Dana White: "I RUN EVERYTHING!"

By Steve Sievert

Additional details about the future of PRIDE surfaced today during a media conference call with UFC President Dana White.

While the confab was designed primarily to discuss UFC 69, journalists touched on subjects that amounted to a mixed martial arts grab bag. Of particular note were comments made by White when asked what's next in the Fertitta-owned world of PRIDE.

White addressed such issues as when we can expect to see the first inter-promotional mega-card ("probably a year"); what super fights he'd like to see (Fedor vs. the UFC heavyweight champ; Chuck Liddell vs. Shogun Rua and Anderson Silva vs. Dan Henderson); and whether or not tournaments will still be in the PRIDE mix under the new ownership (to be determined).

Despite last week's announcement that PRIDE will have separate leadership from the UFC, White is clearly the man running the PRIDE show.

"PRIDE is still going to be a Japanese organization. PRIDE is going to be run the way PRIDE was. I'm, obviously, ramping up the American side of it, and I am going to do what I do in America."

Asked to clarify that rather vague answer, White made it crystal clear - sort of.

"I run everything."

Hyperbole for sure, but probably damn close to the truth when it comes to "everything MMA." White's pushed all the right buttons with the UFC, so there's no reason to believe he can't extend his Midas touch to PRIDE.