I was watching Sportscenter this morning and saw the highlights of the Suns-Pacers game, where Grant Hill turned back the clock and poured in 34 points and Channing Frye hit a game winner for Phoenix. What struck me was Steve Nash's reaction to the shot. He was so excited and genuinely happy for Frye and for the team, you would have thought that the Suns had won the NBA title. It made me smile to see Nash as the consummate teammate, but it also made me a bit sad that he'll never win a championship, especially when he is the most deserving player in the NBA of a ring.
While everyone continues to laud Amar'e Stoudemire for playing so well and the Knicks for their resurgence, Steve Nash has become the forgotten man. Stories have been published about how this proves STAT never needed Nash to be successful and that Steve needed him much, much more. This isn't even remotely fair or accurate.
Amar'e had a much easier transition to New York than Nash has had in Phoenix without Stoudemire. Raymond Felton (now Chauncey Billups), Landry Fields, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler and now Carmelo Anthony are a lot better replacements than the combination of Marcin Gortat, Hakim Warrick, Hedo Turkoglu, Robin Lopez, Josh Childress, and the corpse of Vince Carter. Despite the fact that Nash is playing with considerably worse teammates than Stoudemire, both the Knicks and the Suns have identical records. The funny part of that is that the Knicks are being looked at as an upper echelon team, while the Suns are not taken very seriously. To be fair, the Suns shouldn't be. They are nowhere near a title, but then again neither are the Knicks, despite what ESPN may tell you.
So now you are probably asking, "What's the point? It sounds like you're just bagging on the Knicks and the Suns." Now, as I'm sure will be abundantly clear in the future, I can't stand the Knicks. That doesn't mean I'm delusional, however. Amar'e is having a great year and the Knicks are much better than they have been over the past decade. The point I'm trying to make is that Steve Nash has Phoenix playing much better than they should be, all while playing at a level comparable to his two MVP seasons.
Nash is averaging 16.5 points and 11.3 assists per game this year at the age of 37. Despite losing their best scorer and being poorly constructed as a team, Nash is still upbeat and motivated and his teammates follow his lead every night. By not demanding a trade to New York or begging for a deal to Orlando, Nash has basically sacrificed his last few years of playing at a high level to take part in a rebuilding effort. At no point this season has Nash folded, like LeBron against Boston in the playoffs last season, or quietly killed his team's morale, like Carmelo in Denver this year. Nash's teammates seem happy to be playing basketball and to be playing it with one of the greatest point guards of all time. And based on Nash's reaction to Frye's game winner, he seems to enjoy playing with them.
For those reasons, Steve Nash deserves a lot better than being on a team that probably won't even make the playoffs this year. Year in and year out, he has been the definition of a leader and teammate. He has made limited teammates look better than they are (Frye) and elevated other players' games to levels they never reached again (Shawn Marion, Quentin Richardson). If Nash can lead the Suns to a 30-27 record with the team they field right now, imagine what he could do in Orlando or Dallas with real teammates. Hopefully he'll get that chance again before his career ends.
Monday, February 28, 2011
LBJ MVP? Don't insult Derrick Rose like that
As the NBA season enters the home stretch, people are offering up their opinions on who should win the end of season awards. The biggest debate seems to be coming when discussion who should win the biggest award: Most Valuable Player. People are picking sides like they have in all great battles before this, be it Team Edward vs. Team Jacob, North vs. South, the Madness vs. the Mania, or even Rock vs. Hogan. This time it appears the debate tearing the universe apart is who deserves to be MVP: Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls or the Miami Heat's LeBron James. LeBron has won the last two years and is one of three people, alongside Steve Nash and Karl Malone, to win two MVPs and no championship. If he wins his third this year he will be the first man in history to have three MVPs and no titles. And looking at how the Heat have been playing, it doesn't seem like his championship drought is ending anytime soon. Meanwhile Derrick Rose has the Bulls playing on a level only the diehard fans imagined the team getting to this year. LeBron may put up some beastly stats, but at the end of the day Derrick Rose does too much for the Bulls to be denied the MVP honors.
LeBron continues to have his ego stroked because he can beef up a stat line like no other, but stats shouldn't be the only criteria for an MVP. I disagree with his first two MVP wins, but you could make the case for him deserving them since he made the Cavaliers look like they could be contenders (only to choke in the playoffs every year). This year though, there's no way to cover for the Heat's shortcomings. After last night's loss to the Knicks, the Heat are now 14-15 against teams who are at .500 or better. They can't win games decided by fewer than 7 points, and they are 1-7 against the NBA's elite. Sure three of those losses are to the Celtics, but if this were a playoff series they'd be on the verge of being swept. Boston outclasses them and humbles them every time they play. Miami punks out crap teams but the Heat have a serious issue against the league's better teams. Chicago, who leads the league in back to back games, has played Miami twice on the second night of back to backs and won both times. The Dallas Mavericks made the Heat their bitch the first time they played in Dallas, then went to Miami and beat them again after being down to start the 4th. The Heat's only big win was against the Lakers on Christmas, and the Lakers never give a shit about the Christmas game. Seriously the Lakers are 2-5 on Chistmas. But this isn't about them. Miami is 1-2 in their last three because losses to the Bulls and Knicks sandwiched an easy win against the lowly Washington Wizards. In those losses to the Bulls and Knicks, LeBron showed us the type of play he usualy saves up for the playoffs, and I don't mean that in a good way.
When the playoffs hit, LeBron is notorious for taking shots he can't hit and turning the ball over a lot. In 08 against the Celtics, the Cavs went out in Game 7 as LeBron took 11 threes, only connecting on 3. He jacks them up but has never been consistent or proven he should have any reason to take them. He's hit one big three ever and feels he is like a new age Ray Allen and can keep launching the three ball no matter what. In 08, what would've happened if he just took the ball at Paul Pierce and Tony Allen rather than try to launch threes up? Could the Cavs have won? I would say the odds were much more promising. But LeBron didn't learn from that mistake because the next year he hit the one big three of his career. Of course this meant he was a big time three point marksman and went 2-8 from deep in the deciding Game 6 of that series. Then last year against Boston he went 7-26 from deep for the series, including two games of going 0-4 and one going 0-5. LeBron still didn't learn from these mistakes and went 1-5 from deep against the Knicks last night and 0-4 against Chicago on Thursday. What's better is the Heat have 3 Point Contest winner James Jones and clutch shooter Eddie House, but LBJ takes the big threes. He bricked badly against the Bulls on a game tying three attempt, then last night came back from getting the shit stuffed out of him by Amar'e Stoudemire on a go ahead bucket only to brick another game tying three. The one time he hit a big three was almost two years ago, but it doesn't stop him from taking them. His inability to hold on to the ball is also costing his team. LeBron is currently third in the league in turnovers and is the only non-PG in the top five. He added to that epic stat by giving up the ball five times against New York, a team that can't even play defense. In such a close game, I'd want my star player holding on to the ball a bit better.
Meanwhile, there's the Chicago Bulls who are right on the cusp of the 1 seed in the East despite their full starting lineup only being together for 12 games now. While Rose's 24.9 points per game, 4.4 rebounds per game, and 8.1 assists and 45% shooting aren't as exciting as LeBron's 26, 7, and 7 on 49% shooting, Rose plays big. Where LeBron got the shit stuffed out of him by Stoudemire and has missed two game tying threes, Rose has made big play after big play for Chicago. There was the three against Houston. There was the ridiculous shot with the shrug against the Lakers. There was the clutch jumper a few minutes later. He hit the big shots to put Chicago in overtime against Phoenix and later win. He hit the big buckets to get them ahead against Miami. LeBron is shooting 33% from deep while Rose shoots 35 which is nearly 11 percentage points better than his average for his first two years. He has a little bit of LeBron syndrome and keeps jacking up threes he doesn't need to though. Rose is shooting 84% from the line to LeBron's 76. Derrick was a career 77.7% free throw shooter going in to the season and is now at 84%. That's amazing. Rose has 196 turnovers to LeBron's 213, and Rose handles the ball way more than LeBron does. Derrick is also the only player averaging 24 points and 8 assists in the entire NBA. The Bulls are two games back from the Eastern Conference lead and have played fewer games than Miami and Boston so far. The fact they can be the 1 seed is amazing considering Rose is his team's only All Star while Miami has their Big 3 and Boston has their Big 4.
LeBron gets to play with fellow MVP candidate Dwyane Wade and fellow All Star Chris Bosh. Chicago signed Carlos Boozer over the summer but he missed the first 15 games with a broken hand. Rose still had the Bulls in the top 4. Then right after Boozer returned, Joakim Noah had to have surgery on his hand and missed 30 games. This was supposed to ruin Chicago since Noah's 13 and 12 and inside presence being gone would cripple them against the elite teams. The Bulls went on to become the hottest team in the NBA under Rose's leadership and devestating play. They beat Boston, something Miami hasn't done. They beat Dallas for a second time while the Heat couldn't beat them once. They beat the Lakers and Orlando. Then they went up against the NBA's best team, the Spurs, and Rose exploded for a career high 42 points to go with 8 assists, 5 boards, and only 1 turnover en route to a 109-99 victory. He shot 18-28 in that game too. Rose shot poor against Miami last Thursday but he hit a big time lay up over James and Bosh to put the Bulls up 85-84 then hit a monster jumper over Dwyane Wade to put them up 89-86. He's become a big time player and nearly single handedly carried Chicago into elite status, including an 8-5 record against teams ESPN sees as elite.
But why pay attention to that? The Heat have three stars and LeBron is a once in a lifetime physical specimen. It doesn't matter the Heat can't beat teams with winning records or that LBJ can't shoot free throws. I don't know how the sporting press could pick LeBron for his third straight MVP when Derrick Rose is doing so much more with so much less. Rose wasn't even in the debate of best point guard in the league going into the season, now he's in the debate of best player in the league. How does that happen and not earn somebody an MVP? The Heat could still win 50 games without LeBron. How many games could Chicago realisitically win without Derrick Rose? It is hard for me to believe LeBron is the most valuable guy on his team when I watched Dwyane Wade carry the Heat on his back to a championship just five years ago. The Heat have a good record as promised but that 14-15 record against .500 teams speaks volumes against LBJ's MVP quest. Derrick Rose has people talking title in the Windy City once again and has elevated his game to nearly unimaginable levels for only a third year player. The Bulls would be nowhere without him.
LeBron continues to have his ego stroked because he can beef up a stat line like no other, but stats shouldn't be the only criteria for an MVP. I disagree with his first two MVP wins, but you could make the case for him deserving them since he made the Cavaliers look like they could be contenders (only to choke in the playoffs every year). This year though, there's no way to cover for the Heat's shortcomings. After last night's loss to the Knicks, the Heat are now 14-15 against teams who are at .500 or better. They can't win games decided by fewer than 7 points, and they are 1-7 against the NBA's elite. Sure three of those losses are to the Celtics, but if this were a playoff series they'd be on the verge of being swept. Boston outclasses them and humbles them every time they play. Miami punks out crap teams but the Heat have a serious issue against the league's better teams. Chicago, who leads the league in back to back games, has played Miami twice on the second night of back to backs and won both times. The Dallas Mavericks made the Heat their bitch the first time they played in Dallas, then went to Miami and beat them again after being down to start the 4th. The Heat's only big win was against the Lakers on Christmas, and the Lakers never give a shit about the Christmas game. Seriously the Lakers are 2-5 on Chistmas. But this isn't about them. Miami is 1-2 in their last three because losses to the Bulls and Knicks sandwiched an easy win against the lowly Washington Wizards. In those losses to the Bulls and Knicks, LeBron showed us the type of play he usualy saves up for the playoffs, and I don't mean that in a good way.
When the playoffs hit, LeBron is notorious for taking shots he can't hit and turning the ball over a lot. In 08 against the Celtics, the Cavs went out in Game 7 as LeBron took 11 threes, only connecting on 3. He jacks them up but has never been consistent or proven he should have any reason to take them. He's hit one big three ever and feels he is like a new age Ray Allen and can keep launching the three ball no matter what. In 08, what would've happened if he just took the ball at Paul Pierce and Tony Allen rather than try to launch threes up? Could the Cavs have won? I would say the odds were much more promising. But LeBron didn't learn from that mistake because the next year he hit the one big three of his career. Of course this meant he was a big time three point marksman and went 2-8 from deep in the deciding Game 6 of that series. Then last year against Boston he went 7-26 from deep for the series, including two games of going 0-4 and one going 0-5. LeBron still didn't learn from these mistakes and went 1-5 from deep against the Knicks last night and 0-4 against Chicago on Thursday. What's better is the Heat have 3 Point Contest winner James Jones and clutch shooter Eddie House, but LBJ takes the big threes. He bricked badly against the Bulls on a game tying three attempt, then last night came back from getting the shit stuffed out of him by Amar'e Stoudemire on a go ahead bucket only to brick another game tying three. The one time he hit a big three was almost two years ago, but it doesn't stop him from taking them. His inability to hold on to the ball is also costing his team. LeBron is currently third in the league in turnovers and is the only non-PG in the top five. He added to that epic stat by giving up the ball five times against New York, a team that can't even play defense. In such a close game, I'd want my star player holding on to the ball a bit better.
Meanwhile, there's the Chicago Bulls who are right on the cusp of the 1 seed in the East despite their full starting lineup only being together for 12 games now. While Rose's 24.9 points per game, 4.4 rebounds per game, and 8.1 assists and 45% shooting aren't as exciting as LeBron's 26, 7, and 7 on 49% shooting, Rose plays big. Where LeBron got the shit stuffed out of him by Stoudemire and has missed two game tying threes, Rose has made big play after big play for Chicago. There was the three against Houston. There was the ridiculous shot with the shrug against the Lakers. There was the clutch jumper a few minutes later. He hit the big shots to put Chicago in overtime against Phoenix and later win. He hit the big buckets to get them ahead against Miami. LeBron is shooting 33% from deep while Rose shoots 35 which is nearly 11 percentage points better than his average for his first two years. He has a little bit of LeBron syndrome and keeps jacking up threes he doesn't need to though. Rose is shooting 84% from the line to LeBron's 76. Derrick was a career 77.7% free throw shooter going in to the season and is now at 84%. That's amazing. Rose has 196 turnovers to LeBron's 213, and Rose handles the ball way more than LeBron does. Derrick is also the only player averaging 24 points and 8 assists in the entire NBA. The Bulls are two games back from the Eastern Conference lead and have played fewer games than Miami and Boston so far. The fact they can be the 1 seed is amazing considering Rose is his team's only All Star while Miami has their Big 3 and Boston has their Big 4.
LeBron gets to play with fellow MVP candidate Dwyane Wade and fellow All Star Chris Bosh. Chicago signed Carlos Boozer over the summer but he missed the first 15 games with a broken hand. Rose still had the Bulls in the top 4. Then right after Boozer returned, Joakim Noah had to have surgery on his hand and missed 30 games. This was supposed to ruin Chicago since Noah's 13 and 12 and inside presence being gone would cripple them against the elite teams. The Bulls went on to become the hottest team in the NBA under Rose's leadership and devestating play. They beat Boston, something Miami hasn't done. They beat Dallas for a second time while the Heat couldn't beat them once. They beat the Lakers and Orlando. Then they went up against the NBA's best team, the Spurs, and Rose exploded for a career high 42 points to go with 8 assists, 5 boards, and only 1 turnover en route to a 109-99 victory. He shot 18-28 in that game too. Rose shot poor against Miami last Thursday but he hit a big time lay up over James and Bosh to put the Bulls up 85-84 then hit a monster jumper over Dwyane Wade to put them up 89-86. He's become a big time player and nearly single handedly carried Chicago into elite status, including an 8-5 record against teams ESPN sees as elite.
But why pay attention to that? The Heat have three stars and LeBron is a once in a lifetime physical specimen. It doesn't matter the Heat can't beat teams with winning records or that LBJ can't shoot free throws. I don't know how the sporting press could pick LeBron for his third straight MVP when Derrick Rose is doing so much more with so much less. Rose wasn't even in the debate of best point guard in the league going into the season, now he's in the debate of best player in the league. How does that happen and not earn somebody an MVP? The Heat could still win 50 games without LeBron. How many games could Chicago realisitically win without Derrick Rose? It is hard for me to believe LeBron is the most valuable guy on his team when I watched Dwyane Wade carry the Heat on his back to a championship just five years ago. The Heat have a good record as promised but that 14-15 record against .500 teams speaks volumes against LBJ's MVP quest. Derrick Rose has people talking title in the Windy City once again and has elevated his game to nearly unimaginable levels for only a third year player. The Bulls would be nowhere without him.
The Memory Remains...
"Today is the happiest day of my life."
With those words, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic capped off a four fight (two in one night) streak that brought him the 2006 Pride Open Weight Grand Prix title. Unknown at the time was that not only would his remarkable performance in the tournament mark the best stretch of fighting in his entire career, it would also be his only championship victory.
Before Gabriel Gonzaga head kicked him into his decline and Frank Mir managed to defeat him in the stand-up in a disappointing UFC 119 performance, Mirko Cro Cop was considered the most feared striker in all of MMA. Cro Cop came into MMA with a legitimate K-1 kickboxing background and showed it with his deadly striking, particularly his brutal head kicks. So feared were those kicks that Mirko himself would describe them as "right kick hospital, left kick morgue."
Cro Cop came into the 2006 Pride Open Weight Grand Prix at a bit of a crossroads. He entered the tournament with losses in two of his last three fights, a unanimous decision loss to Pride Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko in August 2005 and a split decision loss to Mark Hunt that December. After a five month break to regroup, Cro Cop entered Pride: Total Elimination Absolute on May 5, 2006.
His "opponent" was the legendary Japanese fighter Ikuhisa Minowa. Opponent is a term used loosely, as Cro Cop decimated him in 70 seconds in the evening's main event. In his post-fight interview, Mirko thanked the fans and issued a quote that should have struck fear into the hearts of the rest of the competitors in the Grand Prix: "I hope you enjoy the event. More importantly, Cro Cop is back."
Gone was the Cro Cop that was rendered ineffective against Fedor and disappointed against Hunt. The man to show up for this tournament was hungry and focused like never before or ever again. For current fans accustomed to the Cro Cop that refused to pull the trigger on the undersized Anthony Perosh at UFC 110 and seemed willing to be Junior Dos Santos' punching bag at UFC 103, the way he dismantled the rest of his competition in the tournament is frightening.
His next opponent was famed judoka and Pride's biggest draw, Hidehiko Yoshida. This was looked at as a challenging fight due to Yoshida's slick ground game and the fact he had never before been stopped in any of his prior fights, which included two tangles with Pride Middleweight Champion Wanderlei Silva. While the Yoshida-Cro Cop fight wasn't as short as the Minowa match, it was no less brutal. Over the course of seven and a half minutes, Cro Cop unloaded savage leg kicks that fractured Yoshida's right leg and forced him to forfeit after he could no longer stand.
The Yoshida victory put Cro Cop in the final four of the Grand Prix with American wrestler Josh Barnett, former Pride Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and the aforementioned Wanderlei Silva. The semifinal and final matches were held on September 10, 2006, his 32nd birthday, at Pride: Final Conflict Absolute.
Up first was Wanderlei Silva. For years, these two had been two of the most popular fighters in Pride and fans were salivating over the prospects of a battle between them. Silva entered the tournament after Fedor had to withdraw due to injury and in his match against Kazuyuki Fujita, Wanderlei became the first person to ever knock out the renowned "Iron Head." A natural middleweight (205 lbs.), Silva actually came into this fight four pounds heavier than Cro Cop at 225 lbs. This would mark the second time they squared off, with the first being a 2002 draw fought under K-1 rules. The rematch would be much more decisive.
From the onset, the difference between the striking styles of both men was apparent. Silva waded in aggressively, throwing wild, looping bombs that Cro Cop easily avoided. Mirko on the other hand was much more efficient, pummeling Silva with punches and kicks. Early in the fight he landed two kicks to Wanderlei's body that instantly turned "The Axe Murderer's" torso purple. After a punch that closed up Silva's eye, the referees considered ending the fight. As Silva protested, a quick glance at Cro Cop's face revealed a man who looked like he was about to destroy anything set in front of him. After the referees decided to allow the fight to continue, Cro Cop annihilated Silva with a vicious left head kick that will be shown on highlight reels forever.
After the five and a half minutes of brutality unleashed on Wanderlei, Cro Cop had one opponent left: former UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett. Barnett came into the finals with a split decision win over Nogueira that night and prior submission victories over Aleksander Emelianenko and Mark Hunt in the first two rounds of the tournament. The meeting between Cro Cop and Barnett on this night would be their third meeting, with Mirko winning the first by injury stoppage and the second by unanimous decision.
Like their first battle and every Cro Cop fight in the Grand Prix, this would end in the first round. Mirko continued his striking onslaught and by stuffing Barnett's takedowns, nullified the main strength of "the Baby Faced Assassin." After having his face battered for five minuts and thirty two seconds, Barnett submitted after a Cro Cop punch to the eye that rendered him useless. With the stoppage, Mirko Cro Cop became the winner of the 2006 Pride Open Weight Grand Prix.
After the tournament victory, Cro Cop was uncharacteristically emotional. Prior to thies display, fans had only seen a stoic man who went about his business in the ring quietly and efficiently. During his post-fight interview, he gave a tearful thank you to his team and dedicated his victory to his father. He also revealed that before the tournament began, he had mad a vow to retired if he lost any of the fights.
In retrospect, perhaps he should have considered retiring after winning the Grand Prix and Cro Cop has subsequently admitted as such. Since leaving Pride in 2006, Mirko's career has been a mixed bag. The predatory instinct and crisp striking that won him the Grand Prix have not been evident in his fights in the UFC. Newer fans who have seen him fight in the last half-decade have heard tales about how devastating Mirko Cro Cop can be, but have never actually witnessed it. Anyone who wants to see how truly dominant Mirko Cro Cop could be just has to go back to that five month span of May through September 2006 and witness his brutal run through the Pride Open Weight Grand Prix.
With those words, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic capped off a four fight (two in one night) streak that brought him the 2006 Pride Open Weight Grand Prix title. Unknown at the time was that not only would his remarkable performance in the tournament mark the best stretch of fighting in his entire career, it would also be his only championship victory.
Before Gabriel Gonzaga head kicked him into his decline and Frank Mir managed to defeat him in the stand-up in a disappointing UFC 119 performance, Mirko Cro Cop was considered the most feared striker in all of MMA. Cro Cop came into MMA with a legitimate K-1 kickboxing background and showed it with his deadly striking, particularly his brutal head kicks. So feared were those kicks that Mirko himself would describe them as "right kick hospital, left kick morgue."
Cro Cop came into the 2006 Pride Open Weight Grand Prix at a bit of a crossroads. He entered the tournament with losses in two of his last three fights, a unanimous decision loss to Pride Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko in August 2005 and a split decision loss to Mark Hunt that December. After a five month break to regroup, Cro Cop entered Pride: Total Elimination Absolute on May 5, 2006.
His "opponent" was the legendary Japanese fighter Ikuhisa Minowa. Opponent is a term used loosely, as Cro Cop decimated him in 70 seconds in the evening's main event. In his post-fight interview, Mirko thanked the fans and issued a quote that should have struck fear into the hearts of the rest of the competitors in the Grand Prix: "I hope you enjoy the event. More importantly, Cro Cop is back."
Gone was the Cro Cop that was rendered ineffective against Fedor and disappointed against Hunt. The man to show up for this tournament was hungry and focused like never before or ever again. For current fans accustomed to the Cro Cop that refused to pull the trigger on the undersized Anthony Perosh at UFC 110 and seemed willing to be Junior Dos Santos' punching bag at UFC 103, the way he dismantled the rest of his competition in the tournament is frightening.
His next opponent was famed judoka and Pride's biggest draw, Hidehiko Yoshida. This was looked at as a challenging fight due to Yoshida's slick ground game and the fact he had never before been stopped in any of his prior fights, which included two tangles with Pride Middleweight Champion Wanderlei Silva. While the Yoshida-Cro Cop fight wasn't as short as the Minowa match, it was no less brutal. Over the course of seven and a half minutes, Cro Cop unloaded savage leg kicks that fractured Yoshida's right leg and forced him to forfeit after he could no longer stand.
The Yoshida victory put Cro Cop in the final four of the Grand Prix with American wrestler Josh Barnett, former Pride Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and the aforementioned Wanderlei Silva. The semifinal and final matches were held on September 10, 2006, his 32nd birthday, at Pride: Final Conflict Absolute.
Up first was Wanderlei Silva. For years, these two had been two of the most popular fighters in Pride and fans were salivating over the prospects of a battle between them. Silva entered the tournament after Fedor had to withdraw due to injury and in his match against Kazuyuki Fujita, Wanderlei became the first person to ever knock out the renowned "Iron Head." A natural middleweight (205 lbs.), Silva actually came into this fight four pounds heavier than Cro Cop at 225 lbs. This would mark the second time they squared off, with the first being a 2002 draw fought under K-1 rules. The rematch would be much more decisive.
From the onset, the difference between the striking styles of both men was apparent. Silva waded in aggressively, throwing wild, looping bombs that Cro Cop easily avoided. Mirko on the other hand was much more efficient, pummeling Silva with punches and kicks. Early in the fight he landed two kicks to Wanderlei's body that instantly turned "The Axe Murderer's" torso purple. After a punch that closed up Silva's eye, the referees considered ending the fight. As Silva protested, a quick glance at Cro Cop's face revealed a man who looked like he was about to destroy anything set in front of him. After the referees decided to allow the fight to continue, Cro Cop annihilated Silva with a vicious left head kick that will be shown on highlight reels forever.
After the five and a half minutes of brutality unleashed on Wanderlei, Cro Cop had one opponent left: former UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett. Barnett came into the finals with a split decision win over Nogueira that night and prior submission victories over Aleksander Emelianenko and Mark Hunt in the first two rounds of the tournament. The meeting between Cro Cop and Barnett on this night would be their third meeting, with Mirko winning the first by injury stoppage and the second by unanimous decision.
Like their first battle and every Cro Cop fight in the Grand Prix, this would end in the first round. Mirko continued his striking onslaught and by stuffing Barnett's takedowns, nullified the main strength of "the Baby Faced Assassin." After having his face battered for five minuts and thirty two seconds, Barnett submitted after a Cro Cop punch to the eye that rendered him useless. With the stoppage, Mirko Cro Cop became the winner of the 2006 Pride Open Weight Grand Prix.
After the tournament victory, Cro Cop was uncharacteristically emotional. Prior to thies display, fans had only seen a stoic man who went about his business in the ring quietly and efficiently. During his post-fight interview, he gave a tearful thank you to his team and dedicated his victory to his father. He also revealed that before the tournament began, he had mad a vow to retired if he lost any of the fights.
In retrospect, perhaps he should have considered retiring after winning the Grand Prix and Cro Cop has subsequently admitted as such. Since leaving Pride in 2006, Mirko's career has been a mixed bag. The predatory instinct and crisp striking that won him the Grand Prix have not been evident in his fights in the UFC. Newer fans who have seen him fight in the last half-decade have heard tales about how devastating Mirko Cro Cop can be, but have never actually witnessed it. Anyone who wants to see how truly dominant Mirko Cro Cop could be just has to go back to that five month span of May through September 2006 and witness his brutal run through the Pride Open Weight Grand Prix.
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