Do You Think Pride Is Dead?

[BruKnow]

Just looking for your opinions on the situation with pride not having a show yet under zuffa's ownership. Plus some of their big names popping up in the octagon. It was said at the time of the purchase that both the UFC and Pride would be run as separate entities. As of now its not looking that way, does anyone have any concrete information?

[eazye76]

No concrete info, but an interesting note. The Pride shows on FOX Sports are new. You know the Pride equivelent of UFC Unleashed, w/ Jay Glazer and Frank Trigg, they show recent highlights and talk about the current state of MMA. But the Pride website hasn't been updated, and it looks to me like other than the clip shows and DVD's Pride is dead.

[Ramma]

I know you are new, so just a heads up, but this thread has been done 100 times. To answer your question.. no, it isn't dead, but it is certainly in the emergency room.

[Clint]

The only info we have is coming from Dana and that isn't really a safe source, considering the situation.

Here is what I said in another thread:
Yeah the only way i see them completely stepping away from the Pride name is if it will help them get back on TV in Japan. Then they would do it, otherwise it would make no sense. This is of course assuming that they can get the business end over there figured out.

my guess of what happened is the following:
* Zuffa bought Pride's assets expecting to pretty much take the company over a different name. We have done this before with my family's business.

* Many of Pride's employees not being actually tied contractually to the new company and not wanting to work for an American quit.

* Now Zuffa needs people who know Japanese business and the Japanese Fight Game (both very different from their American counterparts)to run and manage the company as they are busy enough with the UFC. Until they get these people and get the company set up all Pride events are on hold. So it makes the most sense to sell a title unification bout and then if they get pride up and running again hold a Grad Prix or something to establish a new 205 title there and if they don't get Pride running again then they can use this to sell Hendo or Rampage as the absolute best 205lb fighter in the world.

[scottsec]

I hope not....woud be a big waste imo...

[boaz33]

they need television contracts in japan and in the us to make pride profitable, the japanese are extremely dedicated to pride and there is a lot of money to be made in japan if they can get the show running.

also there is too much talent between pride and the ufc, if they were gonna keep all the pride fighters they could get in the us they would have to double the amount of ppv's they do a year. Most casual fans aren't going to buy two ppv's a month.

[Paytheplayer]

I just dont understand if they were going to keep pride, then why strip them of all their top end fighters? With the absence of Cro Cop, Noguiera and Herring, not that Herring is anything spectacular, their HW division was stripped. And plus with Hendo and Rampage gone, not to mention many others its not looking like it will be back.

[ronin]

Originally Posted by BruKnow

Just looking for your opinions on the situation with pride not having a show yet under zuffa's ownership. Plus some of their big names popping up in the octagon. It was said at the time of the purchase that both the UFC and Pride would be run as separate entities. As of now its not looking that way, does anyone have any concrete information?

You not supposed to say anything about Pride epically if you asking if Pride is dead..

[Omoplata]

Originally Posted by Dana White-ESPN.com interview

ESPN.com: The original plan was to have mega PRIDE versus UFC events. Is that still the plan?
DW: I don't know what we're going to do yet because that thing is so messed up. We're still trying to figure it out. It's a complete disaster. They went out of business for a reason.

He dosent say much... but it speaks volumes about the situation.

[Clint]

Originally Posted by Paytheplayer

I just dont understand if they were going to keep pride, then why strip them of all their top end fighters? With the absence of Cro Cop, Noguiera and Herring, not that Herring is anything spectacular, their HW division was stripped. And plus with Hendo and Rampage gone, not to mention many others its not looking like it will be back.

Those guys still have Pride contracts as well (Rampage and Herring were from the WFA) but they want fights since there are so many problems getting Pride back up and running, so the UFC is siging them to contracts to allow them to fight in the UFC until things get running with Pride at which point they can divvy up the talent again.