Pride 34

Background

This was the last Pride show promoted by Dream Stage Entertainment before the sale of the company (see Pride Worldwide). The promotion folded shortly after the event.

Although Wanderlei Silva and Mauricio Rua were negotiating with Pride to compete, neither did. Silva did not participate because of a medical suspension received from the Nevada State Athletic Commission. The commission had stated that if a Japanese doctor cleared Silva for competition, they would consider lifting the suspension three days early, but this did not come to fruition.

Gilbert Yvel was originally slated to fight Bazigit Atajev, but Atajev withdrew due to an internal disease.

Nobuyuki Sakakibara's "surprise announcement" at the event turned out to be a guest appearance by Kazushi Sakuraba who had left Pride nearly a year ago to join rival promotion Hero's. Kiyoshi Tamura joined Sakuraba in the ring and teased a potential matchup in a future Pride event. Sakuraba had initially expressed his wish to fight either Wanderlei Silva or Kiyoshi Tamura on the card but in the end neither fight materialized. Though Tamura would end up fighting Sakuraba at Dynamite!! 2008.

Results

|Heavyweight | Yoshihiro Nakao |def. | Edson Drago |Submission (scarf hold) |1 |9:15 | |Heavyweight | Eric Esch |def. | Zuluzinho |Submission (keylock) |1 |2:35 | |Middleweight | Makoto Takimoto |def. | Zelg Galesic |Submission (kimura) |1 |5:40 | |Heavyweight | Gilbert Yvel |def. | Akira Shoji |TKO (punches) |1 |3:46 | |Heavyweight | James Thompson |def. | Don Frye |TKO (punches) |1 |6:23 | |Lightweight | Shinya Aoki |def. | Brian Lo-A-Njoe |Submission (armbar) |1 |1:33 | |Heavyweight | Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou |def. | Ricardo Arona |KO (punches) |1 |1:59 | |Heavyweight | Jeff Monson |def. | Kazuyuki Fujita |Submission (rear-naked choke) |1 |6:36 |

References

References

1. de Araújo, Thiago. (2007-03-15). "Wanderlei Silva e Maurício Shogun podem voltar ao Pride em abril". Gazeta do Povo.
2. (2007). "Mixed Martial Arts Show Results – Pride 33". [[Nevada State Athletic Commission]].
3. (2006-04-07). "No Wanderlei, But Maybe a Surprise or Two?". MMA Weekly.
4. (2007-04-05). "Bazigit Atajev Off Of Pride 34 Card". MMA Weekly.