Returning to the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, Pride FC held “Raging Rumble” on July 29th, 2001. The show had many of the big Pride FC names, with a big part of the card being the return of Kazushi Sakuraba, coming back after a brutal loss to Wanderlei Silva four months before. He fights Quinton “Rampage” Jackson on the later part of the show.
Heel Hook Gives Silva Win
Kicking off the card, Assuerio Silva caught Valentjin Overeem with a heel hook to make him tap out in the first round. The win was the debut for Silva, defeating a fighter who had won once in the promotion before.
The finish came as Overeem was winning with strikes. On the feet, Overeem did a foot stomp to the grounded Silva. Catching the leg kick, Silva took Overeem to the ground for a heel hook.
Silva versus Overeem play-by-play.
Ismail Earns First Pride FC Win
A ground-based fight went in favour of Wallid Ismail, who choked Shungo Oyama out with an arm triangle choke. The fight was the return for Ismail, who last appeared on Pride 14.
The stoppage happened in the second round, with the first round being mostly Ismail in top position on the ground.
Ismail asked for a microphone after the fight but was not granted it.
Both in their previous Pride appearances, Ismail and Oyama lost to their opponents.
Ismail versus Oyama play-by-play.
Braga Gets Decision Win
Getting his first win in Pride FC, Ebenezer Fontes Braga got a decision win over Daijiro Matsui. The unanimous decision saw Braga as the much dominant fighter when the two weren’t caught in long-winded stalemates, which were quite present.
Despite winning, it was the last appearance in Pride FC for Braga.
Braga versus Matsui play-by-play.
Vovchanchyn Goes To The Scorecards Against Satake
Igor Vovchanchyn defeated fellow Pride FC regular Masaaki Satake, going to the scorecards after three rounds. Vovchanchyn got the win with dominant clinch work and striking on the feet.
The fight extended Satake’s losing streak to three in a row. If the loss showed anything, it was the toughness of Satake.
Vovchanchyn versus Satake play-by-play.
Herring Uses Knees For Win
With a comeback victory, Heath Herring finished Mark Kerr in the second round with knees. The win was similar to his win over Tom Eriksson, which saw Herring get a second wind of energy after a referee forced a fight to stand up.
Heading into the bout, both fighters were looking to rebound off of a previous loss in Pride.
Herring versus Kerr play-by-play.
Nogueira Makes Explosive Debut Over Short Notice Opponent
In an explosive Pride FC debut, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira defeated Gary Goodridge. From bottom position, Nogueira caught Goodridge with a triangle choke, making him tap out in the first round.
Mark Coleman was first meant to be on this show, but was pulled from it on short notice. A week prior to this fight, Coleman wrestled on a New Japan Pro Wrestling card.
Nogueira versus Goodridge play-by-play.
Sakuraba Bounces Back
Coming back from a brutal loss to Wanderlei Silva, Kazushi Sakuraba stopped Quinton “Rampage” Jackson with a rear naked choke in the first round.
The fight was the Pride FC debut for Jackson. While he lost, the fight showcased his ability to escape and play defence in a fight that could have ended many times before it actually did.
Sakuraba versus Jackson play-by-play.
Injury Ruins Main Event
The Gracie family versus Japanese wrestler tradition continued in the main event, but ended in the least desirable way, as Ryan Gracie lost to Tokimitsu Ishizawa due to injury. After Ishizawa got a takedown in the first round, Gracie motioned that he was hurt in the stomach or ribs area. The fight was called off shortly after.
While not the best way to win, it was an avenged loss for Ishizawa, who lost to Gracie in 2000, being finished with strikes early. Despite the victory, this was Ishizawa’s last appearance in Pride FC.
Ishizawa versus Gracie play-by-play.
A New Promotion Enters
In previous weeks, this series has only been covering UFC and Pride FC. Next week will be different, as we will cover the first ever WEC show, which happened on June 30th. After that, we’ll return to Pride, with September event “Beasts from the East” taking place.
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