# Wanderlei Silva replaces Fedor Emelianenko in Pride GP



## Sub By Armbar (May 14, 2006)

I just read this on another site. I look at it as both good and bad news at the same time.  


Dream Stage Entertainment has announced on its Japanese web site that Fedor Emelianenko has been forced to withdraw from the Pride Open Weight Grand Prix, and his replacement will be none other than "The Axe Murderer," Wanderlei Silva.

Dream Stage had hoped that Fedor would be ready to fight in time for the second round of the Grand Prix when it takes place on July 1st, but the surgery to repair Fedor's severely damaged hand has a very long recovery process. Fedor's doctor stated that the metal plate in Fedor's hand would not be ready to be surgically removed until June at the earliest, which would make it impossible for Fedor to fight on July 1st.

Pride Middleweight Champion Wanderlei Silva will now get the first-round bye that was originally given to Fedor as the Heavyweight Champion, and will complete what is arguably the best "final eight" in any tournament in the history of MMA. The eight quarter-finalists are Wanderlei Silva, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mirko Cro Cop, Mark Hunt, Hidehiko Yoshida, Josh Barnett, Kazuyuki Fujita, and Fabricio Werdum. The quarter-final match-ups will be announced in the coming weeks.

The announcement that Silva will be competing in the Pride Open Weight Grand Prix brings to an end, at least temporarily, a contract dispute between Silva and DSE that had lasted for several months. Silva's contract with DSE expired after his split decision victory over Ricardo Arona on New Year's Eve, and he had been working out the terms of a new contract with DSE ever since. There was also considerable interest in Wanderlei Silva as a free agent from the rest of the MMA community at large, but it's not known if the UFC in particular ever seriously pursued Silva with the kind of money that it would take to sign him.

The Wrestling Observer reported a few weeks before the first round of the Pride Open Weight Grand Prix that DSE wanted to make the match-up of Wanderlei Silva vs. Mark Coleman for the first round, and that Silva and Coleman agreed to fight each other, provided that they could each come to financial terms on their respective Pride contracts. 

Silva didn't reach a financial agreement with DSE on his contract, so the fight never happened. As for Coleman, DSE President Nobuyuki Sakakibara inexplicably said at a press conference that he could have chosen Mark Coleman or Zulu, Jr. to fight Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in the first round of the tournament, and he said that he made the decision to go with Zulu, Jr. instead of Coleman because, "Zulu, Jr. is like the Brazilian Bob Sapp."

While the fact that Silva is participating in the Pride Open Weight Grand Prix means that he is no longer a free agent at this moment, that may or may not be the case a few months from now. The specific terms of Silva's contract, such as how many fights are on his new Pride contract, were not disclosed by DSE. 

If Silva's new contract is a long-term deal, then he'll be staying with Pride for the forseeable future. If it's just a contract for Silva to participate in the Open Weight Grand Prix and nothing more, then he could be right back to being a highly sought free agent a few months from now.


----------



## CopperShark (May 13, 2006)

Well, I think hat sounds pretty cool still. Better him then some average joe off the street.


----------



## floridagirl (May 15, 2006)

I was reading an interview with fedor yesterday I didn't think it was lookng good for him.I think it's a shame though.He is one tough dude and no matter how long or short the fight is it's always a hell of a show.
I'm fond of both of the Emelianenkos .Sorry to see that Alexander didn't make it though.


----------



## Sub By Armbar (May 14, 2006)

CopperShark said:


> Well, I think hat sounds pretty cool still. Better him then some average joe off the street.


Agreed. That's why I said it's good and bad news. Sucks that Fedor is out, but I am also I big fan of Silva.


----------



## Sub By Armbar (May 14, 2006)

floridagirl said:


> I think it's a shame though.He is one tough dude and no matter how long or short the fight is it's always a hell of a show.
> I'm fond of both of the Emelianenkos .Sorry to see that Alexander didn't make it though.


Same here.


----------



## Eminem (Jun 4, 2006)

Man pride is so annoying they always do trash like this.
First Neither one of them were going to be in it,Then just Fedor,Then both now Just Silva lol man when will it end.


----------



## Sub By Armbar (May 14, 2006)

Eminem said:


> Man pride is so annoying they always do trash like this.
> First Neither one of them were going to be in it,Then just Fedor,Then both now Just Silva lol man when will it end.


Yes, because Pride officials or DSE broke Fedors hand.


----------



## IronMan (May 15, 2006)

I love that sarcasm. I definitely wanted to watch Fedor fight Barnett and I was hoping that it would happen on the 1st, but that's disappointing. I don't think that Silva will have as good a fight because I think that the size advantage is too big.

Oh well, now I have to cheer on Barnett and Nog. It looks like it's going to be an awesome show.


----------



## Eminem (Jun 4, 2006)

I cant wait to see if Silva still has it.
On another forum they keep saying he's lost his old style.
I think he will do just find and maybe win this thing.


----------



## MaximusQ (May 31, 2006)

Silva was and is one of the best fighters in the world.... he could be a main event anywhere in the world.... still cant figure out how he lost to Tito... maybe he was injured at the time


----------



## Eminem (Jun 4, 2006)

He lost to Tito a long time ago.

Same when he got knocked out by Vitor.
Those fights were before he realy became the Axe murder


----------



## Sub By Armbar (May 14, 2006)

MaximusQ said:


> Silva was and is one of the best fighters in the world.... he could be a main event anywhere in the world.... still cant figure out how he lost to Tito... maybe he was injured at the time


It was one of those bs wrestling wins with Tito just laying and praying most of the fight. If you haven't seen it yet you need to. It's a classic! At one point Ortiz actualy turned his back to Vanderlei and ran from him. It is f'n hilarious shit!


----------



## Eminem (Jun 4, 2006)

Yes but he droped silva once to,But it was so long ago their is no way it would happen again.


----------



## rusdogg (Jun 11, 2006)

MaximusQ said:


> Silva was and is one of the best fighters in the world.... he could be a main event anywhere in the world.... still cant figure out how he lost to Tito... maybe he was injured at the time


he was still young and it was under ufc rules, that takes alot away from silvas style. if they fought in pride he would destroy tito, and vitor for that matter. silva is still pretty young and is still probably the best pound for pound in mma. he will win this tournament.


----------

