Pride Final Conflict 2003: Results and Event Recap
Pride Final Conflict 2003 was held on November 9, 2003, at the Tokyo Dome. Wanderlei Silva stopped Quinton Jackson with knees at 6:28 of round one to win the 2003 middleweight Grand Prix. Dan Henderson knocked out Murilo Bustamante in 53 seconds, Kazushi Sakuraba submitted Kevin Randleman with an armbar, and Quinton Jackson defeated Chuck Liddell by corner stoppage in their semifinal.
Two bouts to win the Grand Prix
Silva and Jackson each had to win a semifinal before meeting later that night. Silva defeated Hidehiko Yoshida by unanimous decision after two rounds. Jackson stopped Chuck Liddell when Liddell’s corner ended their contest at 3:10 of round two.
Those victories set the final, where Silva’s knees produced the official TKO at 6:28. The tournament format made the evening demanding in a particular way: reaching the decisive bout required another competitive appearance on the same card.
Heavyweights and supporting results
Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira submitted Mirko Cro Cop with an armbar at 1:45 of round two. Sakuraba’s armbar against Randleman came at 2:36 of round three, and Heath Herring submitted Yoshihisa Yamamoto with a rear-naked choke at 2:29 of the third.
Gary Goodridge supplied the quickest result, stopping Dan Bobish with punches after eighteen seconds. Henderson’s knee-and-punches knockout of Bustamante followed a different first-round finish, at 53 seconds.
The event combined a tournament conclusion with major standalone bouts. Seven of its eight contests ended before a decision, but Silva’s semifinal required the judges. That mixture gives Final Conflict its structure: a full-distance qualifying bout, multiple submissions and short stoppages, then the Grand Prix final to close the night.
Selected Bout Results
- Wanderlei Silva defeated Quinton Jackson by TKO (Knees); round 1, 6:28.
- Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira defeated Mirko Filipovic by Submission (Armbar); round 2, 1:45.
- Kazushi Sakuraba defeated Kevin Randleman by Submission (Armbar); round 3, 2:36.
- Heath Herring defeated Yoshihisa Yamamoto by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke); round 3, 2:29.
- Dan Henderson defeated Murilo Bustamante by KO (Knee and Punches); round 1, 0:53.
- Wanderlei Silva defeated Hidehiko Yoshida by Decision (Unanimous); round 2, 5:00.
- Quinton Jackson defeated Chuck Liddell by TKO (Corner Stoppage); round 2, 3:10.
- Gary Goodridge defeated Dan Bobish by TKO (Punches); round 1, 0:18.
Sources
Article Tags
Pride Final Conflict 2003, MMA History, Mixed Martial Arts, Event Results
