Sherdog's Top 10: Greatest Pride Fights

4. Mauricio Rua vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira | Critical Countdown 2005 (June 26, 2005)

As I've written before, I consider “Shogun” winning the 2005 Pride Middleweight (205 pound) Grand Prix the most impressive single achievement in MMA history. Rua decimated another all-time legend in Quinton Jackson in just under five minutes in the opening round and on the final night, overwhelmed two more greats, demolishing Alistair Overeem in less than seven minutes of the first round, and needing just under three minutes to destroy Brazilian Top Team ace Ricardo Arona in the finals, arguably the best pound-for-pound grappler in all of MMA back then. The Chute Boxe representative went from unproven prospect to possibly the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport and made a lifetime fan of yours truly.

However, between those three sensational knockouts Rua was pushed to the limit and went the distance against yet another great, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, in one of the best fights ever. Nogueira was also a product of Brazilian Top Team, enemies of Rua's Chute Boxe, and was the far more accomplished fighter, having gone a perfect 7-0 in Pride up until that point, including clear decisions over Kazushi Sakuraba and Overeem, and an armbar of Dan Henderson in the first round of the tournament. With Rua being 23 years old and Nogueira just turning 29, they were both in their physical prime, even if they would both add new skills in the years to come. The fight began at an electric pace, with a furious exchange of punches and kicks, a gorgeous spinning takedown by Rua, a submission attempt by Nogueira, and reconvening back on the feet—all in less than 30 seconds. Rua found a home for a thudding right cross and leg kicks before scoring on yet another excellent turning takedown. This time, he landed a number of hard punches inside his countryman's guard before standing up and going for a series of spectacular jumping head-stomps. Nogueira was unfazed however and pushed him off with his feet every time before he could land on his skull. However, Rua then went for a head-stomp without the jump and this one partially got through, followed by a couple of sharp punches that rattled Nogueira's brain.

As he waved Nogueira back to his feet, it had been all Rua so far. However, there is a reason that this is one of the greatest fights ever. Just seconds later, Nogueira pasted Rua with a left cross into right hook that caused the Chute Boxe fighter to crash to the canvas. Rua got right back up, throwing throws hooks on pure instinct as Nogueira tried to finish him off. As they fired a series of hard punches back and forth it was Rua who suddenly scored, stunning Nogueira with a left hook. Nogueira countered with a big knee to the body and Rua decided that it was time to take him back to the canvas with a great body lock into turning trip. There was no respite for these two warriors though, as Nogueira went for his patented armbar on the bottom only for Rua to spin out and smash him with several knees. The normally reserved Japanese crowd was already cheering as hard as any drunken American one! In another toe-to-toe exchange, Rua hurt Nogueira with a left hook with the BTT rep clinching this time, only for Rua to end up in top position again. Rua then stood up and sprang forward with a huge punch to Nogueira's temple that called to mind the best of Fedor Emelianenko's ground-and-pound in the first fight against Nogueira’s twin brother. Rua hammered Nogueira with more brutal ground-and-pound, but with a little over four minutes left in the stanza, they stood up again. Nogueira proved he was still very much a factor soon after, nailing Rua with another big punch, this time a left instead of a right hook, staggering him. Rua clinched, hoping for yet another takedown, but this time it was Nogueira who ended up on top, in side control. Rua scrambled to his knees and tried to push his foe over, but unlike the UFC, he ate several monstrous knees to the dome for his efforts. Nevertheless, Rua persisted and succeeded in sweeping Nogueira. Rua landed a hard soccer-kick to the face, but Nogueira barely reacted to it, showing how tough his chin was back then. They resumed on the feet and after Rua missed a series of hooks, Nogueira countered with a beautiful left cross and then a couple of right hooks, again staggering the young Chute Boxe ace. After eating several hard knees in the clinch, Rua summoned all his strength and got yet another takedown in the clinch. He punished Nogueira with more punches but had his greatest success when he shrugged off a triangle attempt and got side control, smashing Nogueira with several knees that finally managed to visibly hurt him. One of the greatest rounds in MMA history ended with Rua standing up and partially connecting with another vicious head-stomp.

In the second round, Rua continued getting takedowns, though his ground-and-pound was less potent. He showed the first signs of exhaustion on the feet, with Nogueira landing two nice left crosses in between being taken down. However, later in the round Nogueira began to tire too, with Rua having more success on the feet and continuing to inflict steady ground-and-pound. In the final round, Rua continued to push himself despite visibly breathing hard, scoring with a leg kick and knee to the body before getting yet another clinch takedown and landing more of his energetic ground-and-pound, mixing and matching springing punches with attempted head-stomps and soccer-kicks. Nogueira hadn't even thought of giving up, going for triangle attempts and partially landing a few upkicks. Back on the feet, Nogueira rocked Rua with another left cross, but almost immediately, Rua crashed through with a perfectly timed straight left, causing Nogueira to collapse to the canvas, with Rua immediately rushing to stomp on his head on the downward descent. Somehow, Nogueira moved his head just in time and also blocked a deadly follow-up soccer kick. Rua spent the next two and a half minutes inflicting solid ground-and-pound, including partial connects on a soccer kick and head-stomp. However, in the final minute they were stood back up and against all reason and expectation it was once again Nogueira coming forward and scoring with punches. “Shogun” looked for another takedown, but he was too tired and Nogueira ended up on top. As he tried to get back up, Nogueira stood up and landed a huge kick to his side. However, in the process Rua grabbed his legs and got yet another takedown. The bell sounded as both exhausted warriors continued punching one another. Rua won the deserved decision and as noted, went on to further greatness in the Grand Prix, though none of those fights compare with this one. This was an amazing war with constant ebbs and flows to the rhythm of combat. The battlefield switched between the stand-up and the ground, with each man having a chance to win it. Ultimately, Rua triumphed in one of the greatest fights in Pride or any other promotion.

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