Igor Vovchanchyn vs Gary Goodridge Pride Grand Prix
Big Daddy Gary Goodridge takes Igor Vovchanchyn at the Pride Grand Prix 2000 Finals held on May 2000. This was a rematch from their previous PRIDE 4 fight where Vovchanchyn had stopped Goodridge with punches. Two legends of PRIDE FC, watching these two heavy punchers slug it out makes you miss these days all that much more.
Vovchanchyn was known as the undersized heavyweight that stepped up again some of the biggest men in the sport. Not afraid to take on anyone, the man from Ukraine took on Goodridge for a second time.
And this time around Big Daddy was hoping for a different outcome against the hard-punching Igor. And as big punchers do, they came out of the gates looking to take one another’s heads off. Goodridge being the bigger of the two looked to impose his will on Vovchanchyn, but Igor was having none of it.
Then about midway through the very first round, Igor landed a knee directly into the crotch of Goodridge. A strike which temporarily led to the fight being stopped while he recovered from the blow. Then once the action resumed both men continued to trade blows in a back and forth battle where Gary was doing much better than their first fight.
The fight continued for the remainder of the round until right at the very end, Vovchanchyn landed a devastating blow. The result of which was lights out for Gary Goodridge and his second loss to the Ukrainian.
It would be the last time both men met in the sport making it 2 – 0 to Vovchanchyn. In yet another great display of skill and toughness from who has been described as an energiser bunny fighter, who has boundless energy. This is what