Looking back, I think I do now. I recall a lot of threads pitting one's dominance over the other. I wonder if that is still the case or in hindsight if people now view them as pretty close to another. Both had/have strengths and weaknesses regarding their promotion.
I love/loved them both. Still miss Pride like someone stole by child. But......am I the only one who thinks they are/were close to equal overall?
Guess I'm the only one. Dumb question, thingading.
I agree with you, if it makes you feel any better. 
I agree, i love pride... But would be just as bummed if it were the ufc that was gone instead of pride 
I think part of our love affair with pride had to do with context. At the time we weren't even getting a card a month and were hungry for more. There usually seemed to be more fights on pride cards with bigger names. The owgp was fucking amazing, for example.
We now about all of prides problems and it takes a little shine from it, but their shows still seem "bigger" to me.
iCameiLostiRetiredDiaz - I agree, i love pride... But would be just as bummed if it were the ufc that was gone instead of prideObviously, as pride has zero intentions of becoming an international product without the UFC forcing their late and half assed arrival in America.
You never would of had international events and mainstream exposure if pride survived the UFC early on.
I like the Pride rules and judging style more than the UFC but the UFC has much better athletes and fighters than Pride ever had
Pros and cons of both, people like different things, rules, judging, ring/cage, matchmaking, style, etc.
For sure though PRIDE was the biggest MMA organisation in the world from 2000-2005/6, they had a massive deal with FujiTV, the equivalent to what UFC has today with FOX. UFC was awesome too but they were almost like what Bellator is to UFC today, back then. They had a handful of top guys that were elite level but PRIDE was just on another level in terms of depth, scale, size, etc.
Then when UFC started to explode, PRIDE started to implode, they were never equal, when PRIDE was on top UFC was dying then when UFC turned things around PRIDE died.
Having both was great. Each rule set and the differences between the ring and the cage made for different fights where different styles of fighters won in the respective leagues. It's unfortunate it had to end and we probably will never see a duo of orgranizations like it again sharing the top like that. I for one am glad to have seen it first hand.
Pride never die
Only brainwashed UFC fans would even consider the notion.
I preferred Pride overall, and it was definitely better at one point, but I'm happy the way everything turned out...
And really, I can't help, but feel I've romanticised a lot of the elements in Pride. Like I loved 4 corners and the ability to cut off the ring, but I hated ropes and the awkward ass japanese refs untangling everything
Yellow cards also seem stupid in retrospect, and WOULD be inferior to point deductions if they actually used them properly.
Also, as much as I loved the ruleset, headbutts, knees to a downed opponent and soccer kicks just aren't safe lol Even if they were, they'll always be an obstacle when trying to spread the sport and expand into the mainstream so maybe everything worked out not so bad, eh?
EckY - Pros and cons of both, people like different things, rules, judging, ring/cage, matchmaking, style, etc.
For sure though PRIDE was the biggest MMA organisation in the world from 2000-2005/6, they had a massive deal with FujiTV, the equivalent to what UFC has today with FOX. UFC was awesome too but they were almost like what Bellator is to UFC today, back then. They had a handful of top guys that were elite level but PRIDE was just on another level in terms of depth, scale, size, etc.
Then when UFC started to explode, PRIDE started to implode, they were never equal, when PRIDE was on top UFC was dying then when UFC turned things around PRIDE died.
I think the Bellator comparison is hyperbolic -- I know everyone loves to shit on Dana for the CHUCK DIDN'T STICK TO THE GAMEPLAN speech, but Chuck was fighting with different rules and whatnot and we saw how mediocre Wanderlei looked against Tito in the cage.
Pride certainly surpassed the UFC in depth, and in certain weightclasses like Heavyweight, I guess the comparison would be pretty apt. Actually, now that I think about it SEG's reign overlapped with Pride for a few years so if you picked the lowest and highest point -- probably before TUF, but after Zuffa's buyout -- you might be onto something lol
MountainMedic - I think part of our love affair with pride had to do with context. At the time we weren't even getting a card a month and were hungry for more. There usually seemed to be more fights on pride cards with bigger names. The owgp was fucking amazing, for example.
We now about all of prides problems and it takes a little shine from it, but their shows still seem "bigger" to me.
God, I miss those walkouts. Everything felt like real-life street fighter back in the Pride days, and had a wierd foreign feel.
UFC just looks like a sport which, while better in a lot of ways, is a crapton more boring lol
Better fans in the crowd at PRIDE, that's for sure.
Pretty sure overall they were equal. Had Pride stuck around, they too would be getting the next generation of fighters, and may still be going on with just as much interest as UFC has today.
Animal Mother - I agree with you, if it makes you feel any better.
It does, and your response actually prompted other replies so now I don't feel like such a tool.
Kneeblock -This.
At the time, Pride was clearly superior, but the modern UFC has surpassed it.
And Pride undoubtedly had the deeper talent pool at the time.
ufc never got 91000 fans in one building
Modern ufc definitely has not surpassed it overall. Way too many identical fighters and fights. I almost gave up on mma for a few years. Fortunately there have been some exciting fights in the past year or two.. some involving "imports" like hendo, shogun, wandy, and hunt.
How can you have a superior product with shitty rules and judging?