More details about UFC-Pride Merger

All the info below is courtesy of the Wrestling Observer.

For complete details, check out the Observer's article about the Japanese and U.S. press conferences here.

Some of the highlights (and my thoughts would be the ones in parentheses):

- The new company will be called Pride Fighting Championships Worldwide. It will operate as a separate company from UFC and Nobuyuki Sakakibara, CEO of Pride FC, will be stepping down and have no involvement with the company.

- The impression was given that there will be minimal mixing of talent, as there would be a Pride roster of fighters, and a UFC roster of fighters. There would be matches of champions in each promotion, although when and how often had not been determined (I'm guessing this won't happen til the Pride guys stop testing positive for steroids, like they always do when they fight in Vegas).

- Pride would continue holding matches in the ring and be a "Japanese-centric" organization while UFC would be more "American-centric". (I don't mind the ring as much as TJC does, so this is fine with me).

- Unified worldwide rules would be put in place, which would be the same rules UFC fights under. No more knees to the head of a downed fighter, no more stomps or soccer kicks, but elbows will be good now.

- Pride would keep its judging criteria for fights in Japan, but when running in the U.S., they must use the commission-dictated 10 point system.

- Pride will also now heavyweight classes changed for worldwide consistency, with champions at 155, 170, 185, 205 and heavyweight.

- And Lorenzo Fertitta and Dana White both indicated that Pride heavyweight champion (and best fighter in the world, in my opinion) Fedor Emelianenko is under contract to the new organization. (This is AWESOME news).

- No new T.V. deal yet (which is ESSENTIAL).