It's a common refrain among fighters of the new generation: They grew up watching PRIDE, and now that they are professional mixed martial artists, they wished they had a chance to experience the whole Japanese big-fight experience they geeked out for as kids.
The big stage presentation. Fighting in a ring instead of a cage. Ten-minute opening rounds. Tactics like knees on the ground and soccer kicks legal. The whole nine yards.
For Daron Cruickshank, the PRIDE-style trappings have been more about necessity than getting to live out the days of yore. After parting ways with the UFC earlier this year, the "Detroit Superstar" was mostly concerned with getting right back into competition and getting back into the win column after a losing streak.