UFC News: UFC owners buy PRIDE, says Japanese media Submitted by Brian Cantor on Monday, March 26, 2007 at 1:38 PM EST
The Japanese media reported Monday that UFC owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta have acquired PRIDE FC. The deal will be formally announced in a press conference Tuesday.
According to MMAWeekly and Japanese outlet SportsHochi, the Fertittas will run PRIDE as a separate company, albeit not under its previous DreamStage Entertainment banner. PRIDE and UFC will operate separately, with the exception of a dual-brand supershow each year.
MMAWeekly reports that the PRIDE format will not greatly be changed in the short-term—it will run shows in both America and Japan and will follow through with this year's Lightweight Grand Prix.
