Why Pride Fighters Didn't Do as Well in the UFC

[MilesAbove]

UFC fighters couldn't handle soccer kicks and stomps. Only reason they survived when Priders came over.

 

[Maripucci]

I've heard the strict drug testing in north America had something to do with it.

 

[Jagan Eye]

Guy Mezger.......

When you have to reach that low to make a point about UFC guys being unsuccessful in Pride, you didn't have a point to begin with.

Um what exactly are you insinuating? Mezger was a fairly big name back in the day. Submitted Tito (yeah before he cracked his skull), Kondo, Semmy Schilt, and Minoru Suzuki (the latter of which just in case you don't remember leglocked the FUCK out of Ken Shamrock twice in the 90's) among others. Mezger's old school, REAL old school but I don't understand what you're getting at. I'm assuming you're referring to how often he was featured in the UFC?


Whatever the case I find it funny that you pick out Guy Mezger to whine and bitch about when I mentioned both Chuck and Vitor (probably more recognizable names for you) not doing so hot in Pride in the same sentence.

 

[thetruth2709]

the whole style of fighting in a ring is different than fighting on an octagon, I dont want to get into the never ending discussion of which is better, they are just different and not all styles play well in both.

Wandys super aggresive style was perfect for a smaller space like the ring, on the larger canvas of the octagon where strategy can play a bigger role, the style of overwhelming your opponent with aggresiveness was not as effective

Since I will always defend MMA as a sport and not just a fight, I prefer to watch strategy in a fighting competition

 

[soggyfist]

Guy Mezger.......

When you have to reach that low to make a point about UFC guys being unsuccessful in Pride, you didn't have a point to begin with.

Mezger was a very good fighter in his time.

 

[Poser Caust]

I am shocked and disgusted by all the accusations of steroid use and all out fighter bashing... didn't you guys read the rules ? You should all be banned, infact if I see you guys behaving like this again, don't think i wont be taking names and PM'ing my list to the MODS.

 

[HIMBOB]

Mileage is my guess, but its not like this did poorly.

 

[SuperLuigi]

Pride fighters did amazing when the came to the ufc. Especially compared to the ufc guys from the days of pride.

 

[feedhimbrah]

Pride fighters did amazing when the came to the ufc. Especially compared to the ufc guys from the days of pride.

This. But what TS said is true as some fighters really used soccer kicks and stomps well. Also in that video there is another big difference in the ring, big difference fighting in a cage to a ring.

 

[Wild Maury]

WEC > pride

 

[Loops]

Pride was fun but more like a wrestling promotion. Say what you want about the UFC but none of their champions champs fought freak show fights. Closest thing to a freak show fights were Hughes -Gracie. Couture- Toney. Pride was like the WWE and encouraged peds.

I love how people bring up the freak show fights. Fighters in pride usually fought more then once or twice a year , at least we didn't have to wait too long to see favourite fighters , fight again.. It's especially hard to bring up new contenders for champions that would fight 3 times a year... Call me what you will I was happy to see freak show fights if I was a fan of the fighter

 

[flexxx145]

If they allowed soccer kicks, and head stomps a lot of Pride guys would have dominated. Hell Wandy would probably be champ, he's the ATG in stomps.

 

[PrinceOfPain]

Pride was fun but more like a wrestling promotion. Say what you want about the UFC but none of their champions champs fought freak show fights. Closest thing to a freak show fights were Hughes -Gracie. Couture- Toney. Pride was like the WWE and encouraged peds.

Yeah... no.

Lesnar vs Couture: What happens when a fossil fights a mutant?

Chael/Vitor vs 'Bones' Jones: The chemically-enhanced midgets vs the genetically endowed giant.

And those are just the title fights. Maybe you don't consider them freakshows, but at the very least you have to question their legitimacy.

Any fight Kimbo came anywhere near was inarguably a freakshow.
I know it made sense because of their placement in the rankings at the time, but Roy Nelson vs Stefan Struve felt a lil like a freakshow Loved it still.

PRIDE might have made their freakshows more obvious, and even used them as a selling point, but pretending that the UFC doesn't put on a spectacle, for the sake of the spectacle, once in a while is misleading.

 

[Zlatan1]

Anderson - champ
Shogun - champ
Big Nog - interim champ

 

[GloutonSang]

Anderson, UFC champion
Shogun, UFC champion
Big Nog, UFC champion
Rampage, UFC champion
Hendo, challenged for 2 UFC titles
Mousasi, could fight for a UFC title someday
Lil Nog, could possibly be in a #1 contender fight against Gus
Werdum, could possibly get the next title shot
Okami, fought for the title and got wrongfully cut
Mark Hunt, was in a #1 contender fight against JDS
Barnett, if he beats Browne he could get a #1 contender fight

Fedor would have been champ if Dana wasn't a stingy dumbfuck.

Thank you for this. Also let's see where the top UFC fighters from that time period are now. Chuck, Tito, Forrest, Sylvia, Arlovski, Penn, Hughes etc etc? Basically the last man standing from that era is GSP and he was just a pup back then.

 

[mmaelitefan000]

they did do well. shogun was champ. so was rampage and big nog would've been champ if randy didn't duck him.

 

[Hans Gruber]

These are the real reasons why Pride fighters didn't do as well in the UFC. DIG IT !!! PRIDE NEVER DIE!!! jk this is tribute to stomps and soccer kicks. Do you think the landscape of the UFC rankings would be different with these added?

Pride fighter did do well in the UFC.

The only failure was Cro Cop.

Wanderlei is winning and losing around the same clip he did before joining the UFC. He was 4-4 in his last 8 and was KOed brutally 2 times in a row before joining.

Anderson won a belt and kept it for years
Rampage won a belt before declining
Shogun won a belt even after his 1st knee surgery. Multiple knee surgeries later of course he is not going to be at the top of his game.
Nog won a belt
Werdum has been doing great and will get a title shot
Lil Nog just beat Rashad
Mousasi won his only UFC fight so far
Hunt has been doing great
Barnett just beat Mir
Overeem had a losing record in Pride and beat former UFC champ Brock
Henderson has been doing great despite being over 40
etc

Look how many relevant Pride fighters are still fighting top guys vs the amount of UFC fighters from the same era. Plenty of former Pride guys are still around while only Mir and Vitor are the only UFC guys still competing at a high level from that era.

 

[Hans Gruber]

Also compare rosters when both orgs were around and look who is still relevant today. Many more Pride fighters are still fighting top guys.

Pride had (at HW)

Werdum
Overeem (fought at LHW and HW)
Nog
Fedor
Hunt
Sergei
Cro Cop
Alexs
Barnett
Igor (fought at LHW and HW)

UFC had (at HW)

Couture (fought at LHW and HW)
Tim
Arlovski
Mir
Big Drop off......
Monson
Eilers


Same could be done with the LHW division

Vitor (who split his time in Pride) is the only relevant LHWs today from that UFC era



Pride LHWs at the time

Shogun
Rampage
Henderson
Wanderlei (even though he has been losing he still can usually hang in there)
Overeem (fought as HW too)
Lil Nog
Vitor (split time between UFC and Pride)
Igor (fought at LHW and HW)
Arona

UFC LHWs at the time

Chuck
Couture (fought at LHW and HW)
Tito
Vitor (split time between UFC and Pride)
Babalu
Big drop off.....

Simply amazing when you compare the old Pride guys to the old UFC guys and you look at how many former Pride fighters are still relevant today and how few UFC fighters from the same era are.

 

[Allan__Martel]

different rules different country, ring vs cage. ufc fighters performed like shit in pride.

 

[Jack Reacheround]

This is kind of a loaded question. Did Pride fighters not do as well in the UFC? As well as what, their career in Pride, their UFC contemporaries, as well as UFC fighters did in Pride?