Zuffa released a Mauricio "Shogun" Rua highlight video to hype the upcoming Shogun / Forrest Griffin fight at UFC 76 (interestingly though it says PRIDE FC Worldwide in the intro text, I guess this is because technically PFCWW LLC owns the right to the footage and not Zuffa).
Noticeably missing are stomps and his dismantling of Rampage. Coincidence? This is Zuffa we're talking about so probably not.
Yoshida's VIVA JUDO! camp was held yesterday in Kamisu, Ibaraki, with 120 kids participating. Yoshida trained with the kids for about one and a half hour. Yoshida said in an interview that he wouldn't fight for anyone else then PRIDE, even if there were offers from other organizations and he had to sit out for the rest of the year and wait.
And yet he's sending his fighters to the UFC, Michihiro Omigawa will face Matt Wiman at UFC 76, and it was rumored that Kazuhiro Nakamura was going to face Chuck Liddell before they booked Keith Jardine instead.
Shinya Aoki and Hayato "Mach" Sakurai were on Samurai TV today. Both said they didn't know when they're fighting next or when (the correct term should probably be "if" ...) the next PRIDE event will be held. Aoki however declared that he wasn't looking to join another promotion and was still committed to fight for PRIDE in the future.
I have to say Aoki has bigger faith in Zuffa then I do, but then again it is rumored that Joe Silva would love to see more exciting jiu-jitsu guys in the UFC...
Sherdog reported yesterday about Tanigawa hoping to reveal a big surprise this Monday on their HERO's card. The rumors flying around is that the surprise is PRIDE lightweight champion Takanori Gomi signing with the promotion. This rumor is coming only a day after Tamura signed with HERO's, and leaves one questioning if the PRIDE fighters now finally are up for grabs by anyone, and not Zuffa exclusives. Another consequence from this is that any belt unification Zuffa is trying to accomplish becomes meaningless when you don't have all the title holders under contract.
With Gomi possibly taking the step to HERO's this also opens up the question if other PRIDE fighters will do the same. Hayato "Mach" Sakurai and Marcus Aurelio is destined for the UFC, but there are a ton of high caliber light weights that are ronins at this point, Joachim Hansen, Gilbert Melendez, Mitsuhiro Ishida, Shinya Aoki and Tatsuya Kawajiri, just to name a few.
[Dana White] On the possibility of the Quinton Jackson-Dan Henderson fight being a unification fight:Source
"No. What we’re doing with that thing is we’re respecting both (the UFC and PRIDE) titles. The UFC title is the UFC champion and we’re respecting Dan as the PRIDE champion. Quinton will walk out with his belt if Dan wins and vice versa."
A small article went up today on PRIDE's official website about Takada's wrestling camp for kids, Diamond Kids College. What's interesting about this is that it was at the press conference for this event that Takada yesterday blurted out the 11th October date for the next PRIDE show, but this is curiously not mentioned at all in the article on PRIDE's website.
Gryphon also notes that Takada is nothing more than a public face for PRIDE (if even that these days), without any real power. When Sakakibara and DSE controlled the organization Takada at least had some insight into what was going on behind the scenes, but with a Zuffa owned organization Takada is most likely left in the dark.
So what's the truth about the October 11th date? No one but Zuffa knows for sure, but at this stage it looks like nothing more than wishful thinking by a Takada longing back to the glory days.
FightOpinion relays word today from Daily Sports that PRIDE will return on October 11th, ten years on the day after the first PRIDE show was held. The man behind the message? No other than Nobuhiko Takada. The question is who does Takada represent? You would think that a Zuffa controlled PRIDE wouldn't have someone like Takada convey their message in a PR event that's not even associated with them.
Takada said that he wanted to see Rickson Gracie at the event (I would guess to say a few words to the crowd and not to fight), together with an all-star assembly of fighters.
Watch the Rickson Gracie vs Takada main event from PRIDE 1, October 11th 1997, after the jump.
In the UFC ... ... officially signed are: ... rumoured to be signed are: In the WEC ... In EliteXC ... Undecided ...
Since PRIDE went into hibernation a number of organizations have been trying to sign its talent.
Here’s a list of some of the former PRIDE fighters whereabouts.
In K-1 ...
FightOpinion is quoting an article from Nikkan Sports that says that the new PRIDE run by Zuffa will make its debut in Japan on August 18th. The article says that the show will center around the Japanese stars (well they are the only ones left really so not much choice there). The only reported name is Hidehiko Yoshida, but it wouldn't be to far fetched to assume that other Japanese fighters like Takanori Gomi, Kazuhiro Nakamura and Kazuyuki Fujita would participate as well.
If this really is true then we should hear something official soon, they're supposedly having the show in Saitama Super Arena so ticket sales would have to start ASAP to sell a decent amount of tickets.
It should also be noted that this could be Zuffa's first and last PRIDE show. By holding one show they can at least say they ran a PRIDE show in Japan. It could also be a testbed for Zuffa to learn how they should run a real UFC show in Japan
Writer Nate Edwards has a good article up on Doghouse Boxing talking about how Dana White is clearly favoring certain fighters.
Link
Turns out Shinya Aoki's announcement wasn't what we where hoping for. Instead as speculated the Paraestra Tokyo fighter will participate in DEEP's grappling show DEEP X.
His opponent will be Brazilian Pedro Akira from BON-SAI Japan JIU-JITSU Team, a rematch from Campeonato Japones 2005 where Aoki quite easily choked Akira out.
Curiously enough this was announced on PRIDE's website and not on DEEP's own page.
Source: PRIDE Official Website
Shinya Aoki against Pedro Akira in Campeonato Japones 2005:
Japanese Shooto Middleweight champion and PRIDE fighter (not to mention a MMA Annotation favorite) Shinya Aoki wrote on his blog today that where will be a big announcement tomorrow, one where we should keep our attention on him.
The speculation is of course if this has anything to to with Zuffa's new PRIDE. Another possibility (which has been rumored before) is Aoki's participation on DEEP's grappling card DEEP X on the 17th of June.
Sherdog reports that FEG released the first names for their upcoming 154 lbs tournament on the July 16th card at Yokohama Arena.
