some decent ground defense, however I doubt he will make it out of the first round if it goes to the ground.....Nog by Sub

Nog=God

Hater.

Unless Nog is going to pull of a flying inverted arbar I don't think he'll win this one. I order to sub him he needs to be on the ground, doing that alone to mirko isn't easy. If he does get it to the ground he needs to be on top or Mirko will stand up. I don't think he'll be able to get a clinch takedown either, Mirko is very strong and will probably just push off. I think this is a HARD fight for Nog.

Silva got Mirko on the ground, what makes you think Nog wont?!

You're being a hypocrite right now. If I talk about the Silva fight you're always saying how he's improved soooo much and Silva wouldn't stand a chance. But now Mirko is the same guy from when he fought Silva.

Make up your mind and tell me which Mirko will show up.

Did Fujita take him down alot in the second fight? I didn't see it.

When and where did I say that Lightweight? I've always said that it was my opinion that Silva won that fight and I would love to see them fight again under normal rules. Dont put words in my mouth.....

Originally posted by Nuno
Did Fujita take him down alot in the second fight? I didn't see it.

I dont remember seeing it, tell me what Pride it was at and I'll go watch it real fast......

I wasn't in Pride, I think it was an Inoki show.......

Inoki Boom be ya? I dont have it then......

lightweight Searching Forums

Keep lookin buddy.....

Originally posted by kaps
lightweight Searching Forums

Keep lookin buddy.....

I retract what I said, what I was thinking of involved Creed. I've argued with you both so much I lost track.

But still, Nog hasn't impressed me with his wrestling which is what he'll need to end the fight. Fujita did take him down, but Nog isn't a 265lb wrestler....

Nog has never been KOed. Only time I have seen him hurt was against Fedor and that punch broke his cheek bone. IMO Nog has a good enough chin to hang in there long enough for a takedown. And no, he isnt a 265lb wrestler but he is a 240lb BJJ stylest, he has good takedowns, his shot isnt so good, but the takedowns are there.........

I watched the Fujita2 fight and he tried to take him down about 11 times and was succesful with 3 very hard fought takedowns. Not very good, he ate a LOT of knees from the sprawl. I just think Nog will have a very hard time taking him down.

OMG they're talking about MMA in the MMA forum...


nice :)

Nogueira is gonna take him down and submit him, no doubt about it.

Originally posted by Mr. Beelzebub
Nogueira is gonna take him down and submit him, no doubt about it.

I agree with you. The only thing is that MMA is unpredictable and Mirko has KO power. My pick is Nogueira, but anything can happen.

I hope Nog wins, and think he will if he truly is %100 healthy. I do think it will be a hard fight for Nog, and that he will take some punishment, especially if he's still having back problems. Having said that, if he can avoid Mirko's left high kick he will sub him. This is a dangerous fight for Nog though.

Originally posted by lightweight
Hater.

Unless Nog is going to pull of a flying inverted arbar I don't think he'll win this one. I order to sub him he needs to be on the ground, doing that alone to mirko isn't easy. If he does get it to the ground he needs to be on top or Mirko will stand up. I don't think he'll be able to get a clinch takedown either, Mirko is very strong and will probably just push off. I think this is a HARD fight for Nog. YOU ARE RIIIGHT


Im a HUGE nog fan, but he cant pull this off

That's what everybody said about Tito vs. Randy...