Question of the Century: Will There Ever be Another PRIDE?

Can there be another PRIDE? This question has been haunting me for quite some time now and I have been praying for DREAM to take off and also for Sengoku to have success and rise to a level which rivals the UFC. However, in this new MMA marketplace it seems the odds are just stacked too high against it.

First off, there are so many new MMA promotions out there it is hard to get more talent. These days it seems that an American fighter can go to the WEC or Strikeforce rather than travel to Japan. That takes away from the old days where it was UFC or Pride and it also takes away from the slow development that Pride was allowed to have.

DREAM is run by the same company that oversaw PRIDE, Dreamstage Entertainment. It does not have the same power in the community that Pride wielded. Not only that, but Sengoku, the other MMA promotion in Japan, is stealing a lot of high caliber talent! How can a rivalry start between the UFC and DREAM if DREAM is having trouble with Sengoku?

Next, all of the legendary PRIDE fighters are retiring or going to the US. It is impossible to bring back the PRIDE mystique with Mach Sakurai. No disrespect to Hayato, but PRIDE was built on the backs of Sakuraba, Cro Cop, Wanderlei, and Fedor. Without all that talent it is harder to market the corporation.

However, DREAM does have a few things going for it. One thing would be the explosive pace that MMA in Japan seems to always garner. With all of the stomps, soccer kicks, knees on the ground, it seems the pace never stops. Also, each bout is scored in its entirety which gives fighters hope even when losing a round. The 10 minute first round where greats like Rampage, Yvel, and Don Frye have left blood and sweat on their opponents and the canvas. Or in Frye's case a lot of mustache hair.

PRIDE will be most sorely missed, but don't fret too long because at some point a UFC star much on the caliber of Chuck Liddell will travel to Japan with the intent to beat his opponent in the rival promotion and will be beat down by a DREAM or Sengoku superstar like Rampage. Wouldn't that be ironic? No, that would be justice served for all of the longing for PRIDE I have endured.