The Japan Report: Lights out for PRIDE
By Gino Mongelli/The Fight Network
October 5, 2007

Since Zuffa, LLC announced the purchase of PRIDE Fighting Championships March 27, the future of the Japan-based promotion has gone from question mark to headstone. According to reports in Japan, the PRIDE FC Worldwide offices in Tokyo, Japan were closed and all employees dismissed Thursday.

Employees were reportedly called together for a meeting, as PRIDE FC Worldwide President Jamie Pollack announced, via an international phone call, they were all discharged from their duties. The estimated 20 employees were kept on the payroll for more than six months despite the fact the company did not run any events.

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The latest development brings about a number of questions from bewildered employees, the press and the general public in regard to PRIDE, Zuffa’s plans and the future of mixed martial arts in Japan.

Reaction to the shutdown was met with anger and resentment by Keiichi Sasahara, a public relations representative for Dream Stage Entertainment, PRIDE’s former parent company.

“I resent having been suddenly betrayed by the American leaders of the people/organization we supported," Sasahara said. “We believed Lorenzo [Fertitta’s] words of restoring PRIDE, and we told that same story to the fans that inquired. And for it to suddenly come to this, it really is regrettable.”

Capitalizing on what transpired over the past six months – along with this week’s apparent end to PRIDE’s 10-year legacy – many other organizations have been making attempts to lure the PRIDE fan base and, with it, the Japanese market over which the now-defunct organization held dominion.

Zuffa’s Ultimate Fighting Championship has already signed numerous champions from the PRIDE ranks, including Wanderlei Silva, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. IN an attempt to keep up, K-1’s HERO’S has inked Japanese legend Kazushi Sakuraba, Alistair Overeem, Dong Sik Yoon and Sergei Kharitonov, among others. The battle over PRIDE’s elite fighters rages on, as many wonder where two of the biggest holdouts – PRIDE Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko (26-1) PRIDE Lightweight Champion Takanori Gomi (27-3) and – will land. In Japan, many MMA organizations have increased sales efforts, improved their production values and upped the level of fighters competing, all in an effort to try and fill the void left by PRIDE. Feeling the need to branch out, promotions like HERO’S, Shooto, DEEP and Smackgirl have held events in the United States, South Korea and Australia. However, only HERO’S seems to have deep enough pockets to produce a show rivaling PRIDE.

It appears to be a two-horse race – between the UFC and HERO’S – to fill PRIDE’s shoes. Sadaharu Tanigawa, the president of K-1’s parent company Fight Entertainment Group, has said both Emelianenko and Gomi are expensive and joked that he would have to beg sponsors in order to sign them. K-1’s long history in Japan, along with its proximity to the fan base, gives it a head start in the local market. However, with the success the UFC has enjoyed this year, the promotion will almost certainly continue to unveil its plan for global MMA domination.

Whichever promotion fills PRIDE’s void, the impact of production values cannot be overlooked. PRIDE events were amazing spectacles from start to finish; the smoke, lasers and fireworks were unparalleled in the industry. Shows were story driven, as music and videos were used to incite emotions. Highly visual Japanese fans consider Daisuke Sato – the man behind the theatrics and much of PRIDE’s feel – one of the most important factors in making the organization what it was in the eyes of fans.

KANG TO MAKE HERO’S DEBUT OCT. 28

FEG announced this week that former PRIDE middleweight contender Denis Kang (27-8-1) will make his debut for K-1 HERO’S at the “Olympia HERO’S 2007” event Sunday, Oct. 28 at the Jangchung Gymnasium in Seoul, South Korea. Born to a Korean father and French mother, Kang holds wins over Akihiro Gono, former EliteXC Middleweight Champion Murilo “Ninja” Rua and Amar Suloev, among others. The show will also play host to the Yoshihiro Akiyama’s first bout in 10 months. When FEG decided to hold its second HERO’S event in Korea, the Korean-born Akiyama (9-1) was seen as indispensable. He starred in the promotion’s first outing, as he beat Masakatsu Okuda by TKO in just over three minutes. However, Akiyama had been suspended by the promotion since Jan. 17 for the illegal use of a skin moisturizer during his main event bout with Sakuraba at K-1 “Premium 2006 Dynamite!!” last December.

“I’m very happy to be back in Seoul after such a long time,” Akiyama said. “I would like to apologize to all of the fans. This is because I believe it is the warm voice of all the Korean fans that has allowed me to return to the ring.”

Korean’s Dong Sik Yoon (2-4-0) and Taiei Kin (2-1-0) were also confirmed as participants on the Oct. 28 card.

PANCRASE UNVEILS NOVEMBER CARD, RANKINGS

Looking past its Oct. 14 show, Pancrase made its first announcement regarding combatants for the Pancrase 2007 Rising Tour event, scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 28 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. The card now boasts three matches, along with the confirmed participation of Daiki “DJ.taiki” Hata.

Current Middleweight King of Pancrase Yuichi Nakanishi (6-6-3) will defend his title against top-ranked Izuru Takeuchi (22-9-6). Nakanishi is 1-4-3 in his last eight matches, with his most recent match ending in a submission loss to Tim McKenzie (11-4) inside the Bodog Fight promotion. Many believe the door is open for Takeuchi to avenge his split decision loss to Nakanishi at Pancrase’s “Blow” event last year.

In the heavyweight division, two tough, technical brawlers, Tatsuya Mizuno (2-2) and Masayuki Kono (3-2), will face off against each other. Also, Shinsuke Shoji (3-3-1), of Killer Bee, will take on Wataru Takahashi (5-9-2), of Sakuraba’s “Team Sakurahata,” in a lightweight match-up. Shoji is coming off a TKO victory over Flavio Tanaka, and Wataru Takahashi is looking to rebound from his decision loss to Tashiro Nishiuchi at the K-1 HERO'S “Tournament Final” event last month.