Dana White on Pride: "We could buy them."

[Andrew Green]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,san-serif]What is a realistic date for getting a UFC card at the United Center? 2007. That's when I think we'll get it done. I told people last year we'd get it in California, and we have. It's been great, and it's great for the cities with revenue.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,san-serif]Pride is coming to Vegas. How will that affect the UFC? Not at all. They're having financial trouble. They lost their TV distribution in Japan. There are a lot of accusations they're not good guys.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,san-serif]Could you guys merge? We could buy them.
[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,san-serif]http://www.suntimes.com/output/sundaydrive/drive03b.html[/FONT]

 

[Hand Sword]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,san-serif]What is a realistic date for getting a UFC card at the United Center? 2007. That's when I think we'll get it done. I told people last year we'd get it in California, and we have. It's been great, and it's great for the cities with revenue.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,san-serif]Pride is coming to Vegas. How will that affect the UFC? Not at all. They're having financial trouble. They lost their TV distribution in Japan. There are a lot of accusations they're not good guys.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,san-serif]Could you guys merge? We could buy them. [/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,san-serif]http://www.suntimes.com/output/sundaydrive/drive03b.html[/FONT]

That's amazing. From what I've seen and heard, it is huge over there. Always a packed joint. The fighters, win or lose, are looked at with respect by the crowd. At least That's what was said by the fighters. I say, if they can buy them, do it! Pride has some outstanding fighters, probably, IMHO, better, fighter to fighter, than the UFC fighters. It would be good to get those guys over here.

 

[zDom]

Pride has some outstanding fighters, probably, IMHO, better, fighter to fighter, than the UFC fighters. It would be good to get those guys over here.

I agree.

I haven't seen much Pride fighting, but the Pride Bushido fights I sat down and watched one weekend did seem to have some outstanding fighters - tough hombres.

 

[Odin]

I think that would be a really bad Idea, i dont think the american audiences would apperiate Prides catalog of fighteres, the japanese apprieate ground work and skill where as the american audience generally just want to see a knockout, I cant see fighters like big nog being liked.....I can see them utterly destroying all the ufc fighters without as much as a drop of sweat though lol.

 

[FuriousGeorge]

I think that would be a really bad Idea, i dont think the american audiences would apperiate Prides catalog of fighteres, the japanese apprieate ground work and skill where as the american audience generally just want to see a knockout, I cant see fighters like big nog being liked.....I can see them utterly destroying all the ufc fighters without as much as a drop of sweat though lol.

Lol...Maybe thats what it would take to get the American audience to appreciate the groundwork/submission side of things more...I for one to see some of our cocky strikers get schooled by some really skillful grapplers. I like the idea of UFC and Pride mixing it up more. I want to see all the worlds best fighters compete.

 

[AceHBK]

Interesting. I need to find a job in corporate with them

I think going out to buy Pride would be a bad move though. Free market and letting consumers decide what they want is better rather than forcing it upon them. Competition now matter how good the other side maybe or bad is good. Competition makes a company always come up with something new and see where it falls short.

Perfect example is wrestling. WWF and WCW were great b/c both were competitiong against each other. On one channel you had DX running a storm and on another channel you had Sting dropping out of the rafters hittin people with a baseball bat. I remember flipping back and forth constantly so I wouldnt miss anything. Now WWE bought out WCW and has been trash ever since b/c of no competition.

 

[Rook]

I like to see them competing, because it keep the interest in the sport higher and because it keeps fighter's salaries higher, attracting more and better fighters. However, it still would be nice if Dana would let some of the PRIDE guys fight his champions or even let them fight against solid UFC guys. Right now, White is trying to get out of a Silva-Liddel fight, that he says might not happen and when asked if titles could be unified (ie champ vs. champ for a weight class and someone ends up with both belts) for several weight classes, responed in the negative. That is unfortunate, because I really want to see the PRIDE fighters take on the best of the UFC.

 

[AceHBK]

From what I read in a interview some reporter had with Dana and Chuck it was Pride that was stalling.
I find it hard to believe that D.White would try to back down from having the fight. He had Silva on the PPV and said that the fight would happen. U don't announce a fight like that just to only back away from it later. Chuck Liddelll doesnt strike me as a person who would even go for that.

As for unifying belts, that is not a good idea being they are two seperate companies. It wouldnt do any good. U then have a figther going back and forth between promotions fighting people and then more importantly it also comes down to money and who benefits. I wouldnt do it either.

 

[Rook]

From what I read in a interview some reporter had with Dana and Chuck it was Pride that was stalling.
I find it hard to believe that D.White would try to back down from having the fight. He had Silva on the PPV and said that the fight would happen. U don't announce a fight like that just to only back away from it later. Chuck Liddelll doesnt strike me as a person who would even go for that.

As for unifying belts, that is not a good idea being they are two seperate companies. It wouldnt do any good. U then have a figther going back and forth between promotions fighting people and then more importantly it also comes down to money and who benefits. I wouldnt do it either.

I would see it as being done in much the same way as the various boxing organizations. The titles might end up splitting again swiftly, but I would like to see top-level fighters have the opportunity to unify their titles and at least try to hold them down in two organizations... if that becomes impossible, they can always cede one belt like boxing champs.