UFC Buys Pride - The COMIC BOOK - w/ English Translation

[Bullock]

thanks to Grammercy Riffs for passing along this manga that was posted in a Japanese magazine.

Everybody REP (or neg rep, hehehe) Hypergit for getting his gf to translate.
Thanks, git.

Originally Posted by Page 2

from right
Fedor Emelianenko enters Bodog Fight.

Sum total of one billion debt? Sakakibara finally makes a decision.

Crocop has transferred.

Takada is separated from his favourite understudy Sakuraba.

Latest information behind the scenes of MMA business.
UFC, Bodog, Elite XC… The truth of the sale of PRIDE.

(Bottom left)

After suspension of its TV contract, Pride has lost its power.
There are rumours of the loss of Sakuraba, Cro cop has left etc… PRIDE faces the biggest crisis since its establishment.

For its survival, PRIDE will be in conflict with the fighting world.

Originally Posted by Page 3

Top right
16/6/2006 Fuji TV suddenly stopped broadcasting PRIDE.

Bottom left
Because of the articles printed in a gossip magazine [Syukan-gendai]

Originally Posted by Page 4

Top right
According to the article, PRIDE is managed by a Yakuza group.

Top left
2003 New Year’s Eve, the Yakuza became angry because PRIDE fighter Fedor Emelianenko appeared in Inoki Bom-BA-YE 2003.

(White box with black text)
And they threatened event producer Mr Kawamata.

(Black box with white text)
Because he got Fedor for Inoki Bom- BA-YE, Mr.Kawamata was asked by the Yakuza to come to a hotel and was threatened [If he doesn’t give them two hundred million yen, he would get killed]. Mr.Sakakibara was with the Yakuza.

Bottom right
Also, Fuji TV sport chief producer Mr.K (who is rumoured to be Yakuza) lives in a mansion…

Bottom left (right)
Yoshida Hideo’s office owns the mansion’s tenancy.

Bottom left (left)
People gossip that the office is actually the Yakuza’s office.

Originally Posted by Page 5

Top right
From those facts, Fuji TV judged that PRIDE has a connection with an anti-social organization.

White text in Black box.
Decided to stop broadcasting PRIDE.

Top left
In box: Inside Fuji TV
Woman right: [Do you know Mr.K?]
Woman left: [Shush! He is here.]

Middle right (right)
Mr.K didn’t get any punishment despite his unsuited luxury lifestyle (such as top to toe Hermes and a Jaguar car) leading to suspicions of a relationship with Yakuza

Middle right (left)
Because Mr.K is a close relative of the president of Fuji TV group.


Middle left
8/6/2006 press conference
Mr Sakakibara said PRIDE doesn’t have connections to any anti-social organization.

Bottom right
Mr Sakakibara gathered PRIDE fighters and fans to a press conference and appealed for the restoration of TV broadcasting.

Bottom Left
But what was the truth?

Man right: Yoshida
Man center: Mr. Takada

Originally Posted by Page 6

Top right box: Just after the press conference, Sakakibara said in front of fighters…
Sakakibara: I have a relationship with Yakuza, but I have to in the fighting business.
Top left box: Some fighters testify Sakakibara’s statement

Middle right
At the same time, Hero’s press conference:
(Left man: Sakuraba)
(Right man: Maeda)

Middle left (right)
PRIDE fighter Sakuraba’s move to Hero’s is announced
Middle left (left)
Opinion is varied about this news.

Bottom right
Small box on corner: Yakuza’s office in Tokyo.
man with money: The transfer fee is ready

Bottom left
In the box: People gossip that huge trade was organized in Yakuza’s world.
Man says: You understand - with that case our trade is completed.

Originally Posted by Page 7

Top right
Box: Takada Martial art school.
Takada: Please! [to Sakuraba.]

Top left
Takada: Please Sakuraba, can you fight for me little more?

Left middle
Some people say Sukuraba is fed up with fighting for Takada to pay his dues, and left Takada’s school.

Bottom right
But the most likely reason is that Sakuraba chose Hero’s for the lower level opposition as he has already passed his peak but still wants to continue his legacy.

Bottom left
Sakuraba shakes hands with Maeda.
Maeda: You can still fight Sakuraba!

Originally Posted by Page 8

Top right
Let’s go back to PRIDE’s broadcasting problems.
Sakakibara shouts: It’s PRIDE!

Top middle
Since the press conference, Sakakibara tried to recover Fuji TV broadcasting and also asked Asahi TV.
Sakakibara: Please!

Top left
Sakakibara: Please televise PRIDE on Asahi TV!

Middle right
Sakakibara: Please!

Bottom right
Box: He also asked to Nihon TV and did his best to get PRIDE back on TV.
Sakakibara: Please televise PRIDE on Nihon TV.

Bottom left
But all the TV stations hesitate to deal with Sakakibara because of the Yakuza behind him.

Originally Posted by Page 9

Top right
It’s nearly the end of 2006, an advert has appears on Yahoo Japan’s front page [PRIDE Shockwave]

Top Left
Net broadcasting was by DMM. DMM is originally an adult movie provider.

Middle left
DMM is very popular and always gets No.1 placement on internet search engines.

Middle left (right)
At the same time, TV adverts are shown stating that DMM.com will be broadcasting PRIDE on the net.

Middle left (left)
It was shown on Asahi TV and shocked the fighting world.

Bottom right
In fact, people in the fighting world already knew that Asahi TV and PRIDE tried to collaborate and had detailed arrangements since summer time.

Originally Posted by Page 10

Top right (right)
TV Asahi has the nickname ‘Condor’
Top right (left)
It’s a big chance for Asahi TV to poach a popular event that has been nurtured by Fuji TV.

Top left
DMM.com is already organized for the event. Now the only problem is which TV station will broadcast Pride.

Middle right
Eventually the TV listings published at the end of November (for December) didn’t say Asahi will broadcast PRIDE.
Boy: Oh, no TV on air for PRIDE.

Middle left
CV station (communications satellite station) PPV was the only broadcast of PRIDE.

Bottom right
PRIDE’s rival K-1 had a press conference for their New year’s eve event
Right man: Sakuraba
Left man: Tanikawa

Bottom left
PRIDE couldn’t decide on its card because they couldn’t find a TV station until the last minute.

Originally Posted by Page 11

Top right
But PRIDE organized cards for mania for CS channel viewer.
Top left
From right: Gomi, Yoshida, Emelianenko.
Box: They just managed to gather reasonable fighters.

Middle box
New Year’s eve 2006

Bottom right
PRIDE had 48,709 fans (sponsor’s announcement) at Saitama Super Arena.

Bottom left
The show was a huge success but…

Originally Posted by Page 12

Top right (right)
Several hours ago in America, long established company UFC has a fence ring.
Top right (left)
An unexpected man appears.

Bottom right
Cro cop: I want to earn respect for Croatia from the American MMA fans.

Originally Posted by Page 13

Top
Box: On the day Dana white (president of UFC and of ZUFFA Company) announced Cro cop and Jackson will enter the UFC in February.
Dana White: Everybody, in February 2007 Mirko Cro Cop and Quinton ”rampage” Jackson will join the UFC.

Bottom right
Box: These big signings were soon known by the media, and after the PRIDE event Sakakibara was interviewed particularly about cro cop.
Interviewer: Mr.Sakakibara, has Mirko been headhunted?
Sakakibara: Mirko will have a good experience at UFC and I believe he will come back to PRIDE.

Bottom left
Mirco joins UFC… PRIDE fans are disappointed.

Originally Posted by Page 14

Top
Of course other PRIDE fighters were disturbed, but Sakakibara announced cro cop’s transfer very calmly.

Middle right
Box: Several week ago…
[What’s going on Sakakibara?]

Middle left
People gossiped that Sakakibara has had a money problem with the underworld (Yakuza) for a long time.

Bottom right
Box: People gossiped that Sakakibara had attempted to remedy his money problem by fabricating Mirko & Jackson’s headhunting.
Sakakibara: How about…

Bottom left from top
Sakakibara had a secret meeting with Dana White!
Sakakibara asked for UFC to pay him 7 billion yen!
UFC bought PRIDE for 7 billion yen!
Left box: People spread rumour like the above on the internet.

Originally Posted by Page 15

Top
Regarding these rumours, an MMA insider says…
[the value of 7 billion yen is only Sakakibara’s lip service.]

Middle right
The truthful amount is…
Sakakibara: Please buy PRIDE for 3 billion yen.

Middle left
White: 3 billion? too much!

Bottom
Sakakibara says: If you pay off my debt of 1 billion, even that would be fine.

Originally Posted by Page 16

White: How much is your debt?
Sakakibara: 1 billion
White: ha ha ha I see, I see… I thought PRIDE had healthy management compared with K-1, but 1 billion debt… You got yourself into such a predicament.

Bottom
Will PRIDE be absorbed by UFC?

Originally Posted by Page 17

Top
An MMA insider says: DSE already gave up on the preservation of PRIDE. To be honest, Sakakibara wants to sell it to anyone at all before PRIDE’s value goes down further, so there are a lot of possible buyers apart from UFC.

Middle right
Right: Bodog group owner Calvin Ayre has private assets worth 115 billion yen, and he made a move.
Black box: Calvin Ayre is an owner of Bodog entertainment and manages online casino etc… He made 115 billion yen within one generation.

Middle left
Pride made an exclusive contract with Emelianenko, but
Bottom right
Bodog announced Emelianenko will join Bodog fight.

Bottom left
But PRIDE hardly made any protest.

Originally Posted by Page 18

Top right
It is possible that there is some sort of deal between Sakakibara and Calvin behind this news.

Top left
An MMA insider says: Besides that, Pro-elite is a favourite to get PRIDE because of capital and the quality of TV broadcasting infrastructure. Pro-elite promoted EXC which was aired by an American CS station[Show Time].

Bottom
People say the parson who mediates between PRIDE and Pro-elite is Fuji TV producer Mr.K.

Originally Posted by Page 19

Top right
Due to Yakuza’s involvment with PRIDE, the suspected judge for Boxer Kameda, and Akiyama [greasy skin vs Sakuraba], fighting business currently has a bad reputation and image. Japanese TV gradually distanced itself from the fighting world.

Top left
But even though the fighting business has no relationship with TV any more, Mr.K and PRIDE were still linked.

Bottom right
An MMA insider says: TV won’t do business with a bad image. PRIDE find venues very limited and find it difficult to hold events. He [Sakakibara] doesn’t really launch in America, in fact he is running away from Japan.

Bottom left
Besides this, gossip goes even further.

Originally Posted by Page 20

Top
Right: The fact is UFC had already bought PRIDE
Left: Actually the PRIDE event was in February in Las Vegas, and many cards include top PRIDE fighters and Ex UFC fighters, and emphasise a very close relationship between UFC and PRIDE.

Mirko Cro Cop beats Diego Sanchez at UFC 66, but using PRIDE’s theme music arouses suspicion.

Diego: Mirko will be a UFC champion very soon.

Originally Posted by Page 21

Top
Right: UFC & PRIDE chose coexistence rather than cooperation or confrontation.
Left: Why doesn’t UFC just absorb PRIDE now?

Bottom
Some people guess that UFC actually manages both UFC & PRIDE already and provide transfer news to get an attention from fans. This situation is very attractive for UFC.

White: Oh! Delicious!

Originally Posted by Page 22

Top
Right: On the other side, PRIDE get income from the US market and follow the American dream and…
Left: Pride plans a tough scenario - Exporting PRIDE to Japan.

Bottom
Where does PRIDE go 2007?

Originally Posted by Page 23

PRIDE has many top class fighters.
The day will happen soon when PRIDE gets huge profits with a strong brand image and won’t bother about network TV broadcasting in Japan.

[lilp86]

I love Danas little smirk through the whole thing Cro Cop is great to this is classic material I wish I could understand it though

[The Sundance Kid]

So do you have the actaully comic book Bullock?

[Bullock]

Originally Posted by The Sundance Kid

So do you have the actaully comic book Bullock?

No.

I found these pics in a thread on Sherdog. :grinsmile26:
The guy who posted it said that his japanese friend sent it to him.

Sorry I deleted ur post earlier, I just wanted to keep all my posts in a row.


Does anybody besides me find it kind of creepy the way they portray Dana? LOL


He looks so shady.

[The Sundance Kid]

No worries Bullock, but who is the naked Chick Fucking?

[Mirko45]

Well going from just the pics (can't read Japanese) that seems to be a fair and nonbaised account of what happened

[Bullock]

Originally Posted by The Sundance Kid

No worries Bullock, but who is the naked Chick Fucking?

I was wondering why that was in there as well, LOL


Did anyone else get a kick out of how they had Sakikiraba bowing to Dana?

[Hypergit]

I'll get it translated tomorrow. Nice find Bullock.

[Dat Dude]

In my opinion that comic looks like borderline propaganda. I'm almost positive it doesn't translate into compliments, formals, and niceties on the behalf of Zuffa, UFC, or Dana.

[Bullock]

Originally Posted by Hypergit

I'll get it translated tomorrow. Nice find Bullock.

You got someone to make you that av!!!

BAHAHAHAHAHHA



AWESOME