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Nipponese pride is SHATTERED!!!
Only an idiot would think pride wouldn't get Hiroshima'd.
the only thing that's going to suck is if they unify the rules...UFC rules ins uted in Japan...
Nipponese pride is SHATTERED!!!
Only an idiot would think pride wouldn't get Hiroshima'd.
Looks like a done deal...will be run separately from the UFC...I like this setup
http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/...articleid=3669
FER TAS BUY PRIDE
The Japanese newspapers reported today in Tokyo, Japan that the UFC has bought Pride. The UFC/Pride rumor has been circulating for awhile, but the deal appears to be done. One of the newspapers in Japan, SportsHochi, reported that the Fer tas, who owns Zuffa which operates the UFC, will start a new company thus disbanding DSE (Dream Stage Entertainment, which has been the company that Pride has operated under). DSE/Pride President Nobuyuki Sakikabara, who brought Pride to the United States and was successful in making the Pride brand one of the most compelling MMA promotions in the world, is reportedly resigning from his position.
The new company that Pride will operate under apparently will not be run by UFC or Zuffa, but will be it's own en y owned by the Fer tas. Thus Pride and the UFC being run separately. But, it is being reported that the two promotions will do a joint super show once a year. SportsHochi reports that Pride 34 on 4/8 will be the last Pride show run by DSE.
So will Pride be a Japanese or a United States promotion? Apparently, Pride looks to continue to do shows in both Japan and the United States. Intentions are to still have the Light Weight Grand Prix starting in May. The GP being made up of 3 shows, all taking place in Japan. And, the New Years Eve show is still in the plans to take place in Japan. There are also plans to do 2-3 more shows in the United States this year.
There will be a press conference held in Tokyo, Japan at the Roppongi Hills Arena on Tuesday 3/27 which will be open to the press and fans alike.
Hopefully they will get rid of all of the gimmicky fighters and the associations with pro wrestling.
What % of the fighters are "gimmicky"??
What percentage? To find that out I'd have to know the total number of fighters on Prides' payroll. Mathematics aside, if only one or more gimmick fighters are on a card, its one or more too many.
Well, I was being sarcastic about the % of course...
I don't mind the occasional "freak fight" given how great the rest of their product is. I see people discuss freak fights in a negative light all the time but they're so infrequent I don't see what the big deal is really...
Butterbean vs Zulu at Pride 34 should be interesting... (although Butterbean did beat James Thompson who isn't THAT bad)
and I don't mind if a pro wrestler takes up MMA. I love seeing them get their asses kicked. Curious to see is Brock Lesnar is any good in K-1 Heros. I don't care to see pro wrestlers getting a fight with no MMA training though...
It's just personal preference, but I think it's just goofy, and think that is takes away from the legitimacy of the sport.
It does some...I think it's just a difference in culture...they love that stuff in Japan, even if only 1 out of 25 fights.
The freak fight appeals to me more than seeing Danny Abbadi fight, so I don't really have a problem with it...
Butterbean isnt THAT bad...If he could slim down and develop a ground game he might be able to become an average MMA fighter. Ken Shamrock did pro wrestling and MMA. Though, he was a REAL all american wrestler before.
He fits right in with pride.
Now at least pride has a chance of being a semi-decent org., sad thing is it'll prob still be tailored to those people over there and the clowns here.
It’s official: Japanese-based PRIDE Fighting Championships has been sold to Frank and Lorenzo Fer tas, owners of Zuffa LLC (the UFC’s parent company). The organization will be operated under the direction of Zuffa.
Effective April 8 (PRIDE’s next show), Dream Stage Entertainment and PRIDE CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara will resign.
The Fer tas, with UFC president Dana White and matchmaker Joe Silva, made the announcement today at Tokyo’s Roppongi Hills Arena.
From today’s Associated Press report:
To buy the company, the brothers created a new en y called Pride FC Worldwide Holdings LLC. The newly formed company will take over Pride assets, including its trademarks, video library and valuable roster of fighters, from Dream Stage. The Fer ta brothers, who own Las Vegas-based Zuffa LLC, the parent company of UFC, intend to keep the well-known Pride name and promote fights under that brand.
“This is really going to change the face of MMA,” Lorenzo Fer ta said. “Literally creating a sport that could be as big around the world as soccer. I liken it somewhat to when the NFC and AFC came together to create the NFL.”
Lorenzo Fer ta promised that MMA fans will see the fights everyone wants, essentially promising that cross-promotion fights between UFC and PRIDE fighters will happen.
As previous reports stated, the purchase price for the fight organization was in the $65 million range. The company took a financial hit when Fuji Television Inc. dropped PRIDE from its broadcast schedule. (Tabloid news reported that PRIDE had connections to the Japanese mob, and though PRIDE denied the accusation, the damage was done.)
From the AP:
Company executives declined to comment on the sales price, but a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press that brothers Lorenzo and Frank Fer ta will purchase the Japan-based Pride for less than $70 million.
Well folks, this appears to be great news for UFC fans for no other reason that the promise of superfights between the UFC’s and PRIDE’s top stars.
Additionally, PRIDE fans should take solace in knowing the Fer tas have pledged to pump more money into the organization so that it can continue to grow internationally.
http://www.ufcjunkie.com/
I saw that. UFC just bought out Pride. Pride had better fighters, but UFC was more financially savvy. UFC gets the knockout between the two organizations, but the fans are the true winners!
I'm really liking this arrangement...we'll finally get to see some of the fights we've always wanted...
"White previously said in an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal that Pride will be adopting the UFC's rules and weight classes."
Not crazy about this, but I guess it has to happen (especially the weight class differences). I hope they at least keep the ring in Japan...
Last edited by LEONARD; 03-27-2007 at 12:32 PM.
Holy crap, this is going to kick ass. We will get to see all the fights we have dreamed of.
Oh ...
I predict that within 1 yr all UFC belts except for WW will be held by previous Pride fighters. Without knowing who all will have had UFC le fights by then, it's hard to say who or in what timeframe, but I'll take a shot...
HW- Crocop
LHW - Shogun
MW - Filho (or Henderson)
WW - GSP (hard to say which Pride guys will fit nicely at 170 lbs, and if any of them can takeout GSP...division TBD) Sakurai probably has the best chance (he really struggles to make 161 lbs as it is)
LW - Melendez
Last edited by LEONARD; 03-27-2007 at 05:16 PM.
As long as Liddell beats Rampage this will set
up a Liddell Shogun match-up.
I still find it funny that 2-3 days ago Dana says:
“No Deal in Place to Buy PRIDE”
"I ran Wanderlei Silva out there and said he was going to fight Chuck Liddell because Mr. Sakakibara said it was done. So take that for what its worth."
"Like most things," he said, "about 70 percent of what you hear is bull ."
Yet he's in Japan yesterday...
That was a quick turn to finalize a deal and book a flight...
From WrestlingObserver.com http://www.wrestlingobserver.com/wo/...asp?aID=19057:
"Pride would continue holding matches in the ring and be, as Fer ta called it, a "Japanese-centric" organization while UFC would be an "American-centric" organization. The only significant change talked about would be worldwide unified rules would be put in place, which would be the same rules UFC fights under, with the elimination of knees to the head on a downed fighter, stomps and soccer kicks in Pride, but adding elbows. White said Pride would keep its judging criteria for fights in Japan, but obviously, when running in the U.S., would use the commission-dictated ten-point-must system. Pride will also have weight classes change for worldwide consistency, and will crown champions at 155, 170, 185, 205 and heavyweight. Currently Pride has champions at 161 (Takanori Gomi), 183 (Dan Henderson), 205 (Henderson) and heavyweight (Fedor Emelianenko)."
At least they'll keep the ring, unify the weight classes, and NOT use a 10 pt must scoring system...
and UFC President Dana White on his nonrole with the latest Zuffa-related acquisition of its biggest rival, PRIDE FC, as well as his thoughts on the future fruits of the deal as told to NBCSports.com:
“Someone else will run Pride. I will come over to Japan with all my guys and kick their asses as I’ve waited to do for seven years. I think that when fighters fight, obviously money is great, as well as everything that goes along with it, but at the end of the day, it’s about legacy. Pride and the UFC have all the best fighters in world in all the different weight classes. Finally, we’re going to find out who the best fighter in the world is. And whoever wins that is going to be looked at as the best heavyweight, best light-heavyweight. That’s what’s going to come out of this. The fans win, the organizations win and the fighters win.”
Less than $70 million for the "best"......
Press Conf Videos
http://evilmaster-mma.blogspot.com/2...nce-video.html
Details of Conf Call
http://evilmaster-mma.blogspot.com/2...e-call-in.html
Fujita vs Monson
http://evilmaster-mma.blogspot.com/2...e-and-ufc.html
LOL...Fujita and Dana White in a staredown...THAT is lame. And Fujita is gonna hammer Monson...
Unless Fedor has signed long-term with Bodog, I'm gonna pick him for heavyweight. Or has he and I missed it? No, threads on Sherdog do not count as confirmation
Otherwise, I agree completely with your picks.
I went with Crocop because I doubt that Fedor will fight for a UFC le within the next year...Unless Fedor has signed long-term with Bodog, I'm gonna pick him for heavyweight. Or has he and I missed it? No, threads on Sherdog do not count as confirmation
Otherwise, I agree completely with your picks.
Fedor did sign longterm with Bodog according to the source (Japanese newspaper) in that Sherdog thread. The Sherdog thread is just pointing it out and translating it...
also posted here:
http://evilmaster-mma.blogspot.com/2...-contract.html
with this:
http://www.graciemag.com/?c=144&a=6717
as the source... (reporting on the same Japanese article)
Don't immediately discount Sherdog threads....Brandon Vera posted there and broke some news on himself yesterday. Lots of fighters post there and at the UG forum...
and Fedor is still under contract with Pride too. The Bodog thing is because he wants to fight some in Russia and his Red Devil team has been heavily involved with Bodogfight since it started...
History of Pride...good stuff...
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1j...ry-of-pride-fc
Good point.
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