PRIDE - Never Forgotten

Many UFC fans that have Spike TV should be a little familiar with PRIDE just based on the repeats on Wednesday nights, but it’s the hardcore MMA fans that remember PRIDE back in its glory days. Fans remember PRIDE as one of the only, if not the only organization to allow kicks to a grounded opponent, including soccer kicks, and stomping, and being able to knee an opponent to the head while he’s on the ground. PRIDE will go down in history as one of the best, if not the 2nd best MMA company (2nd to UFC of course). Many fighters today still say they miss parts of PRIDE and the way they did things. Heath Herring has gone on record and said he got paid more by PRIDE than the UFC, and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson said PRIDE had incredible after parties. He says that after PRIDE was over they would have a party right there in the arena, with all of the fans joining in, as well as the owners.

In addition, I doubt the UFC would even argue with the fact that PRIDE had the best walkouts for their fighters, in all of MMA so far. Although you can’t blame the UFC for not wanting to pay thousands of dollars for ramps to raise and lower fighters up and down to enter the arena, as well as hire some crazy woman to scream the fighters names as they walk into the ring, and having drums, lights, shooting flames, shooting steam, and confetti, just made it that much cooler.

PRIDE was the beginning, and the end, of some of the greatest fighters, if not the greatest fighters in the world. PRIDE was where Anderson Silva, the best pound for pound fighter in the world started to hit his prime, as well as Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. Mauricio and Wanderlei Silva were both considered the greatest light heavyweight in the world at one point during their time with PRIDE. Fedor Emelianenko started his legacy in PRIDE, as being considered the best pound for pound fighter in the world.

PRIDE was also the organization where Dan “Hendo” Henderson and Rampage made names for themselves. Dan won two world titles in two different weight classes, the Middleweight and Welterweight divisions. Rampage became known for his one in a million personality and his literally, one in a million slams that he would do on his opponents. Like his slam against Ricardo Arona, where Ricardo went for a triangle from the bottom, and Rampage picked him up “Like a Pillow” as Joe Rogan says, lifted him over his head and slammed him, along with his head, on the ground, which resulted in an instant and vicious knockout.

Some people say PRIDE is where Mirko Cro Cop and Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira had their prime, both winning the Heavyweight title at some point in their time with the company. Mirko Cro Cop became famous for his devastating kicks, where he coined the phrase “Right leg, hospital. Left leg, cemetery”. Antonio Nogueira became famous for his devastating submissions, submitting the likes of Mirko Cro Cop himself, as well as submitting Dan Henderson (so did his little brother “Little Nog”).

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PRIDE had a big impact on all aspects of MMA, especially the UFC. Both Anderson Silva and Rampage Jackson, had only two fights in the UFC, and took the titles from Rich Franklin, and Chuck Liddell, coincidentally; they both took out the former champions both in the first round of their title fights. PRIDE gave the UFC many new and great fighters as well as champions to the organization. Such fighters as the current, and longest reigning Middleweight champion of the UFC, Anderson “The Spider” Silva, the former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, and former UFC Interim Heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Noguiera. The UFC now has a new Light Heavyweight Champion as well named Mauricio “Shogun” Rua who was a huge part of PRIDE, in addition one of the number one contenders Antonio Rogerio "Minotoro" Nogueira. Many organizations have also adopted similar rules and types of entertainment which PRIDE used. For instance Strikeforce has enforced the rule of no elbows to an opponent, like PRIDE, as well as used the same pyrotechnics like steam and flames shooting up out of the ground for when a fighter does his walkout.

Just about everything PRIDE did, especially the caliber of their fighters, is legendary, and still debated to this day as to whether the UFC or PRIDE had the greatest fighters in the world. At this point it doesn’t really matter because PRIDE is gone, and the UFC has nearly every fighter worth having from PRIDE. Although the UFC and hardcore MMA fans have both agreed, PRIDE will never be forgotten.

By Jake Nelson
ProFighting-fans.com MMA Staff Writer