UFC vs. Pride – Part 2: History and Overview

UFC History

UFC was founded in 1993. Eight or sixteen men tournaments were hosted by Semaphore Entertainment Group. Fighters had to win 3 or 4 fights in a row to become the champion, all within the same evening. At the time, mixed martial arts (MMA) was not popular. Fighters typically trained in only one style and stuck with it. As well, there was no weight classes at the time. Many David-and-Goliath matches were particularly exciting when the little guy would be able to defeat the larger opponent using skill and technique instead of raw power.

The UFC was essentially a no holds barred (NHB) competition. That is, there were very little rules, which led many to claim that it was cockfighting and not a legitimate sport. It was soon banned in several states and TV stations started to pull the plug on the highly popular pay-per-view events. As a result, the UFC slowly started to implement rules and weight classes and has turned from NHB to MMA.

Today, the UFC has been re-packaged as a sport that many claim is safer than boxing. There are strict rules and referees to enforce them. The pay-per-view events are becoming larger and the venues are usually sold out well in advance of the fight dates. Probably the one aspect that has fueled UFC’s popularity the most is cable TV station SpikeTV. SpikeTV currently hosts the third season of the reality show the Ultimate Fighter. SpikeTV also airs other past UFC events in a variety of shows. Putting UFC on cable television has turned it from a niche interest to a cultural phenomenon.

Today’s UFC can largely be attributed to Dana White, current president of the UFC. He bought the ailing organization in 2001 through Zuffa LLC.

Pride History

Pride Fighting Championships was founded in 1997 in Japan. MMA is immensely popular in Japan and as a result, actually is bigger than UFC if measured by the number of people attending events. In 2005 Pride Shockwave drew an attendance of 90,000.

Like the UFC, Pride today has many rules and uses referees to enforce them. It also has seven ringside doctors for emergencies in events.

Pride is organized by Dream Stage Entertainment and has its headquarters in Tokyo. Pride has already begun to attack UFC’s market share. It has events on pay-per-view in the U.S. and even has a license from the Nevada State Athletic Commission, the same commission that recognizes the UFC.

Interestingly, UFC and Pride are not totally distinct. Ken Shamrock, one of the pioneer UFC fighters, has left UFC to fight in Pride and has recently returned.

UFC vs. Pride Blogging Series