Rewatch 20-years-ago today: Chuck Liddell knocks out Alistair Overeem at Pride Total Elimination 2003

The camera angle couldn't have been more perfect on this shot...

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Its like a Call Of Duty POV of one of the "special moves " of MMA.

Perfect... Overeem's derp face makes it even better.
 
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Man, getting old as an MMA fan will never not be weird. When I first got into MMA, the 2003 PRIDE MWGP had just happened the year before. Now, it's been two decades. Old school fan that I am, I've always considered the 1994 King of Pancrase tournament my favorite MMA event, but if we're talking GOAT events - and if we allow multi-show events like the PRIDE grand prixs - it's hard to beat the 2003 MWGP. The caliber of fighters and the awesomeness of the fights was on another level. This IMO is when PRIDE leveled up, and from 2003-2006, they put on some of the best MMA that's ever existed.
 
Buff said:
Th camera angle couldn't have been more perfect on this shot...

tumblr_n3y7ruTAqG1ry1rm7o1_400.gif


Its like a Call Of Duty POV of one of the "special moves " of MMA.

Perfect... Overeem's derp face makes it even better.
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Imagine eating that shot, damn.
 
GIBLERTBAPTISTA said:
Reem was doing well, but if they fought 5 times I think Chuck would find his chin every single time.
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Yep. Back then, Chuck was virtually indestructible. Mezger hit him with a monster shot in their fight, too, but the problem with Chuck in his prime was that he could walk through your best punches and then put you down with just one shot.

And speaking of the PRIDE 2003 MWGP, that's what was so insane about his fight with Rampage: You had two iron-chinned power punchers throwing down. Unfortunately for Chuck, his gas tank was his downfall, as Rampage put the pace on him and just wore him down. But what makes that fight so awesome is that they're each throwing monster shots and taking monster shots and they just keep on throwing.

Spath said:
”Just keep your left hand up and you’ll block the right hand”

<{1-8}>
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That's the beauty of that finish: You can see Overeem try to parry what he thought was going to be a straight right, but Chuck was throwing an overhand right, and so his punch went right over Overeem's defense :cool:
 
Bullitt68 said:
Man, getting old as an MMA fan will never not be weird. When I first got into MMA, the 2003 PRIDE MWGP had just happened the year before. Now, it's been two decades. Old school fan that I am, I've always considered the 1994 King of Pancrase tournament my favorite MMA event, but if we're talking GOAT events - and if we allow multi-show events like the PRIDE grand prixs - it's hard to beat the 2003 MWGP. The caliber of fighters and the awesomeness of the fights was on another level. This IMO is when PRIDE leveled up, and from 2003-2006, they put on some of the best MMA that's ever existed.
Click to expand...
Absolutely

Oh what a joy it was to be an MMA fan. Pride really knew how to splurge with their production, and it definitely felt like we were witnessing something that was larger than life.

I never got the same vibe from the UFC. not then, not now.
 
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Buff said:
He throws it like a cricket fastball...
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Yep, and that's how he'd teach it, too.



Pretty sure there's also a TUF moment where he's explaining the mechanics of his overhand right IIRC. It's specifically calculated to (a) go over an opponent's defense and (b) generate tremendous force. Needless to say, Chuck was very good at (a) and (b) :D

Cooliox said:
Pride really knew how to splurge with their production, and it definitely felt like wet were witnessing something that was larger than life.
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It was a bucket list thing for me to one day go to Japan and attend a PRIDE fight live. I was a fan for three years before the UFC bought PRIDE and that was the end of that dream. But yeah, their emphasis on production made the whole show special, even before the top tier fighters stepped into the ring.

Again, speaking of the 2003 MWGP, one of my favorite crowd pops ever is when they announce Sakuraba in the opening round. He's so mild-mannered, he just saunters out, meanwhile the roof is exploding :cool:



Cooliox said:
I never got the same vibe from the UFC. not then, not now.
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They never cared about production. And they still don't. But the crossover effect was nutty when Cro Cop came out to the PRIDE theme song for his first UFC fight. As if I wasn't excited enough to see Cro Cop in the Octagon, hearing the PRIDE music start gave me chills.



Anyone who knew anything about Cro Cop knew that for his entire career, his walkout song was Duran Duran's "Wild Boys." To not hear that song was already bizarre, but then once your brain adjusted and you registered the PRIDE music, it made perfect sense ;)
 
Bullitt68 said:
Yep, and that's how he'd teach it, too.



Pretty sure there's also a TUF moment where he's explaining the mechanics of his overhand right IIRC. It's specifically calculated to (a) go over an opponent's defense and (b) generate tremendous force. Needless to say, Chuck was very good at (a) and (b) :D



It was a bucket list thing for me to one day go to Japan and attend a PRIDE fight live. I was a fan for three years before the UFC bought PRIDE and that was the end of that dream. But yeah, their emphasis on production made the whole show special, even before the top tier fighters stepped into the ring.

Again, speaking of the 2003 MWGP, one of my favorite crowd pops ever is when they announce Sakuraba in the opening round. He's so mild-mannered, he just saunters out, meanwhile the roof is exploding :cool:





They never cared about production. And they still don't. But the crossover effect was nutty when Cro Cop came out to the PRIDE theme song for his first UFC fight. As if I wasn't excited enough to see Cro Cop in the Octagon, hearing the PRIDE music start gave me chills.



Anyone who knew anything about Cro Cop knew that for his entire career, his walkout song was Duran Duran's "Wild Boys." To not hear that song was already bizarre, but then once your brain adjusted and you registered the PRIDE music, it made perfect sense ;)
Click to expand...

I used to be able to throw a decent fastball when I was a teenager - you have to be quite tall to throw a good one... I've had lifelong rotator-cuff injuries from throwing one bad ball on a cold day about 25 years ago... That shit fucks you up quickly.
 
Bullitt68 said:
It was a bucket list thing for me to one day go to Japan and attend a PRIDE fight live. I was a fan for three years before the UFC bought PRIDE and that was the end of that dream. But yeah, their emphasis on production made the whole show special, even before the top tier fighters stepped into the ring.

Again, speaking of the 2003 MWGP, one of my favorite crowd pops ever is when they announce Sakuraba in the opening round. He's so mild-mannered, he just saunters out, meanwhile the roof is exploding :cool:





They never cared about production. And they still don't. But the crossover effect was nutty when Cro Cop came out to the PRIDE theme song for his first UFC fight. As if I wasn't excited enough to see Cro Cop in the Octagon, hearing the PRIDE music start gave me chills.



Anyone who knew anything about Cro Cop knew that for his entire career, his walkout song was Duran Duran's "Wild Boys." To not hear that song was already bizarre, but then once your brain adjusted and you registered the PRIDE music, it made perfect sense ;)
Click to expand...


Man, how I wish I could have attended a PRIDE event as well. DREAM was pretty cool too, towards the start.

Like you said, even before the fights began, it already felt like we were witnessing something larger than life.

I miss the glory days of MMA. People didn't hide behind weight classes. They put their money where their mouth is. They gave the fans the big fights we wanted to see. And boy, how active were they.

Saku is still my fav fighter for sure, along with GSP and Fedor. But man, Saku was legit like a superhero. especially during the Gracie-Hunter days. Gotta remember that the Gracies were like the holy family of MMA at that point. Untouhables. WAR SAKU
 
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