The further we get from the death of Pride, the more it stings. Yeah, the sport is technically bigger than it’s ever been. Yes, Bellator at least has a white mat now, and yes, the UFC is filling up Saitama every year or so, but now things are so upside down Pride seems like a fantasy land that never existed, let alone reigned on top of the MMA world.
It’s been seven long years since Pride closed its doors, but we can still relive some glorious memories with the help of the internet at large. Like Wanderlei Sakuraba, a dude who has unearthed this magnificent and glorious ringside footage of Rampage vs Arona. You can hear each breath as the Japanese audience sits quietly in preparation for a moment to gasp and applaud. It reminds us that #PrideNeverDie.
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<iframe src=”//player.vimeo.com/video/108400866″ width=”890″ height=”501″ frameborder=”0″ webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe> <p><a href=”http://vimeo.com/108400866″>PrideFC RINGSIDE – Rampage vs Arona</a> from <a href=”http://vimeo.com/user33128868″>Wanderlei Sakuraba</a> on <a href=”https://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a>.</p>
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