Why did I like Pride FC?

My first exposure to Pride FC was on the Fox Sports New pride show hosed by Frank Trigg and Jay Glazer. I never saw a Pride PPV but I did watch the highlight shows and I have to say that I was always impressed with Pride. Even in the highlight package show the grandiosity of the Pride FC shows was evident. Everything was larger than life, like the Street Fighter video game came to life. I liked the white ring and the blue gloves. The announcer lady was crazy and the show was so over the top with pyrotechnics and laser lights. Pride shows were held in huge arenas and the Japanese crowd was generally eerily quite. The whole thing was ridiculous and strange and quintessentially Japanese. Pride did a great job with the choreographed fighters intros and the tournaments were always very exciting because it felt like a movie, the toughest guys from around the globe meet in a tournament. It seemed like Enter the Dragon but instead of an island it was in an huge arena in Japan.

Of course the UFC bought Pride and closed it down. I am not sure why. White has said that it is hard to do busy with the Japanese...although this statement may be true if slightly stereotypical, I always felt like there was more to the story of Prides demise. It probably will all come out one day. Since the demise of Pride I have often wondered if the UFC would ever resurrect it in one form or another. The UFC wants to expand back into the Japanese market and I wonder if they won't due so under the guise of Pride one day? Many fans were talking about the fact that Lorenzo Fertita was sporting a Pride t-shirt at the UFC FAN EXPO around the time of UFC 100. Was this just a fashion statement or a sign of things to come??

I will keep wondering what happened to Pride and if it will ever come back in some shape or form. In the meantime I think I will add a Pride T-shirt to my Christmas list.