DSE Cedes PRIDE to UFC Bosses

[zampe]

After revitalizing the struggling Ultimate Fighting Championship, and as a result lifting the sport of mixed martial arts world wide, Lorenzo Fertitta, a Station Casinos magnate alongside his older brother Frank, confirmed the purchase of the PRIDE Fighting Championships from Dream Stage Entertainment Tuesday in Tokyo.

http://sherdog.com/

[Mr. Hunt]

Yup... at first I hated it... then when it happened I got sort of excited for the possible super fights... but now I hate it again since supposedly Pride will have the gay UFC rules... I WANT MY SOCCER KICKS! Shogun Rua is basically dead without his head stomps!

[zampe]

Afterward when "Reds" sniff the smell of big money (like in boxing), will be very gleefully!!!
beware... red storm ahead

UFC really need official russian patch (v1.1) :)))

[bob saget]

Russians / Ukrainians so good in MMA action.

[j0j081]

wtf I don't get it. I was under the impression Pride was just as popular in general as the UFC. I mean look at how many people are at their regular events.

[evilchris]

wtf I don't get it. I was under the impression Pride was just as popular in general as the UFC. I mean look at how many people are at their regular events.

popularity != business doing well

[Mr. Hunt]

popularity != business doing well

Yup... I was under the impression that Pride was doing well when I first started watching it because the shows were so huge... but I think the shows were almost TOO big... costs a lot to run such a huge show and I guess they weren't making it back.

[Blacklash]

I forget the specifics and PRIDE got hurt a lot when rumors suggesting DSE was tied to the Yakuza surfaced in Japan. Fuji television dropped them officially citing "breach of contract". That gimped their exposure big time.

http://www.japantoday.com/jp/shukan/348

I like quite a few of PRIDE fighters myself and hope they don't disappear.