PRIDE FC
- Founded
- 1997 (PRIDE 1, Oct 11, 1997, Tokyo Dome)
- Founders
- Nobuyuki Sakakibara, Hiromichi Momose, Naoto Morishita
- Home base
- Tokyo, Japan
- Fate
- Bought by Zuffa (UFC's owner) in March 2007 and shut down later that year.
Notable Eras
- KRS era: born from Rickson Gracie vs. Nobuhiko Takada
- Dream Stage Entertainment era: the Grand Prix tournaments and the Saitama Super Arena spectacles
- Fuji TV drops the broadcast in 2006
Key Events
- PRIDE 1 (1997): Gracie vs. Takada
- PRIDE Grand Prix 2000
- Shockwave / Dynamite!! (2002, with K-1)
- PRIDE Final Conflict 2003 and 2005
Legendary Champions
- Fedor Emelianenko
- Wanderlei Silva
- Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua
- Takanori Gomi
- Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira
- Dan Henderson
The Full History
1997: Gracie vs. Takada
PRIDE was created to stage a fight between Rickson Gracie and pro wrestler Nobuhiko Takada at the Tokyo Dome on October 11, 1997.
1999–2005: The Golden Age
Run by Dream Stage Entertainment (DSE), PRIDE grew into the world's top-drawing MMA company, with Grand Prix tournaments, huge arena shows and a heavyweight division led by Fedor Emelianenko.
2006: The Collapse
In June 2006 Fuji TV ended its broadcast deal after a magazine reported links between DSE and organised crime. The loss of TV money hit the promotion hard.
2007: Sale and Shutdown
In March 2007 Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta bought PRIDE's assets. On October 4, 2007 the Tokyo office was closed and its roughly 20 Japanese staff were let go, ending PRIDE as an active promotion.
Why It Closed
Scandal, then lost TV money. From 2006 a Japanese magazine published reports linking the company behind PRIDE to organised crime. On June 5, 2006 Fuji TV ended its broadcast contract, cutting off PRIDE's main revenue. Its operators sold the promotion to the Fertitta brothers in March 2007, and the new owners closed the Tokyo office on October 4, 2007.
Legacy
For a decade PRIDE was the rival that many fans thought was the true top of the sport: bigger crowds, the Grand Prix format and the greatest heavyweight run in history. Its spirit lives on in RIZIN.
