POST PRIDE.33 PRESS CONFERENCE

IA post PRIDE.33 press conference was held at the Press Center
inside Caesars Palace the day after the big event. Wanderlei Silva,
Mauricio Shogun Rua, Sokoudjou, Dan Henderson, and Dream Stage
Entertainment CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara made their appearance.
Looking back to Saturday's event, Silva admitted that he wasn't in
the best condition. In fact, he had swollen tonsils and a fever one
day prior to the main event. He also confessed that fighting under
Nevada rules is a rather difficult adjustment for him. Despite his
loss to Dan Henderson, Silva hopes to have a rematch to reclaim the
belt.
Shogun expressed sadness and regret towards Silva's loss to Dan.
Perhaps to avenge Silva's defeat, Shogun declared that he wishes to
fight Dan Henderson at his next match.
Defeating Antonio Rogerio Nogueira by TKO in a mere 23 seconds of
the first round, Sokoudjou "African Assassin" is the new star of the
Middleweight class. Mr. Sakakibara announced that he will be
fighting again at PRIDE.34 "Kamikaze" although his opponent has not
yet been decided. Sokoudjou is willing to fight anyone except Dan
Henderson. When told that Sokoudjou wishes to see PRIDE being held
in Africa, Mr. Sakakibara replied, "If we're going to have it in
Africa, I would like to hold the match in the savanna instead of on
the ring, and see Sokoudjou fight a giraffe."
Dan Henderson was at a loss for words, but did mention that it was a
moment when his power and strength paid off. When asked about the
splint on his right hand, Dan stated that he thinks he hurt it in
the first round, but would watch the video later on to speculate on
it. He believes it is very likely that his right fist is fractured
or broken, but will know in greater detail once it is examined by
his physician. Dan couldn't have been in any better condition for
Saturday's bout. He said that he felt calm and relaxed from the very
beginning, and that he felt even more comfortable because Silva's
punches did not hurt. Now that Dan has two titles to defend, he will
be a very busy man. He plans to wait until his right hand recovers,
and then figure out his schedule from there.
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