PRIDE WILL HOLD STRIKING AND GRAPPLING EVENTS TO DECIDE WHO IS THE STRONGEST IN THE WORLD
Date: 29-10-2005 21:29
The rule meeting for the October 23rd PRIDE 30 FULLY LOANDED was held at a Tokyo hotel on October 21st. Following the meeting, Dream Stage Entertainment CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara made the surprising announcement that PRIDE will hold striking and grappling events to decide who is the strongest in the world.
“It's not a rumor. We are definitely going to do it," Sakakibara strongly replied when asked by the foreign press about rumors of DSE holding a striking-only event.
“We don't know who is the strongest striker in the world right now. DSE wants to hold a tournament, from the PRIDE perspective, to decide who is truly the strongest striker in the world. We haven't decide when it will happen but we will definitely do it," Sakakibara continued. Making it clear that DSE is working toward a tournament to decide the world's best. “Is it really better to use kickboxing rules to decide who is the strongest striker? Or, for example, should there be throws allowed, like in Shoot Boxing. We are considering all these rules. We are also thinking about the gloves."
“It won't be just standing bouts, though. We're also going to have an event to decide the world's best submission grappler. This will be a FILA-promoted event called Pankration, created and operated by DSE. Because it's FILA, the world's top wrestlers will participate and pro-fighters like Fedor and Nogueira will probably compete, too." Sakakibara also explained that they were considered awarding a large-value award to the event champion.
According to Sakakibara's announcement, PRIDE will now be three stages where the world's best in MMA, striking and grappling will be decided. “We still haven't decided when to do it but I would like to have them after next autumn."
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