Pride is Back and is hitting hard!

Fedor Emelianenko announced on Saturday night that his first fight will not be for the UFC but for a start-up Japanese promotion headed by former Pride FC boss Nobuyuki Sakakibara. The event will take place in Tokyo on New Year’s Eve and will take place on Spike TV.

The news of Pride’s (with a new name) return is attracting many BJJ players in search of better condition than the UFC. Pride FC rules were more attractive for BJJ players because of the 10 minute first round and more time given for ground work.

One of them is BJJ world champion Andre Galvao who left MMA in 2010 to refocus on his BJJ career and running his Atos academy in San Diego. Galvao had fought for Strikeforce and DREAM where he accumulated five wins and two losses, before returning to devote himself exclusively to Jiu-Jitsu.

Galvao last fought in Strikeforce where he suffered a loss by TKO to Tyron Woodley who today, is ranked third in the welterweight division of the UFC .

Galvao said that his wrestling has improved a lot since 2010 and that he plans to continue focusing on Jiu-Jitsu while improving his boxing.

Galvao told MMAFighting.com

“I got offers from Japan, after ADCC 2015. “PRIDE is coming back. My manager Jorge Guimaraes is negotiating. We’ll see what happens.”

“If I return, I will do everything different. I would never leave my jiu-jitsu. I would continue to train at my gym and work on my boxing. I’m a better no-gi grappler than in those days. I started learning no-gi grappling in 2010, my wrestling is way better now, and I know it would make the difference in my MMA game.”

Another major star is 2015 ADCC champion Orlando Sanchez. He was seen having lunch with Sakakibara in LA during the weekend. Sanchez is 5-0 in MMA.

Sanchez is ready to focus more on MMA.
Sanchez told Sherdog.com:

“I’ve only been doing grappling for seven years. I started really late in my life, but it saved me from being a drug addict and an alcoholic,” . “I feel like being the greatest heavyweight grappler in the world today is something I deserve. I earned it, and nobody can take it away from me.”
“Fabricio Werdum is a brother to me. To train with him, to be in his corner and watch him become the UFC champion gave me the mindset to become the best grappler in the world too. Fabricio told me last night, ‘This is your time. You dedicated yourself to do this,’ and it is my time. I dedicate this to Fabricio. I want to be the best. I want to be like him.”

“I’m 5-and-0, undefeated, and I train with the best team in the world, Kings MMA. I’m ready. It’s just a matter of time before I get to the UFC. I want to be the best in the world like my brother Werdum.”

Galvao’s MMA highlight so far: