05.04.06 – The Pride Fighting Championships is widely considered the best Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighting organization in the world. Now, for the first time in television history, the Pride Fighting Championships produce three bouts for the U.S. television market to air exclusively on FSN. Such noted fighters as Phil Baroni, Yuki Kondo, Denis Kang and Mark Weir step into the ring for fights that can only be seen as part of FSN PRIDE FIGHTING SPECIAL on Sun., April 9 at 9:00 PM local..
The three fights were on the card of the Pay-Per-View Bushido 10 special from Tokyo, Japan, but aren’t available to PPV customers. FSN is the only place to see these fights. Every thunderous blow, every bone-crushing kick captivates fans and reinforces why many in the fight game believe that MMA will be the main fighting style for the next generation, turning boxing into a novelty. The skill sets MMA fighters have – expertise in a combination of martial arts, kickboxing, judo, jiu-jitsu, wrestling, boxing and more — are astounding.
“PRIDE has made sure that the toughest warriors in the MMA fight genre step forward for this FSN exclusive,” said FSN Executive Vice President of Programming and Production George Greenberg. “These are world-class fights and FSN is thrilled to be the sole cable network showcasing the top Mixed Martial Arts organization in the world.”
Jay Glazer hosts the evening and announces the fights with analyst and MMA star Frank Trigg. The main event pits “New York Badass” Phil Baroni against Yuki Kondo. Baroni is best known for turning his opponents’ faces into pulp with brutal force stemming from his kickboxing, wrestling and boxing background. Kondo is a more tactical fighter, an expert in Shaolin Boxing with quick-strike abilities. Their contrasting styles ensure a classic battle.
“It’s an honor to fight on FSN,” said Baroni. “It’s the first time for something like this and I guarantee the fans are in for a treat.”
In the second exclusive fight, Canadian Denis Kang tries to force Englishman Mark Weir into submission. Kang, one of the more clever fighters in the Pride Fighting Championships, is trained in wrestling and jiu-jitsu and has blended elements together from a variety of Korean-based martial arts. His well-rounded experience often throws his opponents off-balance, which he’ll need to defeat Weir. The Canadian attacks with lightning-fast kickboxing moves, stunning his challenger before he can retaliate. Additionally on the special undercard, American Yves Edwards takes on local fan favorite Seiichi Ikemoto of Japan.
And with a very special bonus, FSN caps the evening off with a look back at one of Pride’s all-time legendary matches — the memorable 1997 bout pitting Rickson Gracie, the most prolific member of the famed Brazilian fighting Gracie family against Nobuhiko Takada, a Japanese wrestling sensation. That bout took place at the first ever Pride Fighting Championships event. Going into the fight, Gracie boasted over 400 victories with zero losses despite competing in an era with no weight classes.