Matt Lindland Talks About the Glory That Was PRIDE
by Kid Nate on Dec 15, 2009 9:34 PM EST
in MMA News
Email
Print
Talking to Jeremy Botter:
Heavy.com: You worked with both Randy Couture and Dan Henderson, and you saw both PRIDE and the UFC up close and personal during the glory years of PRIDE. Which promotion put on the best shows?
Matt Lindland: Without a question, the best show was PRIDE. And there's never been anything like that. If you've ever been to a PRIDE show, you wouldn't even have to ask that question. The PRIDE fights were an experience.
Heavy.com: Was it the theatrical nature of it, or was it the actual fights? Or was it just the overall experience?
Matt Lindland: It was definitely a combination of everything. The fights were always phenomenal. But even more than that, it was the experience and the venues. Some of those venues that Dan fought in had sixty-thousand people in them. You just can't compare that to a thirteen-thousand seat arena.
Since the collapse of PRIDE has left Japanese MMA limping along, it's easy, especially for American fans to pretend it never happened and imagine that the current success of the UFC in the U.S. is the biggest that MMA has ever been. It's not.
It's also important to remember that MMA in the U.S. could prove to be just as short-lived as a mass appeal phenomenon as it appears to have been in Japan.
132 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Nate, do other sports in Japan draw as big of crowds? Like baseball? The US doesn’t have those massive arenas that Japan has. I think MSG caps at 20k for concerts and over 19k for Basketball. Our arenas can’t fit 60k. That’s part of the issue. Also are ticket prices for PRIDE/DREAM comparable or less expensive?
Just some thoughts on comparing the markets. I have no clue about ticket costs but for the UFC to charge over a grand for a ticket is pretty absurd. Hell, floor tickets for Springsteen at Giants Stadium this September were $100 a piece which is less than the least expensive UFC ticket.
by Matthew Roth on Dec 15, 2009 9:46 PM EST up reply actions
Is this in regards to PRIDE/DREAM or the UFC?
by Matthew Roth on Dec 15, 2009 9:51 PM EST up reply actions
For most seats it’s going to cost more in Japan. Our $250-1000 are twice as much there. But they also usually include a larger portion of cheap seats. So instead of $75 being the cheapest they’ll have $30-40 seats.
Oh okay. I was in Japan for all of 6 hours 2 weeks ago so my experience was limited to the sushi/saporo in the airport. Thank you for clearing this up.
by Matthew Roth on Dec 15, 2009 10:03 PM EST up reply actions
You can’t compare a sporting event to a concert. How much are court side seats for the lakers? Usually more and that’s over 40 home games compared to the 10-20 events the ufc has.
by MikeD32 on Dec 15, 2009 10:56 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I’m refering to the last shows at the stadium. Those tickets could have been $500 and they’d still sell out. Hell the rolling stones at the garden tickets start at $500 and go all the way up to $2500.
by Matthew Roth on Dec 15, 2009 11:00 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Stones tickets on their last tour were 60-450. Pretty outrageous still, but your numbers are way off
Sorry I’m refering to the tour in 2003 at the garden.
by Matthew Roth on Dec 15, 2009 11:10 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
So...
Not understanding the situation completely, as you admit you don’t, wouldn’t it be wise to hold off an passing such judgments as “the current success of the UFC in the U.S. is the biggest that MMA has ever been. It’s not.”?
Also, the UFC is experiencing success far beyond the borders of the US. Not sure why your neglecting that?
I also have no clue what you mean by (on PRIDE) “for American fans to pretend it never happened.”
Why is that comment warranted and how have you come to that conclusion? Seems like unquantifiable speculation to me.
by SpaceSoap on Dec 15, 2009 9:58 PM EST up reply actions 4 recs
whatever
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
by Kid Nate on Dec 15, 2009 10:35 PM EST up reply actions 10 recs
Rec'd
for don’t-give-a-fuck-itude. Nick Diaz approves.
by pdl on Dec 15, 2009 11:34 PM EST up reply actions 4 recs
Rec'd
Rec’d for a Nick Diaz reference. Any Nick Diaz reference is a rec from me.
by Nick Travaglini on Dec 16, 2009 8:56 AM EST up reply actions
shit, I accidentally rec'd the other guy
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Anthony Pace on Dec 16, 2009 12:23 AM EST up reply actions 4 recs
rec'd for rec'ing
"The greatest enemy will hide in the last place you would ever look." - Revolver
by flyingkneetoface on Dec 16, 2009 7:00 AM EST up reply actions
?
I’m a huge fan of the UFC. Remembering the wonder of PRIDE doesn’t make me a UFC hater. And the fall of PRIDE should be seared in the mind of every MMA fan. That was a huge loss for all of us and it could happen again.
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
LOL
Welcome to the dark side Kid Nate. You are now considered Anti-UFC on BE.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Dec 16, 2009 5:33 PM EST up reply actions
Don’t college basketball games in the US attract huge crowds (ie. Final Four games), couldn’t the UFC hold an event at one of those arenas?
http://attractions.uptake.com/blog/ncaa-march-madness-2009-venues-2990.html
That last years venues and caps. A lot of them are normal non-vegas UFC event venues with 18-20k caps. When the tournament gets into the deeper rounds they move into NFL domes.
by Matthew Roth on Dec 15, 2009 9:50 PM EST up reply actions
The UFC will be holding an event in Hawaii in a few months and that will be at Aloha Stadium.
The only thing Jon Jones does better than Matt Hamill is hear.
(And smash faces)
by ufc4 on Dec 15, 2009 11:05 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
List of stadiums by capacity
Most of the large arenas in the United States are open-air football stadiums. The Louisiana Superdome is the largest fixed-dome stadium in the world, seating ~73,000.
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett
by Scott C. Broussard on Dec 15, 2009 9:48 PM EST up reply actions
We have stadiums that can hold at least 60,000. Most of them are domes and football stadiums. The Metrodome holds 60K for Vikings games, I can only imagine how many seats there could be with floor seating.
"He wants to portray himself as the crazy one; I think he’s just portraying himself as the weird one. And we’re gonna know which guy’s more crazy when we get into the Octagon." - BJ Penn (about Diego Sanchez)
by itsallgood013 on Dec 15, 2009 11:29 PM EST up reply actions
As much as there is to complain about PRIDE (freak shows, non-title fights, mismatches, no testing, etc), it will always feel more epic.
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett
by Scott C. Broussard on Dec 15, 2009 9:45 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
This is a feeling ive always had. Im not quite sure why. When i was watching the UFC’s top 100 fights countdown i never really felt that any of those fights, not even the top 10, ever felt nearly as historically important or epic as the same level of fights as those in PRIDE.
Or maybe its just a matter of accessability.
"It's also important to remember that MMA in the U.S. could prove to be just as short-lived as a mass appeal phenomenon as it appears to have been in Japan."
Maybe, but at the same time, Japanese MMA set itself up to be more susceptible to being treated as a fad with all the theatrical elements, pro wrestling style freakshow fights, and all that. No doubt there’s some of that over here, but between the aggressive regulation and the courting of the mainstream sports media, since it is becoming slowly accepted as part of the sports landscape, I don’t think MMA is as likely to crash as hard as Japanese MMA when the inevitable slowdown does occur.
by andherewego on Dec 15, 2009 9:47 PM EST reply actions 3 recs
This
Plus japan’s culture us so different feim ours as to render the comparison moot
█♣█
A wise man told me don't argue with fools
Cause people from a distance can't tell who is who -- Jay-Z
by thetakeover on Dec 15, 2009 9:55 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I dont get it
How did the theatrical elements & freakshow fights hurt Pride in terms of losing followers? Wasn’t politics the only reason why the organization collapsed?
Pride gave a good mix of “legitimate and interesting” fights catering to all kinds of curiosity in terms of what if..
I am. I think. I will. - Ayn Rand
the only reason
Pride went under is because they lost their TV deal (which rumors has it was because of the Yakuza). But the UFC is not imune to collapsing either, no matter how big you are, you can always fold.
cagar é uma filosofia profunda...
a merda bate na água e a água bate na bunda.
exactly my point..
why are people arguing that the entertainment value the Pride brought hurt them?
I am. I think. I will. - Ayn Rand
Interesting, but total BS.
Pride was amazing and drew some huge crowds and yet folks still feel the need to spin yarns.
Which of these 60k shows did Hendo appear on? None.
Pride did run some 53k shows, but no shows doing 60k. Just like the mythical show of 90k…never happened. It drew 71k! That is awesome and yet folks felt the need to build it up just the 90k wrestlemania in Detroit.
Hendo fought in front of 35k several times. 60k? In 2005, he fought in front of 43k and that was the largest.
Pride was amazing, but some of the legend is simply not true. Not unlike the UFC and the Zuffa myth.
I think that MMA in North America will not go bust like in Japan because the focus here is moreon sport and less on spectacle.
Keep firing Assholes!
Fedor has accomplished nothing until he fights Kimbo.
true..
good job you honorary Filipino. :)
by Anton Tabuena on Dec 15, 2009 9:51 PM EST up reply actions
The excellent school system in the Phillipines made me so.
Keep firing Assholes!
Fedor has accomplished nothing until he fights Kimbo.
Cebu was a pretty sweet city when I was there for 60 days.
by Matthew Roth on Dec 15, 2009 10:09 PM EST up reply actions
wow, 60 days?
the longest i’ve been there was around 3 weeks.. haha. Yup, it’s nice, and they also have beautiful beaches, and the coral reef there is amazing.. You could go island hopping and snorkeling..
by Anton Tabuena on Dec 15, 2009 10:28 PM EST up reply actions
I used to work for Vonage. Had to train the call center employees on a new program. Luckly I like lumpia and adobo or I’d have lost my mind.
by Matthew Roth on Dec 15, 2009 10:34 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Yeah, closest to military service I came was the marines. Failed my physical cause of a knee injury from football.
by Matthew Roth on Dec 15, 2009 11:13 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
agreed
mma in north America has been pushed to be received as a real sport, not a substitute for pro-wrestling. hate to be a Dana nut hugger, but it was he and the Fertittas that put mma into the main stream in the entertainment capital of the world’s bloodstream.
I remember about 5- years ago talking to my friend who had just returned from visiting his family in Japan how all the young people were really into Pride fighting. It sounded silly but I had to check out what he was talking about (I was already, sorta following the UFC after meeting Frank Shamrock and Randy Couture). First fight I saw was either Cro Cop vs. Randleman and Fedor vs. Coleman. I was hooked from that point on.
Largest PRIDE Crowds:
91,108 (Shockwave 2002 – Tokyo National Stadium)
67,450 (Final Conflict 2003 – Tokyo Dome)
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett
by Scott C. Broussard on Dec 15, 2009 9:59 PM EST reply actions
Remember...
Japan also has a VASTLY more condensed population than the US. I would think this contributes to live audience sizes in a rather dramatic fashion.
Now you’re grasping dude. It’s partly due to the atmosphere of the events + enormous arenas + more affordable seating. Condensed population isn’t really that big of a factor.
by Matthew Roth on Dec 15, 2009 10:04 PM EST up reply actions
I know. Not sure why he’s so determined to dispute the size of the crowds at Pride.
Even if the numbers are slightly exaggerated so what? Does that diminish how great some of those events were?
by scrambledeggs on Dec 15, 2009 11:23 PM EST up reply actions
Tokyo Dome only has a capacity 42,000.
Don’t know where you would put 25,000 standing room only.
Tokyo Nation Stadium capacity is 63,700.
The extra 28,000 standing is amazing.
As I was saying, the 91k is a total myth. The venue can’t hold that. To suggest that any venue can include another 28,000 is nonsense. Yet some continue to insist. When Fedor fought here for Pride, stories were written about him fighting in front of 91,000 people. Fedor was not even on Shockwave, which is the one with the bullshit 91k number.
As Riney points out, the Tokyo Dome also holds far less than the false number.
As has been shown here, it is quite easy to get the venue limitations. Even with this data, folks still repeat the bullshit numbers.
Again, the reality is impressive, there is little need to lie and yet folks still do.
maybe it's just
because I think that Lindland has a bone to pick with the UFC, but I don’t want to take everything he says without a tablespoon of salt. I know that I wasn’t there and that 30 or 60k people is a lot, but the Japanese crowds aren’t that expressive from what I’ve seen. I don’t mean that in a bad way, but they are a very quiet group of spectators for mma fights. I dunno color me jaded…
Well, they’re generally smarter in terms of what’s going on. There’s no booing when people are measuring distance or grappling on the ground. There’s an absence of the affliction t-shirt wearing goons with a draft beer in their hand screaming “fuck yeaaaah” at everything… but whatever floats your boat.
If Japanese fans are bored: they sit quietly with their hands folded across their laps
If Japanese fans are displeased: they sit quietly with their hands folded across their laps
If Japanese fans are angry: they sit quietly with their hands folded across their laps
If Japanese fans drunk: they sit quietly with their hands folded across their laps
If Japanese fans are happy: they sit quietly and clap politely
Keep firing Assholes!
Fedor has accomplished nothing until he fights Kimbo.
by Ubernoober on Dec 15, 2009 11:46 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Rec'd for total accuracy.
The only exception is baseball games, where I’ve seen even Japanese fans get pretty wild. Especially if the Carps are winning.
"I want to tell me what you see, let's go ahead and see by in the fight, what you saw, in the ring." - Tito Ortiz
by CasualMMAFan on Dec 16, 2009 1:52 PM EST up reply actions
There’s no booing when people are measuring distance or grappling on the ground. There’s an absence of the affliction t-shirt wearing goons with a draft beer in their hand screaming "fuck yeaaaah" at everything
How’s that working out for them?
The only thing Jon Jones does better than Matt Hamill is hear.
(And smash faces)
by ufc4 on Dec 16, 2009 12:15 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Why yes, if only PRIDE had more booing and drunk meatheads, it’d still be around!
Last I checked, PRIDE’s death had more to do with being mobbed up than failing to cater to the Japanese “casual fan.” In fact, most of the post-hoc criticism that gets leveled at PRIDE says they catered to that fan too much.
by JRN on Dec 16, 2009 12:21 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs
PRIDE venues
if i’m not mistaken, those PRIDE venues such as tokyo dome were indoor baseball or soccer stadiums. it would be like UFC holding an event in cowboys stadium here. i just don’t think UFC at this point is popular enough to fill the football stadiums. it may happen someday but UFC already has problems filling staples center as it is.
LONG LIVE PRIDE FC!!!
cagar é uma filosofia profunda...
a merda bate na água e a água bate na bunda.
I look at Pride, and yeah, as people say, UFC has never really captured that epic feel. I partly think the ring had something to do with that. Undoubtedly makes for better spectator viewing, but of course has its problems.
I’d be more interested in hearing from Rampage, because he was a pretty big name in both leagues, and had success in both. His destruction of Chuck Liddell has to be up there in the greatest pride moments, except that it should have been stopped earlier….
Rampage hates Pride
he is the only (big emphasis in only) that ever bad mouths the promotion. So you wouldn’t hear anything positive coming out from Rampage in regards to Pride (but then again, you’ll probably not hear anything positive coming out from Rampage in regards to the UFC either).
cagar é uma filosofia profunda...
a merda bate na água e a água bate na bunda.
Pride had 60,000 people paying 50 bucks to watch Pride…. UFC has an army of 400,000 to 1.6 million.
Pride focused on the spectacle whereas Zuffa focuses on the sport and we are seeing the fruits of that labor.
UFC is blowing up in the UK and that same blueprint will be used to conquer every market worldwide… so this sport will be very diversified from its fanbase to its revenue streams making it almost impossible for this “fad” to go away.
UFC owns the 18-34 demo… soon that demo will change to 18-45 as the fanbase gets older. At worse – simple math says 10 years.
This is another reason why the champions clause is becoming more and more irrelevant… Revenue streams are becoming more and more diversified making it impossible for a fighter or another entity to duplicate the outcome by just stealing a fighter or 2 or 3.
The UFC is not boxing, its not the NFL and it’s not the WWE… IT’S ALL OF THEM.
The product being displayed is closest to Boxing, The Stature of the UFC is closest to the NFL and the business model is closest to the WWE’s.
If a fighter leaves the UFC it’s not like Cotto leaving Arum because nobody gives a shit about the promoter. And it’s also not like the Rock leaving the WWE because that’s not a sport…. BUT its also not like Brett Favre leaving the NFL or his team.
A fighter leaving the UFC Is like the REDSKINS leaving the NFL. A fighter in the UFC is seen and valued in context of his division “League” which is very different than boxing.
So the UFC is a combat sport like boxing but it is also a “league” sport like the NFL.
Nobody would give a shit about the redskins if they joined the CFL or the EURO league.
Very few people would care if the skins left the NFL. They’re terrible.
by Matthew Roth on Dec 15, 2009 11:38 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 2 recs
Except that...
they are the most valuable NFL Franchise, so I’m sure people would actually give a damn.
There are waiting lists for their season tickets that go on for years.
"Death, so called, is a thing which makes men weep, And yet a third of life is passed in sleep."
- Lord Byron
by MyFightWiffaCheeto on Dec 16, 2009 12:42 PM EST up reply actions
WTF?
I thought this post was about PRIDE?
You know the topic has changed when someone mentions 18-34 demos and the freaking NFL REDSKINS in the same post.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Dec 15, 2009 11:55 PM EST up reply actions
Ok, done.
I’ve generally taken you with a grain of salt, occasionally responding for quick entertainment. Your spin is usually interesting and well thought out. Dissecting it is always interesting. But this post pushed it.
So the UFC is a combat sport like boxing but it is also a "league" sport like the NFL.
Get the fuck out of here with that shit. UFC is a league. MMA is a sport.
by pdl on Dec 15, 2009 11:55 PM EST up reply actions 4 recs
the thing is, for millions of casuals, UFC = MMA..
by Anton Tabuena on Dec 16, 2009 12:21 AM EST up reply actions
Who cares?
For millions of casuals, Kimbo has the best boxing in MMA and that lanky Brazilian dude (Andrew Silga? whatevs…) would be terrified to stand with him. The opinions of casuals is irrelevant to this conversation, and the realities of ignorance doesn’t mean we should readily accept it. I won’t call the sport UFC. Nobody should. And for an individual who is educated in the sport, which mmalogic most certainly is, doing so is nothing short of disingenuous.
by pdl on Dec 16, 2009 12:37 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
mmalogic is very biased towards the UFC, you just need to accept it. UFC and Dana can do no wrong, and any other promotion does everything wrong according to him. Debating is useless when you have blind followers.
cagar é uma filosofia profunda...
a merda bate na água e a água bate na bunda.
by Orcus on Dec 16, 2009 10:56 AM EST up reply actions 3 recs
Unfortunately, it’s the casual fans that will make MMA mainstream. Hardcores all know that the difference between the UFC and MMA, but casual fans don’t. I even have friends that thought that the Strikeforce event on CBS was the UFC. That’s really stupid to me, but it’s the truth unfortunately.
I love me some Sexyama!
Some people compare a fighter leaving the UFC for another org to an NFL player leaving the NFL for the CFL. That’s not entirely the case.
It’s closer to an NFL team leaving the NFL to go into the CFL. If The NY Giants left for the CFL another team will spring up in NY and take its place in the NFL. NY giants are viewed and followed not just by WHO they are but in context of WHO they play… in this case being the NFL.
UFC is the same way. FIghters are viewed not just by who they are and what they have accomplished but who they are currently playing/fighting AND who THEY WILL PLAY AND FIGHT.
The NY giants would fade away and another team would take its place.
To take it further in most major sports you usually “conferences” and there’s a leader in each (NFL has 2, NBA has 2, etc…). In comparison the UFC has weight divisions (5 which will transition into 8).
People follow a team based on where they’re standing is within that “conference”… Just like they do with a fighter and where he stands in that UFC weight division.
I like baseball but Im not gonna spend my sunday afternoon at the park watching the local league. MLB provides me “context” of my favorite teams and where they stand amongst the best. Same with the UFC.
Nobody cares where pacman stands within the wbo wbc, xyz shit. Boxing never achieved this whereas the UFC has and that’s why even though combat takes place in the UFC, MMA is a “league Sport” like the NFL and NBA.
Why this matter is relevant is because Pride never achieved this either. It didn’t develop into a sport… and more importantly their fans didn’t develop into “sports fans”. Whereas we are seeing the oppisite take place with the UFC.
There’s only one long term direction for this and that’s up… It has everything boxing has and more to satisfy mans carnal desires and it also has everything an NFL and NBA has in terms of structure…
Result? A left,right and lizard brain orgasm. The structure is in place and as more and more fighters (characters) go through this “story” more and more fans come into it.
This is why the UFC will be on NBC sports and not CBS… and why long term that’s more important.
by mmalogic on Dec 16, 2009 1:31 AM EST up reply actions 3 recs
Did you mean to click reply to my post?
Because this has absolutely nothing to do with what I said. Not being a dick, serious question.
ah so your problem is I called UFC a sport? lol… ok. I thought you didnt understand the concept.
I used the term "UFC’ because my point only pertains to the UFC. Strikeforce is not a league sport and niether is Dream, etc…
They arent even the same sport! Strikeforce doesn’t allow elbows, niether does dream and dream doesn’t drug test. So to me they are 3 entirely different “sports”.
If you want to group them together then you can also say sambo and sanshou is also “MMA”… but if you just want to say they are different versions of MMA then UFC has its own version so it’s a seperate sport.
A sport is defined by it’s rules.
by mmalogic on Dec 16, 2009 3:06 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Come on, you're reaching.
What is boxing? With different glove and ring sizes, there’s no standardization of rules. It’s clearly not a sport. From now on, I’ll say that I’m going to see a face-hitting competition.
In baseball, sometimes the pitcher bats. Other times there’s a designated hitter who doesn’t need to be on the field at all to take his place. Oh, baseball isn’t a sport, it’s the AL and NL. From now on, I’ll specify that I’m going to an AL or an NL game since that’s the name of the two clearly different sports with different rules.
Sanshou and Sambo are not MMA. They are martial arts that incorporate more than just striking or just grappling. Stop acting silly.
by pdl on Dec 16, 2009 6:10 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Me thinks thou doth protest too much…
by bleve_ on Dec 16, 2009 12:57 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
......
……yet, despite everything .. my balls keep screaming that Pride was better.
I am. I think. I will. - Ayn Rand
What is the greatest Pride FC event of all time?
Keep firing Assholes!
Fedor has accomplished nothing until he fights Kimbo.
I know I just saw! I also want to look up the one that had Wandy, Chuck and Rampage.
Keep firing Assholes!
Fedor has accomplished nothing until he fights Kimbo.
Honestly, is there any question about this? Does anyone really believe that the atmosphere of a UFC event is in the same league as a comparable PRIDE show?
As a fan of both organizations
Im just grateful that one existed and the other continues to do so
I am. I think. I will. - Ayn Rand
by vivero on Dec 16, 2009 12:38 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
i never watched pride live...
But I usually get pretty pumped for my favorite fighters’ UFC matches…
I think a lot of people’s favorite fighters at the time were in Pride.
I'm like PacMan fightin you silly kids... throw ya Hatton the ring, and get knocked outlike Ricky did.
lol.
Yeah there certainly was something about the pride show. I sometimes wonder if it was the exotic of hearing the different voices, Bas Rutten’s commentary, just better fighters or the ring makes for more action or the screaming lady or the sound of the crowd going from complete silence to eruption when a fighter goes to side control. I dunno.
I know people who quit watching MMA after PRIDE went under. I’m watching less and less personally. I just wish they had stayed in operation long enough so I could have attended a live show.
well you're missing a lot of good MMA...
I'm like PacMan fightin you silly kids... throw ya Hatton the ring, and get knocked outlike Ricky did.
lol.
PRIDE was special...
From the parade of fighters, the screaming lady, fighters entrances, the white ring, all the way down to the referees. It was just a better show from top to bottom. I remember the sick feeling I had when I read Zuffa had bought out PRIDE…..It was the same disgusted sad feeling I had when Art Modell moved my favorite team, Cleveland Browns to Baltimore and changed their name to Ravens. I knew Zuffa had no intention of keeping PRIDE around like they said and once they started raiding the PRIDE roster I knew I would never see another PRIDE show again. I’m glad Spike will begin to air PRIDE fights next year so people who have never witnessed it can see for themselves how special it was….Hopefully it’s the raw footage and not edited like it was on FSN.
by ultimoshogun on Dec 16, 2009 4:10 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
they’re gonna have to do some sort of cut to squeeze a commercial in that 10 min first round. the five minute rounds in UFC work perfectly for that
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Anthony Pace on Dec 16, 2009 4:26 AM EST up reply actions
I was referring to the way FSN would cut to shots of the crowd during violent parts of the match like head stomps or excessive blood. It was very frustrating cuz people who were watching PRIDE for the first time were being robbed….I remember watching a few fights on FSN where they would cut to a scene of the crowd in the middle of the action. That never happened during the PPV’s.
by ultimoshogun on Dec 16, 2009 5:01 AM EST up reply actions
yeah i remember all that
but they’re still gonna have to make the cuts for commercials
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Anthony Pace on Dec 16, 2009 5:28 AM EST up reply actions
I was a huge pride fan
and still am.Its just something about the atmosphere in pride that just gave you goose bumps.Plus the crowd was way better then the crowds in the us.They were very respectfull and you never heard a boo coming from the crowd.Something about pride just brought out the inner warrior in the fighters.There were some legendairy fights that took place and the fights they put on were fights for the fans.Not always worring about title shots and rankings they just put on fights.It seems like alot of fighters peeked in pride and havn’t done alot since.
All the light that Diegos cries bring into life.Will fade when Bj's punches fly.
Bj Penn
Plus the pride highlights are f%#@ing awsome
All the light that Diegos cries bring into life.Will fade when Bj's punches fly.
Bj Penn
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoHZpNX9nQc&feature=player_embedded
All the light that Diegos cries bring into life.Will fade when Bj's punches fly.
Bj Penn
by TREE22 on Dec 16, 2009 8:40 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
Excellent video...
I haven’t seen that one until now….thanks for sharing.
by ultimoshogun on Dec 16, 2009 9:29 AM EST up reply actions
Excellent video...
….thanks for sharing….
by BrothersGottaAndyHug on Dec 16, 2009 11:47 AM EST up reply actions
If anyone is interested
wrote an article on Pride last year, may be amusing to some people…
http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2009/04/08/celebrating-the-two-year-anniversary-of-the-death-of-pride-ten-reasons-why-i-miss-pride/
by Nick Travaglini on Dec 16, 2009 9:10 AM EST reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
MMA Rankings
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
