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Post-PRIDE 34 media coverage
By Zach Arnold | April 9, 2007
Sankei Sports quoted Nobuyuki Sakakibara stating his desire to see a worldwide MMA commission created, with unified rules and talent exchanges from all promoters. The article claims that Sakakibara is coming to America at the end of the week to meet with Zuffa (Lorenzo Fertitta) to propose the commission idea.
Sports Nippon has an article talking about Kazushi Sakuraba’s appearance with Yoshihiro Takayama for a Samurai TV taping. The theme of the conversation was about PRIDE & K-1 cooperating together.
Nikkan Sports has an article talking about PRIDE vs. UFC being the theme of the first Zuffa-ran shinsei PRIDE event on 5/20 at Saitama Super Arena. The names of Sean Sherk and Georges St. Pierre were mentioned (pushing Gomi vs. Sherk and Aoki vs. GSP). The article claims that Sakakibara will spend a week in America (starting this weekend).
Topics: Japan, Media, MMA, PRIDE, UFC, Zach Arnold | 22 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Any word on how accurate these sources have been in the past? All this talk of UFC fighters in PRIDE just seem stupid … the UFC’s already got their top guys locked to fight in big money UFC events.
The reports are being fueled by Sakakibara, so take it or leave it for credibility on that front.
I think the bigger story that no one has discussed today is an item I posted on the site about Zuffa taking over on May 1st (with DSE staying in power for the rest of April).
“I think the bigger story that no one has discussed today is an item I posted on the site about Zuffa taking over on May 1st (with DSE staying in power for the rest of April).”
How exactly? I know statements have said April, but it has also, all along been said .34 would be run by DSE. How in the hell would Zuffa take over the reigns in the middle of the month? If they had taken over on Apr 1st, there would have been obvious issues with DSE promoting .34.
Sakakiyakuza doesnt sound like a man on his way out
he seems to have plenty of plans for the future
“he seems to have plenty of plans for the future”
Stepping down as PRIDE President doesn’t = never having anything to do with PRIDE or MMA again. Or in Saka terms: Letting go of your daughter doesn’t mean you’ll never meet her again or drop all interest in your family. I think it’s great if he stays active somewhere somehow. Less chance of him jumping off some building.
well, if the reason for him stepping down was to get tv coverage back for pride, then you would think that he should get as far away as possible from pride
spare me the daughter comparisons – would you sell your daughter?
if pride was anybody’s child, it was morishitas not that scumbag anyway
“I think it’s great if he stays active somewhere somehow. Less chance of him jumping off some building.”
He shouldn’t be involved at all, he stepped down to clean the image of the company. How is going to look if still invovled after May?
It seems Sakakibara wants top UFC stars to compete in the GP, I wonder how that’s going to play with Joe Silva and Dana White.
Also the notion of working with rival promoters isn’t the UFC MO either.
Sakakibara constantly being interviewed about PRIDE’s future plans certainly isn’t indicative of a man on his way out. But, as Zach said, I guess he still has authority until May.
The reason I bring up the May 1st date for transition of assets is that it goes back to the due diligence (don’t scream at me) argument. Sakakibara coming to America this weekend to meet with Zuffa is a signal that this is a meeting to prepare final negotiations for the asset sale. As in, once the PR happened on 3/27 with Lorenzo and Dana in Japan, the due diligence process likely only started after the public media session.
It will be intriguing to see what Zuffa’s accountants and attorneys approach Sakakibara with at the meeting this weekend.
I cannot for the life of me understand what Sakakibara is doing or why he is blowing all this hot air about plans which I am sure he has no say in. With the shape the PRIDE is in in Japan, and after the show they just put on, why would Zuffa send their welterweight (recently tarnished) golden-boy GSP to Japan to fight Aoki? Doesn’t he understand the meaning of stepping down?
I guess the Japanese guys emphasize the saving face portion of life a bit too much. Know when to fold ’em buddy and just walk out.
– Can we go back a bit? I mean when did you make the final decision?
Sakakibara: We didn’t sign a contract till March. In Los Angeles, I met their lawyers,my lawyer and Lorenzo joined through the phone. We said “All right, let’s close the deal”, but for some reasons, I couldn’t sign right away.
Why would you negiotate after you closed the deal? Is it possible that they’re meeting to iron out this.
–A quick note regarding the Fertitta Brothers buying Pride. The reason a lot of the future seems to be vague is because it is. Now that the purchase is done, they are going to start formulating a battle plan on how to work it. This current Pride show on 4/8 was put together by the current regime and there was no input from the outside to the matches. When it comes to Pride, from this point forward, everything is up in the air.
Seems like they’re really trying to push the face of being hometown run even though foreigners are taking it over…could be a good idea – if it were ANYONE but Sakakibara.
Zach or anyone who knows the Japanese scene well:
Is Sakakibara getting a lot of “babyface/sympathy heat” (sweet, im learning some pro wrestling terms guys!) over all of this stuff going on or are the fight fans seeing right through this?
Seems like he was pushing the “look I’m bringing Saku – Tamura for you as a swan song!!” card at PRIDE.34 (but I dont speak Japanese).
according to yahoo, matt serra was today’s number one search.
Because, as I stated on the site and suspected all along, it’s possible that Zuffa and DSE came to a tentative agreement (heads of agreement, whatever you want to call it) and now the due diligence is occuring.
That’s a pretty good reason potentially for Sakakibara coming over to America this weekend (to meet with Zuffa to go over any potential problems before the deal is closed out).
Cmon Zach, Zuffa would never announce things before they’re 100% complete, except…
Someday, someone will give me credit here Zack. 🙂
Sakakibara is getting zero positive attention right now. If anything, Tanigawa of K-1 is getting the babyface pop for allowing his guy (Sakuraba) to go to the ‘final’ PRIDE show.
You should have seen all the pamphlets and gimmicks with Sakakibara’s face at the PRIDE 34 show. It was ridiculous. His face was plastered over the free CD giveouts as well. This was one big self-congratulatory tribute to him in Saitama.
A lot of things are possible Zach, but there’s no indication that sale hasn’t been completed. The only information that has come out after the announcement pertained to the set up of the new company and the asset transfer to the new company. You’re not going on much more than a hunch.
I don’t deny that an agreement wasn’t reached. I just think it will be very interesting to see what Sakakibara is asked at the meeting this weekend, especially on fighter contracts.
Fighter contracts, I love Fishman. 🙂
An excerpt from a recent interview.
SH: Then why do you think they didn’t give you 30 days to evaluate?
Fishman: I don’t know why he never wanted to show any of the agreements, contracts with the fighters, explain who are the other owners of DSE and PRIDE, where the losses are and who was the money owed to.
Just watched Pride – any idea where Yoshida was?
Didn’t Yoshida get thrown into a last second fight with James Thompson in a recent PRIDE and get his ass kicked brutally? I wouldn’t be too eager to show up at the farewell party after that.