UFC Buys Pride....

[wdl]

"This is really going to change the face of MMA," Lorenzo Fertitta said. "Literally creating a sport that could be as big around the world as soccer. I liken it somewhat to when the NFC and AFC came together to create the NFL."

http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/6614284

[MasterKiller]

I hope they don't water-down the Pride rules. I like watching it much better than UFC.

[BruceSteveRoy]

this has the potential to create an amazing worldwide market as well as up the level of skill among participants. however, what happens to current title holders in each weight class? are the pride champs going to have to fight the ufc champs and what not? also the pride people make a heck of a lot more money per fight for undercard fights than the ufc guys. does this mean the title purses will be that much larger and the undercards will still get kind jipped as in the ufc or will the pay rates from pride be used across the board. if thats the case there will be a huge influx of new people trying to get in to the ufc to make the kind of money the pride guys do. just some initial thoughts that came to mind. it will be neat to see how it pans out.

[Ben Gash]

From what I've read elsewhere Pride will still be semi-autonomous and exist as it's own entity.

[rogue]

I've heard that UFC was doing pretty good, but so good to buy Pride? Wow. I think the UFC method of "giving away" some of it's product (Ultimate Fighter) was a smart move. It get's people interested in the sport and hooks them into the fighters. Smart.

[Pork Chop]

don't forget the fact that the UFC business model includes paying undercard fighters in the neighborhood of $2k for a show that grosses well over $10million after pay per view buys.

of course they're rolling in dough.

this may be a bad thing for the fighters though as Pride is where they went for reasonable paychecks.

[BruceSteveRoy]

thats what i said. lol. i feel so ignored.

[Pork Chop]

sorry i fell asleep after your 3rd or 4th sentence
my bad

[PangQuan]

wow you made it that far?


j/k bruce:p

[Mr Punch]

I was afraid of this. This could well suck.

Still it's good for world peace: the whole of countless internet forums will have to stop getting angry and frustrated at the "UFC r00zors Pride LOLZ!" threads and turn to pr0n.

[rogue]

Is Pride making money?

[Mr Punch]

I'm pretty sure they are. Their ticket sales over here are immense. A VIP seat near the front can cost 120,000 yen. Most of them are 20,000 I think. The mercchandising is also immense: plastic models, clothing, signed programmes (a normal programme will cost you 1-2000 yen, more for the bigger ones), the works.

However, for some reason probably documented on Sherdog among other places, the bosses fell out with Japanese TV and they went to PPV, which lost pretty much their whole TV audience and a tasty deal (nobody really watches PPV over here).

The fighters' purses are big though, and so are the venues, so maybe they aren't making so much...

The definitive answer is: I've no ****ing idea! :D

[BruceSteveRoy]

wow you made it that far?


j/k bruce:p

*adjusts tie ala rodney dangerfield*

I get no respect

[Pork Chop]

I'm pretty sure they are. Their ticket sales over here are immense. A VIP seat near the front can cost 120,000 yen. Most of them are 20,000 I think. The mercchandising is also immense: plastic models, clothing, signed programmes (a normal programme will cost you 1-2000 yen, more for the bigger ones), the works.

However, for some reason probably documented on Sherdog among other places, the bosses fell out with Japanese TV and they went to PPV, which lost pretty much their whole TV audience and a tasty deal (nobody really watches PPV over here).


じゃ日本語を書きましょう。。。
切符そなに高いですか？マジ？
PRIDEのアクションフィギャアを買いたい、本当に！
PRIDEの前のオーナがやくざだと言うわけだね？
だから日本のテレビに断れたと思ってるさ。。。