The PRIDE Lightweight Grand Prix (Patreon)

From 2003 to 2006, the UFC had no lightweight title.  In 2005, eight years after its founding and two years into development of its new Bushido sub-promotion, PRIDE FC was finally ready to crown a world lightweight champion.  As was tradition, the inaugural PRIDE Lightweight Champion would be decided by a Grand Prix.  

The pair of events through which PRIDE's only lightweight grand prix played out - PRIDE Bushido 9 and PRIDE Shockwave 2005 - provide a thrilling snapshot of PRIDE FC at the peak of its popularity and quality but they also foreshadow the end of an era. On the last night of the grand prix, Kazushi Sakuraba took his last fight in PRIDE FC and a new Japanese star rose to prominence.   

Please join me as we revisit the PRIDE Lightweight Grand Prix. 

Apologies for the long wait time on this one folks, at one point I lost all the recording for it! We're back in business though and I'm already midway through the next episode wherein we'll discuss the troubled career of Floyd Patterson and his mercurial mentor, Cus D'amato. 

As always thank you for your support, you make the podcast and The Fight Primer possible.

Cheers,

Jack