From Dream Stage Entertainment June 15, 2006 TOKYO, Japan – Two more non-tournament bouts have been added to PRIDE FIGHTING’S upcoming July 2nd event, CRITICAL COUNTDOWN ABSOLUTE 2006.  In the first bout, Chute Boxe’s EVANGELISTA “CYBORG” SANTOS will make his PRIDE debut against Japanese judo superstar KAZUHIRO NAKAMURA.  In addition, MMA veteran VITOR “THE PHENOM” BELFORT will be making his return to PRIDE after a one-year hiatus to face Japanese Pancrase fighter, YOSHIKI TAKAHASHI.

The card also features four bouts from the second round of the absolute weight tournament, including:  Japanese Olympic gold medallist HIDEHIKO YOSHIDA against the “Croatian Sensation” MIRKO "CROCOP" FILIPOVIC … the "AXE MURDERER" WANDERLEI SILVA versus KAZUYUKI "IRONHEAD" FUJITA … Jiu Jitsu phenom FABRICIO WERDUM faces fellow Brazilian ANTONIO RODRIGO NOGUEIRA … and New Zealand slugger MARK HUNT versus "THE BABY FACED ASSASSIN" JOSH BARNETT.

CRITICAL COUNTDOWN ABSOLUTE 2006 is the second round of PRIDE FIGHTING’S 2006 16-Man absolute weight Grand Prix Tournament.  ABSOLUTE means no weight classes.  The semi-finals and finals of the tournament will occur at FINAL CONFLICT ABSOLUTE 2006 in August (date to be announced soon). 

CRITICAL COUNTDOWN ABSOLUTE 2006 is scheduled to premiere on North American pay per view on Sunday, July 2, 2006.
INDEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN
PPV Premiere Date: Sunday, July 2, 2006
Premiere Time: 10:00 pm ET, 7:00 pm PT
Count Down show: 9:30 pm ET, 6:30 pm PT

Hidehiko Yoshida (Japan) vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (Croatia)
Wanderlei Silva (Brazil) vs. Kazuyuki Fujita (Japan)
Fabricio Werdum (Brazil) vs. Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera (Brazil)
Josh Barnett (USA) vs. Mark Hunt (New Zealand)

NON-TOURNAMENT MATCHES
Kazuhiro Nakamura (Japan) vs. Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos (Brazil)
Vitor Belfort (Brazil) vs. Yoshiki Takahashi (Japan)

Participants and fight card subject to change.

For additional replay times, please contact your pay per view provider or pridefc.com.

For more information on PRIDE FC, visit pridefc.com!