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UFC purchases PRIDE

EmoshunPosted on 03/27/07 at 23:09:26

Looks like we're about to have one less subforum:

NEW YORK -- The majority owners of Ultimate Fighting Championship have agreed to buy their biggest mixed martial arts rival, Pride Fighting Championships, in a deal that will establish megafights among the outfits' titleholders and possibly attract huge pay-per-view audiences.

Company executives declined to comment on the sales price, but a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press that brothers Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta will purchase the Japan-based Pride for less than $70 million. The person was not authorized to speak to reporters and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The deal was completed Tuesday and was announced during a news conference in Tokyo, where Lorenzo Fertitta has been negotiating with Nobuyuki Sakakibara, the majority owner and chief executive of Dream Stage Entertainment Inc., Pride's owner.
Full story from ESPN.com
Rick GarrardPosted on 03/28/07 at 14:04:09

one less pseudo-shoot MMA company means less titles and more "credibility".
PulsarPosted on 03/29/07 at 05:14:32

Not really, cause there were ALOT of differences. I'm psyched about the possible UFC vs. PrideFC fighters, but it means some decent nobodies will be out in the cold
Rick GarrardPosted on 03/29/07 at 05:19:00

I bet I can guess what one of the upcoming editions of Spike's Ultimate Fighter will be....


UFC vs Pride
pszPosted on 03/29/07 at 05:46:22

Dana White and Co. have already said that they want to have some sort of "MMA Superbowl"



MMAnia? :-P