PrideGP
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The PrideGP (Grand Prix) is the name for a series of tournaments held by the now defunct Pride Fighting Championships. Originally, the tournament was held over two days, but in 2004, an extra date was introduced in between the opening and final rounds, the Critical Countdown series. A championship belt was given to the winner of each tournament. Of note is the amount of past and future champions that would participate in these tournaments.
[edit] Format
Except for the inaugural 2000 Grand Prix, tournament dates with only one round would adhere to normal PRIDE or PRIDE Bushido rules. For tournament dates that held two rounds, a fight would have a 10 minute first round, followed by a 2 minute rest period for the fighters, and then a 5 minute last round.
[edit] Exceptions
Of special note, the 2000 Finals held a 90 minute contest between Kazushi Sakuraba and Royce Gracie. Gracie had requested that there be no judging and no limit to the number of rounds. Sakuraba agreed to fight under these rules, and the contest went to a total of 90 minutes of fighting, after which Gracie's corner threw in the towel due to damage to Gracie's legs. Sakuraba advanced to the next round, fighting a fifteen minute first round against eventual runner up Igor Vovchanchyn, after which Sakuraba's corner threw in the towel citing his exhaustion.
[edit] List of Events
| Year | Weight Class | Events | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Open Weight | Opening Round, Finals | Mark Coleman |
| 2003 | Middleweight | Total Elimination, Final Conflict | Wanderlei Silva |
| 2004 | Heavyweight | Total Elimination, Critical Countdown, Final Conflict | Fedor Emelianenko |
| 2005 | Middleweight | Total Elimination, Critical Countdown, Final Conflict | Mauricio Rua |
| 2005 | Welterweight | Bushido 9, Shockwave | Dan Henderson |
| 2005 | Lightweight | Bushido 9, Shockwave | Takanori Gomi |
| 2006 | Open Weight | Total Elimination, Critical Countdown, Final Conflict | Mirco CroCop |
