"Sammy Presents PANCRASE 2004 BRAVE TOUR"
August 22nd, 2004
At Umeda Stella Hall, Osaka
Featherweight Bout – 5 minutes / round for 3 rounds
Toshiro Maeda (Japan / Pancrase – Inagaki-gumi)
def.
Fredson Paixao (Brazil / Gracie Barra Combat Team)
Decision 3-0 (30-27/30-28/30-28)

Although he just accomplished an amazing feat of 11 straight wins, there was no beam of delight in Maeda after the fight. "I am so disappointed in how much weaker I am than I thought I was. I am so pitiful for not being able to finish the fight right there. If this were an opponent I faced in the past, he would've been dead at least five times in this fight. He is, really, a zombie…."
In an appallingly drained tone of voice, he just shrugged very disappointedly. The man who defeated Yuki Nakai, Paixao is one real tough son-a-bitch, just as this man who is known for possessing a strong heart, Yoshiro Maeda, described him.
Fredson Paixao truly was "The Invulnerable Zombie."
In the beginning, Paixao quickly gets on Maeda's back from the standing position, but Maeda, shakes him off and then throws a punch in an oblique stance to escape from being in a fine fix. At the drop of a hat, Paixao shoots in, persistently, like a typical Jiu-jitsu fighter, trying to take the fight to the ground but Maeda counters with a high-kick to the head. This kick sliced empty air but the following jumping knee attack prevented him from being taken down. Both the speed and power of these two fighters are obviously surpassing this weight class and the kick ass battle continued.
Yes, the usual “Takuro Show” began.
Even though he gets intercepted, Paixao keeps on shooting in but Maeda avoids this with strikes, and when Paixao is on his back, Maeda even lands a heel drop to Paixao's face.

Always very aggressive Maeda showed no hesitation in attacking Paixao's head but not quite enough for the KO win.

"Every time I stomped, or punched on his face, momentarily, his eyeballs rolled back and his eyes became completely white, but then he came back instantly."
Just like what Maeda said, even though the Brazilian received what I felt was a "That's it!" type of devastating shot after another, with his amazing will and physical strength and gluttonous for punishment, Paixao amazingly strikes back.
When Maeda takes the top position and starts to drop furious punches, Paixao
kicks him away while being at the bottom of the ropes, still striking back with punches, while making an incredible comeback. .
Maeda then decided to let Paixao be on his full guard, carrying him up and then slamming Paixao back to the canvass. However, Maeda just cannot cause the finishing damages to Paixao and the fight continues and continues. Even though there are many occasions where I thought the fight should've been stopped; that’s how this fight became increasingly brutal as it went on.
Even in the next round, "The Invulnerable Paixao" continued.
Although Maeda landed a solid kick to the head or a right-on-the-money left hook to the chin or vicious pounding from the mount position, Paixao, just like Jason from "Friday the 13th," keeps rising from the dead, and shoots in for the take down. Legs, hip, or anywhere, Paixao with his intense persistence, tangles with Maeda.
Maeda sprawls but he gives a moment to spare, then Paixao quickly sweeps
from the bottom and takes the top position.
 
What a terrifying stamina and mental strength.Paixao doesn't stall and even in Maeda’s tight full guard, he goes for an Achilles heel lock, then even when Maeda stands up escaping from the submission, Paixao still holds on to Maeda’s leg, and continues for another heel lock. Paixao has what I call "freaky perseverance" stopping Maeda from bringing the fight to his favorite explosive game style. At the end, Paixao finally took the mount position and Maeda received a series of punches to the face but was saved by the gong.

Stompin, punchig, kickin,....but "The Invulnerable Zombie" kept on going till the end of the fight.

From beginning to the end, Maeda kept on saying "I feel miserable" but I believe he should be proud of the fact that he cornered a 2002 & 2003 Jiu-jitsu world champion and a black belt warrior from the prestigious Gracie Barra.
Almost driven by desperation, in the final round, Paixao threw a backhand blow and spinning back kick in order to close the range and persistently shot in, but finally, with no indecisive moment, when Paixao finally took Maeda’s back, the gong had rung. The fight was over.
Maybe a bit frustrated, Paixao did not let Maeda go, ignoring the referee, then finally when they are broken up, Paixao still stares at his opponent. Maeda replies by bringing up his fist. Both fighters, again, came close and almost began brawling but the referee and both corner men stepped in quickly to separate the two. The decision went to Maeda, who never stopped attacking in the fight.
"He came at me even after the fight. But I think, when we are in the ring, to be extreme, the opponent is there to murder me so I also think of killing the opponent."
Even though this 11 straight wins is a monumental new record in Pancrase,
"I don't need this winning steak if it's going to be these type of wins. I didn't have fun out there," Maeda expressed no joy whatsoever. When he was told that Paixao had said, "If I fight him again I will win," after the fight, Maeda simply replied, "I will do it again" and then left Umed Stella Hall.
Masami Osami, the president of Pancrase, praised Maeda for not revealing the finger injury he sustained a little before the fight, and stated, "I believe the Maeda -Atsushi Yamamoto (this year's Neo Blood tournament winner which means he has the right to fight Maeda) fight doesn't have happen at the Tokyo Bay NK Hall in November. We wanted to do a tournament to determine the champion and rankings for both featherweights and lightweights before the year is over, but I think this is going to take more time. I would like to do something like a 32 man tournament so I will soon begin listing possible fighters." Ozaki revealed his plan of hosting a so-called - best-of-the best tournament in these weight categories.
"This was really hard so I would like to take a little break and refresh..."
Uncharacteristically soft, this is what Maeda said when he was asked of his future plans, but for "Mr. Eleven Straight" it seems like there won't be much of a break for a while.