When Yuki Kondo squared off against Igor Vovchanchyn, many fans counted their lucky stars, because along with the Silva-Yoshida bout, it was as if they got two Main Event fights for the price of one.

Yuki Kondo is the Ace Fighter who will help decide the fate of Pancrase, the 12-year old Japanese MMA organization. For Pancrase, any fight involving Igor Vovchanchyn is a revenge match - because during February 2005’s PRIDE 29 event, Vovchanchyn defeated the former light-heavyweight King of Pancrase, Yoshiki Takahashi. With that back story, it’s little wonder Yuki Kondo described a victory against Vovchanchyn as “Winning for Pancrase.” For a man burdened with the task of carrying Pancrase on his back, this fight was truly a make-or-break event.

Because if Kondo were to lose this fight, he would lose more than his status as an “Ace Fighter.” He would lose prestige and honor for Pancrase as an MMA organization. So even though this fight was scheduled in the middle of a long night of fights, there was no doubt that for Japanese MMA fans - particularly Pancrase fans - there were no other fights that night. This WAS the Main Event.
In the eat-or-be-eaten world of Japanese MMA, this was clearly a go-for-broke battle for the “old house,” Pancrase.

Out of the 16 fighters in the tournament, Vovchanchyn - who cut his weight down to middleweight - seemed to be riding the highest. The drop in weight did not diminish the power of his trademark “Russian Hook.” In fact, it actually became a more powerful weapon against lighter opponents.

Kondo, on the bottom, managed to avoid these devastating blows, but couldn’t do much more than defend himself for the entire 20 minutes.

On the other hand, Kondo seemed to be planning a strategy based on speed. In a pre-fight interview, he was quoted as saying, “If my precision instrument doesn't cause any malfunction, I should be able to win the fight.”

But in the ring, what Kondo showed was not a striking battle. It was a more like a ground war.
As the opening bell rang, both fighters circled around the ring, trying to measure distance. When Vovchanchyn threw his first hook, Kondo was able to successfully duck and shoot in for a takedown. This appeared to be part of Kondo’s overall strategy, because after the fight he said, ”It (taking the fight to the ground) was half of the strategy because I wasn't sure if I could close enough distance to shoot in till I actually stand against him in the ring.”

This strategy proved to be the fateful one…

With Vovchanchyn sprawled out, quickly got to the side-mount position. To nobody’s surprise, Vovchanchyn went for his famous knee shot to the head. Kondo expected this attack, and caught Vovchanchyn in his full guard. But Vovchanchyn was just too powerful. Eventually, his hugely destructive punches from the top position began to land. Kondo was able to defend these well, but the punches just kept coming at a furious pace.

Kondo - showing some of his UWF-like technique - went for a triangle choke, then an ankle lock. But Vovchanchyn started to take over. First he showed some cleverness by attempting an arm lock from the guard position. This resulted in Kondo on the bottom, taking too many of Vovchanchyn’s punches. Kondo tried to bridge out, but Vovchanchyn was too heavy. He used his hip position and balance to keep Kondo in the “Rodeo position.” Kondo kept moving side to side in an attempt to dodge the punches, but more were landing than missing—it wasn’t long before Kondo started to bleed.

Unfortunately for Kondo, his precision instrument never got in tune. The rest of the fight was all Vovchanchyn. After the disappointing outcome, Kondo - in his usual low-key manner of speaking - had this to say, “I did my best and couldn't match him so I am feeling lightened. I do have this persistency of winning the bout but also wanted to be loose, not too tight thinking too much about it. So in that sense, I did everything I can so I am feeling good.”

Vovchanchyn showed his improved defensive skill. Here he defends as Kondo tried to take his leg.

To an athlete who has reached this philosophical way of thinking about his craft, expecting too much emotion is an unreasonable - and unfair - demand.

This is not the first time a Pancrase ace fighter went down in the ring to someone outside the organization.

Back in May of 2000, at the Coliseum 2000 Event, when Masakatsu Funaki lost to Rickson Gracie, Funaki immediately after the fight announced his retirement. This was a major crisis for Pancrase, losing their ace fighter - a loss that sent Pancrase reeling. Kondo’s loss is equivalent. Right now, Pancrase does not need fighters who are “feeling good” about losing. Even if he did everything he could, I wanted him to show more of an obsession towards winning. I want to see frustration, anger, even tears after the fight. That’s what Ace Fighters do

Ace Fighters represent more than themselves. They represent their organization. Especially when you are fighting in someone else's ring - you are carrying the fate of your organization with you each time you square off. You have to lay it on the line, and leave everything in the ring. If you’re not willing to do that, you shouldn’t be in there. Certainly not as an Ace Fighter.

Funaki’s loss meant the end of his professional career. Now, that may be extreme - losing is part (a terrible part, but a part nonetheless) of fighting, and today’s young athletes like Kondo should not throw their career away after a single loss, no matter how bad. But if Pancrase is to survive and reach new heights, it’s going to need fighters who take losing hard. Not philosophically. This is the only way Kondo can stay alive as an MMA fighter, and retrieve everything he’s lost, for Pancrase as well as for himself.

That’s what being an Ace Fighter is all about.

More Photos & Official Results of PRIDE GP 2005 Opening Round >>