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PRIDE - USA Tryouts - A First Look! Submitted by: Keith Mills Posted On 11/21/2004

According to many of the competitors it was a grapplers dream auditioning for the Pride auditions in L.A. as it was run much like a submission wrestling tournament with over 150 fighters in three weight classes. Long-time grapplers from Freestyle Fighting Academy’s Marcos Avellan and Charles McCarthy to Team Quest’s Chael Sonnen said they felt right at home. Lightweights, who by far out-numbered the other divisions with a total of about half the competitors, went first around 11 while Middleweights started around 2:30 and Heavyweights close to 4 PM. Heavyweight competitors Mike Kyle, Jimmy Ambriz, and Paul Buentello all sat patiently for their turn to compete as the hours crawled by with none of them complaining despite the fact they have all had or have belts from feeder shows that have sent fighters directly into Pride.

No official roll call or even total amount of competitors is currently available but an incomplete list includes 72 Lightweights, 31 Middleweights, and 44 Heavyweights. Most recognizable names are:

Lightweights:
Adam Lynn (Next Generation)
Mac Danzig (Millennia Fight Team)
Frankie Bollinger (former KOTC Bantamweight Champion)
Ricardo Nogueira (American Top Team)
Steve Bruno (American Top Team)
Heath Simms (ranked in Pancrase)
John Alessio (Millennia Fight Team, former KOTC & TKO Champion, UFC/Pride vet)
Thomas Denny (Team Oyama)
Robert Emerson (Team Oyama)
Manny Reyes (AFC vet/internet legend)
James “Lightning” Wilks
Keith Wilson (American Kickboxing Academy)
Akbarh Arreola
Steve Berger (UFC vet)
Jake Draves
Stephen Haigh

Middleweights:
Mike Seal (KOTC/SportFight vet)
Marcos Avellan (Freestyle Fighting Academy, ADCC North American qualifier winner)
Chael Sonnen (Team Quest)
Charles McCarthy (Freestyle Fighting Academy)
Tim McKenzie (Team Cesar Gracie)
Buck Greer (Next Generation)
James Lee (former Gladiator Challenge Champion)

Heavyweights:
Mike Kyle (American Kickboxing Academy, UFC vet)
Jimmy Ambriz (former KOTC Champion)
Wojtek Kaszowski (Team Warrior, trained by Carlos Newton)
Paul Buentello (American Kickboxing Academy, KOTC Champion)
Bobby Hoffman (UFC vet, former KOTC Champion)
Kadillac Marshbanks (KOTC Champion)
Patrick Smith

PRIDEが11/20にロスアンジェルスで新人発掘のためのオーディションを行う話は、このサイトでお伝えした通りですが、非公式ながらオーディションの結果が公開されています。

軽量級で16名、中量級で7名、重量級で7名の選手の名が挙がっていますが、これが最終結果かつオーディション合格者全員の名前ではないようです。

KOTCなど各地のMMA大会に参戦経験のある選手の名前が挙げられており、来年のPRIDEも話題には事欠かない状態が予想されます。

大晦日への話題提供を行いながら、その先を見据えているPRIDE。
Dynamiteどころか、直近のWORLD GPの話題さえあまり露出しないK-1との差は、今後ますます開くばかりと予想しますです。
でも最後にリストアップされているPatrick Smith ってあのパトスミさんでしょ？
この辺だけ、なんだかなぁという感じ。

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