THE REF by Glass Jaw

Pride Heavyweight Championship

🇯🇵Pride Fighting Championships. Japan's giant of the 2000s, fought in a ring with a 10 minute first round. Fedor, Nogueira and Cro Cop all fought there at their peak.

EST. NOV 3, 2001 · 2 REIGNS · 5 TITLE FIGHTS · 2 CHAMPIONS

Pride crowned its first heavyweight champion at Pride 17 in November 2001. Title fights were in a ring, with a 10 minute first round.

Only two men ever held it.

BELT RETIRED OCT 4, 2007LAST CHAMPION🇷🇺Fedor EmelianenkoBought by the UFC on March 27, 2007.
MOST DEFENSES3Fedor EmelianenkoNO. 2
MOST REIGNS1Nobody has won it twice
LONGEST REIGN4 YRS 6 MOSFedor EmelianenkoNO. 2SHORTEST REIGN1 YR 4 MOSAntonio Rodrigo NogueiraNO. 1

EVERY REIGN, BY DEFENSES

2 REIGNS · 5 TITLE FIGHTS · SINCE NOV 3, 2001
NO. 1 · Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira · NOV 3, 2001NO. 2 · Fedor Emelianenko · MAR 16, 2003

ROLL OF CHAMPIONS

Newest first. Open a reign for its defenses.

PROMOTION CLOSED · OCT 4, 2007Pride ran its last show on April 8, 2007 and closed its Japan office on October 4, 2007. Fedor still held the belt.
NO.NO. 2CHAMPION🇷🇺Fedor Emelianenko"The Last Emperor"WONMAR 16, 2003TOOK IT FROMAntonio Rodrigo NogueiraHOWDEC (unanimous)DEFENSES3HELD4 YRS 6 MOSENDEDPROMOTION CLOSED

HOW IT STARTED · MAR 16, 2003

TOOK IT FROM Antonio Rodrigo NogueiraPride 25: Body BlowPRIDEMAR 16, 2003DEC (unanimous)

Yokohama, Japan

THE DEFENSES

DATERESULTOPPONENTHOWEVENTPROMOTION
DEC 31, 2004W🇧🇷Antonio Rodrigo NogueiraDEC (unanimous)Pride Shockwave 2004Unification bout and the rerun of the Grand Prix final.PRIDE
AUG 28, 2005W🇭🇷Mirko Cro CopDEC (unanimous)Pride Final Conflict 2005PRIDE
DEC 31, 2006W🇳🇿Mark HuntSUB (kimura) · R1 8:16Pride Shockwave 2006PRIDE

HOW IT ENDED · OCT 4, 2007

PROMOTION CLOSED.

  • Never lost the belt and never fought in the UFC.
  • His first unification bout with interim champion Nogueira, the 2004 Grand Prix final at Pride Final Conflict 2004 in Saitama on August 15, 2004, ended in a no contest at 3:52 of round one after a clash of heads cut Fedor. Not a defense.

SOURCES: en.wikipedia.org, sherdog.com

NO.NO. 1CHAMPION🇧🇷Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira"Minotauro"WONNOV 3, 2001TOOK IT FROMHeath Herring (NEW BELT)HOWDEC (unanimous)DEFENSES0HELD1 YR 4 MOSENDEDLOST TO Fedor Emelianenko

HOW IT STARTED · NOV 3, 2001

WON THE NEW BELT OVER Heath HerringPride 17: Championship ChaosPRIDENOV 3, 2001DEC (unanimous)

Tokyo, Japan

Pride title fights ran a 10 minute round and two 5 minute rounds.

HOW IT ENDED · MAR 16, 2003

LOST TO Fedor EmelianenkoPride 25: Body BlowPRIDEMAR 16, 2003DEC (unanimous)

  • The first Pride heavyweight champion.

SOURCES: en.wikipedia.org, sherdog.com

INTERIM BELTS

Stand-in belts, kept apart from the numbered reigns.

INTERIM CHAMPION🇧🇷Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira"Minotauro"WONNOV 9, 2003BEATMirko Cro CopHOWSUB R2 1:45DEFENSES0ENDEDLOST TO Fedor Emelianenko

HOW IT STARTED · NOV 9, 2003

Pride Final Conflict 2003PRIDENOV 9, 2003SUB (armbar) · R2 1:45

HOW IT ENDED · DEC 31, 2004

LOST TO Fedor EmelianenkoPride Shockwave 2004PRIDEDEC 31, 2004DEC (unanimous)

  • The first unification try, at Final Conflict 2004, ended in a no contest. Fedor won the rerun on New Year's Eve.

SOURCES: en.wikipedia.org, sherdog.com

WHERE THE BELT WENT

Fedor never lost it. After the Zuffa sale the belt was never fought for again, and unlike Pride's middleweight and welterweight belts it was never unified with a UFC title.

Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta, the owners of the UFC's parent company Zuffa, bought Pride on March 27, 2007 through a new company, Pride FC Worldwide Holdings. Pride ran its last show, Pride 34, on April 8, 2007 and closed its Japan office on October 4, 2007.

Follow the belt through the line ▶

SOURCES

SHOW ALL 18 SOURCES
  1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Pride_Fighting_Championships_champions
  2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pride_Fighting_Championships
  3. https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Fedor-Emelianenko-1500
  4. https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Antonio-Rodrigo-Nogueira-1440
  5. https://www.espn.com/sports/news/story?id=2814235
  6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pride_34
  7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_in_Pride_FC#Pride_17:_Championship_Chaos
  8. https://www.sherdog.com/events/Pride-17-Championship-Chaos-595
  9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_in_Pride_FC#Pride_25:_Body_Blow
  10. https://www.sherdog.com/events/Pride-25-Body-Blow-1425
  11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_in_Pride_FC#Pride_FC:_Shockwave_2004
  12. https://www.sherdog.com/events/Pride-FC-Shockwave-2004-2740
  13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_in_Pride_FC#Pride_FC:_Final_Conflict_2005
  14. https://www.sherdog.com/events/Pride-FC-Final-Conflict-2005-3184
  15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pride_Shockwave_2006
  16. https://www.sherdog.com/events/Pride-FC-Shockwave-2006-4316
  17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_in_Pride_FC#Pride_FC:_Final_Conflict_2003
  18. https://www.sherdog.com/events/Pride-FC-Final-Conflict-2003-1844

EVERY BELT IN THE DIVISION