UFC Purchases Pride

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From MMAWeekly.com (http://www.mmaweekly.com):
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 (http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/battle/fight/news/20070324-OHT1T00100.htm) , reported that the Fertittas, 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 entity owned by the Fertittas. 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 (http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/battle/fight/news/20070324-OHT1T00100.htm) 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.Finally something gets done so all the speculation can end. Maybe Zuffa'll have more success than WWE does with the two brand thing, but I foresee UFC becoming the A show and Pride being the B show once Dana White convinces Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta to send all the top talent over to the UFC. Its a great thing for fans because now we'll get the fights we've been waiting years to see. I can't wait for Fedor vs. Couture.

[Robin2099]

Doesn't really surprise me. With Pride losing money like crazy, and having no chance of unseating the UFC in America it was only a matter of time.

[PTurkey]

I'm wondering what'll happen to HUSTLE, Dream Stage Entertainment's goofy over-the-top Pro Wrestling operation (or "Fighting Opera" as they refer to it as). It's supposedly really popular and profitable and I love what I've seen of their stuff (Like Tajiri and Razor Ramon HG and the HUSTLE Rangers/Kamen and Frog Lesnar and evil general guy who looks like M. Bison), so hopefully the Fertittas don't have some kind of hatred of the fake stuff and would continue HUSTLE.

[Beat]

So many different people are saying so many different things I'm not really sure how it's going down. Some say the Ferritas brought it outright, some are saying they just invested in a new firm that controls the company and is going to dissolve Dream Stage Entertainment, some are saying it will be placed under Zuffa management. I just know it is happening, somehow.

And Fedor was supposedly going to sign with Bodog Fight, along with some disgruntled Chute Box and Brazilian Top Team members. I hope that isn't true though.

On a related note, Pride becoming a B-list promotion would stink. They were just starting to get exposure in the US (Dan Henderson and his fight with Wanderlei Silva made was the subject of an interview on ESPN the other day)

[Beat]

The official details are in. Zuffa's running it as a separate entity.

http://www.sherdog.com/news/news.asp?n_id=7087


After revitalizing the struggling Ultimate Fighting Championship, and as a result lifting the sport of mixed martial arts world wide, Lorenzo Fertitta, a Station Casinos magnate alongside his older brother Frank, confirmed the purchase of the PRIDE Fighting Championships from Dream Stage Entertainment Tuesday in Tokyo.

DSE and PRIDE CEO Nobuyuki Sakaibara also announced that as part of the agreement he would resign effective April 8, following PRIDE 34 at the Saitama Super Arena.

Joined by UFC president Dana White and the company's matchmaker Joe Silva at the Roppongi Hills Arena, Fertitta discussed the creation of a mixed martial arts commission for which he would act as president.

PRIDE will run autonomously under the umbrella of Zuffa, which the Feritta brothers and Dana White created in 2000 when they purchased the UFC. "We have been talking to Pride for probably about 11 months," said Lorenzo Fertitta, according to an Associated Press report. "It's been a long, drawn out process but we finally we were able to put the two brands together."

Fertitta spoke of making mixed martial art equivalent to global sports such as baseball and soccer. "This is really going to change the face of MMA," Fertitta 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."

The NFL's Super Bowl came as a result of the NFC-AFC merger, and Fertitta envisions "Super Bowl" type cards between UFC and PRIDE fighters, including Randy Couture (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=166) (Pictures (http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?f_id=166@@Randy%20Couture)), Tim Sylvia (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=1061) (Pictures (http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?f_id=1061@@Tim%20Sylvia)), Chuck Liddell (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=192) (Pictures (http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?f_id=192@@Chuck%20Liddell)), Matt Hughes (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=232) (Pictures (http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?f_id=232@@Matt%20Hughes)), Diego Sanchez (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=4824) (Pictures (http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?f_id=4824@@Diego%20Sanchez)), B.J. Penn (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=1307) (Pictures (http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?f_id=1307@@B.J.%20Penn)) facing PRIDE stars such as Fedor Emelianenko (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=1500) (Pictures (http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?f_id=1500@@Fedor%20Emelianenko)), Wanderlei Silva (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=209) (Pictures (http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?f_id=209@@Wanderlei%20Silva)), Mauricio Rua (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=5707) (Pictures (http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?f_id=5707@@Mauricio%20Rua)), Dan Henderson (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=195) (Pictures (http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?f_id=195@@Dan%20Henderson)), Shinya Aoki (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=10774) (Pictures (http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?f_id=10774@@Shinya%20Aoki)), Tatsuya Kawajiri (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=1326) (Pictures (http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?f_id=1326@@Tatsuya%20Kawajiri)), Takanori Gomi (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=425) (Pictures (http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?f_id=425@@Takanori%20Gomi)) and Hayato Sakurai (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=432) (Pictures (http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?f_id=432@@Hayato%20Sakurai)).

"We will be able to literally put on the fights that everyone wants to see," the former Nevada State Athletic Commission member said. "It will allow us to put on some of the biggest fights ever."

UFC president Dana White made curt statements, suggesting other MMA promoters pale in comparison to what Zufffa now offers with UFC and PRIDE, as well as the much smaller WEC, under its umbrella. The aggressive UFC boss received a warm reaction before discussing potential dream fights between the organizations' champions and stars.

One of those men is Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, who was responsible for the first real battle won between Zuffa and DSE when he defected to the American company earlier this year. During a taped message to the nearly 1,000 fans in attendance, the 2006 PRIDE Open-Weight Grand Prix champion said he wanted to come back to PRIDE and get a second crack at PRIDE champion Fedor Emelianenko (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=1500) (Pictures (http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?f_id=1500@@Fedor%20Emelianenko)), widely regarded as the world's best heavyweight.

But before "Cro Cop" and Fedor face one another again, the first in-ring clash following the merger will feature Jeff Monson (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=262) (Pictures (http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?f_id=262@@Jeff%20Monson)) against Kazuyuki Fujita (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=315) (Pictures (http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?f_id=315@@Kazuyuki%20Fujita)), who step into the PRIDE ring on April 8.

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And Fedor was supposedly going to sign with Bodog Fight, along with some disgruntled Chute Box and Brazilian Top Team members. I hope that isn't true though.

Ugh, it would stink if any of those guys have enough disdain for Dana and/or UFC to sign with Bodog. I understand Fedor's one fight cash grab deal with those guys, but Calvin Ayre is just a bored billionaire jackass (think Trump without the fame) and I don't see his lame company going anywhere.