Pride's owner throwing out some bold statements
Quote:
Pride DSE president Sakakibara is gunning for the UFC in a big way according to Tokyo Sports newspaper in Japan. Sakakibara’s goal is to bring his show and fighters to America and takeover the UFC. This takeover plan involves his aim to take all the UFC belts and a supershow or an MMA superbowl of sorts.
The first part of this takeover plan that was disclosed to Tokyo Sports is to happen in November at UFC 65 when Wanderlei Silva fights the UFC’s Chuck Liddell. And as Pres. Sakakibara puts it his fighters will “devour” all the UFC athletes.
On July 8th Sakakibara and Wanderlei Silva attended UFC 61 and the Pride president was impressed with the MMA fervor. But, he said that he wasn’t going to stand idly by as the sport grows in America. He is going to put on a MMA superbowl next summer with plans to hold it in a football stadium. He said that whichever stadium they use it will have a capacity of over 60,000, and if they seat fans on the field it will be over 100,000. Sakakibara is confident with the MMA zeal in America that the stadium will be packed to capacity and that it will even surpass the attendance of the 2002 Dynamite show that was jointly promoted by Pride and K-1.
Not only does Sakakibara plan on using a stadium to host his supershow but he mentioned the possibility of using a ring and a cage in the same event. Using the ring for round one, the cage for round two, and the ring for round three. Or vice versa. That way the Pride or UFC fighters can’t have an excuse about what they fought in.
But Sakakibara realizes that “ it will be a fierce battle between the promoters.” And, he even expects that the UFC may storm the Pride show in Las Vegas on October 21st. But, his plan is to take all of the UFC belts, as Sakakibara said,” not just Silva alone, but Fedor, Yoshida, Fujita, and Gomi. I’m going to send these guys into the octagon to devour them first.” Starting this Fall, Sakakibara said Pride will start sending fighters to take the UFC titles, and then deliver the finishing blow at the MMA superbowl. Sakakibara stated, “If we take the titles, the UFC will have nowhere to run.”
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http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/...=2470&zoneid=2
While I have little doubt Pride's best could steamroll UFCers Sakakibara's statements about attendance hitting 100,000 & alternating rounds in a cage and ring make me think this guy has alot to learn about MMA in the USA.
Then again I know he is a smart businessman and is just hyping up Pride's foray into the US market.
Whaddaya think could Gomi take Hughes?
Hendo vs Franklin?
MMA Superbowl in '07?
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