A press conference was held at the Dream Stage Entertainment office in Aoyama, Tokyo on January 2nd where CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara announced the schedule of events for 2007 and spoke about other new developments.
Just two days after the amazing battles at the New Year's Eve event SHOCKWAVE, PRIDE has already kicked off 2007. Dream Stage Entertainment CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara greeted the reporters and announced the current 2007 schedule, "As I said after the event, this year will be about change and challenge. Also as PRIDE General Director Nobuhiko Takada said, this year, we are attacking. In addition to a return to the airwaves in Japan, we intend to take on the world. We know that the world of mixed martial arts wants PRIDE because the people of the world have told us so. We are not simply going to hold events in America, either. We are also planning to hold events in other countries."
[PRIDE 33 "SECOND COMING"]
February 24 Las Vegas, America
[PRIDE 34]
April 8 Saitama Super Arena, Japan
[PRIDE 35]
April 28 Las Vegas, America
[PRIDE Lightweight Grand Prix Opening Round]
Mid~Late May Saitama Super Arena, Japan
[PRIDE 36]
Late June California, America
[Pride Lightweight Grand Prix Second Round]
Late July Nagoya, Japan
[PRIDE 37]
Late August Osaka, Japan
[PRIDE Lightweight Grand Prix Final Round]
Late September Tokyo, Japan
[PRIDE 38]
Late October Las Vegas, America
[PRIDE SHOCKWAVE 2007]
December 31 Japan
As Sakakibara explained following the end of SHOCKWAVE 2006, the BUSHIDO series will be suspended from 2007 and the numbered PRIDE series will focus on the four weight classes, including Lightweight and Welterweight. "We want to have a title match from at least one weight class in each event and improve the value of each individual weight class," Sakakibara explained. Additionally, a Grand Prix from one weight class will be held each year. Each year will feature a different weight class and fighters from each weight class will have a Grand Prix opportunity ever four years.
Sakakibara also spoke about holding events in Korea, China, Brazil and Europe as part of the overseas series. "We have dispatched fighters and referees to the 2H2H event in Holland and ICON in Hawaii. We may hold an America event in Hawaii, too," Sakakibara said, explaining that these events would fall within the schedule above.
Sakakibara continued, declaring the creation of a Super Heavyweight Division, with a weight limit of around 120kg. "We want to gather all the monsters in the world and have a Monster Grand Prix. (laughing) Yoshida and Fedor's fights on New Year's Eve were battles that went completely beyond weight classes. If you think of them in terms of the Athletic Commission's standards in America, they would have been fights between Super Heavyweights and Heavyweights. Now we have Super Heavyweight fighters than can compete in their own division. They're not just big, anymore. There are also giant fighters like Hunt and Thompson that are also very skilled. We want to be a world leader in this regard and we will work very hard towards this weight class."
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Ricardo Arona and Dan Henderson's names have been mentioned as possible challengers in Wanderlei Silva's Middleweight Championship title match schedule for the Las Vegas event in February. Kazuyuki Fujita and Takanori Gomi were also mentioned as fighters scheduled to fight in Las Vegas. "I don't think the American fans have had the opportunity to really see all of the truly strong mixed martial artists. There are strong fighters in the UFC too, of course, but I don't think (the fans) know where the world's top-level fighters are. If we show them thrilling battles between top PRIDE fighters like Josh and Nogueira, and Kawajiri and Melendez, I believe they will understand," said Sakakibara.
"We will have to watch to see how his foot injury is recovering," Sakakibara said about PRIDE Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko. "I would like to have him return for the April number series event and later have a title match in America."
Just two days after the amazing battles at the New Year's Eve event SHOCKWAVE, PRIDE has already kicked off 2007. Dream Stage Entertainment CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara greeted the reporters and announced the current 2007 schedule, "As I said after the event, this year will be about change and challenge. Also as PRIDE General Director Nobuhiko Takada said, this year, we are attacking. In addition to a return to the airwaves in Japan, we intend to take on the world. We know that the world of mixed martial arts wants PRIDE because the people of the world have told us so. We are not simply going to hold events in America, either. We are also planning to hold events in other countries."
[PRIDE 33 "SECOND COMING"]
February 24 Las Vegas, America
[PRIDE 34]
April 8 Saitama Super Arena, Japan
[PRIDE 35]
April 28 Las Vegas, America
[PRIDE Lightweight Grand Prix Opening Round]
Mid~Late May Saitama Super Arena, Japan
[PRIDE 36]
Late June California, America
[Pride Lightweight Grand Prix Second Round]
Late July Nagoya, Japan
[PRIDE 37]
Late August Osaka, Japan
[PRIDE Lightweight Grand Prix Final Round]
Late September Tokyo, Japan
[PRIDE 38]
Late October Las Vegas, America
[PRIDE SHOCKWAVE 2007]
December 31 Japan
As Sakakibara explained following the end of SHOCKWAVE 2006, the BUSHIDO series will be suspended from 2007 and the numbered PRIDE series will focus on the four weight classes, including Lightweight and Welterweight. "We want to have a title match from at least one weight class in each event and improve the value of each individual weight class," Sakakibara explained. Additionally, a Grand Prix from one weight class will be held each year. Each year will feature a different weight class and fighters from each weight class will have a Grand Prix opportunity ever four years.
Sakakibara also spoke about holding events in Korea, China, Brazil and Europe as part of the overseas series. "We have dispatched fighters and referees to the 2H2H event in Holland and ICON in Hawaii. We may hold an America event in Hawaii, too," Sakakibara said, explaining that these events would fall within the schedule above.
Sakakibara continued, declaring the creation of a Super Heavyweight Division, with a weight limit of around 120kg. "We want to gather all the monsters in the world and have a Monster Grand Prix. (laughing) Yoshida and Fedor's fights on New Year's Eve were battles that went completely beyond weight classes. If you think of them in terms of the Athletic Commission's standards in America, they would have been fights between Super Heavyweights and Heavyweights. Now we have Super Heavyweight fighters than can compete in their own division. They're not just big, anymore. There are also giant fighters like Hunt and Thompson that are also very skilled. We want to be a world leader in this regard and we will work very hard towards this weight class."
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Ricardo Arona and Dan Henderson's names have been mentioned as possible challengers in Wanderlei Silva's Middleweight Championship title match schedule for the Las Vegas event in February. Kazuyuki Fujita and Takanori Gomi were also mentioned as fighters scheduled to fight in Las Vegas. "I don't think the American fans have had the opportunity to really see all of the truly strong mixed martial artists. There are strong fighters in the UFC too, of course, but I don't think (the fans) know where the world's top-level fighters are. If we show them thrilling battles between top PRIDE fighters like Josh and Nogueira, and Kawajiri and Melendez, I believe they will understand," said Sakakibara.
"We will have to watch to see how his foot injury is recovering," Sakakibara said about PRIDE Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko. "I would like to have him return for the April number series event and later have a title match in America."
