Sherdog’s Top 10: New Year’s Eve Fights

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5. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Pride “Shockwave 2004” | Dec. 31, 2004

One of mixed martial arts’ most memorable rivalries came to a close at the Saitama Super Arena on New Year’s Eve 2004, when Emelianenko and Nogueira locked horns for the third time in approximately 19 months. Emelianenko unleashed surprisingly effective ground-and-pound inside of Nogueira’s notoriously dangerous guard to emerge victorious in their initial showdown, and the rematch was ruled a no contest when an accidental clash of heads left Emelianenko unable to continue.

“The Last Emperor” utilized a different game plan to defeat the Brazilian in their third and final matchup. While the stoic Russian was able to toss Nogueira to the canvas with ease from the beginning, he did not rely on his ground-and-pound nearly as much as he had in their previous encounters.

It quickly become evident that the two heavyweights were going to stand and trade more frequently, and Emelianenko set the tone by dropping his foe with a right hand in the opening round. Buoyed by superior movement and footwork, Emelianenko was able to control the tempo of the bout on the feet while mixing in the occasional takedown, quickly escaping whenever Nogueira attempted to apply a submission.

By the time round three arrived, it was clear that “Minotauro” was in need of one of his trademark comebacks. The Brazilian’s search for the Hail Mary submission would prove to be in vain, however, as Emelianenko survived the final frame to capture a clear-cut unanimous decision, unifying the Pride heavyweight title in front of nearly 50,000 fans. With the win, Emelianenko further cemented his status as the top heavyweight in the sport.

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