Two independent, reliable and unrelated sources have confirmed that Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta — whom own and operate Zuffa LLC, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) — have purchased its biggest rival, PRIDE FC, for $65 million.
I’ve been sitting on this nugget all afternoon since hearing it live on the Savage Dog Show and Beatdown Sherdog radio.
For months, we’ve heard rumors that the two biggest mixed martial arts promotions on the planet would soon be under one roof. We’ve carefully passed along those rumors, and almost didn’t this time around because we don’t want to fan the flames and get hopes up.
Naturally, it’s created quite a stir, especially in the forums.
Remember, this is pure speculation.
According to the report, UFC President Dana White has had no involvement in the talks — at least not on the surface.
It’s unclear the precise reasons behind that decision, as well as the Fertittas making the purchase separate from their company.
However, if the rumor is indeed fact, we’ll find out in the coming days.
UPDATE: MMAWeekly.com has checked with its sources, including those in Japan, and is not only corroborating the statements made on Sherdog radio, but is also adding a few more details:
Here’s a snip:
“According to our sources, the purchase is believed to include fighter contracts, Pride’s video library, and the Pride FC name brand. The issue of fighter contracts is one of the more touchy points, as there can be variables in each individual contract that will have to be dealt with, and no information has come forth that states which fighters would be included. It was not immediately clear when the deal would be announced, although it is believed that Nobuyuki Sakikabara, the President & CEO Of Dream Stage Entertainment (Pride’s present owner), is traveling to the United States this week in regards to matters related to the agreement.”
Once again, it’s important to note that there is apparently nothing signed. Take this latest update with a grain of salt and try to not get too excited — or upset — until the transaction is made official.
And, there’s always the possibility that the deal — if there even is one — could fall apart.
45 Comments »
This could be the greatest or worst thing ever, we shall see…
I hope this isn’t just a wet dream
Oh my god – if this is the real deal, it’s big. Really big! I hope if the Fertittas brothers purchased Pride FC, they will continue to run it as a seperate promotion. I know they have a good relationship with Dana, but for christs sake, don’t give that wannabe more power. Or make a prize at least!
Hahaha … Dana can have Pride FC if he beats Fedor…
as long as they show fights we want to see….i love it
Be increadible…but we’ll see…heres hopeing.
If they keep them as seperate companies, then great. Sure, we could have more Liddell v Silva’s and Fedor v. Crocop II ( I just had an orgasm ), but they could still keep the promos seperate. The stuff they do in Japan is illegal here, like OWGP’s and Bushido’s. I live for that stuff. I would love to see some UFC fighters have to fight twice in one night, or have to deal with the ring, which in my mind is soooo much better than the cage.
[quote comment="15311"]Oh my god – if this is the real deal, it’s big. Really big! I hope if the Fertittas brothers purchased Pride FC, they will continue to run it as a seperate promotion. I know they have a good relationship with Dana, but for christs sake, don’t give that wannabe more power. Or make a prize at least!
Hahaha … Dana can have Pride FC if he beats Fedor…[/quote]
So what if Dana runs it, look how much the UFC has developped…
Actually if it is true I dont care about Liddell-Rampage2 anymore at all, because now there are options like Liddell-Silva, Liddell-Hendo, Liddell-Shogun … (I need to take a breather).
Lets all pray they keep ‘em seperated. Yellow Cards, ring instead of cage, real tournaments, open-weight match-ups, better refs, higher quality interviews and backstage material, and so on. They could have an annual UFC vs. PRIDE FC event, with each UFC champion fighting his PRIDE FC counterpart.
The possibilities are endless and there is alot of potential in this – lets just hope Dana doesn’t fuck it all up.
[quote comment="15321"]So what if Dana runs it, look how much the UFC has developped…[/quote]
It has developed because it focused on the entertainment aspect more than the sport itself. For whatever reason in the states entertainment means more than anything. UFC became big and bigger with stuff like Shamrock-Ortiz I-MCMLIIV and the goofy WWE-style press conferences where fighters call each other out and act the raging beast at TUF shows. Granted – with the money they made they also put something into good purchases like Cro Cop, but if Couture-Sylvia hasn’t taught us anything, than at least it showed what kinda weaking dominated the UFC heavyweight for so long.
But I am not in the mood to debate how good or bad the UFC is. Hell, I am watching it anyway.
Holy shit! Dear God please be true
I just hope they keep the sport aspect of Pride alive, as YTed alluded to. No fluff, just fights. Losses dont mean as much, it’s the effort put out that matters. For example, in Japan, Jake O’Brien might have won, but he wouldnt ever get another fight.
@ YouTapped, with reference to “better refs,” the UFC actually doesn’t hire the referees, all of that is done by the gaming commission of the state the event will take place in.
Cro cop would never be champ
No way he would ever get through hunt
I wanna see chuck vs hendersen next in japan… wow
What makes you say Hunt would stop Cro Cop? Please tell me thats not a reference to their fight in 2005? It was the only fight Cro Cop ever wore shoes and there was a reason for it. And even with this handicap to his most devastating weapon hunt could only win by decision.
[quote comment="15345"]What makes you say Hunt would stop Cro Cop? Please tell me thats not a reference to their fight in 2005? It was the only fight Cro Cop ever wore shoes and there was a reason for it. And even with this handicap to his most devastating weapon hunt could only win by decision.[/quote]
i didnt even see that fight… i just watched fedor vs hunt and fedor wanted no part of hunt on his feet. hunt is just so fast so such a huge fat mf. it just seemed that if even one of those short hooks would have landed on fedor he was done…im not a huge cro cop fan just cuz hes kinda a dork (even though i would never say that to his face)… lol
If Gomi faught in the Ufc, he wouldnt be champion….if mach faught in the UFC he would have to fight welterweight…Pride has some good stuff going for them, but i think Fertatas still have some cleaning up to do….Liddell is better in the UFC, because he is good at using the cage for takedown defense and standing up…as we saw at Pride 33, Wanderlei isnt as good using Amreican rules…I think they can keep them two seperate organizations, but it will be easier for fighters to flip flop/ grudge match/dream match?ect…whatever… i also think that it is good that the two top organizations are alot different so you can see different types of MMA, but down the road we can see whos the best fighter for real
[quote comment="15347"]im not a huge cro cop fan just cuz hes kinda a dork (even though i would never say that to his face)… lol[/quote]
lol – not sure what makes you think he is a dork. He is one of the nicest guys, I had the chance to meet him at the airport once and he was very relaxed and didn’t seemed bothered that I asked him a few questions. Frankly that was the moment I became a fan of him (in his K-1 days).
On the topic: I believe Ed Fisherman could still screw this deal up. I just dont see how a promotion could be bought while a lawsuit is being filled.
65 Million!!! That’s a bargain!!
65 mill does seem like a bargin.. but then again i have no idea how much they generate in profit a year.. the company i work for is a medical device company and we just got bought out by a larger company and they paid 750million for us… so 65 mill seems like a very little bit for such a large orginazation with alot of potential to be huge!
Maybe a bargain, maybe not. What did them Asians really have invested anyway? A bunch of almost out contracts…or signing them for 1-2 at a time or open contracts ect. Seems like they planned something…for something…then sell what for 65 million? I would not look past those guys personally. Take your money and run people if I’ve ever seen it. But what do I know.
I’ll believe this when I when I see something more concrete. Pride will stay Pride. Pride won’t fall under Zuffa but I do see cross promotions. They’ll keep them separate. Just checking O.K. good it isn’t April 1st.
This is great there are several ass whoopins I would like to see set up on this deal if its true lets see.
I would like to see Fedor Vs. Silvia something about Timmay being humiliated makes me happy
Shogun Vs. Tito just because you know they won’t give shogun the shot he deserves at chuck
Tank Abbot Vs. Frank Mir 2 just be great to see a loser leaves and never returns both need to hang it up
I’d Love to see Arlovski Vs. Hunt can you say BANG
Silva Vs. Bisping hey Mate knock out him if you get past Sinosic lol
last but not least no one wants to see it but me but I’d love to see Don Frye Vs. Randy Cotoure
well f-it thats all I got to say about it
If this is true god what a freaking dream come true, I hope they leave it seperate some what, I wouldnt mind seeing 3-4 pride come here and 3-4 UFC go over there on the pay per views and at the end of the year maybe have one giant pay per view, But what if this ends up like WWE and WCW and they end up screwing everything up? this will be huge if they do it right. Liddell vs Shogun JESUS CHRIST!.
Again I agree with Tommy, Pride is possibly a sinking ship anyway. Who do they really have besides Fedor, his bro Alex, Silva, and henderson?
[quote post="1517"]Again I agree with Tommy, Pride is possibly a sinking ship anyway. Who do they really have besides Fedor, his bro Alex, Silva, and henderson?[/quote]
Dude??! How about Kang, Filho, Arona, the Nogueira brothers, Rua, Hunt, Barnett, Misaki, Sakurai and Gomi? Every one of them are considered A-level fighters in the MMA world.
If the Ferittas do indeed purchase Pride, it won’t be as easy as cutting a check. Consider this from FightOpinion.com:
a major roadblock in any sort of purchase of PRIDE is about to be finalized. Ed Fishman and his attorneys are expected to finalize their lawsuit against Dream Stage Entertainment either tonight or early tomorrow. The lawsuit will be over breach of contract, and it will include a focus on putting all of PRIDE’s major players past and present (Nobuyuki Sakakibara, Yukino Kanda, Hideki Yamamoto, etc.) under court deposition. What could be revealed under court deposition?
1. Who is the mystery owner of PRIDE (Shukan Gendai has been claiming all along that it is Mr. I aka Mr. Ishizaka aka Kim Dok-Soo, former loan shark from the Osaka area)?
2. Where revenue streams from PRIDE-related USA activities specifically went in regards to being sent back home (Japan or South Korea?)
3. Details or stories regarding police investigations into the company (could we see details about the Kanagawa Police investigation involving Seiya Kawamata and also potentially discussion of related-matters from Tokyo Metropolitan Police?)
4. The status of fighter contracts (and whether or not those said fighter contracts can be enforceable in the US or if the top fighters are essentially all free agents at this point)
5. Tax and immigration-related issues (i.e. proper or false tax filings in the US, traveling or working visas, etc.)
Once the Ed Fishman lawsuit is officially filed, we will try to look at the legal claim and analyze it further.
OMG i pissed in my own mouth, im so excited…this better be true.
True but almost all of the fighters mentioned by everyone have no real contract left with Pride. Prides financial involvement and obligations are nothing in compare to 65 million. They have been bleeding that company for a reason I believe.
Boooooooooo
I cant wait till Wednesday just to see if this is a done deal. I hope it is still seperate promotions, then they could afford to keep high profile fighters.
ya buds,shogan rua and chuck liddell would be a dream match but i hope this doesnt result in a dana white/zuffa “fuck you where else you gonna go?”attittude toward the fighters,resulting in lower pay outs for them
oh and id like to see fedor and sylvia fight to!!and maybe brock lesnar and bob sapp
$65 million seems like a pittance, but you have to understand that the yen (Japanese currency) is worth much less than the dollar. So, the profit that Pride makes in Japan is instantly shrunk when you convert it to dollars.
Anyways, I agree that they should run it as a separtate organization, but still with certain ties to the UFC. For instance, there should be a separate belt for any fighter who establishes the title in both leagues. Plus I want to see all the wet dream matchups.
brock lesner = K1 heroes
It almost sounds like there won’t be much of Pride left by the time the court shit settles itself…I’m too unfamillar with Asian legal policies and such…this may put Pride owned fighters on the sidelines for quite sometime…
i love this please be true The heavyweight class is going to have a totally different face
if all this legal nonsense stops these guys from fighting, or having a home to fight in, its ridiculous….whats Ed Fishman bitching about?? Did he think that he should have the rights to buy it?
We should start a survey or something and send it to Zuffa and show them the matches we want to see. I would pay money for anyone of these dream matches, if Zuffa see’s this then maybe these matches will get taken serious rather us just talking about it on blogs.
Hmm…methinks I remember Dana White mentioning how Zuffa would like to standardize the international rules, much like FIFA has done for football (soccer).
It would be ideal to keep the organizations apart but do cross promotions. If the Pride ship should happen to sink, it won’t drag UFC down with it. I would also be concerned about the legal hurdles ahead, not only the Fishman lawsuit but the possible Japanese underworld element. Here’s one way to get rid of that lawsuit, hire Fishman to run Pride.
Sounds good eh!;)
Hope this is really true! MY God imagine if it were…there wud be countless possibilities…liddell vs silva, couture vs barnett II, fedor vs crocop, and many others! i cant even organize my thought wen thinking of possible bouts!