Will
06-21-2007, 03:58 AM
Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, owners of Zuffa LLC (the UFC’s parent company), finalized their purchase of PRIDE Fighting Championships last month, and UFC president Dana White hasn’t ruled out the possibility that the UFC will simply take PRIDE’s best talent and then disband the Japanese-based organization.
White talked about the possibility with the Houston Chronicle‘s Steve Sievert.
Since the sale was first announced in March, PRIDE shows have been canceled, its future has been uncertain, and most notably, some of the organization’s top talent has been signed by or are rumored to be signing with the UFC and World Extreme Cagefighting (which is also owned by Zuffa). Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is the latest PRIDE fighter expected to compete in the UFC, and PRIDE welterweight and middleweight champion Dan Henderson will fight UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson at UFC 75 to unify the two organizations’ 205-pound belts.
Sievert asked White about the possibility of moving PRIDE fighters to the UFC permanently and ceasing operations under the PRIDE name. White didn’t rule it out.
From Sievert’s Brawl Sports blog:
“It’s a possibility. There’s a lot of different things we could do right now. That is definitely one of the possibilities.“
PRIDE was purchased with a rumored price tag of $75 million. Upon the initial announcement, White and other UFC officials discussed the possibility of unified rules between the two organizations, holding cross-promotion “SuperBowl-like” MMA events, and creating a new management team that would run PRIDE as a separate entity.
Despite all the grand plans, little has been accomplished thus far — other than PRIDE fighters heading to the UFC.
For UFC fans, it simply means an influx of talent and potential answers to who are the world’s best fighters in each weight class.
However, for PRIDE fans, it could mean the end of a 10-year era.
White talked about the possibility with the Houston Chronicle‘s Steve Sievert.
Since the sale was first announced in March, PRIDE shows have been canceled, its future has been uncertain, and most notably, some of the organization’s top talent has been signed by or are rumored to be signing with the UFC and World Extreme Cagefighting (which is also owned by Zuffa). Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is the latest PRIDE fighter expected to compete in the UFC, and PRIDE welterweight and middleweight champion Dan Henderson will fight UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson at UFC 75 to unify the two organizations’ 205-pound belts.
Sievert asked White about the possibility of moving PRIDE fighters to the UFC permanently and ceasing operations under the PRIDE name. White didn’t rule it out.
From Sievert’s Brawl Sports blog:
“It’s a possibility. There’s a lot of different things we could do right now. That is definitely one of the possibilities.“
PRIDE was purchased with a rumored price tag of $75 million. Upon the initial announcement, White and other UFC officials discussed the possibility of unified rules between the two organizations, holding cross-promotion “SuperBowl-like” MMA events, and creating a new management team that would run PRIDE as a separate entity.
Despite all the grand plans, little has been accomplished thus far — other than PRIDE fighters heading to the UFC.
For UFC fans, it simply means an influx of talent and potential answers to who are the world’s best fighters in each weight class.
However, for PRIDE fans, it could mean the end of a 10-year era.