SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- Over-the-top characters were an integral part of what made the PRIDE Fighting Championship so memorable.
Personalities as diverse as Bob "The Beast" Sapp, "The Fireball Kid" Takanori Gomi and "The Axe Murderer" Wanderlei Silva helped the legendary Japanese promotion flourish as a blend of sport and spectacle.
Would PRIDE have made such an indelible mark in the history of mixed martial arts if the fighters all had to wear lookalike gear? Nobuyuki Sakakibara, the former CEO of PRIDE and the current boss of RIZIN, doesn't believe so.
So don't expect RIZIN to pursue a deal like the UFC's exclusive apparel agreement with Reebok any time soon as it works to develop the next generation of Japanese stars.