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PRIDE Fighting Championships

Posted by Donny | Monday, November 26, 2007



Type Private
Founded 1997
Headquarters Tokyo, Japan
Key people Lorenzo Fertitta and Frank Fertitta III, owners
Jamie Pollack, President
Industry Mixed martial arts promotion
Website http://www.pridefc.com/

PRIDE Fighting Championships (PRIDE or PRIDE FC for short) was a mixed martial arts organization based in Japan. Its inaugural event was held at the Tokyo Dome on October 11, 1997. PRIDE has held more than sixty mixed martial arts events. As formerly one of the most popular MMA organizations in the world, PRIDE broadcasted to about 40 countries worldwide. PRIDE also holds the largest live MMA event audience record of over 71,000 people at the PRIDE and K-1 co-production, Shockwave/Dynamite, held in August 2002, as well as the audience record of over 67,450 people at the PRIDE Final Conflict 2003.

In March 2007, Dream Stage Entertainment sold PRIDE to Lorenzo Fertitta and Frank Fertitta III, co-owners of Zuffa, which own rival promotion the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). While remaining legally separate entities with separate managements, the two promotions were to cooperate in a manner akin to the AFL-NFL merger.


History

Origins

PRIDE Fighting Championships was initially conceived in 1997 by Kakutougi Revolution Spirits to match popular Japanese pro-wrestler Nobuhiko Takada with Rickson Gracie, the purported champion of the Gracie family of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners. The event, held at the Tokyo Dome on October 11, 1997 attracted 47,000 fans, as well as Japanese mass media attention. The success of the first event enabled its promoters to hold a regular series of mixed martial arts events, and a year later in 1998, promote a rematch between Takada and Gracie. With K-1 enjoying popularity in Japan, PRIDE began to compete with monthly showings on Fuji Television, as well as pay per view on the newly formed satellite television channel SKY PerfecTV.

In 2000, PRIDE organized the first ever PRIDE Grand Prix, a two-part openweight tournament held to find the "world's best fighter". The tournament was held over the course of two events, with sixteen fighters competing in an opening round, and the eight winners returning three months later for the final round. The second round of the tournament marked the first time PRIDE was broadcast in the United States, and featured American fighter Mark Coleman winning the tournament by defeating Igor Vovchanchyn in the final round.

In August 2002, PRIDE teamed up with Japan's leading kickboxing and fight promotion, K-1, and held the worlds biggest fight event, Shockwave (known as PRIDE/K-1 Dynamite!! in Japan), which attracted over 90,000 fans.

On January 13, 2003, the PRIDE organization was thrown into turmoil when DSE President Naoto Morishita was found dead hanging by his neck in his hotel room, apparently after his mistress told him she wanted to end their affair. Speculation still looms whether this could possibly be the real reason, as trouble with tax authorities and the yakuza have also been speculated to play a role. Nobuyuki Sakakibara later assumed the presidency.

In 2003 PRIDE introduced the Bushido series of events, which focused on the lighter weight classes of lightweights and welterweights. The Bushido series also stressed a faster pace, with bouts consisting of only one ten minute round and one five minute round, as well as quicker referee intervention of stalling tactics, using the new "yellow card" system of purse deduction.

Also in 2003, PRIDE returned to the tournament format, with a middleweight grand prix spanning two events, Total Elimination 2003 and Final Conflict 2003. The format would be expanded to three events in 2004, adding Critical Countdown 2004 as the second round. PRIDE would go on to hold annual tournaments, a Heavyweight tournament in 2004, Middleweight in 2005, and Openweight in 2006.

A PRIDE Fighting Championships fighter introduction in 2005.

A PRIDE Fighting Championships fighter introduction in 2005.

In 2006 PRIDE announced it would cooperate with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, North America's largest MMA organization, and would be showcasing their fighters, including Wanderlei Silva and Kazuyuki Fujita, at a UFC event in November. However, Dana White, president of the UFC has since commented that the announced bout between Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva is unlikely to happen because "the Japanese are very hard to do business with". This statement is likely due to the failure of previous attempts between White and DSE to organize a fighter exchange agreement. Specifically after entering Chuck Liddell in PRIDE's 2003 middleweight tournament, which was also with the intention of Liddell eventually fighting Silva, which fell through when Chuck Liddell lost in the semi-finals to Quinton Jackson (Jackson subsequently lost to Silva by technical knockout in the finals.

PRIDE has continued to enjoy success, holding roughly ten events per year, and even out-drawing rival K-1 at the annual New Year's Eve show PRIDE Shockwave 2005. On October 21, 2006, PRIDE held its first MMA event in USA, PRIDE 32: The Real Deal took place in front of an audience of 11,727 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, and was the first PRIDE event to be held outside of Japan.

On June 5, 2006, Fuji Network announced that they were terminating their television contract with PRIDE Fighting Championships effective immediately due to a breach of contract by DSE. This leaves PRIDE with only SKY PerfecTV, a pay-per-view carrier, as a television outlet in Japan, and the loss of the substantial revenues from the Fuji deal threatened its sustainability. DSE has been surrounded by speculation in the Japanese media, especially in Japanese tabloid Shukan Gendai, that it may be a front for the notorious yakuza crime organization. DSE responded to the loss by stating they will continue with their schedule as currently planned, including an event in Las Vegas, Nevada, PRIDE 32: The Real Deal which took place on October 21, 2006, PRIDE's first event outside of Japan.

In late 2006, PRIDE officially announced plans for Mike Tyson to fight in the organizations New Year's Eve show. Tyson would face a PRIDE fighter under boxing rules. Since Tyson is not allowed to fight in Japan because of his criminal record, PRIDE wants to stage the fight in an alternate country, possibly Macau, China. The fight would be broadcast live on large television screens in the Saitama Super Arena, where the regular mixed martial arts bouts will be held.

On November 29, 2006, PRIDE announced the discontinuation of its Bushido events, with the intention of integrating the matches from lighter weight classes, mainly featured in Bushido, into regular PRIDE events. PRIDE also announced that future Grand Prix tournaments would take place on a four year weight class cycle, with one Grand Prix per year. The first expected one, a Lightweight Grand Prix, has been cancelled.

PRIDE Worldwide era

On Tuesday, March 27, 2007, Nobuyuki Sakakibara announced that Station Casinos Inc. magnate Lorenzo Fertitta, co-owner of Zuffa and its subsidiary Ultimate Fighting Championship, had made a deal to acquire all assets of PRIDE Fighting Championships from Dream Stage Entertainment after PRIDE 34: Kamikaze in a deal reportedly worth under USD$70 million, though the figure was not publicly disclosed. Managing the assets under the newly created PRIDE FC Worldwide Holdings, LLC, including their video library and the contracts of the fighters currently on the PRIDE roster, the new management company had originally planned to continue to promote PRIDE events in Japan and keep to its previously announced schedule. Lorenzo Fertitta announced they planned to operate PRIDE separately from Zuffa's two MMA brands, the UFC and WEC, planned on having occasional crossover shows and matches, pitting fighters from PRIDE against fighters from the UFC, using the metaphor of the AFL-NFL merger to compare the situation.

Recent remarks by UFC President Dana White however cast doubt as to what the new owners will actually do with PRIDE. After the sale officially closed on May 25, 2007, White remarked that he planned on bringing PRIDE's biggest names into UFC competition instead of keeping them in PRIDE and that they were still deciding on what to do with PRIDE itself. In later comments made in August 2007, White expressed doubt that Zuffa can resurrect PRIDE in Japan, saying, "I’ve pulled everything out of the trick box that I can and I can’t get a TV deal over there with PRIDE. I don’t think they want us there. I don’t think they want me there."

On October 4, 2007, PRIDE Worldwide closed its Japanese office, laying off 20 people who were working there since the closing of DSE.

Controversy

In May 2007 Quinton "Rampage" Jackson claimed that Pride officials had approached him and encouraged him not to tap out should Kazushi Sakuraba catch him in a submission in July 2001. Although Jackson did indeed lose the fight, he maintains that he gave his best effort.

Rules

PRIDE's rules differ between main PRIDE events and Bushido events. It was announced on November 29, 2006 that Bushido events would be discontinued, though it is unclear if the Bushido-specific rules will be scrapped or will continue to be used for lightweight and welterweight bouts.

Match length

PRIDE matches consist of three rounds; the first lasting ten minutes, and the second and third lasting five. Intermissions between each round are two minutes in length. In PRIDE US events, NSAC Unified MMA rules are in effect with non-title matches consisting of three five minute rounds. Title matches are 5 five minute rounds. Both have 60 second intermissions between rounds.

If two rounds of a Grand Prix take place on the same night, Grand Prix bouts will consist of two rounds; the first lasting ten minutes and the second lasting five. Intermissions between each round remain two minutes in length.

Weight classes

  • Heavyweight (more than 93 kg / 205 lb)
  • Middleweight (less than or equal to 93 kg / 205 lb)
  • Welterweight (less than or equal to 83 kg / 183 lb)
  • Lightweight (less than or equal to 73 kg / 161 lb)

Ring

PRIDE uses a five-roped square ring with sides 7 m in length, which is approximately 23'.

Attire

PRIDE allows fighters latitude in their choice of attire but open finger gloves, a mouthguard and a protective cup are mandatory. It is within a fighter's discretion to tape parts of their body or to wear a gi top, gi pants, wrestling shoes, kneepads, elbow pads, or ankle supports, though each is checked by the referee before the fight.

Victory

Matches are won via:

  • Submission
    • A fighter taps either his opponent or the mat three times.
    • A fighter may also verbally submit.
  • Knockout
    • A fighter falls from a legal blow and is either unconscious or unable to immediately continue.
  • Technical Knockout
    • Referee Stoppage (the referee stops the match after seeing that one fighter is completely dominant to the point of endangering his opponent).
    • Doctor Stoppage (the referee stops the match in the event that a fighter is injured via a legal blow and the ring doctor determines that he cannot continue).
    • Forfeited Match (a fighter's corner throws in the towel).
  • Decision
    • If the match reaches its time limit then the outcome of the bout is determined by the three judges. The fight is scored in its entirety and not round-by-round. After the third round, each judge must decide a winner. Matches cannot end in a draw. A decision is made according to the following criteria in this order of priority:
  1. the effort made to finish the fight via KO or submission,
  2. damage given to the opponent,
  3. standing combinations and ground control,
  4. takedowns and takedown defense,
  5. aggressiveness, and
  6. weight (in the case that the weight difference is 10 kg/22 lb or more).
If a fight is stopped on advice of the ring doctor after an accidental but illegal action, i.e. a clash of heads, and the contest is in its second or third round, the match will be decided by the judges using the same criteria.
  • Disqualification
    • A "warning" will be given in the form of a yellow card or a green card (The green card gives a 10% deduction of a fighters purse) when a fighter commits an illegal action or does not follow the referee's instruction. Three warnings will result in a disqualification.
    • A fighter will be disqualified if a match is stopped on advice of the ring doctor as a result of his deliberate illegal actions.
    • The application of oil, ointment, spray, Vaseline, massaging cream, hair cream, or any other substances to any part of the fighter's body before and during the fights is prohibited. The discovery of any of these substances will result in a disqualification.
  • No Contest
    • In the event that both sides commit a violation of the rules, the bout will be declared a "No Contest."
    • If a fight is stopped on advice of the ring doctor after an accidental but illegal action, i.e. a clash of heads, the match will be declared a no contest in the first round only.

Fouls

PRIDE Fighting Championships considers the following to be fouls:

  1. Head butting.
  2. Eye gouging.
  3. Hair pulling.
  4. Biting.
  5. Fish hooking.
  6. Any attacks to the groin
  7. Strikes to the back of the head, which includes the occipital region and the spine. The sides of the head and the area around the ears are not considered to be the back of the head. (see Rabbit punch)
  8. Small joint manipulation (control of four or more fingers/toes is necessary).
  9. Elbow strikes to the head and face.
  10. Intentionally throwing your opponent out of the ring.
  11. Running out of the ring.
  12. Purposely holding the ropes. Fighters cannot purposely hang an arm or leg on the ropes and it will result in an immediate warning.

In the event that a fighter is injured by illegal actions, then at the discretion of the referee and ring doctor, the round will attempt to be resumed after enough time has been given to the fighter to recover. If the match cannot be continued due to the severity of the injury then the fighter who perpetrated the action will be disqualified.

Match conduct

  • If both fighters are on the verge of falling out of the ring or become entangled in the ropes, the referee will stop the action. The fighters must immediately stop their movements and will then be repositioned in the center of the ring in the same position. Once they are comfortably repositioned, they resume at the referee's instruction.
  • Referees can give a fighter a penalty card for lack of activity. Every card, including warning cards, are a 10% deduction of a fighter's purse. This method is aimed to prevent inaction.

Matches between fighters of different weight classes

PRIDE makes special provision for fights between fighters of different weight classes or fighters with a large weight difference in the same weight class. The lighter fighter is given a choice on whether to permit knees or kicks to the face when in the "four points" position in the following cases:

  • If both fighters are in the middleweight class and there is a weight difference of 10 kg/22 lb or more between the fighters.
  • If the match is between a middleweight and heavyweight and there is a weight difference of 10 kg/22 lb or more between the fighters.
  • If both fighters are in the heavyweight class and there is a weight difference of 15 kg/33 lb or more between the fighters.

PRIDE Bushido

There are a few minor differences from main PRIDE events.

  • Bouts on PRIDE Bushido events consist of two rounds; the first lasting ten minutes and the second lasting five. Intermissions between each round are two minutes in length.
  • Bushido "Challenge Matches" consist of two rounds lasting five minutes each. Intermissions between each round are two minutes in length.
  • In Bushido, red cards are issued in a similar way that yellow cards are used in PRIDE FC. A red card results in a 10% deduction of the fighter's fight purse. Red cards can be given out in an unlimited number without disqualification. If fighters commit the following actions, they shall be given a red card by officials:
    • Stalling or failure to initiate any offensive attack,
    • making no attempt to finalize the match or damage the opponent, and
    • holding the opponent's body with the arms and legs to produce a stalemate.

Differences from the Unified Rules of Combat

Some states athletic commissions require mixed martial arts events to modify rules to match the Mixed Martial Arts Unified Rules of Combat, as introduced by the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, and adopted by the Nevada State Athletic Commission in order to receive state sanctioning.

PRIDE's rules differ from the Unified Rules of Combat in the following ways:

  • PRIDE allows kicking and kneeing the head of a downed opponent who is on his back. This is considered a foul in the Unified Rules, which only allows kicks and knees to the head of a standing opponent.
  • PRIDE allows a fighter to stomp a downed opponent. This is considered a foul in the Unified Rules.
  • PRIDE allows a fighter to Spike (piledriver) an opponent. This is considered a foul in the Unified Rules.
  • PRIDE does not allow elbow strikes to the head of an opponent. The Unified rules allows elbows provided they are not striking directly down with the point of the elbow.
  • PRIDE's matches include a ten minute first round, with two minute rest periods. The Unified rules allow rounds no longer than five minutes, with rest periods not exceeding one minute.
  • PRIDE's matches are not judged on the ten point must system, rather judges score the whole fight. The Unified rules call for all matches to be judged using the ten point must system.

At the announcement on March 27, 2007 that the Fertittas are purchasing PRIDE, it was stated that all future PRIDE events (after PRIDE 34) would be held under Unified Rules, eliminating 10 minute opening rounds, ground knees, stomps and more.

PRIDE events

In addition to their main, "numbered" events, PRIDE have staged other series of events for different purposes.

PRIDE Grand Prix

In 2000, PRIDE held their first grand prix. With no weight limits, it is now considered to be their first openweight grand prix. Held across two events, PRIDE Grand Prix 2000 Opening Round featured first round bouts and PRIDE Grand Prix 2000 Finals featured the quarter finals, semi finals and final.

The concept was brought back in 2003, with a middleweight grand prix. Held across two cards, Total Elimination 2003 featured the first two rounds of the Grand Prix and Final Conflict 2003 featured the semi finals and final. Subsequent middleweight, heavyweight and, in 2006, openweight grands prix have taken place across three events when, in 2004, Critical Countdown was introduced for second round bouts. Both Critical Countdown and Final Conflict have a mix of grand prix and non-grand prix matches.

From 2007, PRIDE will hold only one grand prix a year and it will rotate between each of their four established weight classes.

PRIDE Bushido

With PRIDE's numbered shows and Grands Prix focused on heavier fighters, in October 2003, PRIDE started a series of events entitled "Bushido". With the focus on lighter combatants, two weight classes, lightweight and welterweight, were formed at 73 and 83 kg respectively. After PRIDE Bushido 13, it was announced that the series would end and these weight classes would transfer to main PRIDE shows.

In 2005, PRIDE Bushido staged welterweight and lightweight grands prix. Two eight-man brackets were set up and the quarter finals and semi finals were held at PRIDE Bushido 9, along with an alternate bout in each bracket. The finals were held at PRIDE Shockwave 2005, with the winners subsequently being crowned as champions for their division. A sixteen-man welterweight grand prix was held in 2006. With Bushido shows being discontinued from 2007, these grands prix will be moved to the main PRIDE Grand Prix series and will be held on a four-yearly rotation with the other classes.

PRIDE The Best

In 2002, PRIDE launched The Best, a series of shows featuring up-and-coming fighters, using an eight-sided roped ring. However, after the third show in October 2002, the series was discontinued.

PRIDE current champions

Weight Division Champion
Heavyweight Flag of Russia Fedor Emelianenko
Welterweight Flag of the United States Dan Henderson
Lightweight Flag of Japan Takanori Gomi


Retired Championships:

Weight Division Last Champion
Middleweight Flag of the United States Dan Henderson


Tournament Champions:

Year/Weight Division Champion
2000 Openweight Flag of the United States Mark Coleman
2003 Middleweight Flag of Brazil Wanderlei Silva
2004 Heavyweight Flag of Russia Fedor Emelianenko
2005 Middleweight Flag of Brazil Mauricio Rua
2005 Welterweight Flag of the United States Dan Henderson
2005 Lightweight Flag of Japan Takanori Gomi
2006 Openweight Flag of Croatia Mirko Filipović
2006 Welterweight Flag of Japan Kazuo Misaki

Notable PRIDE fighters

Super-Heavyweight

Heavyweight

Middleweight

Welterweight

Lightweight


Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PRIDE_Fighting_Championships

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