With Rafael WerneckJust like he did before the Pride Middleweight Grand Prix first round, Kazuhiro Nakamura spent some time in Brazil, more specifically in Rio de Janeiro, training with Pedro Rizzo and his Ruas Vale-Tudo partners. After returning to Japan, he participated in a lecture at the 13th ‘Viva Judo’ class, taught by Hidehiko Yoshida. Nakamura revealed to the Japanese press that he worked on a ‘top secret’ strategy to fight Wanderlei Silva on June 26th. We tried to end this Japanese mystery while Nakamura was in Brazil, but the judo black-belt managed to escape!Asked about the strategy to beat Silva, Nakamura answered: ‘I came to Brazil to learn with Vitor ‘Shaolin’ and Pedro Rizzo. I like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but I guarantee that my judo is better. I like Wand, but I will defeat him. I saw his fight against Yoshida, he is a dangerous fighter but I am as well. I’m ready either to exchange punches or to go and submit him’ says Nakamura. Sitting on the mat at the Nova Uniao headquarters, in Rio, Kazuhiro Nakamura stated the fighters he considered the favorites to win in the GP second round and be among the four finalists of the 2005 middleweight Grand Prix. ‘Between Sakuraba and Arona I bet on Sakuraba. Wand versus Nakamura? Nakamura (laughs). Rogerio Nogueira against Mauricio Shogun? Rogerio. And Alistair Overeem will defeat Igor Vovchanchyn’ ends Nakamura.
