The problem with watching UFC after you've just experienced Pride

[Steel]

It is so different watching UFC now having just spent hours upon hours of researching various Pride fights and fighters.

It's not to say that I don't like UFC..but the experience is just different now. It seems so commercial. What's the general concensus on how the Pride will be run? Will it still have that "warrior" feeling or it will it be modified to match the more commercially appealing UFC style?

Again, this is not to take away from any fighter..I respect and enjoy them all..it's the production value of the programming I refer to.

[b0sH]

Yeah for sure Pride was more "raw" in its approach to putting on a show and definitely put the fight and fighters right at the fore front of that notion.

However the evidence is there that this really wasn't the way to go. Sponsors don't like taking a back seat and the mainstream slightly cheesy UFC version has proved more popular with the masses, hence its success. Further calling out to the mainstream with shows like TUF simply fortified its position.

There's lots of things in life that are the most successful but ain't the necessarily the best product. Are the Beatles the best band to ever grace our planet? Probably not but thanks to their popularity and success its probably they way they shall always be remembered.

[TriangleChoke]

will the pride events in the near future still take place in japan? i like watching pride because of the atmosphere, and you dont have to hear the drunk, ignorant american fans booing when a fight goes to the ground

[Krazikarl]

The Pride presentation is also very similar to the Pro Wrestling presentation here in the states. The UFC (wisely) tries to distance itself from anything Pro Wrestling, so I think that that is also a factor.

My understanding is that in Japan its not nearly as necessary for Pride to distance itself from Japanese Pro Wrestling.

[sandywh]

Maybe I'm off the mark here, but other than the actually commercial products visible, I see the UFC as more of the pure fight. Pride had these elaborate entrances, they stood the fighters up way too quickly, and could tell that the crowd influenced the judging (not that that doesn't happen everywhere).
I am certainly not a UFC apologist, but I like the actual action inside the UFC than in Pride. Of course that has to do with the fighters aswell. Pride has / had more strikers that can roll; while UFC has more GnP / BJJ guys that have good strikes. So its a mixed bag.
The reasons that Pride and the UFC rose to the forefront was the commercial success. Have you ever seen the commercials Rampage, Sakuraba, and others have done in Japan? Those commercials were contracted through Pride.

[TriangleChoke]

Originally Posted by Krazikarl

The Pride presentation is also very similar to the Pro Wrestling presentation here in the states..

i COMPLETELY disagree...please explain why you think this
the pro wrestling presentation has women dressed in skimpy yet sexy outfits prancing around wrestling in braw and panties matches, the arena's are full of drunk ass american fans who boo/cheer.......the only thing i find similar is the ring and the entrances...and they are only slightly similar

[Gmunit]

Originally Posted by Krazikarl

The Pride presentation is also very similar to the Pro Wrestling presentation here in the states. The UFC (wisely) tries to distance itself from anything Pro Wrestling, so I think that that is also a factor.

My understanding is that in Japan its not nearly as necessary for Pride to distance itself from Japanese Pro Wrestling.

I think that the UFC distances themselves from Pro Wrestling because its a stupid soap opera, and acknowledging it at all is giving not only publicity but also giving credibility to a "non-sport"

As for Pride and Pro Wrestling in Japan, the Japanese have a different thought process with having the two closely related. Maybe because their Pro Wrestlers aren't trying to fuck the owners daughter, or pile drive his wife, but for some reason it works a little better over there (at least IMO)

As for comparing the UFC and Pride on an MMA level, as a fan of both, I do enjoy the respect level and "hero" or "warrior" mentality portrayed by the Japanese culture, where as the UFC and its fans don't show the same respect towards their fighters, more importance goes toward the almighty $$

[Krazikarl]

The entrance in Pride and Pro Wrestling are extremely similar. Both the UFC and Pride have skantily clad women wandering around, so thats not really important.

I've had a number of non MMA fans either comment that the Pride entrance looks just like Pro Wrestlin or ask me "Wait, is this real?" when they watch part of a Pride event with me. I've never heard either of those comments associated with a UFC event.

Thats not to say that I dislike how Pride does things. I to like the "warrior" presentation rather than the more money orientated UFC presentation a lot of the time. I'm just providing an explanation of why the UFC does things the way they do.

[YukonJordan]

Originally Posted by TriangleChoke62

i COMPLETELY disagree...please explain why you think this
the pro wrestling presentation has women dressed in skimpy yet sexy outfits prancing around wrestling in braw and panties matches, the arena's are full of drunk ass american fans who boo/cheer.......the only thing i find similar is the ring and the entrances...and they are only slightly similar

you answered your own question.

when I watch I definitely get a pro-wrestling feel to the entrances and the presentation. You can't really apply American idiots to the UFC as Americans tend to be idiots towards all sports.

[TriangleChoke]

Originally Posted by YukonJordan

you answered your own question.

when I watch I definitely get a pro-wrestling feel to the entrances and the presentation. You can't really apply American idiots to the UFC as Americans tend to be idiots towards all sports.

na bro, i'd like some more answers if you or anyone could provide them...besides the ring and entrances, how is the presentation "VERY" similar to american prowrestling?

edit: and i'm not saying that YOU said the presentation was "VERY" similar...krazikarl said that