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The MMA Breakdown 4.27.07: The Fall of Pride and its Superstars
Posted by Fritz Martin on 04.27.2007
The year 2007 has been a year of upsets but it is also a year that marks the end of an era for mixed martial arts. Current and former Pride superstars have not done well evocative of the fall of the once great MMA organization. Were Pride fighters really the best in the world?
Dana White coined it best when he said, "We are going after everyone". That's what Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC, basically did in the latter part of 2006 and now in 2007. They acquired the WEC and the WFA organizations in 2006. In 2007 they purchased the crown jewel in Pride FC. Prior to 2007 it was generally accepted by hardcore MMA fans that Pride was the biggest MMA organization in the world since it was unmatched in its production value and the purses made by its fighters. Prior to its sale Pride was able to fill an arena more than three times as much as the current record set in North America. It was light years ahead of the UFC when it came to promoting fights and acquiring the best athletes in the world. The top four heavyweights were all with Pride. They had the most dominant and devastating 205 lbs. champion. Their title contenders for their lightweight division were best in MMA. It all came to an end in 2007! The Fertittas, owners of Zuffa, purchased the once great Japanese MMA organization and changed the MMA landscape forever. A host of current and former Pride fighters have fallen to UFC fighters and newcomers.
The first highly publicized former Pride fighter that the UFC showcased was Heath Herring. Herring was on the main card of UFC Fight Night: Rashad Evans vs. Sean Salmon . Although he was not the main event is bout was the most anticipated match of the night. The famous "kiss" video that was being circulated and televised leading to the fight even garnered some attention from the mainstream media. This was all for naught since he had a very lackluster performance against undefeated but unheard of Jake O' Brien. He was taken down at will and instead of finding away to reverse his opponent he was griping to the referee to stand them up.
Pride's second event in America also saw a host of upsets that put a dent on the Pride brand. Their lightweight champion, Takanori Gomi, was masterfully submitted by former UFC fighter Nick Diaz. Diaz was on the losing end of some big fights in the UFC and therefore was released. This excommunicated fighter then impressively topple the # 1 ranked lightweight fighter in the world. It was ironic that prior to Gomi's entrance Pride showed a video clip of him making a challenge to the UFC's top fighters: Georges St. Pierre, Matt Hughes, and BJ Penn. Frankly, they ended up looking like idiots since their champion couldn't even beat a UFC reject. This event also shocked everyone by the defeat of Antonio Rogerio "Lil" Nog" Nogueira and Wanderlei "Axe Murderer" Silva.
Although these two did not fall in the hands of UFC fighters but they were expected to defeat their respective opponents. Nogueira was KO'd by out of the blue Rameau Sokoudjou and Silva was also KO'd by Pride middleweight champion Dan Henderson.
The last Pride event produced by Dream Stage Entertainment on April 8th featured a revenge match for the Brazilian Top Team against Team Quest. BTT's best 205 pounder Ricardo Arona was supposed to smash Sokoudjou and prove that he was only a one hit wonder. Sokoudjou proved the odds makers wrong again as he KO'd Arona via uppercut. So far the count adds up to 5 Pride "elite" athletes on the wrong side of the win column.
Pride was always known for nurturing the best heavyweights in all of MMA. The new acquisition of Mirko Cro Cop and Fabricio Werdum bolstered the heavyweight ranks of the UFC and shifted the favor of the gods to the Atlantic. While Pride had no new talent to show for in their heavyweight division UFC had a few young fighters such as Brandon Vera, Jake O'Brien, and Gabriel Gonzaga. Cro Cop was predestined to be the next UFC heavyweight champ even before his first bout. His first was a cakewalk against unheralded Eddie Sanchez. His second against Gabriel Gonzaga was supposed to prepare him for Randy Couture. Unfortunately, Gonzaga had other plans since he Cro Copped Mirko Cro Cop. Gonzaga, an established grappler, delivered a lethal high kick that sent Cro Cop back to Croatia. To add insult to injury Mirko twisted his right ankle 180 degrees when fell on his back.
To be fair to all the former Pride fighters that made the switch to the UFC they all had to adjust to their new environment. The most obvious change is their transition from the ring to the cage. Also, the rule difference with the use of elbows and knees to the ground has proven to change the outcome of fights. If Heath Herring was able to use his knees against Jake O' Brien he would rejoicing over a KO victory with knees. If Mirko Cro Cop wasn't systematically barraged with elbows by Gabriel Gonzaga he might have seen that right high kick coming. The fans and the crowd also make a big impact on the pace of the fight since there reaction directly affects the decision the fighters and the referees make. The crowds that go and watch UFC events are littered with both knowledgeable fight fans and the casual drunkard. Unfortunately, you tend to hear more of the unintelligent comments directed towards the fighters when the fight does not turn into a bar brawl.
So far all of the former Pride heavyweights have tasted a loss inside the "octagon". The next big former Pride fighter crossing the pond is Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. The former Pride heavyweight champion will surely be pitted against a top contender. We have to wait and see if Minotauro will be the exception to the rule. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson will have the opportunity of a lifetime against Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell during Memorial Day weekend. Will Rampage be the first former Pride fighter to notch a UFC belt? Rampage has already beaten Liddell once but it was in the Pride ring. He will surely look to prove that whether in a ring or cage he is the better fighter.
The Counter argument of course is all those x UFC title holders over the years had a hard time getting belts in Pride as well.
