Ivan's Blog

Featuring Ivan Trembow's Self-Important, Random Rants on Mixed Martial Arts, Video Games, Pro Wrestling, Television, Politics, Sports, and High-Quality Wool Socks



Saturday, April 29, 2006
 
Mixed Martial Arts--- Yakuza Scandal Not Likely to Affect Pride's U.S. Plans for October
The incoming Executive Director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission has commented on newspaper reports about Pride's plans to expand into the U.S. market this fall, and has also commented on what affect, if any, the ongoing Yakuza scandal in Japan might have on Pride's efforts to run a show in Nevada.

Keith Kizer, who is set to replace Marc Ratner as the new Executive Director of the NSAC when Ratner leaves to work for the UFC, was asked by MMAWeekly's Ivan Trembow about a recent report in the Las Vegas Sun. The report said that Pride was looking into running a show in Nevada on either October 7th or October 20th. Kizer told MMAWeekly that Pride "plans to hold an event at the Thomas & Mack Center [in Las Vegas] in October 2006, but we have not received a date request yet."

When asked whether the Yakuza scandal that is currently engulfing the MMA industry in Japan would have any negative affect on Pride's efforts to run a show in Nevada, Kizer said, "Pride is a promoter in good standing, and I have no concern about its suitability."

Currently the Chief Deputy Attorney General of the state of Nevada, Kizer is set to become the new head of the Nevada State Athletic Commission when Marc Ratner starts his new job as a UFC executive in mid-May. Ratner has been the Executive Director of the NSAC since August 1993.

In other news regarding Pride's plans to run shows in the United States market, the Wrestling Observer has reported that Pride is tentatively planning to focus its marketing efforts for its first U.S. show on Fedor Emelianenko, Dan Henderson, and Quinton Jackson. That would seem to be logical given that Henderson and Jackson are each highly marketable American fighters, while Emelianenko is widely regarded as the most dominant fighter in the sport.

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