After PRIDE Total Elimination 2005, eight men advanced in the greatest 205 pound tournament ever assembled. Vovchanchyn, Overeem, Arona, Nogueira, Silva, Sakuraba, Nakamura and Rua all vied to prove themselves the greatest light heavyweight / 'Middleweight' in the world. With the UFC title in the hands of Chuck Liddell, all eyes were on the 205 pound division as the UFC and PRIDE alternated events through the summer of 2005.
We recall the drama surrounding the final three rounds of the tournament which took place at PRIDE Critical Countdown 2005 and PRIDE Final Conflict 2005--which many fans consider to be the greatest event in the history of the promotion and even MMA as a whole.