I’ll go with not believing, Dana.

Sounds like Dana will continue to sign the top Pride guys to the UFC, and Pride will either die, or become a small time Japansese show….

I don’t think he’s saying that the talent in WEC is better than PRIDE, he’s saying he will make more money off of WEC. I guess this could be true since PRIDE might be dead now, but the PRIDE LightHeavyweights alone will make the UFC more money than the WEC ever will. Unless WEC is officially the UFC minor leagues and the UFC adds some lower weightclasses such as featherweight.

I don’t think he’s saying that the talent in WEC is better than PRIDE, he’s saying he will make more money off of WEC.

Yes, which is not that hard, since he allowed the WEC to run the 145 division kinda exclusively in the US with a star like Urijah Faber and occasional washed-up UFC fighters in the other divisions. If he would actually do something with Pride, he’d definetly make more money off that, but he doesn’t want a strong PrideFC again for whatever petty reasons.

There have been other threads on here about Pride- is it going to recover, is it going away. This is another nail in the coffin. His statements show he doesn’t have much faith or interest in PrideFC.

It’s Zuffa’s money. If they feel it makes good business sense to spend $75 million for another company and then dissolve it, then you go boys!

As for the WEC itself, it probably will be very big for them. They can run it like a UFC-lite. They can operate it as a more cost efficient farm system. More fights in smaller venues… and yes, lower wages. Just like baseball. And mostly the hardcore MMA fans will support it. The casual MMA fans will shell out for the UFC PPV’s to see the ‘big stars’.

Pride is over and done with, the top lightweights will be in the WEC or the UFC. It’s kindof sad to see Pride not go on, but I’m more pumped up about all the possible matches that will be happening in the UFC.

Oh well, I’d rather see the top guys in one organization anyways.

Oh well, I’d rather see the top guys in one organization anyways.

No matter how much I hate to see pride go down the tubes, this is kinda true. Now that the UFC owns PRIDE, the rivalry feels different.

Also, I wouldn’t want it to end up like boxing, trying to promote so many different champs and what not.

They’re huge because of a TV deal with Versus of all things?

Is the World Combat League bigger than Pride, too?

It’s Zuffa’s money. If they feel it makes good business sense to spend $75 million for another company and then dissolve it, then you go boys!

This is true, Zuffa’s will make their money back in no time with the increased PPV revenues for the highly anticipated matches of the “Pride” vs. “UFC” guys.

It’s Zuffa’s money. If they feel it makes good business sense to spend $75 million for another company and then dissolve it, then you go boys!

I don’t think the actual purchase price was ever announced. 75 million was what was announced back when the UFC thought Pride wasn’t in such terrible shape; I’m guessing a lot of the reason the deal took so long was because the price was being renegotiated. I bet it ended up being maybe half of that, or less.

The price is irrelevant, they bought the company to get rid of their number 1 competition. Dont you think Pepsi would pay 75 or 100 million to dissolve Coka Cola?

The price is irrelevant, they bought the company to get rid of their number 1 competition. Dont you think Pepsi would pay 75 or 100 million to dissolve Coka Cola?

Amazing comparison, pure genius. Oh boy …

thanks wise ass

Off topic but I don’t know where else to post it. Phantom Fireworks sponsors a fighter:

Phantom Fireworks congratulates Forrest “The Meat Cleaver” Petz on UFC win!

 Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight Forrest “The Meat Cleaver” Petz has been described as “fireworks.”

That’s why Phantom Fireworks sponsored Petz in his UFC Octagon fight at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla. The event was part of “UFC Fight Night,” which aired on Spike TV on Tuesday, June 12.

Petz battled Luigi Fioravanti for three five-minute rounds. Both put up an excellent fight, but in the end, Phantom’s own Forrest Petz won by decision.

Congratulations, Forrest!

I dont know about WEC being bigger then Pride… well, it shouldnt be. But WEC is entertaining as all hell. Lots of passionate fighters. No real sloppy fat asses like the IFL has (considering most of the WEC fights I have seen have been from 145-to-185) with lots of energy. Say what you want, but Mir is a GREAT commentator. I think the only thing that should be done with the WEC is, try to seperate it from the UFC. Produce the shows differntly, give the girls differnt outfits then the UFC ring girls, try to get some differnt sponsors on the ring. Watching the production of the show, it really looks like UFC jr. Its really debatable, but I think production is what is gonna seperate the differnt MMA organizations in the coming monthes. I think that Ultimately Bodog will gain ground due to Pancrase handling their production now, the UFC will continue due to how classy they handle issues (like Bedev not being on camera when he was KTFO) and IFL will fade to the back due to the unentertaining main cards, HORRIBLE show production (on mytv) and really bad focus on the ‘damage’ caused by fighting.

The price is irrelevant, they bought the company to get rid of their number 1 competition. Dont you think Pepsi would pay 75 or 100 million to dissolve Coka Cola?
14 YouTapped
Jun 22nd, 2007 at 12:42 pm Quote this comment
The price is irrelevant, they bought the company to get rid of their number 1 competition. Dont you think Pepsi would pay 75 or 100 million to dissolve Coka Cola?
Amazing comparison, pure genius. Oh boy …
15 BLOodyMEss
Jun 22nd, 2007 at 12:49 pm Quote this comment
thanks wise ass

Whats the problem with BloodyMess’s comment. UFC bought out thier biggest competion, and have a “monopoly” on the top talent of MMA if they completely squash PRIDE and sign Fedor. I used quotes around the word monopoly because its not a monopoly in the true sense of the word, because there are smaller fighting leagues and promotions still exist, but do they have top talent in the UFC’s weight classes?

Why wouldn’t Pepsi buy their biggest competitor, squash them, and them have the monopoly on top notch cola products.

I used quotes around the word monopoly because its not a monopoly in the true sense of the word, because there are smaller fighting leagues and promotions still exist, but do they have top talent in the UFC’s weight classes?

I don’t understand. I thought that Monopoly was a board game where players compete to acquire wealth through stylized economic activity involving the buying, rental and trading of properties using play money, as players take turns moving around the board according to the roll of the dice.

Whats the problem with BloodyMess’s comment. UFC bought out thier biggest competion, and have a “monopoly” on the top talent of MMA if they completely squash PRIDE and sign Fedor.

The problem is he was comparing two blue-chip companies with the UFC and PrideFC, which was financially already ruined before the UFC decided to acquire it. You see the difference? What do you think how many options they had? “Either we sell it to the highest bidder or we declare bankrupcy”. What would you have chosen?

As for having a “monopoly”: there is still Fedor out there, albeit he is in negotiations right now. Then we have Josh Barnett, we have Denis Kang, we have Arona, we have Aoki, we have Gomi, we have so so many excellent fighters out there and the japanese dominate the 145 division with WEC’s Urijah Faber.

The monopoly you may be referring to is the monopoly over fighters you heard about. I suggest ordering a SHOOTO PPV, a EliteXC/Strikeforce PPV, a bodogFight PPV, a CageRage PPV, a KotC PPV, a K-1 HERO’s PPV, … the UFC does NOT equal MMA, its still just a subset and hopefully always will be, because without competition there would be no motivation for the UFC makers to deliver high quality shows.

The monopoly you may be referring to is the monopoly over fighters you heard about. I suggest ordering a SHOOTO PPV, a EliteXC/Strikeforce PPV, a bodogFight PPV, a CageRage PPV, a KotC PPV, a K-1 HERO’s PPV, … the UFC does NOT equal MMA, its still just a subset and hopefully always will be, because without competition there would be no motivation for the UFC makers to deliver high quality shows.

YouTapped – I really hope you aren’t underestimating my knowledge of MMA. By now way am I saying that I know the most on this site, because many people know more than me. I have ordered every UFC PPV, I ordered the previous 8 or 9 PRIDE PPV’s (not counting the one free on tv) and have MANY Pride DVD’s, I watch the FREE EliteXC events on Showtime, bodog fight is on at 11pm for a half hour and I usually watch that. I seen a few K1 events, including thier most recent event which was lackluster to say the least. I have been watching the WEC for the last few months. But CageRage SUCKS – half thier events feature Butterbean. The CFFC is having 62 year old Ray Mercer fight Kimbo Slick who has no MMA experience, just bare knuckle street fights. If you pay to watch this PPV, you got issues.

So do my a favor mister tap out, and just tap out now and give up on this one.

Sounds like Dana will continue to sign the top Pride guys to the UFC, and Pride will either die, or become a small time Japansese show….

This is whats going to happen whether we MMA fans want it to happen or not. PRIDE is done foe it. Although White claims WEC will blow up. I dont see it happening with the UFC taking the spotlight. That spotlight is way too big. WEC will serve as a good Farm system and keep fans happy inbetween UFC events

What is that homage to an inferiority complex supposed to tell me? I don’t care how much you do or do not know about MMA, my comment was aimed at the monopoly part of your posting, which simply makes little to no sense considering how many other promotions are out there with very entertaining fights.

I explained why the Pepsi-Coke comparison made no sense and I named half a dozen amazing fighters who are not under contract with the UFC. So whenever you want to take this back to a discussion about MMA and not a personal feud, holla at me.

Honestly I don’t think the purchase of WEC will ever be bigger than the legendary PFC. EVER!!! You can’t throw $ @ a promotion and erase an era over night. It might happen, but not 4 many moons my friend.

I’ll go with not believing, Dana.

This is the most rediculous thing I have ever heard Dana say. I now take even more weight out of everything he says.

This is the most rediculous thing I have ever heard Dana say. I now take even more weight out of everything he says.

I still don’t understand why the dissolution of PRIDE and the folding of all the best fighters into UFC comes as a surprise to everybody.

Why did the Fertitta (damn, can never remember the right spelling) brothers buy PRIDE? Because of the name? Nop. The business savvy? Hell no. The income-making deals PRIDE had? Of course not.

Then why? Because they had a) about half the top talent in the world and b) the video library of most fights of said half of the top talent in the world.

I don’t care if all the best fighters get folded into UFC or PRIDE, as long as they all get stuck in the same fighting organization. Why? Because that’s the only way that we can get to see all the best fights and can, finally, find out who the real big dogs in the sport are.

On the other hand, I hope CSAC does end up passing a pro-knees-to-grounded-opponent rule some time soon…but outside of that, I can live with it all being under the unified rules.

They’ll never allow knees 2 the head. Atleast I can’t see that happening.

Knees to the head of ground opponents definitely takes away from the sport, as does soccer kicks to the head, and shots to the back of the head. Granted it helps with faster finishes, but look at how many legendary fights would have ended in the first 3mins in the UFC if knee/kicks to downed opponents were legal…

Knees to the head of ground opponents definitely takes away from the sport, as does soccer kicks to the head, and shots to the back of the head. Granted it helps with faster finishes, but look at how many legendary fights would have ended in the first 3mins in the UFC if knee/kicks to downed opponents were legal…

WTF

I agree with much of what was mentioned by Vox. Although PrideFC was great while it lasted, I always hated the separation of the better fighters in certain divisions. Shoot, I wouldn’t care if the UFC bought all of their competition, if it means we would always get to see the best fighters VS the best friggin’ fighters. I think the WEC deal will be great for the UFC to make more money (which is what Dana was talking about) however, I agree that they should change the production of it if they are going to keep it named WEC. Otherwise, they should just name it the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Then they could show the UFC Unleashed on Spike with the bigger named fighters, and then show the lighter-weight 145 lb fighters and “no name” fighters with potential on Versus, like WEC is currently. Just add a name like UFC “up and comers”, or UFC “featherweights”, or something like that. Im not trying to be an advisor or something, just trying to make the point that I like the idea of being able to put better fighters against each other if the public wants it. Sort of like Boxing does, except all the dumb belts for one single weight-class.