MMA-URLS

In a video interview with Bleacher Report, ahead of his fight with Daniel Cormier to finally finish the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, Josh Barnett gives us a brief historical account and philosophical take on Pro Wrestling, Catch Wrestling and fighting. When a lot of interviews typically center around how a fighter has been training, their performance in their last fight and speculation on their next fight, and of course their thoughts on their upcoming opponent, this video thankfully bucks the trend. Talk of Pro Wrestling on this site is often met with scepticism and derision unless a satisfactory link to MMA can be ascertained, and while my own articles on Catch Wrestling tend to be received favourably, it becomes doubly interesting and relevant when we get to hear directly from an experienced, elite fighter on the subject. Barnett recounts his early interest in Pro Wrestling, what he liked about the 'Shoot' style of pro wrestling in Japan, what can be learned from the old legends of Catch Wrestling, how sport rules dictate the evolution (or devolution) of grappling styles, his first time working for New Japan Pro Wrestling, and more. Related stories: Strikeforce: Heavyweight Grand Prix Finale Fight Card | Dana White Open To Josh Barnett In The UFC | Interview: The Return of Catch Wrestling's Snake Pit | Judo Chop: Josh Barnett and Unorthodox Submissions | Judo Chop: Josh Barnett's Invisible Grappling | Josh Barnett and Reintroducing America to Catch Wrestling I've transcribed some choice quotes after the jump. On what attracted him to 'Shoot' style Pro Wrestling: I was a huge fan of all that was American Professional Wrestling. But at the same time I also grew up with 'Bloodsport', and Bruce Lee movies, and so on and so forth, and the idea of taking a tournament and taking the toughest guys in the world and having the fight off against each other: the Kung Fu guy versus the Karate guy, versus the Judo guy. Coming across New Japan Pro Wrestling tapes and UWFi tapes, and I just go 'Woah! Holy Crap, this is different' ... it didn't have the histrionics and the dramatics as much as the American Professional Wrestling had in terms of the promos, and the ring appeals and things like that, but the fighting -- if you would call it that -- was so intense. I really dug it. On what he can take from the legends of Catch Wrestling technique-wise for MMA: They all came from a wrestling background, just like myself. I think that you've got to start with basics with anything. I believe that basic body positioning on the feet and takedowns ... I mean, you go from there and then you can start adding all the submissions that you want, as long as your foundation is strong. And that foundation being just simple movement, control, levers. Wrestling is essentially the best building blocks and foundation I feel for developing every aspect of your game off of. On rules dictating the approach to a combat sport, and if he's had to modify Catch Wrestling techniques the originally had the goal of pinning: Rules often dictate the ways and philosophies in which you'll approach a game. It has to ... there are a good number of Jiu Jitsu guys out there that have absolutely no takedown game; because it is unnecessary for the rules of the sport to succeed, it's not a penalty, so instead of diverting energy into that it's easier and makes sense to -- let's say you're a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu guy, in that scenario -- to work more on his sweeps, on his guard passing, on maybe his lapel chokes and things like that, it's more beneficial to him. But even still, in MMA pinning is important. Knowing how to control a guy, how to put him on his back and keep him there and continue to hit him, and control him and ride him out, is very important. But there are adjustments that must be made to best incorporate Catch into the modern MMA landscape, and even the modern Grappling landscape, which is largely Jiu Jitsu based in terms of even rule set most of the time. The way I see it ... it's just like when I went to New Japan, and they go "Ohh, you never Pro Wrestled before!", I go "Moves are moves, anybody can learn moves". If you have an announce of athleticism, and a mind to conceptualise and understand what it is you're doing, you can teach me how to shoot a double on a guy with an elbow post, or you can teach me how to run ropes and hit a clothesline. A move is a move is a move. I don't see any trouble with adapting or even adding to a Catch Wrestling arsenal, even from learning from a very old school standpoint." On his first match being for the championship in New Japan Pro Wrestling: Not only was my first match against Yuji Nagata in front of 15,000 people, I was coming down with chicken pox at the same time! I went out there and I worked almost 12 minutes straight with that guy. I'd only had 2 days of Professional Wrestling training in my entire life, and I'm out there taking Exploders on the head, Wrist-Clutch Exploders, I was throwing Yuji around, you know I did my whole thing, and at the end of that 12 minutes I felt like I was on fire, fever was going and the lights were on me, but it was an amazing experience. On Tatsumi Fujinami paying him the ultimate compliment: I remember one of the coolest compliments I ever got ... the first time I showed up at an event -- just to cut a promo, against Nagata -- these guys are in the ring, working out, and so I go in there and they all want to wrestle with me. They all want to grapple with me, and so I go "Alright". So I'm tapping everybody out left and right, just tearing them up. Fujinami comes up to me and goes, "Man, you know I was watching you in the ring right there, you move really well. You reminded me a lot of when Karl Gotch was here." And I was just, woah dude On being proud about his roots and hating people that call Pro Wrestling fake: ... I feel really proud of a professional wrestling lineage, I feel pride in trying to re-connect those Amateur Wrestling roots to the combat aspects of wrestling, and also the history and the lineage of where Professional Wrestling came from. It's not fake, you know? I can't stand it when people go "Oh, but it's fake, right?" ... It's not fake! You can call it whatever you want, but don't say it's fake. I'm not joking out there, I'm not playing around, it's not a game to me. It's real, and I take it very seriously because I'm trying to show everything that we have as athletes out there in the ring, trying to show all the emotions and aspects that go into a fight and a struggle between two competitors. ... Pro Wrestlers used to be considered some of the toughest guys in the world back in the day. It didn't matter if they were out there working, their pedigree was otherwise, and anybody that wanted to step up to them learned the hard way. I remember hearing all the stories of the old school guys at New Japan, about when they used to take out ads in the newspaper saying Professional Wrestling Is The Strongest Of All Martial Arts, and Karate guys, Judo guys, you know, Aikido or whatever, would show up at their dojo and say "Hey, we don't believe in that, we think this is crap, we're going to come in and we're going to beat ya, and we're going to show you otherwise". And Gotch would just -- or Inoki -- would say, "Hey, Osamu Kido, go wrestle that dude", and he'd just tear them apart. They never lost. They beat everybody up who showed up at their gym.

Posted in: guy, josh, japan, barnett, move

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

UFC bantamweight Norifumi “KID” Yamamoto may be on a personal three-fight losing streak, but he’s a hero to at least one person in Japan. Recently, Yamamoto saved a man that had fall on a subway track in Tokyo. The man was unconscious and bleeding from his head when he fell on the Gotana Station track. [...]

Posted in: japan, man, kid yamamoto, yamamoto, subway track

Read the full article at MMA Convert

When not searching for his first win inside the Octagon, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight Norifumi Yamamoto is saving lives in his native Japan. According to a report from Yahoo! Japan (via MMA Fighting), "Kid" ran to the rescue of an elderly man who has lying unconscious on a railroad track at Gotanda Station. After being unable to lift the man on his own, other bystanders assisted the 135-pound Yamamoto in carrying the man to safety before the next train pulled up for boarding. The man, who was also found bleeding from his head upon arrival, is said to now be in stable condition. Well done "Kid," well done. With his latest heroics, Yamamoto's star in Japan will undoubtedly shine a little brighter. Yamamoto, once regarded as the top-ranked fighter in his division not too long ago, is currently winless (0-3) during his recent tenure with the UFC. His is most recent loss came at the hands of Vaughan Lee at UFC 144 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, losing via submission (armbar) in the very first round. On the bright side, "Kid" has yet to be handed his walking papers following his three consecutive defeats and will likely get another chance to prove himself inside the Octagon; however, he doesn't have a fight lined up at the moment.

Posted in: ufc, kid, japan, man, yamamoto

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(via MiddleEasy)

Posted in: japan, middleeasy

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Japanese MMA veteran Enson Inoue has been on a mission to help since the devastating Tohoku earthquake and tsunami last year in Japan. He recently updated us on the tragedy and Japan's MMA scene.

Posted in: mma, japan, scene, japan tragedy, tohoku earthquake

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

UFC president Dana White recently explained the UFC's place in Japan, as well as going in depth about the state of mixed martial arts in the country.

Posted in: ufc, dana, japan, art, ufcs place

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UFC President Dana White gives us a look backstage at UFC 144 in Japan and UFC on FX in Australia.

Posted in: ufc, fx, dana, japan, australia

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Because Japan is 14 hours ahead of us civilized east coast folk, the fight between Roxanne Modafferi and Takayo Hashi on 'Saturday night' will actually take place in the wee early hours of Saturday morning. The weigh-ins have already taken place, and kakutoh-blog has all the pictures. From their entry on Roxy and Hashi via Google Translate: Since the first time in two years "Juerusu is in the first participation in a war, even to the game I'm glad terribly. In Japan, because you can play in Japan finally, I am happy too. Nde strong sense away with it overseas Yappari, calm comes from Japan but do not have a relationship strength is it is unknown. do not know. Roxanne is a strong feeling very, it is the players aggressive. but sometimes I practiced a few times, and I can be the game, since there are only a handful, there the game is there pound you want to fight cut percentage and games. of special rules, do you want to be when you can type not stick to the pound is struck, f*ckable at that time. tomorrow aiming to KO and win this one I want to end the game early. " Yeah, Google probably needs to work a little bit on that. Damnit, if only our usual Japanese translator wasn't busy preparing to kick some ass. Funny enough, the text above makes a whole lot more sense when it's read out loud to you: All of a sudden there are a whole bunch of things that sound really wise. Calm comes from Japan. Roxanne is a strong feeling! She practiced a few times and CAN be the game.

Posted in: time, game, japan, feeling, roxanne

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Part Deux, anyone? Mauricio Rua and Quinton Jackson, two of PRIDE FC's biggest stars during the promotion's heyday, initially locked horns at PRIDE Total Elimination 2005 in Osaka, Japan. Rua had his way with Jackson from the opening bell, delivering strike after strike, which forced the referee to step in and stop the bout halfway through the opening frame. Since then, both have reached the pinnacle of the mixed martial arts (MMA) world, capturing gold in the form of the Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) light heavyweight title. They have also competed against common opponents in Dan Henderson, Forrest Griffin, Lyoto Machida, Chuck Liddell and Jon Jones. However, since that night in Japan, seven years ago, the two have yet to rematch. With both former 205-pound champions coming off losses, the present, it seems, is as good a time as any to set up the rematch that fans have been longing for all these years. Speaking to Brazilian MMA news outlet Tatame.com, "Shogun" gives his thoughts on Quinton Jackson's performance at UFC 144 against Ryan Bader this past weekend (Feb. 25, 2012) in Japan -- and also goes on to say that a second go-round against Jackson is "inevitable" before they retire. Check it out: "I don't discard Ryan Bader nor Rampage, Dan Henderson, Rich Franklin... I guess there are many guys I could fight. Actually, soon I'll know more about it and I'll keep you posted. I'm sure I'll train focused on my opponent and he's going to be a hard one. The fight against Rampage will happen eventually. It's inevitable and UFC knows it. He won't retire before fighting me and neither am I (laughs). I don't know if he got injured, if he was not feeling ok... It's hard to know, but Rampage is very professional and deserves to be respected." "Shogun," was much friendlier in his analysis of Jackson's performance than that of fellow light heavyweight and former PRIDE star, Dan Henderson. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) black belt has not seen action since his epic battle with the aforementioned Henderson at UFC 139 over three months ago. Rua dropped a unanimous decision to "Hendo" in what has been dubbed one of the greatest fights in MMA history. "Rampage" had previously lobbied for a fight against ‘Shogun" in Japan, but was only granted part of his wish, as he was matched up against Ryan Bader in Saitama, instead. Anyone disagree that this is the most obvious match-up for the two former champions? Or is there someone else that would make for more of an intriguing fight for "Shogun's" return?

Posted in: rampage, jackson, japan, ryan bader, i dont

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When Zuffa wants to hit a new market (or in this case, return to one it had spent a decade away from), the strategy typically consists of two things: Load the fight card with locals. Push said locals to the moon. So when UFC returned to "The Land of the Rising Sun" for the first time in what felt like forever with last night's (Sat., Feb. 25, 2012) UFC 144: "Edgar vs. Henderson" pay-per-view event, it did so with as much Japanese flavor as possible, though they didn't push as hard as usual. The problem with this strategy, though, is unlike say, WWE, UFC doesn't control the outcome of its contests. Which means precisely what you think it would. The issue of Japanese fighters losing in Japan is magnified by the fact that, sadly enough, there really aren't any true superstars left. This was supposed to be a show that would see the resurrection of once great fighters like Norifumi Yamamoto and Takanori Gomi. It was also supposed to expose the audience to Yushin Okami, who has long been a top middleweight but never quite got the recognition he deserved. Even Yoshihiro Akiyama and Quinton Jackson came back hoping to provide some feel good thrills for times past. As it were, nearly everything that could have gone wrong did. That's not to say it was a bad show; far from it, actually. In fact, it will be difficult for any event to surpass it for "Card of the Year" by the time 2012 is over. The UFC just didn't get many of the results it desired. Let's look at how the Japanese fighters competing on the card fared and how that affects things going forward: Issei Tamura def. Tiequan Zhang via knockout in round two This fight was always a sort of lose-lose for UFC because it wanted Zhang to be a guy it could depend on to break into China while Tamura losing in the opener would set a bad tone. Ultimately, the result didn't do much of anything outside of expose Zhang as a guy who absolutely cannot lead the charge into China. While Tamura's win was spectacular, it occurred on Facebook and was the opener of the evening. Few witnessed the destruction. Chris Cariaso def. Takeya Mizugaki via unanimous decision Again, this wasn't a game changer by any stretch but many felt Mizugaki got jobbed here. That includes UFC President Dana White, who awarded Mizugaki his win bonus despite the decision. There was nothing to write home about either way. Riki Fukuda def. Steve Cantwell via unanimous decision A nice win for the home crowd that was rapidly filing into the building in anticipation of the main card but, once again, there was little chance a star would be born here. The situation just didn't call for it. Vaughn Lee def. Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto via submission in round one This is where it got ugly in a hurry for Japanese faithful. Although Yamamoto didn't receive nearly the response the powers that be surely assumed he would (likely due to his struggles stateside), his defeat was a crushing blow. After all, "Kid' used to be the talk of the town, one of the very best to come out of the East. At one point in Dec. 2007, he was 17-1 and the very best Japan had to offer. Now? He's lost five of his last six bouts, including all three of his chances inside the Octagon. He could be toast after this loss. Takanori Gomi def. Eiji Mitsuoka via technical knockout in round two What a weird performance from Gomi, another Japanese fighter who used to be the absolute best but has since fallen on hard times. The opening round consisted of "The Fireball Kid" leading with his head like he was using it to tire out his opponent's fists. It damn near led to a knockout loss, too, until he turned it on in the second round and finished the fight with a flurry of punches. His victory, according to Zach Arnold of Fight Opinion, is the biggest MMA related headline in Japan coming out of this event. Considering everything else that happened, combined with his two losses coming in, this was just what the doctor ordered. Hatsu Hioki def. Bart Palaszewski via unanimous decision Most definitely the desired result, as the UFC is short on challengers to Jose Aldo's featherweight championship. However, Hioki, dominant as he was, didn't exactly give anyone a good reason to believe he's ready for a title shot and even told Ariel Helwani after the event that he doesn't want one just yet because he needs more time to work on his game. Such honesty is refreshing but doesn't exactly help make him a star. Tim Boetsch def. Yushin Okami via knockout in round three The craziest fight of the night featured Boetsch continuing his improbable run at middleweight with a thrilling come from behind knockout victory over Okami, a man UFC has never found the right formula for. He was more or less a sacrificial lamb in his last fight against Anderson Silva in Brazil and this was his chance to get back to his feet in front of his home crowd. He was well on his way to doing so, too, until "The Barbarian" decided to go crazy after going down two rounds to zero. With nothing to lose, Boetsch unloaded with everything he had and after landing about 28 solid shots to Okami's chin, the fight was over. It's completely fair to wonder just where "Thunder" goes from here. Jake Shields def. Yoshihiro Akiyama via unanimous decision What is there to say about Akiyama that hasn't already been said? He, perhaps more than any other fighter on the entire roster, has been a monumental disappointment for the UFC. It was thought that was partially because he was competing at middleweight. But his first fight at 170-pounds didn't give us any indication that was the case. The dude lost a stand-up striking battle against Jake Shields, of all people. With four losses in a row and a cold reception in Japan, there are very few reasons to keep him around. Ryan Bader def. Quinton Jackson via unanimous decision Okay, so Jackson isn't Japanese but he was by far the most popular fighter on the card. His entrance was one of the highlights of the night, a goosebump inducing affair that could have been made even more special by his victory. Sadly, he looked shopworn, like the years of competing inside rings and cages across the world had caught up to him. He later revealed a knee injury suffered both before and during the fight greatly hampered his performance but there's always something. He'll turn 34-years-old in a few months and while he claims he's still motivated to compete, we have every reason to not believe him. UFC 144 was a fantastic show that provided plenty of thrills. But it didn't provide much hope for a future in Japan for the promotion. The reasons are many but most notable among them is their lack of ability to secure the proper television deals. The best way to do that going forward would have been strong performances from the Japanese fighters on the card. As you can see above, that just didn't happen. This doesn't mean UFC won't be back in Japan with another card that could exceed expectations. But for those hoping it would become the next Canada or Brazil can forget that. For now.

Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, japan, didnt

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Quinton (Rampage) Jackson made his return to Japan but as he fought Ryan Bader, he certainly didn't look like the fighter Japan once saw.

Posted in: rampage, jackson, japan, ryan bader, fighter japan

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Quinton (Rampage) Jackson made his return to Japan but as he fought Ryan Bader, he certainly didn't look like the fighter Japan once saw.

Posted in: rampage, japan, ryan bader, rundown, fighter japan

Read the full article at sportsnet.ca

Showdown Joe takes an in-depth look at the UFC's first trip back to Japan in over 11 years for UFC 144.

Posted in: ufc, showdown, year, japan, recapping

Read the full article at sportsnet.ca

SAITAMA, Japan -- Watch below as Quinton Jackson talks about his loss to Ryan Bader at UFC 144, how his injury affected his performance, whether he wants to keep fighting, what's next for him, and his return to Japan.

Posted in: ufc, jackson, rampage jackson, japan, ryan bader

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SAITAMA, Japan -- Ryan Bader talked to MMA Fighting about his win at UFC 144 over Rampage Jackson. Bader talks about his performance, being slammed by Rampage, his experience in Japan and much more.

Posted in: rampage, ryan, japan, ryan bader, bader

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SAITAMA, Japan -- Watch below as UFC president Dana White talks about why he thinks Frankie Edgar deserved to beat Benson Henderson at UFC 144, what's next for both fighters, Rampage Jackson's performance, Mark Hunt's improbable UFC run, and more.

Posted in: ufc, japan, saitama, frankie edgar, benson henderson

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SAITAMA, Japan -- Mark Hunt talked to MMA Fighting about his knockout win against Cheick Kongo at UFC 144. Hunt discusses his fondness for Japan, his performance against Kongo, his tattoo and more in the video below.

Posted in: title shot, mark hunt, hunt, cheick kongo, japan

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MMAWeekly got a moment of Hunt's time after his win in Japan for an exclusive interview were he says he feels like he was Japanese in another life as he is more popular in Japan than his homeland in New Zealand.

Posted in: ufc, japanese, life, japan, zealand

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A balanced look at the fallout from the UFC Japan 2012 event at Saitama Super Arena.

Posted in: ufc, japan, arena, ufc japan, joshgrossespn

Read the full article at Fight Opinion

A balanced look at the fallout from the UFC Japan 2012 event at Saitama Super Arena.

Posted in: ufc, japan, arena, ufc japan, pyrrhic victory

Read the full article at Fight Opinion

SAITAMA, Japan - The slide of "Kid" continues. After a promising start against fellow featherweight Vaughn Lee, Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto found himself the victim of a first-round submission. The preliminary-card bout was part of UFC 144 and aired on FX. It preceded the pay-per-view main card at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Posted in: kid, japan, saitama, yamamoto, preliminarycard bout

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SAITAMA, Japan - So much for regional bias. Bantamweight Chris Cariaso took home a highly questionable decision victory after three rounds with onetime WEC title challenger and Japanese vet Takeya Mizugaki. The preliminary-card bout was part of UFC 144 and aired on FX. It preceded the pay-per-view main card at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Posted in: japan, takeya, saitama, decision victory, preliminarycard bout

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MMAPayout will be taking a look at the storylines heading into UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson, which will be held at The Saitama Super Arena in Japan on Saturday February 25, 2012. UFC Sells Out Long Awaited Return to Japan UFC officials today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that ticket sales are still moving briskly for this weekend’s event at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and the fight card is expected to sell-out all of the nearly 20,000 available seats. Furthermore, UFC officials are so encouraged by the buzz surrounding UFC 143 that plans for a return to Japan are already under consideration, and multiple annual visits – as well as a version of “The Ultimate Fighter” – are also possible.  (MMAJunkie) Quinton “Rampage” Jackson Misses Weight Quentin “Rampage” Jackson missed weight by 5 pounds last night at UFC 144 weigh-ins. Jackson claims that this was due to an unspecified injury and as a result he will forfeit 20% of his show money to his opponent, Ryan Bader. Ryan Bader seemed nonplussed by the fact Jackson missed weight by a considerable amount.(MMAPayout) UFC Japan Sponsors Plus “Pay-to-Play” TV Deal with TV Tokyo, – Event Set To Air at 3AM in Japan “This is why Dentsu backing UFC is so critical. A multi-year deal to promote shows in the country means nothing unless Dentsu, which has plenty of juice, can convince sponsors to back them to get the events on TV. If an outlet like TV Tokyo, which historically has plenty of pay-to-play examples for buying programming time, is taking a pass on the UFC… that spells trouble. WOWOW doesn’t cut it. You need a major broadcast TV network backing you or else you are going nowhere on a big scale in Japan.” - TV Tokyo will air 90-minute highlight version of UFC Japan show from 3:15 AM to 4:45 AM JST after the show is done. - Don Quijote & UFC Undisputed 3 are the TV sponsors. - This was a last-minute deal by Dentsu. (FightOpinion) MMAFighting Hit’s the Streets of Japan and Tests UFC Brand Strength and State of MMA UFC 144 will mark the promotion’s first event in Japan in over 11 years, and its return to the “Land of the Rising Sun” has forced the MMA community to once again figure out just how healthy the Japanese MMA scene is. With that in mind, we hit the streets of Tokyo to find out whether the locals were UFC fans and why they think MMA has fallen on hard times in the country. (MMAFighting)   UFC 144 Marketing and Advertising The UFC has been doing a pretty good job of sucking in those hardcore nostalgic MMA fans who hold Japanese MMA and their tradition in high regard.  Although some may have wanted the UFC to be held in a white ring and have a ramp with Lenne Hardt announcing the fighters, Dana White was not shy to remind MMA fans and Media that this isn’t PRIDE and that the Japanese promotion who was top dog only a few years ago is dead. Having said that, the posters released for UFC 144 have been great, adding some of that Japanese and PRIDE feel to them while maintaining the UFC’s brand.  Key to the UFC this time around is to spread brand awareness and create some roots for future expansion into not only Japan, but Korea, Philipines, and China, who they feel have even more potential at the moment as untapped markets.  At this time, it’s going to take a good amount of time and effort to elevate the MMA scene in Japan to what it once was. UFC 144 Poster + UFC 144 Rampage Poster:   Japanese fighter Megumi Fujii Tweeted an anime version of the UFC 144 Japan poster:

Posted in: ufc, mma, japanese, tv, japan

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UFC 144 Japan: Edgar vs. Henderson quick results on Saturday, Feb. 25. The main event features Frankie Edgar vs. Benson Henderson.

Posted in: ufc, result, vs, japan, edgar

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

It's too bad Fear Factor was cancelled; UFC Heavyweight Roy Nelson may have made for a good contestant. That's because "Big Country" recently took a mini-tour of Japan with Zuffa cameras following along to enjoy the ride that ultimately culminated in his eating a blowfish. Testicles and all. Nelson described the blowfish balls as "delicious" and seemingly plans on enjoying them again come Thanksgiving Day, something he says he can't wait for. Naturally. All this, of course, is just fluff leading up to tonight's (Sat., Feb. 25, 2012) UFC 144: "Edgar vs. Henderson" pay-per-view event going down at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Make sure you hit up MMAmania.com's live coverage post to follow along with all the night's action right here.

Posted in: ufc, japan, blowfish balls, coverage post, blowfish

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Joe Lauzon has been competing as a professional Mixed Martial Artist since he was a teenager, fighting fifteen times before making his infamous UFC debut against legendary lightweight Jens Pulver in 2006. However, despite his experience the 27-year has never been afforded an opportunity to compete in Japan…until now, that is. Lauzon faces Anthony Pettis later tonight as part of the main card for UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson. The event marks the UFC’s return to Japan after more than ten years away from the Asian nation, and, as mentioned, Lauzon’s first in the Far East. “I’ve always wanted to fight in Japan,” began Lauzon in a conversation with the UFC’s website promoting his bout with Pettis. “Before MMA was real big here, Japan was always the place to go. It’s turned around now, but before, when the UFC was just getting going and gaining all that momentum, Japan was the place to fight, so it’s pretty cool to go back there and be part of such a big card.” “The quiet fans are going to be a trip. I always hear my corner very clear and I’m very accustomed to their voices, so I can pick them up, but listening to the other corner and all that kinda stuff is all gonna be pretty cool. I think we’ll hear Joe (Rogan) and ‘Goldie’ (Mike Goldberg), and I’m looking forward to all of that,” Lauzon continued before referring to famed MMA promotion PRIDE as a core reason he fell in love with the sport. “I started training before I started watching the UFC, and honestly, I think I watched a little bit more PRIDE in the very beginning than I did the UFC. There were the entrances with the drums and there were so many people there and the whole entire thing is just a surreal experience.” Not only is “J-Lau” eager to fight in Japan but he’s pumped to have been paired with an opponent the caliber of Pettis. A former WEC champion, Pettis has won five of his last six bouts and brings a polished attack into the cage featuring slick striking, underrated BJJ, and unique athleticism. “I think Pettis is good everywhere,” Lauzon said, praising Pettis. “Everyone knows him as the kid that jumped off the cage, and he’s obviously got good kickboxing, but he’s good on the ground too. I think people forget that part about him.” Lauzon also made sure to point out he’s a bit better in the stand-up department than he gets credit for. Confident Lauzon Gives Fans a Glimpse at his Training in UFC 144 Vlog “Also, I don’t think he’s got a clear-cut advantage on the feet, like a lot of people are thinking. Everyone looks at me as ‘Oh, he’s got so many submissions,’ and this and that, but I think people forget that I’ve been hurting people with my punches and that’s been setting up my submissions. The last couple fights, I smashed guys on the feet, and then I took a submission once it hit the ground. So I don’t see it as this clear-cut striker vs. grappler match that a lot of people are seeing. I favor the ground over stand-up and I think Pettis favors stand-up over ground, but I think we’re both pretty even in a lot of areas, and I’m expecting a tough fight and an exciting fight. Most likely, the fight’s gonna end somewhere absolutely crazy, so I’m excited.” The two talented 155ers will mix it up on the PPV portion of UFC 144. Preliminary bouts begin at 7:30 PM EST on Facebook/FX with the featured fights starting at 10:00 PM EST. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: ufc, fight, petti, japan, lauzon

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One of the perks of being a UFC fighter is they sometimes get to travel to cool places around the world on the company’s dime even when they’re not fighting. The UFC brought several of its stars over to Japan this weekend including Georges St. Pierre and Roy Nelson. Here’s couple videos of their adventures in Japan, plus a couple videos of Joe Lauzon touring Tokyo during his downtime before his fight against Anthony Pettis. The highlight: Roy Nelson eating blowfish testicles.

Posted in: joe lauzon, japan, ufc fighter, roy nelson, couple videos

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SAITAMA, Japan - MMAjunkie.com was on scene for today's official UFC 144 weigh-ins, where 23 of 24 competitors successfully made weight for this weekend's pay-per-view event, the company's first visit to Japan since 2000. Unfortunately, the one who failed was former PRIDE superstar Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, who registered 211 pounds for his light heavyweight matchup with Ryan Bader. Nevertheless, a crowd of a little more than 1,500 fans cheered Jackson as he hit the scale, and this weekend's event will go on as planned.

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SAITAMA, Japan -- The UFC 144 weigh-ins took place Saturday morning at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Full results here. Check out the highlights below.

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SAITAMA, JAPAN -- Watch below as Miss Japan finalist Azusa Nishigaki talks about her UFC Octagon debut at UFC 144, how she got the gig, and more. Plus, veteran UFC Octagon Girl Arianny Celeste also stops by to show her a few pointers before tomorrow night's event.

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The nation of Japan has the highest ratio of cool haircuts per person in the world. It's important that the planet Earth recognizes how expertly teased and styled the hair of the average Japanese person is. You know what? With all of that hair spray being used in such a condensed population I bet the Earth does recognize it-with a hole in the Ozone! Hahaha. But seriously, all Japanese citizens should have the right to carry Buster Swords on their person at all times with the proper paperwork. Watch Ariel Helwani walk around Tokyo in a neat jacket asking the local population about the state of MMA in Japan. {iframe}http://mmafighting.vid.io/v/ab4ad120-5efe-11e1-83d5-1231390e4da4{/iframe} Ariel should have asked some of those people if they had a PS Vita and how they feel about it. The new system looks pretty cool to me, and the US launch lineup was killer. After selling 325,000 units in Japan over the first few days, sales have dropped to just 13 thousand last week. Whoa. Had MiddleEasy been in Japan we would have gone further into this PS Vita sales plunge mystery, we think it may be loosely tied into the fall of Pride and JMMA. [Source]

Posted in: japan, ariel helwani, ariel, person, buster swords

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Go along with UFC heavyweight Roy Nelson as he does some sightseeing in Japan before UFC 144.

Posted in: ufc, heavyweight, japan, nelson, roy

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The UFC will bring a massive amount of star power to Japan this Saturday, February 25th when UFC 144:Edgar vs Henderson kicks off. The UFC hasn’t been to Japan in 12 years and this is the biggest UFC event the country has ever hosted. Below are the picks for the highly anticipated main event match. [...]

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Before mixed martial arts entered the combat-sports lexicon, no-holds-barred, vale tudo and shoot fighting were the common phrases describing what was still more spectacle than sport, more a fight than the sport of fighting. Brazil, the U.S. and Japan were pioneering countries of mixed-fighting contests decades before the Ultimate Fighting Championship became the catalyst to MMA in 1993. Now, as MMAjunkie.com's Danny Acosta explains, Japan could rejoin the group following this weekend's UFC 144 event.

Posted in: ufc, sport, brazil, japan, noholdsbarred

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Tomorrow night will mark the biggest of UFC lightweight Benson Henderson’s career. After impressing all with a trio of victories inside the Octagon after debuting last April including those over top contenders Jim Miller and Clay Guida, the 28-year old finds himself on the cusp of greatness with a chance to win 155-pound champion Frankie Edgar’s title in a headlining bout. If fighting for the title wasn’t enough, Henderson and Edgar will also be competing in the main event of the UFC’s return trip to Japan. Since Zuffa acquired PRIDE the sport hasn’t enjoyed all that much success in the Land of the Rising Sun. DREAM has failed to show any consistency and Sengoku has recently closed its doors. Japanese fans have been clamoring for a big show and both Edgar and Henderson will be counted on to come up big when they meet in February. However, it’s a challenge “Bendo” welcomes with open arms as he made clear in a conversation with Fighters.com. “I’m super excited that the UFC has given me the honor of fighting in the main event of their return to Japan,” said an eager Henderson who was not trying to hide the pride in his voice what so ever. “This is like the UFC’s first trip to Japan because they haven’t been there since Zuffa took over the organization. “It’s been a long time since the UFC has been there and we expect fans from all over the world to be attending this show,” he continued. “This truly going to be a global event and I’m excited to be part of it. I get a thrill about being in the main event over the bigger weight guys because that spot is usually reserved for them. It’s a big deal for us little guys and that’s something I take great pride in.” Japanese fans have long been known to be more reserved than their American counterparts. While the fans in North America can be rabid, loud and blood thirsty, the Japanese fans tend to be quiet and reserved. That’s not to say they are any less in love with the sport. As a matter of fact they showed the UFC fighters tremendous love when they were over their promoting this card in November. “I got a pretty good welcoming from the fans and media when we were over there,” the 14-2 Henderson said. “We have a great card scheduled and while MMA may have been on the decline over there it seems to be getting back on track. This card has sparked a rebirth over there and after this I think we’ll see a lot of young Japanese fighters begin to get involved with the sport. I would consider it an honor to be part of something that helped MMA bounce back in Japan.” While he was over in Japan, Henderson had an opportunity to travel over to Korea to meet relatives from his mother’s side of the family. He also had a chance to train at Korean Top Team with “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung. These experiences are something Henderson will never forget and has opened up a whole new plethora of family members to him. “It was so cool, the first couple of days I went and visited a couple of Army Bases,” said a still-glowing Henderson. “We had Thanksgiving dinner with the troops and they were really awesome. We got to roll around with some of the soldiers and their instructors. “After that we had two or three days to ourselves and I got to meet my mom’s side of the family. There were so many cousins who I had never met before and I was super stoked about meeting them all. My mom has six aunts and uncles and they all have children. It was really cool meeting so many new family members.” He’ll even have a few of them in attendance come tomorrow night at UFC 144 when he faces Edgar. “My mom’s uncle will be traveling from Korea to Japan to watch me fight,” Henderson explained. “That has me really excited. They have become so supportive of me and are really big fans. Some of my family from the states will be traveling to watch me fight as well. The amount of support I will have will be truly amazing.” Henderson has a lot of tools that have helped him become so successful in his sort time in mixed martial arts. He has solid wrestling, very good submission defense and a diverse striking attack that has a Muay Thai base. Edgar is quick, has good boxing and is as tough as they come. It’ll be interesting to see what areas Henderson holds an edge over Edgar and vice versa. “I think I match up with him pretty well with him in every area,” said the self-assured scrapper. “As I said I’m as confident as any fighter on this planet. He is known for having great cardio, a great chin and recovers very quickly. I believe my cardio is second to none, my chin is good and has been tested quite a few times and I’ve done just fine.” “My MMA wrestling is second to nobody’s in the UFC, my ground game; my Jiu-Jitsu is also second to none,” concluded Henderson on Edgar before giving him the edge in one discipline. “An area of weakness may be my boxing, his boxing may be a little bit better than mine and he may try and exploit that. My Muay Thai has really grown and cone along very nicely. Besides the boxing, I think I match up very well with him.” Henderson Sees Fight Unfolding Like “Two Cats in a Bag” The headliner between Henderson-Edgar takes place as part of a stacked seven-fight PPV card starting at 10:00 PM EST. Other bouts include Anthony Pettis-Joe Lauzon, Yoshihiro Akiyama-Jake Shields, and Quinton Jackson-Ryan Bader. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: ufc, henderson, fan, japan, edgar

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Scrappy lightweight contender Joe Lauzon, who is scheduled to face off against Anthony Pettis at UFC 144 this Saturday night (Feb. 25, 2012), gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at his trip to the Saitama Super Arena for the upcoming "Edgar vs. Henderson" pay-per-view event in Japan. For episode one, including his training footage, click here. Episode two's arrival in Japan right here and for our extensive preview covering the Lauzon vs. Pettis fight click here.

Posted in: anthony pettis, episode, japan, lauzon, japan right

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The UFC is returning to Japan for the first time since December 2000. Thirteen months after that last event in Japan, another milestone was being made, as Bart Palaszewski was making his professional MMA debut at UA 1: The Genesis in Hammond, Indiana. In that fight, “Bartimus” took on fellow future UFC fighter Cole Escovedo. Unfortunately for Palaszewski, he lost that fight. It did not begin well for Palaszewski, who actually started his career with four straight losses. He did not get his first career victory until his fifth fight, which took place sixteen months after his debut. Since then, he has worked his way up the ranks fighting in multiple organizations, including some that no longer even exist. Even though he fought at lightweight for nearly a decade, earning wins over names such as Ivan Menjivar and Anthony Pettis, he did not make his UFC debut until 2011, when he dropped to featherweight for the first time. He fought and defeated Tyson Griffin at UFC 137 last October, earning “Knockout of the Night” for his first round KO of the UFC veteran. Now he could be in line for a title shot against UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo, barring he gets by his opponent this weekend at UFC 144 in hometown star Hatsu Hioki. Palaszewski enters the fight very confident, in both his own abilities and his own feelings on Hioki’s. “I match up well with Hioki,” Palaszewski said to MMAFrenzy.com. “I think I match up well and it’s a great matchup because we asked for this fight. His only chance to beat me is on the ground, and even then, I wasn’t that impressed with his ground game against George Roop in his last fight. My striking is a lot better than his, and that is where I can overpower him. Besides, I don’t plan on taking it to the ground.” “To put it simply, I really just think he’s overrated.” Even though he enters Hioki’s home country, Palaszewski feels it will not have an effect on the fight. In fact, this will not be his first trip to Japan. He fought and won in Tokyo in September 2004 at ZST 6 against Masayuki Okude. With that experience, Palaszewski feels confident the impact on the fight will be minimal. “Fighting in Japan doesn’t really matter to me,” said Palaszewski. “It’s just another fight for me. The schedule changes a little bit, but we’ll adjust. I left home maybe three pounds lighter than I usually would, but the cut won’t be too bad. I brought everything I need for the weight cut just in case. You never know what you’re going to be able to find or not find in a different country.” A veteran of fifty career (sanctioned) fights and with ten years’ experience, coincidentally this is only the second time he has ever left the country, with the other occurrence being his first fight in Japan. Now, nearly ten years to the day after his first career fight, Palaszewski looks back at the significant strides he has made, while remaining to keep an eye on the future. “When I first started doing this, you had to be a big name to be in the UFC,” Palaszewski said. “I knew there was no way I was going to be picked up. It was rough, and I learned a lot of lessons along the way, but it made me who I am today.” “With the money that is in the UFC now, a fighter can make a good living nowadays. I never wanted to be the guy that could start 7-0, makes his way to the UFC and loses a few fights and then just disappears. I want to retire in the UFC. It took me a long time to get here, but I’m here to stay.”

Posted in: ufc, fight, japan, palaszewski, hioki

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With Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) poised to make its return to Japan with UFC 144: "Edgar vs. Henderson" at the Saitama Super Arena, there have been quite a few questions on some of the competitor's minds. For instance, what's it like to fight in Japan versus the United States? Well, for one thing, it's much quieter in between rounds. That's according to former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz, who told ESPN.com that he could "literally hear a pin drop." "You can literally hear a pin drop in between rounds. Some fighters fight off that adrenaline. I myself feed off fans. There, everything was so quiet. I could hear my elbows bust off Wanderlei Silva's face." Ortiz went to war against "The Axe Murderer" for three rounds at UFC 25, held at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan, on April 14, 2000. "The Hunting Beach Bad Boy" took home a unanimous decision win, which kicked off a six-fight winning streak that lasted until he met Randy Couture at UFC 44 in September 2003. More on the promotion's return to Japan right here.

Posted in: ufc, round, japan, elbows bust, pin drop

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The Dana White Vlog finally lands in Japan and we get to watch Dana and the fighters frolicking in the Land of the Rising Sun. Dana hits up a fight equipment store, finds out he "doesn't want to know" how much Rampage currently weighs, and teaches the Japanese crowd at a press conference how to pronounce his name properly. And shockingly enough, no ninja from the Yakuza have busted in through the skylight to disembowel him yet. How about that?

Posted in: press conference, dana, japan, land, japanese crowd

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MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani joined Quinton "Rampage" Jackson for a stroll through Tokyo in advance of Rampage's UFC 144 bout with Ryan Bader. Ariel gets Rampage to talk about his first trip to Japan to face the legendary Kazushi Sakuraba in 2001. Rampage tells Ariel that he knew that fight was a bit of a set up -- Quinton got barely two weeks notice, had to lose 26 pounds in 2 weeks, etc etc -- but he didn't mind because the money was good. Rampage went on to give Sakuraba everything he could handle before getting submitted after almost 6 minutes. Rampage also talks about how the cultural differences in Japan affect him. He discusses the difference between being a "gaijin" (non-Japanese) in Japan as opposed to being a black man in America. Rampage enjoys the friendly and helpful culture of Japan and tells numerous anecdotes about his experiences in the Land of the Rising Sun and the experience of fighting in front of 70,000 fans in Pride. It's a very novel video for MMA. Enjoy! SBN coverage of UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson

Posted in: rampage, japan, ariel, weeks notice, sakuraba everything

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It says something about PRIDE's impact on the sport that there are still UFC vs. PRIDE debates after all this time. With the UFC set to return to Japan for the first time since UFC 29, UFC president Dana White has shared some of his thoughts on what it's going to be like at the event. He also touches on the idea that the UFC killed PRIDE. Via 5th Round: "[Fans might boo me after they] see my face on the screen? Oh, I see. You're saying I'm not very popular over here," White said in response to a local reporter who suggested the UFC's brash boss might not get the favorable reception he's grown accustomed to. "Listen, I can take some boos. I can handle it. I'm pretty thick skinned. "We didn't kill Pride. I've said this many times, Pride is the only other organization that I've ever respected. Pride was an organization here in Japan that did huge sell-out shows. There were tons of Pride fans in the United States. There are a lot of big stars, not just out of Japan, but worldwide that came from Pride. It's the only other organization that I have ever respected or given credit to." Of course, that last bit ignores stuff like when Dana said "Have you heard me say a bad word about Strikeforce? I wish them all the luck in the world. I have nothing bad to say about guys who are running the right promotion." before Strikeforce's debut on CBS. But, Dana is a promoter and promoters change narratives based on what is best for promotion at that time (and that's not a bad thing, before someone gets all upset). That being said, Dana is saying the right things about leaving PRIDE in the past. There have been constant questions about running a "PRIDE style show" somewhere in the future and Dana was very clear that they'll bring more UFC events to Japan, but there are no more PRIDE events. We'll get our first glimpse Saturday of just how well the modern UFC will do with the Japanese fans. SBN coverage of UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson

Posted in: ufc, time, dana, pride, japan

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Go along with UFC heavyweight Roy Nelson as he does some sightseeing in Japan before UFC 144.

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Welcome, Maniacs, to the weekly series where we help you catch up on some of the original reporting done by other sites in the vast MMA landscape. Like Frankie Edgar, Vinicius Megalhaes and Ricardo Almeida pictured above, we can all "get along." Teaming up with MMA sites like MMA Fighting, Cage Potato, Fight Opinion and The Fight Nerd, we'll provide an opportunity for all MMA fans to read some fresh and original voices in the sport. This week, MMA Fighting gets thoughts from veterans of the UFC's last event in Japan, Lowkick interviews Bart Palaszewski and Five Ounces of Pain interviews Ben Henderson. The full list of links is after the jump. - Interview with Bart Palaszewski (LowKick) "I'm actually extremely happy with the match-up. That's the fight I asked for. I actually think he got really lucky with George Roop. He lost that fight. I want to fight him, and to prove that I'm a better fighter. Octagon jitters are just an excuse, because we all know he fought in big events for DREAM Shooto and Sengoku. For me, if there are 10 or 10,000 people in the crowd - I'm coming to do work. Jetlag, Octagon jitters... all those are excuses. I just think he's all hype." - Melvin Guillard 'praying' for Joe Lauzon rematch (Cage Potato) "In the 10 losses I have in my MMA career, I haven't rematched anyone I've lost to. Not once, I've never really cared for rematches because I felt they won, now I'll move on. Right now, I'm at the point where this fight means something to me, I have something to prove against Joe Lauzon, so this is a rematch I'm asking for. Right now, I'm looking to watch the fights in Japan and I'm praying that he loses to (Anthony) Pettis because I want a rematch against Joe Lauzon." - Interview with Ben Henderson (Five Ounces of Pain) - Pioneers discuss last UFC event in Japan (MMA Fighting) How long has it been since the UFC held an event in Japan? Put it this way: the last time the Octagon was erected in the Land of the Rising Sun, Dana White had hair, Semaphore Entertainment Group [SEG] had ownership of the UFC, and Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz had something resembling a friendship. - The Joe Lozito story (MiddleEasy) On February 12, 2011, Joe entered New York City's subway system en route to work, following a routine he has practiced for years, just like millions of his fellow "straphangers", as they're known locally. What differentiated Joe from everyone else on the train was that his years of watching MMA would ultimately save his life, and the lives of every other man, woman, and child on the train that day. - Interview with Shannon Lee (Bruce Lee's daughter) (The Fight Nerd) Shannon Lee talks the new Bruce Lee documentary - Open discussion: MMA Uncensored Live on the Pride scandel (Fight Opinion) I'm told that the show will cover the scandal in-depth on a heavy level, which would mean the first time a major US media outlet is discussing the ultimate taboo of the Japanese fight industry (the yakuza). - Culinary Union calls on NSAC to adopt 'MMA Bill of Rights' (MMA Payout) In yesterday's Nevada State Athletic Commission hearing, the Culinary Workers Union - who have long apposed the anti-union stance from Zuffa and Station Casino owner's Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta - proposed the MMA "Bill of Rights" to the commission. - Tito Ortiz and Chuck LIddell's guide to traveling in Japan (BleacherReport.com/MMA) Traveling to a foreign locale can be stressful for a fighter. No one knows this better than former UFC champions Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. Between them, the two MMA legends have fought outside of the United States 10 times, and made dozens of promotional trips to support the sport. - UFC 144 undercard preview (MMA Convert) But given that UFC 144 features lightweight champ Frankie Edgar defending his belt against someone not named BJ Penn and Gray Maynard, and there are a whopping seven moderately- to very interesting bouts scheduled for the pay-per-view broadcast, I'd say the UFC's return to Japan could be a pretty good one. As the prelims are going to air on the FX network, and I sure as heck get FX as part of my cable plan, here's a preview of those four preliminary bouts. - Dana White promises Gilbert Melendez will be happy in Strikeforce (Fightline) - Quinton Jackson misses Japan fine dining (5thRound)

Posted in: ufc, fight, mma, japan, im

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Showdown Joe continues his humbling journey in Japan, attending media events for UFC 144 and indulging in local cuisine and culture.

Posted in: ufc, showdown, japan, media events, cuisine

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Last year was one to forget for welterweight Jake Shields, but he hopes to get back on track this Saturday at UFC 144 in Japan.

Posted in: ufc, shield, jake, japan, track

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Mark Fischer spent 12 years trying to grow the NBA in China and Japan, where he did not have the luxury of leveraging local talent. Big-league basketball sold well. But in Japan, the league was always running at a deficit. "As much or more as any other market, it's very important to have athletes from Japan in the league or in the organization," Fischer, head of the UFC's Asian Operations division, told MMAjunkie.com. "The NBA was never able to achieve that. There was never any Japanese good enough."

Posted in: ufc, japan, nba, market, fischer

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Tim Burke: Dave Meltzer reports that UFC 144 ticket sales are doing very well (currently at 17,000 with a 3.1 million dollar gate). Does this lead you to believe that the UFC could have a bright future promoting events in Japan, or is it meaningless considering it's a sold show (meaning that the UFC was paid a flat rate for the show and ticket sales don't matter to them)? Josh Nason: It's tempting to say, "Yes! Of course!" but let's see how things play out with the crowd, the event, how everything goes this week, etc. I think in general, fans assume that ticket sales equal success when there's a lot of other factors that go into a successful event. Having a full house is a positive though and I'm intrigued if it will be a quiet respectful crowd like in PRIDE or otherwise. That could make for an intriguing viewing experience at home. Matt Roth: I'm honestly not sure. One one hand I think that having fans in the arena is a good thing, especially with the start time of like 9:30 AM local on a Sunday. Saitama Super Arena is 40 minutes outside of Tokyo which means that people want to get there to see the fights. On the other hand it's still hard for me to say this is anything but a vanity project. Yes it evolved from "We're running simultaneous PPVs" to just the solo show, but with the current MMA market in Japan, there's really no reason to believe they will be returning anytime in the near future. And by near future I mean in the next three years. Tim Burke: I believe that the curiosity factor is the main reason for the ticket sales here, and it'll be an uphill battle for the UFC to maintain this sort of interest in Japan, especially with no Japanese fighters in the main or co-main event. But it has to be a positive sign to see that Japanese fans do still care about MMA. The market is there, if the UFC plays their cards right. Sold show or not. Ben Thapa: At the same time, this can be viewed as an investment in the future of Japanese MMA, as the UFC is far, far less shady than PRIDE was in its heyday and how DREAM and K-1 have been handled of late. Despite this not airing live, the cordiality and respectability of the organizers, show runners and others could go a considerable way towards showing people in Japan that fights can be done on a big scale in a yakuza-free manner that is entertaining and features Japanese fighters battling at the highest levels. The Japanese media may not be as aflame about this event as the Brazilians are, but this event could pay off nice dividends in the future. Instead of a "We came, we saw and we conquered" moment, it could be "We came, we saw and we went away leaving behind good impressions of ourselves on this live audience and whatever TV masses we reach". We can build on this! - Herman Edwards Ben Thapa: Of course, I am doing a disservice to organizations that are righting themselves or have been chugging away solidly for all these years. DEEP, Shooto, Pancrase and the others have all built more solid frameworks to develop existing talent than many areas of the United States. Unfortunately, the Japanese gym culture is screwed up in a way that is truly hard to call "talent finding" or "talent building" and that is going to hurt. At least we have Ryo Chonan and his full time MMA gym. "Chenge oppernent! Honebackle is influenza!" T.P. Grant: I think the Japanese MMA fan has been starved of top flight fighters and have been misunderstood by MMA promoters. There seems to be a general sense that Pride was only successful because of the spectacle it created with intros, music, fireworks, giant monitors and rules that geared fights towards finishes but don't forget there were a lot of elite talent in that promotion. Promoters think that Japanese fans need Japanese fighters to cheer for, but again looking back many of the most popular fighters in Japanese MMA history have been foreign to Japan: Rampage Jackson, Ken Shamrock, Cro Cop and Wanderlei Silva. I think the UFC is doing this the right way in coming to Japan. Don't try to be Pride, just be the UFC. The focus in the UFC is all on the fights, so bring elite fighters. Ticket sales to me are a sign that the hardcore Japanese MMA fans are excited that a big time show and elite fighters have returned. Anton Tabuena: The UFC hasn't been there in years, and ticket sales doing great in Japan simply because there are enough hardcore MMA fans in country. No one can really put much meaning in to it aside from that. The Japanese MMA scene is still declining, and what the UFC has shown isn't really enough to grow the sport for the long term. With the UFC in the country, it's easy to assume that that the interest in JMMA is high, but the reality is, after they leave, everything will dry up and return to how it was. Don't get me wrong though, if they visit Japan again a year from now, I think they will still be able to get similar numbers (like a sold-out arena), but again, that's just because they have enough hardcore fans that they can milk. The sport isn't flourishing, and this isn't a case of like Brazil, where you can see massive interest and a fanbase that keeps growing, nor is this a case of them being able to regain the level of interest that PRIDE once had. Kid Nate: couple of things 1) according to Zach Arnold the sold show deal with Dentsu is for a series of fights over the next couple of years. 2) many of the biggest Pride-era MMA events in Japan featured no Japanese fighters in main events. K.J. Gould: I think we need to forget about 'Japanese MMA' as anything meaningful beyond nostalgia. It's a paid show as mentioned, and it'll be interesting to see how many of those sold seats actually have butts in them come fight time. For the first show back the novelty might be enough to fill it, but future shows done at early AM hours in Japan to cater to the PPV prime time in North America might not be so great. By far the bigger picture is 'Asian MMA' both in terms of television revenue - assuming the PPV model doesn't work in Asia like it does in North America - as well as the live show and merchandise revenue, which is where the UFC can clean up if they price it right. The international tours WWE does makes for a significant part of their revenue stream with their domestic PPV shows being down year on year. Even with UFC's downturn in the last couple of years due to various factors, their domestic PPV numbers is still thought to be larger than WWE's global PPV numbers, and that's probably true of Boxing as well considering how many PPV cards UFC puts out. Ben Thapa: On a more serious note, Dentsu is apparently a top of the line media negotiating company and with the might and power behind the UFC, they were barely able to get a sniff in the TV market. Why is this so? Are the TV execs so confident in the various soothsayers that yell MMA is dead in Japan or is there some level of racism and/or exclusivism going on? Where is the adventuresome and fearless spirit that Sakuraba supposedly instilled in so many with his death defying bouts? Fraser Coffeen: Ben - the cynical answer to why the TV market is an issue is that, as was pointed out above, the UFC is trying to run things above the board without shady Yakuza influence, and that hurts them. I guess I view this as no different than any new(ish) market. They'll draw well the first time, but the real proof comes in when they return. Is it one time nostalgia that is bringing fans out? And will they have a good experience, or will the early morning show be just too much of a pain for them? I think that's the real question. They're definitely making choices to maximize the show's PPV appeal, but those choices also hurt the live experience. That's not a bad idea, but it could hurt their next Japan show's live draw. K.J.Gould: I wonder if Gaijin companies always suffer in Japan without a Japanese figurehead to represent them. As good as Mark Fischer can be, I get the feeling in Japan - which has historically always had a strong sense of nationalism - he's always going to be up against that particular roadblock. Plus the Yakuza issue as mentioned, which makes working in Japan even more pointless when you have better long term options in the rest of Asia. Dallas Winston: I'm fascinated to see how this show is received in Japan. The UFC's purchase of Pride left a bad aftertaste because it unfolded more like assassinating the competition than bolstering their roster with a host of elite fighters and staking a claim in a new, lucrative market. The oft-scrutinized decline of Japanese MMA was triggered by Pride's dissolution and there seems to have been a tangible divide between North American and overseas MMA. C'mon, son ... "we are all one." Dana and Lorenzo have opened up in recent years and divulged that they were sappy Pride fanboys just like many of us were, so I'm sincerely hoping that this show is a success and that Japan and its fighters will be an influential partner to improve global MMA rather than a separate faction with emaciated potential. Furthermore, I'd actually love to see the UFC alter their repetitive (and near-stale) formula and add a little Pride flavor to their Japanese shows. Random ideas are letting Lenne Hardt introduce the fighters before they walk to the cage, perhaps splice in a few pyrotechnics and/or bring back the legendary "ramp" from Tito Ortiz's heyday. I think it was obvious that Strikeforce was catering to the Pride nostalgia by accenting their shows subtly with some of the Pride-inspired theatrics, and a slight deviation from their format and paying tribute to Japan/Pride would be a welcome change.

Posted in: ufc, mma, show, japanese, japan

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Rundown of news and notes from Dana White’s chat with the press at yesterday’s UFC 144 pre-fight conference. Also, be sure to check out Ariel Helwani’s video interview with Dana above. — There was a lot of concern over how the UFC would do at the gate this weekend when UFC 144 was first announced. They certainly had a lot going against them coming into what has been perceived as enemy territory for nearly the last decade. The early morning Japan start time was concerning as well. Well, it seems all that worrying was all for naught because according to Dana White, the event is practically a sell-out. “This is the first show back in 12 years. You heard ‘Rampage’ and [a reporter] saying the UFC isn’t as big as PRIDE was here, and for us to come in and do an event and sell out the way we have, we’re very happy with the results. I know what we’re going to do on Sunday and what kind of show we’re going to put on for the Japanese fans. I think they’re going to be very excited and this is going to help spread the word in Japan.” As for hard numbers, Dana White says their somewhere in the 20,000 tickets sold range. It’s a strong enough of a start that UFC Asia’s Mark Fischer is cautiously optimistic that they’ll do well enough to at least come back annually. “I think it’s a little bit wait-and-see but certainly we do feel based on the strength of what we’ve seen so far leading into the event – the buzz, the ticket sales so far – that I think it’s a market we’d love to come back to with a big event at least annually,” Fischer said. “Whether or not we complement that with maybe one or two smaller events – perhaps ‘Fight Nights’ – and we think there’s quite good potential for an ‘Ultimate Fighter,’ maybe in a slightly different format here. “That’s a little bit wait-and-see, but I do think that in some shape or form, we will be coming back on probably a semi-annual basis – a big event and, ideally, a second event, whether that be a ‘Fight Night’ event or ‘Ultimate Fighter’ format.” It’s far too early to say it now, but it would be something if the UFC managed to revive the Japanese MMA scene considering everything that’s happened there in the past 10 years. — The inevitable PRIDE questions came up at the press conference yesterday. Dana immediately addressed the perception in Japan that Zuffa killed PRIDE. “Oh, you’re saying I’m not very popular over here,” White responded, a smile on his face. “I don’t know. Listen, I can take some boos. We didn’t kill PRIDE. I’ve said this many times. PRIDE is the only other organization that I’ve ever respected. PRIDE was an organization here in Japan that did huge sellout shows. They had tons of fans in the U.S., and a lot of the big stars not just in Japan but worldwide came form Japan. It’s the only other organization I’ve given respect or credit to. If I get some boos, I can handle it. I’m pretty thick-skinned.” Just because Zuffa owns the PRIDE brand and they’re finding in success in Japan though doesn’t mean they’re thinking about running another PRIDE show. PRIDE is dead and that’s probably for the best. — Dana opened up a little bit about the Nate Marquardt-Strikeforce signing. He certainly hasn’t forgotten what went down last year, but he’s at least now willing to give Marquardt a chance to “get his sh*t together.” “Right when he was first exiled, or kicked out of the UFC, whatever you want to call it, cut from the UFC, MC Hammer is in his team. He called me up and asked me if we could meet in [Los Angeles], so I met him there, we had dinner. He was lobbying to get Marquardt back in and I said, ‘Ya know, I love you man, but he’s gotta get out there and fight in other shows.’ He opted to not fight in any other shows. He wanted to sit out and he wanted to be back in the UFC. So we talked, we’re putting him back in Strikeforce and we’ll see what happens. I like Nate Marquardt, he’s a really good guy. But professionally, he needs to get his shit together. He needs to come into Strikeforce and he needs to make weight, he needs to pass all the tests and do all the other shit, so we’ll see how it goes.” A shot in Strikeforce is better than nothing. If things go smoothly and Nate wins, perhaps will see him back in the UFC before too long. — Below Dana White talks to reporters about international versions of TUF following TUF Brazil, plus his comments from the press conference. Videos via MMA Weekly.

Posted in: ufc, event, dana, pride, japan

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With the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) making its highly anticipated return to Japan this weekend (Feb. 25, 2012) with UFC 144, its first time since UFC 29 way back in 2000, many fans were hoping the return would give somewhat of a glimmer of hope for a PRIDE FC revival, or at the very least a tribute event. "Sorry, but no," says UFC President Dana White. As is customary with the promotion, when the UFC holds an event in Canada or Brazil, they try their hardest to please the hometown crowd by stacking the event with Canadian or Brazilian fighters, respectively. Japan is no different. UFC 144 will include Japanese fighters Takanori Gomi, Yushin Okami, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Hatsu Hioki, Norifumi Yamamoto, Riki Fukuda, Takeya Mizugaki and Issei Tamura. The event will also feature Quinton Jackson and Mark Hunt, two fighters who made a name for themselves while fighting under the PRIDE banner in the "Land of the Rising Sun." Though many of PRIDE's former stars are now under contract with the UFC, White tells the media in attendance at the UFC 144 pre-fight press conference in Japan that there will not be an all ex-PRIDE fighters card at a future UFC in Japan to honor them. "I don't think so. The PRIDE thing didn't work out, we gave it a shot, it didn't work out. Again like I said, The PRIDE organization, the gentleman who asked me earlier that I was the guy who killed PRIDE, it's completely untrue. PRIDE is the only other organization that I have ever respected. But, no, the UFC will be the events that we bring here, and the great history of PRIDE, there's no more PRIDE events." PRIDE events in Japan, which featured spectacular show openings and entertaining entrances along with displays of showmanship from competitors, brought the fans out in droves, oftentimes filling arenas to record capacity, as was the case with PRIDE Final Conflict 2003, which brought out 67,450 fans to the Tokyo Dome. Better yet, the Shockwave/Dynamite event in 2002, a PRIDE and K-1 co-production, filled Tokyo National Stadium with over 91,000 eager fight fans, 36,000 more than UFC's largest attendance to date of 55,000 strong at the Rogers Center in Toronto, Ontario, Canada for UFC 129. White recently revealed the promotions return to Japan has been a success and the wheels are already in motion for a return. However, do not expect a card filled with fighters like Dan Henderson, Mauricio Rua, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Anderson Silva, and Wanderlei Silva, amongst others, but rather a mixture of today's top UFC stars and a little PRIDE flavor for nostalgia. Anyone disappointed that the Ghosts of Saitama likely won't have chance to be resurrected one final time, and will forever be wandering the arena of Saitama Super Arena with only memories to hold on to? Or is White right to focus strictly on the UFC brand Far East? Can all of the die-hard fans finally let go with this revelation? Opinions, please.

Posted in: ufc, fighter, event, pride, japan

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MMAWeekly.com's exclusive UFC 144 Japan: Edgar vs. Henderson Pre-Fight Press Conference photo gallery from Tokyo.

Posted in: ufc, press, japan, photo, prefight

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Because MMA fans are neurotic hyper-ventilators, we were all concerned that the UFC's return to Japan would be met with indifference - whatever the hell 'meh' is in Japanese. But all those fears seem to have been for naught, because: While the doors have yet to open for this weekend's "UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson" event, company officials are already declaring the event a ticket-selling success.UFC officials today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that ticket sales are still moving briskly for this weekend's event at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and the fight card is expected to sell-out all of the nearly 20,000 available seats.Furthermore, UFC officials are so encouraged by the buzz surrounding UFC 143 that plans for a return to Japan are already under consideration, and multiple annual visits – as well as a version of "The Ultimate Fighter" – are also possible. There were a lot of concerns that the UFC wouldn't be able to fill the venue they had chosen. It's called Saitama Super Arena for a reason: it can hold up to 37,000 people in it's cavernous maw. Add in the fact that the UFC decided to try and pull a timezone fast one and hold the event at 10AM so they could still air it live at 10pm for us gaijin and it all added up to some serious questions on how this event would do.But the numbers the UFC announced sound pretty sweet: nearly 20,000 tickets sold. That's up and above what any of the local promoters are pulling nowadays and impossible to look at as anything other than a rousing success. As for the big talk of returns to Japan and TUF editions ... well, we've heard that before from the UFC after it rolls into town and strikes up a roMMAnce with the locals. "Oh yeah baby this is totally going to be a regular thing, we're gonna see each other all the time!" A year from now when there hasn't been another show and Japan will start to realize it's no more special than Omaha to the UFC machine.

Posted in: ufc, event, japan, weekends event, tuf editions

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Luke Thomas and I taped another installment of The MMA Tete-A-Tete: Coarsening the Discourse last week. As always you can see the whole collection on Luke's YouTube playlist. Here's part 1 of the discussion in which I debut my new Tom Landry model Stetson hat. Part 2 is after the jump. Topics discussed include: Reviews of the fights and broadcast of UFC on Fuel TV Jake Ellenberger's prospects as a title challenger Dana White vs. Floyd Mayweather UFC 144 and the UFC's business prospects in Japan Britney Palmer in Playboy Enjoy! SBN coverage of UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson As a supplement to our discussion of UFC 144 and the UFC's prospects in Japan, here's some commentary from Zach Arnold about the TV deal in Japan for the event: The TV situation for UFC is not great at all in Japan. This is not their fault, at least not primarily so. With Godfather Ishii still hanging around trying to wine and dine fighters who K-1 owes money to by taking them out to high-end Italian restaurants, we know that the more things change the more they stay the same. Until the bad blood is flushed out of the industry in Japan, don’t expect TV networks to want to invest any sort of major capital into a fight promotion at this point. No TV executive wants to deal with the police breathing down their throat and making them justify why they are giving cash to convicted criminals. TV Tokyo announced that the UFC Japan show will air late Sunday night 3:15 AM JST to 4:45 AM JST. The network even admitted it was a last-minute line-up edition and will be sponsored by Don Quijote & UFC Undisputed 3. In other words, Dentsu couldn’t even manage to get a daytime or golden time pay-for-play deal on the smallest of the Japanese broadcast networks. Plus, the way the UFC Japan card is constructed, it’s not tailored for Japanese TV.

Posted in: ufc, tv, japan, ufcs prospects, tv situation

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With its unique brand of glitz and grandeur, Japan injected life into mixed martial arts when it was needed most, during its darkest days in North America. If the UFC's return into Japan now, several years after it became the world's preeminent promotion, isn't a return of the favor, it at least comes pre-packaged with a respectful bow and a nod to history. For example, it comes as no coincidence that for UFC 144, the promotion chose as a venue the Saitama Super Arena, the de facto home of PRIDE which held 24 of the promotion's events during its 10-year history. It's just the scale that will change. While that venue can be configured to seat nearly 50,000 fans, on fight night, it will instead house around 20,000. As for the tone, well, that is the mystery of UFC 144. While a UFC event traditionally hosts a raucous group of fans, part of the allure of the show is to see whether the event will be populated by the typically quiet and respectful Japanese observer or a new age fan.UFC's reception is part of the story. Like during Thursday's press conference, when a Japanese reporter asked White about his own personal expectation."I'm sorry," he said, "but still, some of the Japanese MMA fans believe that Zuffa destroyed PRIDE, and if they see your face on the screen…" "Oh, you're saying I'm not very popular over here," White responded, a smile on his face. "I don’t know. Listen, I can take some boos. We didn't kill PRIDE. I’ve said this many times. PRIDE is the only other organization that I've ever respected. PRIDE was an organization here in Japan that did huge sellout shows. They had tons of fans in the U.S., and a lot of the big stars not just in Japan but worldwide came form Japan. It’s the only other organization I’ve given respect or credit to. If I get some boos, I can handle it. I’m pretty thick-skinned."Keep in mind that when the interpreter originally translated the reporter's question, he changed it to ask White about the reaction the referees might receive. It was only after the reporter stood up and asked his question again, this time in English, that White could understand that he was saying.That tone of respect is one that permeated the press conference, but so did a singular topic. Over and over, White along with the six fighters -- Frankie Edgar, Ben Henderson, Quinton Jackson, Ryan Bader, Yoshihiro Akiyama and Jake Shields -- on the Ritz-Carlton Tokyo dais were asked about MMA in Japan, Japan, Japanese MMA and every permutation thereof. They said all the right things and gave all the right answers, even if they have no idea what to really expect on Sunday morning, when the event will begin at 9:30 am local time."Anywhere else in the world we go it’s loud and it’s crazy," White said. "You know how it is when we go live on pay-per-view, the whole place is going insane. It’s going to be interesting here to see if that's what it’s like here, if it’s the same reaction they had at the PRIDE events or more like the other places we go. I’m curious to see."On fight night, the UFC will present its standard production, complete with multiple replay screens and music blaring at a pounding decibel level. How that "UFC experience" that White talks about will go over for the first time is anyone's guess, but the organization has to believe the fans who purchased tickets know what they're getting themselves into.For now, about 2,000 tickets remain from turning the event into a sellout, according to White, and the arena is expected to be full by the time the main card begins.That's a positive development for a promotion that has waited over a decade to return to what many consider to be one of the most instrumental countries to the development of martial arts.From White's perspective, the return is already a success. Not only is the event likely to sell out, but due to a sudden deal, a broadcast of the event will be available on TV Tokyo, a free channel, albeit in the wee hours of Sunday night. It also airs live on cable channel WOWOW."This is the first show back in 12 years," White said, "You heard 'Rampage' and [a reporter] saying the UFC isn't as big as PRIDE was here, and for us to come in and do an event and sell out the way we have, we’re very happy with the results. I know what we're going to do on Sunday and what kind of show we're going to put on for the Japanese fans. I think they’re going to be very excited and this is going to help spread the word in Japan."White said the UFC does plan to come back to Japan in the future, and that this is not a one-off show for the sake of going into a market that has been a target ever since Zuffa ownership bought the UFC. Instead, this is a show that matters not only for the long-term growth of the UFC, but for MMA in Japan. Despite not being in the main event, Jackson has essentially been the face of the show, having fought in Japan 18 times during his PRIDE days. In discussing his return to the Land of the Rising Sun after five years away, he's been downright wistful."Japanese fans just really know how to treat a fighter," he said. "That’s why I love them. That’s why whenever I fought here, I always tried my best to put on an exciting show no matter what. I took risks, and was slamming people so much. It took a lot of energy to slam people and do the stuff I did. I lost a lot of fights just trying to excite them because I really love them. That’s the type of energy they give to me and that’s exactly why I wanted to come here and fight. That’s exactly how I’m going to fight, like I did when I was 25, and put on a great show for these Japanese fans because they’re the best in the world."PRIDE may be long gone, but there is hope that at least for one day, the glory days can return to Saitama Super Arena, and the clock can be turned back to a time when Japanese MMA was king and the love affair between fighters and fans was at its best.

Posted in: ufc, event, fan, pride, japan

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For all the negative Nancys who didn't expect a main event featuring Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson to pull any kind of respectable numbers, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White has news for you. UFC 144 is a sell out. The Las Vegas fight boss will bring the Octagon to the Saitama Super Arena this Saturday night (Feb. 25, 2012), for a live pay-per-view (PPV) event that also features former PRIDE FC stars Quinton Jackson, Mark Hunt and Takanori Gomi, as well as K-1 "Hero's" Yoshihiro Akiyama and Norifumi Yamamoto. White breaks down the numbers to Kimura.se: "We were gonna come here earlier. We had a deal in place but everything fell apart. Now, here we are. We got this one worked out. We got it figured out, came in, sold this event out and I'm excited. We're looking at 22,000 (capacity), so when we sell 20,000 and there's 2,000 tickets left, we consider that a sell-out. What's today, Thursday? We still got three days before the event happens (Sunday in Japan). The Saitama Super Arena is where all the big mixed martial arts fights have happened. It's the place to go. We're coming back to Japan again, Rampage could be fighting here again." PRIDE FC, the last bastion for Japanese mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters, was acquired by ZUFFA back in 2007. Since that time, the UFC has planned a return to the "Land of the Rising Sun," but faced obstacles along the way. Hear White detail the long journey back to Japan, after the jump. For more on UFC 144: "Edgar vs. Henderson" click here.

Posted in: ufc, event, japan, norifumi yamamoto, arts fights

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Dana was confident and satisfied at the UFC 144 press conference in Tokyo, Japan with the buzz that has been generated by the UFC in Japan event.

Posted in: ufc, dana, japan, ufc japan, tokyo japan

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PRIDE Fighting Championships has been gone half as long as it existed. From 1997-2007, the pageantry of prizefighting coupled with its brutality - soccer kicks, head stomps and one-night tournaments - dominated Japan's mixed-martial-arts landscape, serving as the Eastern counterpart to the UFC's Western cagefighting product. When UFC 144 takes place in the country this weekend, fight historians will search the octagon, set in Japan for the first time since April 2000, for the ghost of PRIDE.

Posted in: ufc, pride, japan, brutality soccer, cagefighting product

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Is MMA a big thing in japan? Is UFC coming in considered intrusive? Do Japanese audience recognize the new fighters? Since the PPV is scheduled for 9 AM Japan time on a sunday, is the japanese audience feeling slightly left out? submitted by lance_klusener [link] [4 comments]

Posted in: mma, japanese, japan, japan time, japanese audience

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Lots of angles to look at for Saturday's UFC Japan 2012 show.

Posted in: ufc, show, angle, japan, heatup

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Ryan “Darth” Bader talked to the press at the UFC 144 pre-fight press conference about training here in Japan. He feels that Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is just another name. Just another human being trying to take what he’s got. Ryan has always wanted to fight in the first Zuffa production in Japan but at the [...]

Posted in: ryan, japan, ryan bader, bader, zuffa production

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For the non-Japanese fighters competing on Saturday’s UFC 144 event in Saitama, having the opportunity to compete in a land with so much history and tradition when it comes to MMA (and martial arts in general) makes it more than just another fight. It’s a chance to soak in the culture, embrace the past, and then tuck the memories of the week in their own personal time capsule. That’s today. Back in 2001, when a 23-year old young man named Quinton Jackson was offered a fight in Japan’s PRIDE organization against superstar Kazushi Sakuraba, there were no thoughts of tradition, history, or the fighting culture in the Land of the Rising Sun. This was just another fight for the 10-1 Jackson.“When I was going into the Sakuraba fight, I was broke as hell,” laughed Jackson on a recent media teleconference. “I was just winging it. I didn't know anything about anything - I just wanted to make some money.”Bizarrely marketed as a homeless man living in a bus while talking to birds, Jackson nonetheless shed that erroneous image with a gutsy effort in defeat against Sakuraba, and Japanese fans soon embraced him for his fighting style and sense of humor. Jackson returned that affection, and over the next four and a half years, he became synonymous with the PRIDE organization, going 12-5 with wins over the likes of Igor Vovchanchyn, Murilo Bustamante, Chuck Liddell, Ricardo Arona, Murilo “Ninja” Rua, as well as memorable battles with Wanderlei Silva (twice) and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.So when it was announced that Jackson’s subsequent professional organization, the UFC, was going back to Japan for this Saturday’s event (ironically in the same Saitama Super Arena where he debuted against Sakuraba), it was a card he needed to be on, and when he wasn’t initially, he made enough noise that the organization placed him in the co-main event slot against Ryan Bader.“It's very important to be personally,” said Jackson. “My kids are from Japan, my kids’ grandparents are from there. They've never really watched me fight back in the day, and I've got a lot of experience in Japan. I really miss the fans; I'm not going to lie. I really miss fighting there, so it was something personal for me, so my two younger kids can come watch me fight and the in-laws can be in the crowd and watch me fight. I never had that before, so it is something that I want to do.”With Jackson coming off a championship bout defeat against Jon Jones last September, this is the perfect return bout for the former 205-pound titleholder, considering that he can avoid a post-loss letdown by getting ultra-motivated for his first bout in Japan since decision win over Yoon Dong-Sik at PRIDE 31 in 2006. He’s also hinted at a return to the all-out aggression that earned him the nickname “Rampage” all those years ago, even if just to please his longtime fans.“I think I was so popular in Japan because of my fight style,” he said. “I was young and I didn't care. I just wanted to put on fights for the crowd and they love that type of stuff. In America, everybody is always worried about who's going to win and who's winning. It isn't all about that (in Japan) – it’s entertainment at the end of the day. The fans want to see an entertaining fight and the fans got that. In America, I don't think we have that yet.”  This is nothing new coming from the 33-year old Memphis native, who has always spoken in reverential tones about his time in Japan and about the people there. He’s traveled back to the country since his days fighting there, but as far as being mobbed by fans like he is in the States, that’s not the case.“Honestly, it's kind of weird to say this, but it's true,” he said. “When I'm over in Japan, they don't even recognize me. If I don't have my chain on or no camouflage, I could be anybody.”And frankly, that’s the way he likes it. While appreciative of the attention he gets, Jackson has also been overwhelmed at times since becoming a big star in his native land, and it’s even prompted him to move his training camp at times to the Wolfslair homebase in England. But for this camp, Jackson stayed close to home in his new gym, the Rampage Fitness Academy in Mission Viejo, California.“Honestly, I never thought that I would own a gym, because it's no secret that I never liked training, but I noticed that in between fights I always get out of shape,” he said. “I was going to my friend's gym in Huntington Beach. But you know, I live in Mission Viejo, and right down the street was my business partner Dave Roberts, who's the guy who started me in fighting and stuff. And he was at the gym, and we got a lot of students. It's kind of like a family place, and that's the type of atmosphere I like.”“It's good to have your own home-based gym,” Jackson continues. “Now I can go in there in my own gym and train like I want to and do whatever I want to without having to walk on eggshells at my friends’ gyms and stuff like that because everybody knows how rowdy I get sometimes. So when it's your own gym, you don't have to say sorry to anybody, so I kind of like it.”All that’s left is to beat Bader, a former Ultimate Fighter winner and college wrestling standout who rebounded from 2011 losses to Jones and Tito Ortiz with a 77 second knockout of Jason Brilz last November. And unlike Jackson’s bouts with Jones and Rashad Evans, there’s no bad blood here.“Honestly, I got nothing against Ryan Bader,” he said. “He's a cool guy. He never talked trash against me. When I fight guys like this, it's never nothing personal. Most times anyway. But I'm just going out there like a guy putting on a great show for the fans. I've got nothing against Ryan Bader at all. I'm still going to try to knock his head off. But there ain't going to be no hard feelings about it.”Ten years after he first set foot in Japan, “Rampage” Jackson returns. It still may not be about tradition and history for him, but there is certainly a sentimental feel to this bout, and for all that the experience in the country has given him, now he has the chance to give something back.“I remember back in the day, it (PRIDE) was the biggest show, but UFC surpassed them,” said Jackson. “I think if anybody has a chance (to revive the Japan MMA scene), it's the UFC. And if I have anything to do with it, I'm going to go there and fight my heart out and put on a big show. I'll try to put on the most exciting fights that the fans have ever seen so maybe they'll want to have the UFC come back.” 

Posted in: fight, jackson, fan, japan, gym

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Featherweight contender Hatsu Hioki is under no illusions about his debut win in the UFC over George Roop last October. He knows it wasn’t his best performance and he is well aware that he didn’t display the skills that had him dubbed before the fight as the best featherweight not fighting in the Octagon.“That was a tough fight, and because of that, it was a very educational one, since I got to know what to work on in training,” said Hioki through translator / manager Kei Maeda. “I was not nervous, but my preparation and thoughts about fighting in the UFC environment were premature, so to speak.”That was then. Four months later, Hioki has put the disappointment of his razor-thin split decision win aside, and now all that matters is showing off the “real” Hioki in front of his home country fans in Japan this Saturday against Bart Palaszewski, a welcome surprise to say the least.“I thought I was not going to have an opportunity to fight in Japan for a while, so I am glad I have gotten that opportunity this quick,” he said. “I'm motivated.”A recurring theme this week for the Japanese fighters on the card is that this event at Saitama Super Arena isn’t just an opportunity to get another win, but to help kickstart the flagging Japan MMA scene. Hioki is on board with that train of thought, saying “I believe this event will be one important step towards bringing heat back to Japanese MMA, as well as the implantation of the UFC brand in Japan,” but when it comes to his personal goals, he simply says, “I will fight as it is one of the UFC fights, not as one of the fights in Japan.”That’s a strong step in terms of establishing his presence in the UFC’s featherweight division. The first was getting that initial win out of the way. The next is treating this like any other UFC fight, and the most important is to look at Palaszewski as the most dangerous opponent of his nearly 10 year pro career.“Bart is very aggressive with his hands so I will have to be careful not to let him connect and not to give him his momentum,” said Hioki (25-4-2) who could actually put himself in the race for a shot at Jose Aldo with a big victory. The 28-year old from Nagoya was impressed with the champion’s “killer instinct and takedown defense” in his January win over previously unbeaten Chad Mendes, but he’s not in a rush for a title bout just yet.“I would like a few more fights and wins under the UFC rules in overseas shows before getting the title shot if I win this one,” said Hioki, a proud native of Japan eager to show the rest of the world just what it means to be born with the Japanese fighting spirit.“I am proud of being a Japanese fighter,” he said. “To me, the Japanese fighting spirit symbolizes overcoming obstacles and growing after every combat. As ancient samurai warriors always held the belief, the words also mean to respect a person in fighting, and pursue a form of beauty during the fight.”That’s definitely the goal this Saturday in Saitama, and beyond.“I would like to display how I have overcome weaknesses that shown in Roop fight,” said Hioki. “Please expect to see that I belong in the UFC.”

Posted in: ufc, fight, japanese, japan, hioki

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The UFC is back in Japan for the first time since 2000, which pre-dates even Dana White's involvement with the company. Catch the pre-fight press conference live at 10 p.m. Eastern.

Posted in: ufc, conference, press, japan, prefight

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With the UFC returning to Japan for the first time in a decade for this Saturday's UFC 144 in the storied Saitama Super Arena, the UFC has done its best to stack the card with Japanese fighters from their roster. That roster includes fighters who rose to prominence in Japan after the boom like Hatsu Hioki, fighters who toiled in the smaller Japanese promotions like Riki Fukuda and Takeya Mizugaki, Yushin Okami, a fighter who has fought in the UFC for almost his whole career and even fighters who were big stars during Japan's MMA boom such as Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto and Takanori Gomi. But no Japanese fighter on the UFC 144 card is a bigger star in his homeland* than Yoshihiro Akiyama. Frustratingly for Akiyama and the UFC, his 1-3 run with the promotion keeps him out of the headliner or co-main event slots. But the 36-year-old has finally decided to cut weight and fight against men his own size in the welterweight division. Former Strikeforce champ and UFC #1 contender Jake Shields will be his test case. He talked to UFC.com about the decision: "I am not tall and big enough among other UFC fighters and decided to change to my "original" division," said the 5-foot-11 Akiyama through translator Takashi Iizuka. It was at 81 kilograms (178 pounds) that Akiyama won numerous judo titles, and while he will retain the technical knowledge and gritty competitiveness that has marked his seven year MMA career, he'll also be competing on a level physical playing field, and he believes that "I think that I could acquire more speed." It will be very interesting to see if Akiyama can get a win over the tough Jake Shields and if the fight will make any waves in Japan. The UFC did manage to buy some TV time on TV Tokyo, the smallest broadcaster in Japan. Unfortunately the fights will air at midnight Tokyo time, hours after the fights are over but it's a start. Based on reports from Fight Opinion, it looks as if the UFC's deal with the Dentsu advertising agency and sponsor Don Quixote to book the event as a "sold show" was a very smart play. UFC 144 is a low-risk proposition for Zuffa and just might represent a first step in rebuilding the MMA market in Japan. *Akiyama is a native of Japan but of Korean descent. Photo via Getty Images. SBN coverage of UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson

Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, japan, akiyama

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Pretty sweet UFC 144 poster the UFC released in honor of Rampage Jackson’s return to Japan.

Posted in: ufc, rampage, jackson, japan, poster

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It's fight week blog week. Those of us hoping for a Japanese flavor to Dana White's first UFC 144 vlog are in for some disappointment. This one focuses almost exclusively on UFC 143, including some interesting Nick Diaz stuff from 6 minutes forward. Not bad, but am I the only one who thinks this whole Japan thing is being handled way to seriously? Where's the fighters eating strange half-alive seafood? Octagon girls getting harassed in strange Japanese gameshows? Dana White riding a giant banana? Give us some of that sweet Japanese insanity, dammit!

Posted in: ufc, japanese, japan, giant banana, japan thing

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TOKYO -- Watch below as Quinton Jackson talks about his UFC 144 fight against Ryan Bader, fighting in Japan for the first in six times, the Japan glory days and his recent criticism of UFC analyst Joe Rogan.

Posted in: ufc, japan, ryan bader, criticism, bader

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TOKYO -- Watch below as Quinton Jackson talks about his UFC 144 fight against Ryan Bader, fighting in Japan for the first in six times, the Japan glory days and his recent criticism of UFC analyst Joe Rogan.

Posted in: ufc, jackson, japan, ryan bader, criticism

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When Quinton (Rampage) Jackson steps into the Octagon at UFC 144, it will be six years to the day since the last time he competed in Japan.

Posted in: ufc, time, rampage, jackson, japan

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Day 1 in Japan for UFC 144: When in Rome, do as the Romans do. When in Japan, …

Posted in: ufc, day, showdown, japan, tokyo

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Day 1 in Japan for UFC 144: When in Rome, do as the Romans do. When in Japan, ...

Posted in: ufc, day, showdown, japan, roman

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So if Gilbert Melendez turned Japan into an American colony by defeating Shinya Aoki then Nick Diaz's submission win over Mach Sakurai gave us all complimentary time shares off the coast of Osaka. I'm not sure how that works or who to contact if I want to redeem my voucher to visit the 51st state of America. In fact, I wouldn't be against changing Japan's name to something a little bit more westernized like 'Japanfornia' or 'Japanexico'. Leave the passports at home folks, after UFC 144, it's all ours. We no longer have to wait extended periods of time for the new version of Dance Dance Revolution. I can't locate the words to properly convey just how amazing this UFC 144 poster truly is. My only hope is that when ZUFFA leaves Japan, they will continue to produce promotions as if they're forever trapped in Tokyo. Props to Kevin C. for the find.

Posted in: ufc, shinya aoki, japan, gilbert melendez, american colony

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With the UFC’s return to Japan for the first time in over a decade, the world’s biggest MMA organization is bringing a card full of exciting matchups to the country that helped develop mixed martial arts to the sport it is today. The UFC has released an extended preview video for the event, which features former Pride stars Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Mark Hunt, along with local Japanese stars Yushin Okami, Yoshihiro Akiyama, and Takanori Gomi. The event is headlined by a title fight for the UFC lightweight championship between champion Frankie Edgar and challenger Benson Henderson. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson makes his return to Japan for the first time since his final fight in Pride at Pride 31 in February 2006, nearly six years ago to the day. The former UFC light heavyweight champion takes on The Ultimate Fighter season 8 winner Ryan Bader. Another former Pride star making his return to Japan is heavyweight Mark Hunt, who last fought in Japan in at Dream 9 in May 2009. Hunt takes on fellow striker Cheick Kongo. Japan will also be hosting multiple Japanese natives, including middleweight contender Yushin Okami, Yoshihiro Akyima, who makes his welterweight debut, and former Pride lightweight champion Takanori Gomi. This will be the first UFC event in the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Previous UFC events took place in Tokyo and Yokohama, respectively. UFC 144 takes place this Saturday, with the normal start time for the entire card, including the 10 PM EST start for the pay-per-view. The event will feature an extended four hour pay-per-view, with a seven fight main card instead of the usual five. Facebook starts the coverage at 7:30 PM EST with the first preliminary card fight, with FX taking over at 8 PM, hosting four more fights until the pay-per-view coverage begins at 10. MAIN CARD (PPV) Frankie Edgar (c) vs. Ben Henderson UFC Lightweight Championship Quitnon “Rampage” Jackson vs. Ryan Bader Cheick Kongo vs. Mark Hunt Jake Shields vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama Joe Lauzon vs. Anthony Pettis Yushin Okami vs. Tim Boetsch Hatsu Hioki vs. Bart Palaszewski PRELIMINARY CARD (FX) Riki Fukuda vs. Steve Cantwell Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto vs. Vaughn Lee Takeya Mizugaki vs. Chris Cariaso Takanori Gomi vs. Eiji Mitsuoka PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook) Tiequan Zhang vs. Issei Tamura For complete coverage of UFC 144, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com

Posted in: ufc, vs, card, pride, japan

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If you want to be the man, you have to beat the man. That is the challenge that lies ahead for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) number one 155-pound contender, Ben Henderson, when he takes on Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar at UFC 144 at the Saitama Super Arena this weekend (Sat., Feb. 25, 2012) in Saitama, Japan. The elusive Edgar has been a riddle who not many mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters have been able to "Answer," but "Bendo" believes he has a few tricks up his sleeve that will aid him in solving the puzzle. During a recent appearance on HDNet's "Inside MMA," Henderson elaborated on what his strategy may possibly be: "We have some new tricks that we might unveil for the fight, as far as holding him on the ground. But holding him there is not our biggest concern; it's getting him there. He's fast. He's light on his feet. He has a lot of movement. He moves around very well. So, first thing's first and that's getting our hands on him, cutting off the ring, cornering him to get our hands on him. And then after that, if he pops back up, let him pop back up. If we took him down once, we can take him down again. It's just a matter of cornering him, cutting off the ring and getting our hands on him." Easier said than done. In a fight with two athletes this fast and dangerous, there is certainly the potential for a quick finish, but there's also the possibility that the evenness with which they are matched may result in the fight being decided by the judges' scorecards. "Smooth" predicts an entertaining bout, but admits that he is a little nervous about thing if it does go to a decision: "I think it's gonna be a fun affair. I think it's gonna be action packed. You're gonna have a little bit of 'true MMA,' with work on the feet and on the ground. It'll be a little bit of everywhere. You'll see a little bit of everything. The only thing I'm really too concerned about is losing a round by a couple points here, losing a round by a couple points there and ultimately going to a decision. That's the only thing I really am concerned about. But, you know. It is what it is. We'll see how it plays out." Styles make fights. We've seen that axiom prove to be true time and time again. It's hard to know exactly what to expect when two high level wrestlers meet in the cage, but Henderson made his best guess. Anyone for some kickboxing? "I think it'll be two very good wrestlers going in there and, because we are two very good wrestlers, it will end up being a stand up fight for the majority of the fight. If that's the case, I'm ready to do that for 25 minutes and say, 'Let's have a kickboxing match for 25 minutes.' I'm okay with that." Henderson went on to describe the experience he's had so far in Japan. He told Kenny Rice and Bas Rutten (who went to the trouble of recommending where to eat in Japan before he remembered that Henderson is in the process of cutting weight) that he's enjoying the journey and getting ready for Saturday: "It's pretty cool to be here in Japan and to be fighting in Japan and all that. Logistically, getting used to the time difference and all that fun stuff -- it is what it is. You gotta deal with it and do the bets you can and you hopefully have your best performance, come fight night." Will Henderson be able to get his hands on Edgar? Or will "The Answer" prove to be too quick and elusive to be cornered or cut down? Predictions, please.

Posted in: fight, henderson, hand, japan, edgar

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It's (almost) time! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will return to the "Land of the Rising Sun" for the first time in more than a decade when the world's largest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion stages an event at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, this upcoming Saturday (Feb. 25, 2012). Much has changed since that time, particularly with Zuffa's purchase of Pride FC back in 2007, which served as Japan's leading source of combat sports for so many years. The good news is that the UFC will return with one of its biggest stars from back in the heyday, Quinton Jackson, who takes on Ryan Bader in the co main event. And one of its most recognizable carry overs, former Pride FC lightweight champion Takanori Gomi, will also be back in action against Eiji Mitsuoka on the under card. It's clear that the UFC marketing machine is approaching this particular event differently, with its event posters, viral videos and now shadow-casting Octagon. Impressed? To check out the latest UFC 144 fight card, which is headlined by a championship match between Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson, click here. Be sure to also check out our complete UFC 144 event archive right here.

Posted in: ufc, time, event, japan, pride fc

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submitted by MongooseJenkins [link] [5 comments]

Posted in: ufc, japan, promo, anime, mongoosejenkin

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Check out the UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson (UFC Japan) extended video preview...

Posted in: ufc, video, preview, japan, edgar

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Well this is different…

Posted in: ufc, japan, promo

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Bart Palaszewski sees his UFC 144 Japan fight against Hatsu Hioki as an opportunity to crack into the upper echelon of the featherweight division.

Posted in: ufc, japan, palaszewski, hioki, hatsu hioki

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With UFC 144 going down this Saturday, one of the most interesting storylines of the event is the promotion's ability to succeed in Japan. Zach Arnold at Fight Opinion has much better insight into the Japanese market than most in the MMA media and wrote a very interesting article on the five best questions to look at heading into the event. The first point deals with the UFC's ultimate upside trying to run this show: 1. Will the crowd for this show represent a floor or a ceiling for UFC & Dentsu?I am of two thoughts here. First, the positive take and one that UFC argues. They run a good show, they get a few backers, and then through repetition hope that some rich people who aren't yakuza buy into what they are doing. Second, the negative take and more realistic viewpoint. The Japanese MMA industry on a mainstream level is dead. There are no major Japanese stars being created now. Kid Yamamoto, Gomi, and the rest are a dying breed. Once they are gone, the replacements have nowhere near the same name value. That's the great irony about UFC's predicament here. They want to build something up in Japan but the local promoters that they weren't friendly with basically torched the business to the ground. If Dentsu is able to get UFC onto television, perhaps they have a shot - albeit a small shot. The UFC product is not tailored for Japanese cultural wants or needs. There aren't major Japanese players right now in the divisions sans Hatsu Hioki and Hioki's not a major star in his home country. The plan was to broker some time on TV Tokyo, the smallest of the over-the-air networks in Japan, and then try to parlay that onto a bigger network like Tokyo Broadcasting System or Fuji TV. The major problem with that strategy is that UFC is not a Japanese company and the TV suits have no desire to touch MMA right now because the police are on the warpath against the gangs. We know the history of black money in the Japanese fight game. It resembles Mexico in many regards. Zach also talks a lot about the long-term disconnect between the Japanese fighters the UFC views as draws versus those who actually are major hometown draws. It's a very interesting piece and one I suggest you give a read to really understand what this all means both in the short and long term. It's not all doom and gloom, but there certainly are many more hurdles to succeeding as an MMA promotion in Japan than just about any other market around the world.

Posted in: ufc, mma, promotion, japanese, japan

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I was going to link to my post in the other thread but I think that would've made it confusing so I'll just link it here and repost it here: This is actually a very interesting commercial and it's got nothing to do with how it looks but what it says in that one line of Japanese text. 「スポーツまで、ガラパゴスになるのか。」 I honestly had no idea what this meant when I first translated it. It's literal translation is "As for sports, will (we) become Galapgos." Now, this is very confusing until I did some digging and found out about Galapagos Syndrome. This started putting things in a bit of perspective and then I read this Japanese article that poses the question right at the end: do the fans want to Japan to be part of the global standard of MMA (ie. the UFC) or do they want to Japan to be this Galapagos Island of MMA where things are done their own way. The final line of the ad says "Another major has come." Time for Japan to step up and find out what it's made of. Would love to hear your thoughts on how you think the Japanese fighters will fare and/or what the results will mean for Japanese MMA in general. submitted by BaronMyrtle [link] [3 comments]

Posted in: mma, japanese, japan, comequot time, japanese article

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Fighting on the UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson fight card in Japan is personal to former Pride star Quinton "Ramapge" Jackson.

Posted in: ufc, jackson, rampage jackson, japan, ramapge

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The UFC Japan 2012 show has so many mixed variables heading into the event, nobody is sure if it will be a major success or not.

Posted in: ufc, event, japan, middleeasy, event nobody

Read the full article at Fight Opinion

The UFC returns to Japan for the first time in over 11 years for UFC 144. Join 'Showdown' Joe as he previews the big card on UFC CENTRAL.

Posted in: ufc, showdown joe, showdown, japan, ufc returns

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The UFC returns to Japan for the first time in over 11 years for UFC 144. Join 'Showdown' Joe as he previews the big card on UFC CENTRAL.

Posted in: ufc, showdown joe, showdown, japan, ufc returns

Read the full article at sportsnet.ca

The UFC returns to Japan for the first time in over 11 years for UFC 144. Join 'Showdown' Joe as he previews the big card on UFC CENTRAL.

Posted in: ufc, showdown joe, showdown, japan, ufc returns

Read the full article at sportsnet.ca

I really like this new thirty second UFC 144 promo. It's clean, slick, it gets the job done. Even the idea of a giant Octagon invading Japan fascinates me, and I have to wonder what would be in store if this short commercial was turned into a ninety minute movie. The disconcerting reality of a giant (I'm thinking District 9 size here) Octagon slowly moving across the land of the rising sun doing whatever it's doing (collecting data?) would probably make for at least decent drama. Pouring out of the giant Octagon, thousands of smaller fighter Octagons would take on Earth's combined airforce in a finale for the ages. Or the airforce could get wiped out early, but then that would be very Independence Day. If we have a movie full of giant and possibly to scale Octagons flying around and attacking Japan then we need a story arc that's at least as original as the plot's premise-which is Octagon's invading Japan, if you don't remember. Eat your heart out Noah Emmerich, this is going to be a blockbuster. [Source]

Posted in: japan, octagon, giant, octagon i, minute movie

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SLAM! duh-duh-duh, duh-duh-duh ... Former PRIDE Fighting Championship superstar Quinton Jackson, who was able to transition to Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) back in 2007 and win light heavyweight gold, returns to the "Land of the Rising Sun" for a 205-pound showdown against former Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 Champion Ryan Bader. "Rampage" will throw hands with "Darth" on the main card of the UFC 144: "Edgar vs. Henderson" pay-per-view (PPV), which goes down on Feb. 25, 2012, from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. What's the gameplan for Jackson? Well, aside from putting on a "great fight," he plans on taking out his anger, which came from losing a title shot to Jon Jones at UFC 135 last September, on his unsuspecting foe, even promising to "powerbomb him" if the opportunity presents itself. Or if Bader is dumb enough to let him. From his UFC 144 blog (via Yahoo! Sports): "I get to fight in Japan for the first time in six years. It's no secret I love Japan. Japan is where I became a MMA fighter, it is where I made a name for myself and learned how to kick ass. The fans there are so respectful, I can't wait to perform for them again. I really, really want a sick knockout for them, and maybe even I'll do my powerbomb if Bader is dumb enough to give me the chance. Some haters have said now that I didn't get my belt back after three years of waiting for my shot, I'm not going to be motivated in my fighting career. That is what my English friends call 'bollocks.' I am very motivated to kick Bader's ass. I was a little pissed off and disappointed that I didn't get my belt back and I was upset with my performance [at UFC 135]. I'm going to take that out on Ryan Bader and - in front of the Japanese fight fans - put on a great fight." Jackson made the highlight reel hall-of-fame by driving Ricardo Arona through the canvas at PRIDE: "Critical Countdown" in June of 2004. He also slammed his way to victory over Masaaki Satake at PRIDE: "Armed and Ready" way back in April of 2002. Is Bader next? Hard to imagine the former collegiate wrestling stud being on his back looking for a submission, but stranger things have happened. Expect this thing to play out on its feet or turn into wrestlemania if Bader can't go blow-for-blow. Early predictions on this 205-pound slugfest?

Posted in: ufc, jackson, japan, bader, i didnt

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UFC 144 Japan main and co-main eventers Frankie Edgar, Benson Henderson, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, and Ryan Bader recently took part in a media conference call.

Posted in: conference, media, media conference, japan, ryan bader

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Long before MMA hit the mainstream in North America, Japan was hosting historic shows with massive audiences and record TV ratings. Most of it was the result of PRIDE Fighting Championships, a once-glorious fight promotion that mixed sport with unrivaled spectacle. But as the UFC gears up for next week's UFC 144 event and a long-awaited return to Japan, officials are looking to the future, not the past.

Posted in: ufc, ufc fans, japan, ufc planning, ufc gears

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Official fighter weigh-ins for UFC 144 take place next week in Japan. The weigh-ins take place next Friday, Feb. 24, at 11 p.m. ET (8 p.m. PT). That's 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, JST local time. Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, plays host to the weigh-ins. A Q&A session with UFC interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit and UFC ring girls Arianny Celeste and Chandella Powell precedes the weigh-ins by 90 minutes.

Posted in: ufc, japan, chandella powell, weighin, qampa session

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Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson made his name in Pride, and he's getting the chance to go back to Japan when he faces Ryan Bader at UFC 144. In the first of a three-part blog on Yahoo Sports, Rampage talked about still hoping to win back his belt one day despite his loss to Jon Jones at UFC 135, his love for the Land of the Rising Sun, and his motivation going forward. First, he talks Jon Jones: I worked so hard for the Jon Jones fight in September. I trained my ass off. As I said before the fight, I was in the best shape of my life, but in the Octagon I didn’t perform like I should have done. It is frustrating for me, and I felt bad for all my team who got me ready for that Jon Jones fight. I still think I can win my title back, and I still think I can even win it back from Jon Jones, but I would have to execute the game plan. Jones was very good on the night; he did what he had to with style and stopped me doing what I needed to do. Respect to him. On Japan: But in this fight on February 25, I get the next best thing: I get to fight in Japan for the first time in six years. It’s no secret I love Japan. Japan is where I became a MMA fighter, it is where I made a name for myself and learned how to kick ass. The fans there are so respectful, I can’t wait to perform for them again. I really, really want a sick knockout for them, and maybe even I’ll do my powerbomb if Bader is dumb enough to give me the chance. Did you know Rampage just opened a gym and is still motivated to fight? You do now: I’m not going to lie, I still don’t like training too much. Getting sweaty with other dudes? Not really my thing. There’s other things I can think of which are a lot more fun to do. But I train a lot harder than I used to, and a lot smarter. I’ve even opened up my own gym, the Rampage Fitness Academy in Mission Viejo, CA, which was something I thought I’d never do. Some haters have said now that I didn’t get my belt back after three years of waiting for my shot, I’m not going to be motivated in my fighting career. That is what my English friends call "bollocks". I am very motivated to kick Bader’s ass. I was a little pissed off and disappointed that I didn’t get my belt back and I was upset with my performance. I’m going to take that out on Ryan Bader and – in front of the Japanese fight fans – put on a great fight. If Rampage can defeat Bader, there are some enticing possible fights still available to him (rematches with Dan Henderson and Rashad Evans remain possibilities, as well as bouts with young guns like Alexander Gustafsson down the road). While he's unlikely to get that belt around his waist again, people still like to watch him fight, so that should keep him around a while longer. Parts two and three of the blog will be out early next week. SBN coverage of UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson

Posted in: fight, jon, rampage, jone, japan

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Nick Peet, Editor, Fighters Only and Train Hard, Fight Easy Following the success of our Brazil Issue last year, which was one of the top selling Fighters Only editions of all time, it was only natural we would counterstrike early 2012 with a Japan version in the run up to the UFC’s return to the Land of the Rising Sun. In this issue you’ll find interviews with some of the biggest stars in Japanese mixed martial arts. Some you will undoubtedly have heard of, and hopefully one or two you haven’t. We also delve into the history of the sport in Japan – which actually pre-dates anything staged in South America – taking a trip back in time with some of the figures who were there when mixed martial arts was truly first born. And who better to feature as our cover star for such an auspicious issue than the former Pride superstar himself, Quinton Jackson? The epitome of all that was great about that generation of mixed martial artist, his return will be celebrated from every rooftop in Tokyo when he steps into the Octagon at UFC 144 on February 26th. When FO spoke with ‘Rampage’ about starring on the cover of this issue, his usual pensive guard slipped dramatically. With children of Japanese-American decent, he holds a special affinity with Japan and his return to action there this month marks a landmark in his own life and career. Rampage knows perhaps more than anyone that his fighting life is drawing to a close, and in this issue he opens up about what the immediate future holds for him. The often cantankerous former UFC light heavyweight champion gushes about his love for Japan, and the Japanese fans, before considering the next step in his career. He still harbours dreams of regaining the title he once held, while wholly endorsing the reign of current UFC champion Jon Jones. And he concedes that his own time inside of the Octagon is coming to an end… before, typically, promising there’s plenty of fight in this old dog yet. And seeing as this is Fighters Only magazine, and pushing boundaries is our prerequisite a, we took our Rampage Jackson shoot and made something a bit special for this month’s cover. Quinton actually took his nickname from the arcade game Rampage, where a werewolf and three other monsters smash entire cities to rubble. So we let loose MMA’s own Rampage in Tokyo, the host city of UFC 144. Japan card headliner Ben Henderson is also out to leave his mark in Japan. ‘Bendo’ headlines the event, challenging Frank Edgar for the UFC lightweight title, and despite this being his first fight outside North America he’s planning on using his comic book superhero fighting style to defeat a champion who has so far brushed aside all worthy challenges. Local star Takeya Mizugaki also opened the doors to his camp to FO this month, providing a true insight into what this card represents to the Japanese fighters. And keep an eye out for all of the other heroes of Eastern MMA inside, like Yoshihiro Akiyama, ‘King Mo’ and Kyoji Horiguchi… We even check back on a relative who’s who of the lost Pride FC generation in Lowdown, and star referee Marc Goddard, our resident third man, discusses how the rules of MMA have changed in the 10 years since the UFC last touched down in the Land of the Rising Sun. Aside from all the superb Japan-themed content, we also have all the usual news, reviews and previews you have come to expect – plus an exclusive chat with new Blackzilians team captain and leading light heavyweight contender Rashad Evans to boot. We turn the spotlight onto the mouth-watering flyweight tournament set for the UFC on the FX card in Sydney, Australia on March 3rd, and we also chat with anybody and everybody about the retirement of Brock Lesnar and what impact – if any – his career has had on the Octagon. Still not enough? Okay, how about a guerrilla jiu-jitsu masterclass from grappling god Dave Camarillo, expert tips on how to fight like Chael Sonnen, professional advice on building your cardio, conditioning and psychological mind-state to fight at the highest level. And all the very latest must-have apparel to hit the cage, plus a beautiful blonde babe to boot! Now that is what a proper fight magazine is all about. This issue is on sale now. Enjoy, Nick Peet, Editor

Posted in: ufc, fight, rampage, issue, japan

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The UFC announced Tuesday that the main card for next weekend’s UFC 144 in Saitama, Japan will consist of seven fights on a four-hour PPV.

Posted in: ufc, card, japan, saitama, saitama japan

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Quinton "Rampage" Jackson said it was a "no-brainer" to request a fight at UFC 144, the promotion's first trip to Japan since it ventured out under new ownership.   As a former star in the now-defunct PRIDE Fighting Championships, Jackson fought much of his career in Japan and met his wife there. He grew to love not only the culture, but the spirit of professional fighting. "I think PRIDE had better matchmaking," Jackson today told MMAjunkie.com. "They made exciting fights."

Posted in: jackson, japan, championships jackson, nowdefunct pride, ownership nbsp

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UFC 144: Japan features a special four-hour, seven-bout main card on pay-per-view. Check out the broadcast schedule and where to watch each of the fights.

Posted in: ufc, japan, payperview check, broadcast schedule, fourhour sevenbout

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Our favorite American Fightgirl in Japan, Roxanne Modafferi, is back in action next month! I’m fighting Takayo Hashi in Jewels 18, on March 3rd, in Shin Kiba.She’s fighting out of the Keishukai gym Akza. I did not know that a new gym opened. I found Koizumi’s Facebook page and pictures and looks like him, her, Sugi Rock (Sugiyama), Nishumura, and a bunch of other guys train there.Yeah, I know them. Koizumi is her trainer. They were my family for the first four years I lived in Japan. If there was anyone who loved Keishukai, it was me. I miss them. I used to train with Hashi every day I went to the gym, like 5 days a week. We always went back and forth in sparring. She can submit me, I can out-Ground-and-pound her, my reach is longer but when she makes contact, it feels like a ton of bricks. This fight will be a war. I know I’ll have to win decisively because there’s no way I’m going to win a decision in Japan. That’s going to be a problem since we’re so well matched. But I’ll try. Wait no, do or do not- there IS NO TRYYYYYYYYYY! Hashi and Roxy have been circling each other for a while now and it's exciting that they're finally going to face off against eachother. Plus it's cool that Roxy is fighting for Jewels! She used to be a Smackgirl regular but when that promotion died and women were spread out across two leagues she was with Valkyrie. Here's hoping this turns into a regular fight gig that doesn't involve 20 hours of flying to get to. WAR ROXY! Kick her butt!

Posted in: japan, i ’ll, roxy, valkyrie heres, hashi

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submitted by mebbee [link] [comment]

Posted in: ufc, preview, japan, mebbee link, mebbee

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"To retire as UFC champion and to have defended the belt in Japan? Oh man, that would have been perfect. Believe me, I still want to retire as champion. I want to hold the belt once more. I guess if I had won that Jon Jones fight and if the Japan show wasn't next then there would have been a very good chance I would have retired already. It would have been a great time to bow out. But I almost certainly would have stayed around to fight in Japan anyway, to defend the belt. Then if I would have successfully defended it on this [UFC 144] show, I definitely would be retiring - and retiring a very happy man too!" Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson tells Fighters Only that had he defeated current 205-pound champion Jon Jones at UFC 135 last September, he probably would have walked away from the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). Unfortunately for "Rampage," he came up short in regaining the title, and was offered a fight against Ryan Bader scheduled for UFC 144 as the promotion heads Far East to Japan on Feb. 26, 2012. Jackson, who has found success outside the Octagon as a movie star and appeared in movies such as the A-Team, has had quite a career in his 14-year tenure but truly rose to fame in "The Land of the Rising Sun" during his stint with PRIDE FC. After defeating Chuck Liddell at UFC 71 to earn the UFC Light Heavyweight title, Jackson lost his strap to Forrest Griffin at UFC 86 a year later, and has been on a quest to get it back ever since. With Brock Lesnar and Nick Diaz announcing their retirements after losses, "Rampage," for one, does not want to go out like that. Can we expect Jackson to vie for the title after a few more wins in the stacked 205-pound division? Or will Ryan Bader derail his goals to retire as champ?

Posted in: ufc, jackson, champion, japan, ryan bader

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Do you miss the old days (and old arguments) about Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) vs. PRIDE Fighting Championship (PRIDE FC)? So does UFC President Dana White. But you know the old saying, if you can't beat 'em, buy 'em. And that's exactly what ZUFFA, the parent company of UFC, did back in early 2007 for around $70 million. A virtual bargain for what was once considered the premier combat sports league. Even to White. "Japan is an important market for us, it was a place that was huge at one time. Some of the greatest fights that ever happened in MMA have happened in Japan. And I've always said, that huge rivalry between us and PRIDE, it was some of the funnest moments of my life. It was actually fun. If you look back throughout history, there's only one show that I have ever said was a competitor to the UFC and it was PRIDE. It was the only show that I would ever put on the same level and put on a pedestal, that was the same as the UFC." The UFC will head back to "The Land of the Rising Sun" with its UFC 144: "Edgar vs. Henderson" fight card on Feb. 26, 2012, from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, in an attempt to resurrect the Japanese fight scene under a new regime. Cage and all. Hear White talk to Telegraph.co.uk about his quest to one day get 100,000 fans back into a stadium to watch to guys duke it out for a title, after the jump. Can UFC 144, along with PRIDE stars of yesteryear like Quinton Jackson, open the door to a prosperous MMA market in Japan?

Posted in: ufc, pride, japan, funnest moments, history theres

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It’s been said that you need to be careful when you meet your heroes because sometimes they can disappoint you. But how is it supposed to go when you fight one? Debuting UFC featherweight Antonio Carvalho knows the answer to that question, and surprisingly, it’s not as bad as you might think.In fact, the way he puts it, the whole scenario “was really emotional. It was the biggest highlight as far as my competitive life.”I guess at this point it pays to go back a bit for a little history. Canada’s Carvalho, one of the unsung lighter weight heroes in the sport of mixed martial arts back when featherweights weren’t headlining UFC shows like they will this Saturday night in Rio, had gone to Japan in 2005 to face Takeshi Inoue in a Shooto bout.At the time, the odds of making money or gaining any sort of prestige in North America as a 145-pound fighter were slim and none, but that didn’t deter Carvalho, an Ontario native of Portuguese descent who nearly made a career out of soccer when he was living in Portugal and playing for the Sporting Lisbon youth club.“I think even when I started the sport, it was very underground,” said Carvalho, who turned pro in 2002. “Most of it was through the internet and that’s how we stayed alive for so many years. I was always a fan from the beginning, just getting VHS tapes from all sorts of events from around the world, and obviously when there was all the banning going on, I still made sure that I was keeping up to date on all the fighters. I just loved doing it. Back then there was very little money to begin with, and if you fought, you’d better love to fight because you’re not making that much money and you still had to work a regular job, which I did. I just made sure I had jobs where I could take the weekends off so I could go fight and have time when I could train.”Unbeaten in his first seven pro bouts, Carvalho did find that Japan was a promising option though, and it was a place where he had the potential to make fighting a career.“There was a time when the UFC didn’t have the lightweights, and then they didn’t have the featherweights or bantamweights,” he recalled. “That’s why I gravitated towards Japan - they had so many organizations running at the same time over there and so many fighters filtering through from all over the world. At the time, for the featherweights, that was the place to be. So I was happy to be competing and doing what I loved.”He had to win though, and “The Lion” was no joke, as he was unbeaten at the time himself at 6-0. Carvalho wound up taking a three round majority decision win, but more importantly, he got to meet the headliner, his fighting idol and Japanese legend Rumina Sato.“That was kind of surreal for me,” said Carvalho. “Rumina Sato was the headliner, and he was fighting Gilbert Melendez that night. When I saw him, I was like ‘oh man.’ To me, it looked like he was glowing, just this untouchable guy. I thought he was amazing and doing things, especially at that time, which made him like a human highlight reel for MMA. I was a huge fan and he was my hero.”Carvalho picked up one of Sato’s highlight DVDs, and he made sure he didn’t leave Japan without getting it signed and telling Sato just how big of a fan he was.Returning home, Carvalho lost his first pro bout via majority decision to Jeff Curran in November of 2005, but a month later, he got a call from Japan to fight again. The opponent? Rumina Sato. “I was completely shocked,” he said. “But I had to take the opportunity.” On February 17, 2006, Carvalho faced his hero…and he won.“I was so star-struck when I got in there that I almost got KOed right off the bat,” said Carvalho of his bout against Sato. “I spent a lot of time on my back, defending punches and submissions, and eventually I thought to myself, ‘yeah, he’s my hero, but I think I’ve got to do something here.’ And somehow I managed to reverse the position and I ended up putting him away.”It was a moment that Carvalho believes will never be topped.“I never believed I would ever have the chance to face him, much less defeat him in a match,” he said. “It was the ultimate high for me in the sport.”Carvalho would fight four more times in Japan, with the only win being a big one over current UFC featherweight Hatsu Hioki, and after a June 2008 loss to Yuji Hoshino, he had reached the end of his MMA rope.“Injuries piled up,” he said. “It got to the point where I was so injured, and so burnt out, and so tired with everything that was going on in life in general. After I lost my last fight in Japan, I pretty much thought that was it.”His hiatus from the sport would last less than two years, with rest and healing doing wonders for him mentally and physically. He returned to the gym to work with longtime friend and coach Justin Bruckmann, and eventually, he decided to fight again. “The fire sorta came back, and when I started doing well again and my body was getting stronger, things started falling into place and that’s when I decided to come back.”Three wins into the comeback that began in March of 2010, the 32-year old got the call he had waited years for – he was a UFC fighter. And while he was scratched from his expected debut against Yuri Alcantara at UFC 134 last August due to injury, he will finally step into the Octagon on Saturday to face Felipe Arantes at UFC 142. It’s been a long, interesting trip to make it here, and Carvalho is eager to write the next chapter of this story.“I’ve been through just about everything in this sport,” he said. “And I don’t think it’s my time to leave just yet. The UFC gave me this chance, they found space for me on their roster, and this was kind of the last goal. That’s not to say things might not change in the UFC – I’m gonna take everything one fight at a time. But I don’t look that far ahead, I’m not looking past the guy I’m fighting, and the truth is, if I don’t perform now, then it just means that I’m just not as good as the other guy. It’s that simple, and I have no excuses. I had a great camp, great people around me, it’s time for me to perform, and if I don’t, then maybe it’s time for me to leave.”

Posted in: ufc, time, ’t, japan, carvalho

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It’s become tradition in Japan to hold the final event of 2011 and this year is no different, although this could be the biggest Japanese New Years Eve event ever.. Coming to us live from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, it’s Fight For Japan: Genki Desu Ka Omisoka 2011. As always, Five Ounces of Pain will provide complete results along with a fight recap of all the live televised action. The event, which is scheduled to last nine hours, kicks off at 1AM EST on HDNet. DREAM: New Years Eve 2011 will be headlined by Fedor Emelianenko making his return to Japan to take on Olympic Gold Medalist in Judo, Satoshi Ishii. Also on the card, lightweight submission expert Shinya Aoki defends his DREAM lightweight title against top contender Satoru Kitaoka. Plus the bantamweight Grand Prix wraps up as Bibiano Fernandes meets Rodolfo Marques Diniz while Antonio Banuelos takes on Masakazu Imanari with the winners squaring off in the finals. MAIN CARD Yusup Saadulaev vs. Hideo Tokoro Antonio Banuelos vs. Masakazu Imanari Rodolfo Marques Diniz vs. Bibiano Fernandes Karla Benitez vs. Megumi Fujii Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Kazuyuki Miyata Ryo Chonan vs. Hayato “Mach” Sakurai Masaaki Noiri vs. Kengo Sonoda (kickboxing match) Yuta Kubo vs. Nils Widlund (kickboxing match) Josh Barnett vs. Hideki Suzuki (pro-wrestling match) Yuichiro Nagashima vs. Katsunori Kikuno (mixed-rules bout) Jerome Le Banner vs. Tim Sylvia (pro-wrestling match) Peter Aerts vs. Kazuyuki Fujita (pro-wrestling match) Atsushi Sawada and Shinichi Suzukawa vs. Kazushi Sakuraba and Katsuyori Shibata (pro-wrestling match) Hiroyuki Takaya vs. Takeshi “Lion” Inoue Shinya Aoki vs. Satoru Kitaoka Fedor Emelianenko vs. Satoshi Ishii

Posted in: vs, dream, year, japan, prowrestling

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Posted in: ufc, japan, chat, nye

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Filed under: DREAMWill Fedor Emelianenko continue his winning ways on New Year's Eve in Japan? Or will Satoshi Ishii take an enormous step forward in his MMA career with a huge upset? Will Japanese stars Shinya Aoki, Hiroyuki Takaya and Tatsuya Kawajiri put on impressive performances? Will American fans manage to stay awake after UFC 141 and watch several more hours of fighting into the wee hours of Saturday morning? We'll attempt to answer those questions and more as we predict the winners of this year's New Year's Eve event in Japan below. What: Dream: Fight for Japan New Year 2011 Where: Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, Japan When: Friday late night, the HDNet broadcast will begin at 1 AM ET, just after the conclusion of UFC 141. Predictions on all the MMA fights below. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Satoshi Ishii Fedor is 5-0 fighting in Japan on New Year's Eve, and it would be an enormous upset if he doesn't improve to 6-0 against Ishii, a former Olympic judo gold medalist who is 4-1-1 in his MMA career. Fedor has obviously declined significantly from the days when he was the top fighter in the sport, but I don't think he's fallen so far that he'll lose to Ishii. This should be a relatively easy win for Fedor. Pick: Emelianenko Shinya Aoki vs. Satoru Kitaoka Aoki is arguably Japan's best pound-for-pound fighter, but he'll have his hands full with Kitaoka, who's a good grappler and has beaten some very solid opponents, including Carlos Condit, Paul Daley and Takanori Gomi. I see this one going the distance and being closer than most people think, with Aoki eking out a close decision. Pick: Aoki Hiroyuki Takaya vs. Takeshi Inoue Takaya is making his second defense of the Dream featherweight title, which he won by defeating Bibiano Fernandes on New Year's Eve last year. Inoue is coming off a great head kick knockout of Caol Uno, but Takaya's kickboxing is better than Inoue, and I like him to win by decision. Pick: Takaya Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Kazuyuki Miyata Kawajiri dropped to featherweight and looked great in his recent win over Joachim Hansen. His striking will be too much for Miyata. Pick: Kawajiri Hayato Sakurai vs. Ryo Chonan Both of these guys are past their primes (Sakurai is 36 and has lost four in a row; Chonan is 35 and has fought low-level competition since losing three of four in the UFC a few years ago), but I think Sakurai has a little more gas left in the tank and will avenge Chonan's 2003 victory. Pick: Sakurai Megumi Fujii vs. Karla Benitez Fujii is one of the best pound-for-pound female fighters in the world, and Benitez is simply not at her level. This should be an easy submission victory for Fujii. Pick: Fujii Bantamweight Tournament Semifinal: Bibiano Fernandes vs. Rodolfo Marques Fernandes, the former Dream featherweight title, is more comfortable fighting at bantamweight, and he has to be considered the favorite to win this tournament. I look for him to beat Marques easily. Pick: Fernandes Bantamweight Tournament Semifinal: Masakazu Imanari vs. Antonio Banuelos Banuelos was released by the UFC after losing a decision to Miguel Torres early this year, but he's a dangerous opponent for anyone and a much better striker than Imanari. I like Banuelos to win by TKO. Pick: Banuelos Bantamweight Tournament Reserve Bout: Hideo Tokoro vs. Yusup Saadulaev Tokoro, who lost a split decision to Banuelos in the tournament quarterfinals, should win the reserve bout against Saadulaev, who lost to Marques. Pick: Tokoro Bantamweight Tournament Final: Winner of Imanari/Banuelos vs. Winner of Fernandes/Marques Fernandes has an excellent opportunity to make a statement that he's the best bantamweight outside Zuffa, and I think he'll put on a show by beating Banuelos in the tournament finale. Pick: Fernandes  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: vs, year, tournament, japan, fernande

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I have been taken back by the amount of vitriol expressed in the comments of Matt Roth’s recent stories examining Brock Lesnar’s career in professional wrestling. While a lack of interest with anything relating to a "staged sport" from a segment of MMA fanbase doesn’t surprise me what does is the outright hostillity expressed by many readers. For them positing any link, no matter how tenuous, beween the UFC and the WWF is to defame the sport they love. What many of them are apparently unaware of is that mixed martial arts is really professional wrestling. No, not the professional wrestlng of Vince MacMahon, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Jesse "The Body", and Bobby "the Brain" Heenan, but professional wrestling non-the-less, albiet under a different name. As I’ve tried to chronicle over the last year, the sport that would eventually be named mixed martial arts is not a recent invention, having been born of two parents over a century ago. From out of Japan in the East came a number of practioners of (the often interchangeable) jujutsu and Kodokan Judo who travelled extensively throughout the Western World in their quest to spread their art. To assist in this they quickly began demonstrating the "gentle-ways" effectiveness by challenging and facing in a variety of matches the home-grown Western fighting disciplines of boxing and wrestling. The West’s contribution was provided by professional wrestling, which was already staging mixed bouts between the different schools of grappling by the time jujtusu appeared on the European or American landscape. In no time the two disciplines would be facing of against each other in the ring. During the early 1900s, numerous contests between jujutsu and wrestling were held, often under the old prizefighting rules of "no holds barred", "anything goes", or "all-in": rules of wrestling that usually stipulated that no hold or tactic (with a few exception such as biting and gouging although sometimes even that was allowed) be banned from use, including striking. Eventually these evolved into an informal set of codified rules where both wrestling and jujutsu techniques where merged into a new style of wrestling, which was sometimes known as "jiu jitsu wrestling" when a jacket was worn (Will Bingham and Prof. Takahashi were strong proponents of this style). This was better known as "all-in" or "Slam Bang Western Style" wrestling and would become the basis for post Great War wrestling. Unfortunately, it was during the war years that wrestling metamorhosized from a somewhat legitimate sport into a completely staged one. Thus legitimate professional wrestling and the newly born mixed martial arts were eliminated in most of the world in one fell swoop. Fortunately it didn’t die out completely. In South America during the war years traveling Western wrestlers and Japanese judokas (most notably Matsuyo Maeda) hoping to escape the conflagation in Europe brought this "anything goes" wrestling with them as part of their travelling shows to the more hospitable lands of Brazil. These matches found some popularity in Rio de Janiero, São Paolo and the state of Bahia, becoming known as vale tudo (which translates as "anything goes" in Portuguese), eventually being televised on "Heróis do Ringue" from 1959-60. This widespread popularity wouldn’t last, being deemed too brutal for the masses, but would continued to be practiced as a fringe "sport" in Rio and the northern and southern regions of Brazil. Amongst the more well-known combatants to participate in these matches where Geo Omori, Manuel Rufini, Dudu, Wladimar Zbszko, Masahiko Kimura, Walkermar Santana, Euclides Pereira, Rei Zulu, Ivan Gomez, and, most famously, the Gracie family. It was a Gracie, Rorion, who would bring this (at least real and not staged) "anything goes" wrestling back to the United States on November 12, 1993, with the first Ultimate Fighting Championship. America was not the only place seeing a revival in real professiona wrestling that year, for a month earlier in Japan Masakatsu Funaki’s Pancrase held their first event, one where matches would be contested without predetermined outcomes. Puroresu in Japan, while having been as a staged as their Western counterparts was much more obsessed with keeping the illusion of reality alive, going so far as having their top star, Antonio Inoki, "prove" its superiority to other fighting disciplines (perhaps inspired by the "Heróis do Ringue" program which aired in Brazil while he resided there as a youth) or bring in such practiced catch-as-catch-can wrestlers as Karl Gotch and Billy Robinson to ensure that the Japanese wrestlers could deliver a realistic performance. Eventually a group of young wrestlers led by Masakatsu Funaki, Minoru Suzuki, and Ken Shamrock, tired of only practicing and deciding to finally compete for real. They did so under the rules of professional wretling, rules which allowed contestents to use painful submission grappling techniques and strikes (with open hand to the head). These rules had changed very little since being developed in the era of the wrestling versus jujutsu feud at the beginning of the century. The following year the Vale Tudo Japan tournament kicked off and shortly thereafter other real professional wrestling promotions (such as RINGS and PRIDE FC) followed, kicking off the era of sōgō kakutōgi in Japan. During this era very little was done to differentiate between MMA and puroresu. In the United States, the UFC too gave birth to other fighting promotions, but unable to use the name Ultimate Fighting, and apparently unaware of its direct linkage to professional wrestling, they would take to calling the sport "No Rules" and "No Holds Barred" fighting until Rick Blume coined the term mixed martial arts while promoting his Battlecade card. The name would soon be the acknowledged name for not only the "no rules" fighting of that time, but also the modified professional wrestling matches taking place in Japan and later events held under the Unified Rules. In fact, when the UFC and other MMA promotions were trying to move away from the ‘human cockfighting" image the sport had gained and began to enforce new rules they turned to the Japanese promotions for some of their inspiriation. Thus the current UFC, as fought under the Unified Rules, is descended from Japanese promotions of the 90s and the "anything goes" vale tudo of Brazil. In turn, both of these are the direct descendants of pre First World War professional wrestling matches. In fact, the UFC’s lineage and claim to professional wrestling is as strong as what they pass of as a sport in the WWE. And we didn’t even have to touch on the fact that the UFC has built its business completely off the back of pro wrestling and pro wrestling fans. For the complete story check out the Forgotten Golden Age of Mixed Martial Arts parts I, II, III, and IV and my previous Martial Chronicle looking at Hélio Gracie's bouts with wrestlers. And in the coming weeks stay tuned as I look at how Brazil saved mixed martial arts, how the Japanese helped invent it, and, if I have time, how Mr. Roth is killing it. IMAGES Kimura applying his namesake on Hélio via moscow.kyokushinkai.ru Sakuraba walkout via prommanow.com

Posted in: sport, anything, japan, art, rule

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Fight card and rumors for the UFC 144 return to Japan on February 26, 2012 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Posted in: ufc, fight, rumor, return, japan

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For Boxing Day, a celebration of Britain's feudal past, I thought I'd share my aging MMA History series. I wasn't as diligent as planned in 2011, didn't add any installments, but I swear I'll do more this year! Read a few you might learn something! I: UFC 1 Pancrase meets BJJ II: The Ur-Brazilian MMA Feud: BJJ vs Luta Livre and the Style They Never Saw Coming III: More on Japan IV: Rickson Brings Jiu Jitsu Back to Japan V: The Reign of Royce VI: A Dutch Detour VII: A New Phase in the UFC VIII: From Russia With Leglocks IX: Strikers Attack X: The Reign of the Wrestlers XI: Carlson Gracie's Mighty Camp XII: End of the UFC Glory Days XIII: Coleman Gets His Kicks XIV: Boom and Bust in Brazil XV: Pancrase, RINGS, and Shooto 1996 XVII: The Lion's Den Roars XVIII: The Losses of Luta Livre XVI: Rico Chiapparelli and the RAW Team XIX: The Humbled PRIDE of Nobuhiko Takada XX: Kazushi Sakuraba and Frank Shamrock Emerge at Ultimate Japan XXI: The Amazing UFC Championship Run of Frank Shamrock XXII: Catch Wrestling and Kazushi Sakuraba's Early PRIDE Run

Posted in: ufc, mma, japan, jiu jitsu, royce vi

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Not every tragedy is created equal, and for the residents of Japan, 2011 was a shared nightmare of mother nature's sometimes vile indifference. The March tsunami of 2011 cost $300 billion, and claimed 20 thousand citizens across the Japanese coast. The story continues to unfold, as Japan must deal with the physical fallout. Unfortunately there's also a political fallout, similar to what Americans experienced during Katrina. Reports of faked repair records spanning over a decade and a 2009 warning by seismologists at a government safety panel informing officials of significant vulnerability to the now infamous Fukushima Daiichi Plant are the uncomfortable but necessary narratives within the rebuilding process in Japan. But rebuilding Fukushima (which translates to "fortunate island") and its now uprooted population will come from the strength of Japan's community, and as Daniel Herbertson reported in April, former MMA fighter Enson Inoue has become a formidable representative for the healing process. While the memories of Inoue from hardcore MMA fans will never that of a great fighter, you'd be hard pressed to think of a fighter more respected. In the Pride ring, Enson had a tough-guy perception of 'heart', where resolve and hubris collide. But as he himself communicates to Herbertson, that 'heart' has extended beyond resolve, away from hubris, and into community, charity, and a deep appreciation for the trivial. In what ends up being a nine part series, Herbertson takes us on a journey with Inoue as he travels to the city of Minamisanriku (one among many places Inoue ends up visiting): an area that lost over half its population of over 17 thousand by a tsunami five stories high. With each entry, we learn what Inoue has had to sacrifice, though it's always apparent Enson is at peace, and that his only regret is that more can't be done. His work at the evacuation centers, getting people simple items like a toothbrush or a pair of shoes reveal the lost art of altruism. Enson himself has battled his own demons. In the ring, his fight with Igor Vovchanchyn likely had a permanent effect on his health (he spent 4 months in the hospital). And he spent time in jail for possession of marijuana. He's an interesting figure in MMA lore, and not just because he can claim to being in a David Mamet film. But thanks to the work of Daniel Herbertson, he can now be remembered for something far greater, and far more important. Below are some of Enson's final words, reflecting back on his journey, and on life. But I suggest you ready each entry, as it's well worth your time. Just getting a bottle of water from someone was amazing! When I was in jail I knew what it was like to have nothing and on the pilgrimage I had nothing there too. Before I would say thank you and forget about it. But now, I'm so appreciative! I still haven't forgotten the people that helped me! Appreciation is what drives me to go up north. I can understand what they are going through, to some extent. I can't compare going to jail to what the tsunami victims and people from Fukushima are going through, but I know what it's like to have everything taken away from you. I know how good the small things can feel. Daniel Herbertson can be found on twitter @DanHerbertson.

Posted in: daniel herbertson, japan, herbertson, inoue, enson

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Photo by Taro Irei, Sherdog Name: Kyoji Horiguchi Nickname: -- Age: 21 Height: 5' 5" Location: Takasaki, Gunma, Japan Japan is the last place more informed readers of the report would expect to find a prospect, but Japanese knockout artist Kjoyi Horiguchi (6-0) is an impressive exception to the downward trend. Hailing out of Takasaki, Gunma, Japan, the 21-year-old Krazy Bee team member has spectacularly destroyed five of his six opponents since stepping into the sport last May. Horiguchi earned himself the honor of being called the 2010 Shooto Rookie MVP after crushing Takahiro Hosoi at Shooto Tradition 2011 in April. He followed the win with an impressive one-punch knockout of Yuta Nezu at Shootor's Legacy 3 in July, then starched Naohiro Mizuno two months later at Shootor's Legacy 4 in September, running his streak to six. Horiguchi's key to success stems from a refreshing, high-octane striking game that is both overwhelming and frustrating for his opposition. Constantly moving in and out of range, Horiguchi utilizes heavy kicks and punches to throw off his opponents, eventually finding holes in his opponents' defenses that he can exploit with his speed. Incredibly, Horiguchi doesn't sacrifice any power for speed, annihilating opponents who leave their chins exposed with a whirlwind of powerful punches. Most fans will liken Horiguchi to his teammate Norifumi 'Kid' Yamamoto, and those comparisons aren't unwarranted. Like Yamamoto, Horiguchi combines speed and power on the feet while also possessing solid takedown defense. He's overly aggressive, destructive, and never lets his foot off the pedal, which is similar to the version of Yamamoto that terrorized the scene in his more youthful days. Unfortunately, Horiguchi faces some major obstacles if he wants to leave a mark. Most notably, he's undersized even for the bantamweight division at 5'5". His takedown defense is unproven against better competition, and there is the possibility that he's exiled to low-tier Japanese MMA promotions while the Asian scene suffers from a decline in interest. I'm not certain he'll suffer the fate of being stuck in Japan, however, since he's been traveling with Yamamoto stateside to train. Not only is he getting some exposure in North America with camps, but he's improving in areas he needs to in order to succeed in the future. At only 21 years of age, we'll undoubtedly see Horiguchi make an impact at the highest levels in the future, whether it be at bantamweight or flyweight. Video footage of Kyoji Horiguchi in action after the jump... FlyweightBantamweightFeatherweightLightweight #1 - #2 - #3 -#4 -#5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 - #1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - Kyoji Horiguchi#9 - Leandro Hygo#10 - Pedro Munhoz #1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 - #1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 - WelterweightMiddleweightLight HeavyweightHeavyweight #1 - #2 - #3 -#4 -#5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 - #1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 - #1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 - #1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 - Kyoji Horiguchi Highlight - Sugoi Shooter Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Takahiro HosoiShooto Tradition 2011 - April 29, 2011 Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Seiji AkaoShooto Rookie Tournament 2010 Final - December 18, 2010

Posted in: japan, horiguchi, yamamoto, he, kyoji

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Another bout has been confirmed for DREAM: New Year! 2011, as Megumi Fujii will face Karla Benitez in Japan. The event goes down December 31 from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Fujii (24-1) has competed for Bellator in her career, along with a strong run in her native country of Japan. Fujii started her run with 22 straight victories before a loss to Zoila Gurgel in the Bellator 115-pound finals in 2010. Benitez (6-1) will be making her DREAM debut along with Fujii. She won her first six pro fights before falling to Katja Janjaanpaa this past October. DREAM: New Year! 2011 will be headlined by Fedor Emelianenko vs. Satoshi Ishii. The card is expected to be televised in the U.S. by HDNet. PHOTO CREDIT – BELLATOR

Posted in: dream, year, japan, dream debut, fujii

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In Japan, the expression 'the more things change the more they stay the same' is always appropriate to use.

Posted in: mmasupremacy, japan, mauroranallo, use, things change

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Former heavyweight superstar Fedor Emelianenko will make his return to Japan, much like he did earlier this year by heading back to Russia to compete, when he meets Satoshi Ishii in the main event of DREAM‘s New Year’s Eve card. The popular Russian became somewhat of a staple on similar cards before joining Affliction/Strikeforce. The event, which will take place on December 31, goes down at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Emelianenko stopped a three-fight losing skid by earning a decision victory over Jeff Monson in his native country of Russia earlier this year. Fedor had previously lost to Fabricio Werdum, Antonio Silva, and Dan Henderson. The defeats knocked his profile down a few pegs but, in Japan, “The Last Emperor” is still widely-accepted as one of the best of all time. Ishii won Olympic gold in Judo for Japan and is 4-1 in his MMA career. He fought to a draw with former WEC champion Paulo Filho in his last match. Check out the preview below: PHOTO CREDIT – M1/FEG

Posted in: year, japan, fedor, satoshi ishii, ishii

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While we here in America celebrate CHRISTmas (and identify the Fallen by those who dare say "Happy Holidays"), the people of Japan are celebrating something a bit different. It's a relatively new tradition called 巨人をだまし, loosely translated to The Screwing Over of The Giant Goof.Here's how it works: every year DREAM calls Tim Sylvia up and tells them he's going to fight on their NYE card. And then they pull the football out from under him a week or two beforehand and he's stuck with a messed up Christmas / New Years because he was expecting to be training and in Japan. That's what happened last year and now it's happening again: Just two days after being released from jail in Minnesota, Brett Rogers got the news that in all probability his upcoming fight for Dream was off.Booked for a fight against former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia on New Year's Eve in Japan, Rogers won't receive a visa and won't be able to enter the country for the fight. Sources close to the fight confirmed the news to HeavyMMA.com late Wednesday.The now lack of opponent means that Sylvia will drop off the card, sources told Heavy. Of course, most of us find this news extremely satisfying because screw Brett Rogers that wife beating POS. But what did poor Timmay ever do to deserve this kind of treatment? He even agreed to this fight after the screwjob he got last year. We're all in agreement that a trip to the dentist is more pleasant than a Tim Sylvia fight, but disconnect your emotions for a second and look at how DREAM treats fighters. All I want for Christmas is a major Japanese MMA organization that isn't full of sketchy dickbags.

Posted in: fight, year, japan, tim, sylvia

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Last time we discussed the first recorded combat sport, Pankration. While this art was important to note, it does not have an established connection to the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. The origins of modern MMA can be traced back to two primary sources, martial arts that developed around the same general time on two different sides of the globe during the Middle Ages. In Europe, the Western Roman Empire had crumbled under its own weight. Europe went through a period of chaos as German tribes picked the bones of the Roman Empire clean. Out of this 'dark age' new powers emerged; France, England, the Holy Roman Empire, and Spain to name a few. While these looked like nations when we observe maps depicting these times, they were in fact composed of tangled webs of personal and political loyalties that shifted and changed. As a result families often meant more politically than borders; there was a time when the King of England ruled more of France than the King of France through family connections. Likewise half a world away, in the islands of Japan, the land was divided between many different kingdoms, connected by a similar web of complex political, economic and personal relationships. The ruling class were the land owning lords, known as Daimyos. Warfare was a constant in this ever shifting landscape and in both Japan and Europe warrior classes emerged. Daimyos in the East and Feudal Lords in the West gave plots of land and peasants to warriors in exchange for their service. These warriors, free of the need to harvest their own food, were able to devote their time to training for war. These grew into their own warrior cultures with their practices and ideologies. In Japan, they were the Samurai and they followed the Code of Bushido and in Europe it was the Knights who had the loose ideology of Chivalry. Both Knight and Samurai used swords, spears, and other weapons to defeat their enemies, and they shared one more quality: they wore armor. This armor was the best protection technology could provide and would stop not just glancing blows, but direct strikes with all but the heaviest weapons. How to defeat an armored opponent became the question that martial skills sought to solve. Punches and kicks were not very effective against armor, so grappling became one answer. In a clash of swords, one fighter could quick position himself and throw his enemy to the ground. An armored enemy, once on his back, is weighed down by his armor and then strikes could be directed at the gaps in the armor with the added force of gravity to help break through. video after the jump... In Japan, the art was know as Jujitsu, while in Europe it was generally referred to as 'wrestling at the sword'. While not always pretty and fluid, it was highly effective. (A fantastic example of grappling using a sword and wearing armor via tossetoke) Both arts developed their grappling in societies where practically everyone was armed, so the focus was defending against attacks from blades. Dealing with attacks from knives was at the core of both Jujitsu and Wrestling and the vast majority of techniques are the same. Here is a shoulder lock takedown used against a dagger attack in both Jujitsu and European wrestling: European over hand attack dagger defense. Uke Garami against over hand knife attack (via nidanwarrior11) These techniques are not just similar, they are identical in principle and practice. The jujitsu technique is one of the oldest in the martial arts and the European one comes from the combat manual Flos Duellatorum based on German fighting techniques and written before any Europeans ever had contact with the Japanese. Thus completely independently from each other, the Japanese and Europeans came to the same technical solution. And it is not just restricted to this technique, there are many similarities, either identical techniques or ones that work on the same principles. Japan's warfare gave way to a time of peace and during this time the Samurai began to open schools to train their styles of combat, or ryu, including Jujitsu. Despite being at peace, Japan was still divided and Jujitsu schools had little contact with each other and thus the styles grew apart. Japan began to have contact with European explorers and traders, and a closed door policy was imposed, locking out foreign influences. While Japan looked inward, Europe looked to expand outward. Europeans traveled the world on the ships and those same ships that carried explorers and merchants also carried wrestlers. Wrestlers, who in the endless hours to fill ashore, would often challenge local wrestlers to matches and a lot of spectators would bet on the results. As a result Persian style wrestling from the Middle East and Indian wrestling from the sub-continent began to blend with the European Wrestling. Back in Europe, wrestling was still very popular. In fact it became common custom for the Kings of European nations to wrestle each other at festivals. In one rather famous encounter King Henry VIII of England grappled with King Francis I of France. They both practiced wrestling arts that used jackets (similar to gis) and wrestled to the first flying throw (similar to an Ippon), so the match would have looked very much like a Judo match. King Francis won by a Flying Mare throw (similar to a Seoi Nage). But the advent of the gun brought to an end of battles fought primarily with close combat and armor became a thing of the past. In Japan, the Meiji Restorations put an end to the ways of the Samurai and Jujitsu would have faded into the past but for a man named Kano Jigoro. He took the divided and complicated art of Jujitsu and smooth lined it into the modern sport of Judo. Some pockets of Jujitsu survived and are taught to this day in its pure form. In Europe, it was purely a matter of practicality and not government policy that relegated wrestling to sport instead of combat art. Wrestling divided into sport wrestling which included catch wrestling, a grappling art that included submission holds. While Jujitsu and catch wrestling existed for centuries in their home lands it was not until these two arts switched hemispheres that would lead directly to the birth of the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. Special Thanks to KJ Gould for his help with catch wrestling history. For more on the rise of Jujitsu and Judo in Japan: Jiu-Jitsu History: Birth on the Battlefield Jiu-Jitsu History: The Meiji Era and the Evolution of Judo The Forgotten Golden Age of MMA: The Rise of Judo MMA Origins: Exploring Fight Sport's Ancient Roots

Posted in: japan, art, jujitsu, europe, european

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The UFC is turning Japanese (I really think so) this coming Feb. 26, 2012, as the world's largest fight promotion will head to the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, for UFC 144: "Edgar vs. Henderson." The event will be headlined by a lightweight championship showdown, as current titleholder Frankie Edgar puts his strap on the line against top contender and former WEC lightweight king, Ben Henderson. But that's not all. You just knew the powers that be would throw a few names on the card that should draw interest in the "Land of the Rising Sun," and they've done so in the form of Yoshihiro Akiyama and Quinton Jackson, who will take on Jake Shields and Ryan Bader, respectively. Not a bad fight card, huh? And the poster is pretty slick, too. For the complete UFC 144 line-up click here and for all the latest news and notes on the UFC's return to Japan click here.

Posted in: ufc, henderson, japan, edgar, ufcs return

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A New Year’s Eve bout between Fedor Emelianenko and Satoshi Ishii has been rumored for weeks now. Today, it became official. M-1 Global and DREAM have announced that Fedor will in fact face Olympic gold medalist Satoshi Ishii at DREAM New Year! 2011 in Japan. M-1Global and DREAM officials announced today that legendary heavyweight Fedor “ The Last Emperor” Emelianenko will be facing Olympic Gold Medalist in Judo Satoshi Ishii on December 31, 2011 as part of  FIELDS presents FIGHT FOR JAPAN “Genkidesuka!! Oomisoka!! 2011! The event, which takes place from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, will be broadcast in North America on HDNet. The event marks the return of Fedor Emelianenko to Japan after a 3-year absence. “M-1 Global in cooperation with Dream is very pleased to announce the bout which will bring the world’s attention to Japan on December 31” – said M-1 Global Director of Operations Evgeni Kogan, “Fedor has been in great shape, and is ready for what we think will be a hard and competitive fight.” The fight may be on, but it remains to be seen if it will in fact be competitive. Ishii entered the MMA world with a lot of hype and fanfare and was even courted by the UFC despite not having a single professional fight under his belt, but has largely been a disappointment. After losing to Hidehiko Yoshida in his pro debut, Ishii managed to pick up wins against Tafa Misipati, Ikuhisa Minowa, Katsuyori Shibata and Jerome Le Banner, but hasn’t fought anyone even close to Fedor’s level. If he were to somehow win, it would likely be the biggest upset of the year. Image via Esther Lin for Strikeforce/Showtime

Posted in: dream, year, japan, fedor, ishii

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Filed under: DREAM, M-1 Global, NewsFedor Emelianenko will face former Olympic judo gold medalist Satoshi Ishii on a New Year's Eve event co-promoted by M-1 Global and DREAM in Saitama, Japan. The promotions confirmed the fight's booking in a joint news release on Monday afternoon. It will be the first time Emelianenko fights in Japan in exactly four years, since defeating Hong-Man Choi. That fight led to his arrival in the US and Affliction before he eventually moved on to Strikeforce. Emelianenko (32-4, 1 no contest) recently snapped a three-fight win streak by defeating Jeff Monson in a unanimous decision at an M-1 event in St. Petersburg, Russia. The fight with Ishii had been rumored for some time, but for a time it wasn't expected to happen until officials pulled it together during the past week. Ishii will be at a severe experience disadvantage, having fought just six times in his career. He's 4-1-1 overall, and most recently fought at a independent show in Brazil where he fought to a draw with former WEC middleweight champion Paulo Filho. In 2008, Ishii captured an Olympic judo gold medal in the 100+ kilogram weight class. The New Year's Eve event -- titled Fight For Japan: Genki Desu Ka Omisoko 2011 -- will take place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan and air on HDNet. Among the other fights officially confirmed are a lightweight bout between Shinya Aoki and Satoru Kitaoka, and a featherweight bout pitting Tatsuya Kawajiri and Kazuyuki Miyata. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: fight, event, year, japan, ishii

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Press Release: Saint Petersburg, Russia (December 12, 2011) - M-1Global and DREAM officials announced today that legendary heavyweight Fedor “ The Last Emperor” Emelianenko will be facing Olympic Gold Medalist in Judo Satoshi Ishii on December 31, 2011 as part of  FieLDS presents FIGHT FOR JAPAN “Genkidesuka!! Oomisoka!! 2011! The event, which takes place from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, will be broadcast in North America on HDNet.The event marks the return of Fedor

Posted in: japan, fedor, saitama japan, nye card, dream officials

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[div class="notice" class2="icon"]The following is from an article on LiverKick.com, part of the MiddleEasy Network.[/div] The internet is a marvelous place where international borders mean little like they used to. If something happened in Japan ten years ago, eagerly reading the results online and waiting for a few weeks before you could have someone send you a DVD (or even -- GASP -- VHS tape) of the event to check out for yourself was commonplace. Now there are ways to stream events live as they happen, and if they aren't available to be streamed, they are shared around the internet at the blink of an eye. That is magic, folks. As someone who has been ordering K-1 and Japanese MMA tapes since the mid-90's, it is mind-boggling how much better we have it now and how easy it is to follow your favorite athletes. All of this is a lead-in to this; Inoki Genome Federation is Antonio Inoki's pro wrestling promotion in Japan. The catch is, Inoki has a good relationship with many professional fighters and he fancies himself one of the true pioneers of Mixed Martial Arts. This means his brand of pro wrestling is a lot different from when he promoted New Japan Pro Wrestling and more resembles the style that he attempted to introduce to New Japan that nearly ran the company into the ground; Shoot Style. Read More and Watch the Videos...

Posted in: vs, japan, liverkickcom part, inoki, antonio inokis

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Quinton "Rampage" Jackson discusses his return to Japan against Ryan Bader and how his new fighting style compares to the old one.

Posted in: rampage, jackson, japan, ryan bader, style

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The UFC held a press conference for the February 25th UFC 144 show in Tokyo today, and had a bunch of fighters in attendance. The two biggest names were UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, who will be defending his title against Ben Henderson on the card, and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, who will be facing Ryan Bader in the co-main. Rampage had the most interesting stuff to say (as expected), and touched on why he prefers fighting in Japan to fighting in America. And even goes as far as saying he prefers Japanese fans (Audio via Dan Herbertson, transcription via MMA Mania): "Back when I was fighting here, I had so much energy. I just wanted to put on a good show for the fans because all the energy they give. In America, you're under so much pressure to win at all costs because the fans talk s**t to you if you lose even if it's a good, exciting fight. In Japan, it's just a different energy. Who knows? Maybe I'll take more chances and not care because it's all about the crowd. I react to the crowd. I don't care about the people watching on TV ... In Japan, I used to slam a lot and put on more of a show because the energy from the fans gave me power and I don't feel the same energy in the US. So, I can't honestly say I improved or evolved in a good way since leaving Japan. I'm all about putting on an exciting fight in Japan. One thing I love about Japanese fans and why I love them the most is that they don't care if you win or lose. All they care is if you have samurai spirit, that you put on a good fight. That's why Japanese fans are my favorite. And American fans are jealous that I say that all the time." While Jackson has arguably been more successful in the UFC, winning the UFC light heavyweight title and main-eventing most shows he's on, he definitely has a point about his fighting style changing. Will Rampage return to his old ways in his bout against Bader? We'll see on February 25th.

Posted in: ufc, fan, japan, energy, japanese fans

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Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson had to "bitch" to his manager and "upset a few UFC representatives," but "Rampage" is finally heading back to the "Land of the Rising Sun." Jackson will now face Ryan Bader in a 205-pound affair on the main card of UFC 144: "Edgar vs. Henderson" on Feb. 26, 2012, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. PRIDE fans were first introduced to the Memphis native in memorable match-ups against International superstars like Kazushi Sakuraba, Mauricio Rua and Wanderlei Silva. And there was that much-talked about win over UFC poster boy Chuck Liddell back in 2003. Since leaving Japan, Jackson has failed to "evolve in a good way," according to statements made in today's UFC 144 pre-fight press conference (via Daniel Herbertson). In addition, he's been longing to perform in front of his "favorite fans" who unlike stateside fans, support him whether he wins or loses: "Back when I was fighting here, I had so much energy. I just wanted to put on a good show for the fans because all the energy they give. In America, you're under so much pressure to win at all costs because the fans talk shit to you if you lose even if it's a good, exciting fight. In Japan, it's just a different energy. Who knows? Maybe I'll take more chances and not care because it's all about the crowd. I react to the crowd. I don't care about the people watching on TV ... In Japan, I used to slam a lot and put on more of a show because the energy from the fans gave me power and I don't feel the same energy in the US. So, I can't honestly say I improved or evolved in a good way since leaving Japan. I'm all about putting on an exciting fight in Japan. One thing I love about Japanese fans and why I love them the most is that they don't care if you win or lose. All they care is if you have samurai spirit, that you put on a good fight. That's why Japanese fans are my favorite. And American fans are jealous that I say that all the time." Jackson (32-9) is fresh off a fourth-round submission loss to Jon Jones in their UFC 135 main event title fight. It was the first defeat for "Rampage" since he dropped a close unanimous decision to Rashad Evans at UFC 114 in May 2010. Bader, meanwhile, competed at UFC 139 back on Nov. 19, scoring a first round knockout victory over Jason Brilz. The fact that he barely broke a sweat made it possible for him to have such a quick turnaround to fight in February. That win was "Darth's" first in three fights. But if he can get past Jackson, he'll be right back at the top of the contender line. And if Jackson loses? Well, at least he'll have the support of his "favorite" fans.

Posted in: ufc, fight, jackson, fan, japan

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The UFC has been very patient with former PRIDE lightweight champ Takanori Gomi. Now, with the weight of back-to-back losses on his resume, Gomi will get the chance to compete in the friendly confines of his native Japan when he meets George Sotiropoulos at UFC 144. The pairing was announced at the press conference in Japan for the increasingly epic show, an event going down February 26 from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. UFC 155-pound champ Frankie Edgar will defend his belt in the main event against Ben Henderson. Gomi entered the UFC with plenty of hype, having won 31 fights his career over in Japan. However, “The Fireball Kid” has struggled inside the Octagon against some of the elite lightweights in the world, falling by submission to Kenny Florian, Clay Guida, and Nate Diaz. The lone win for Gomi came by knockout over Tyson Griffin in the summer of 2010. Sotiropoulos could also be fighting for his UFC career as well, having dropped two in a row after winning seven consecutive fights on the heels of his appearance on The Ultimate Fighter with defeats to Dennis Siver and Rafael dos Anjos. UFC 144 is also full of match-ups featuring some of Gomi’s fellow Japanese stars including Hatsu Hioki vs. Bart Palaszewski, Yushin Okami vs. Tim Boetsch, and Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Jake Shields. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, vs, gomi, japan, george sotiropoulos

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The UFC made official on Monday its return to Japan, and tickets are now on sale.

Posted in: ufc, sale, ticket, february, japan

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Quinton Jackson’s reaction to originally being left off the lineup for UFC 144 was one of anger and disappointment. However, his behavior was not based on an overwhelming desire to earn a paycheck or to numb the sting of having been beaten in his last bout. Rather, Jackson’s passion was based on his hunger to entertain an audience he has an immense amount of respect for due to the time he spent in PRIDE. After taking his cause public and continuing to push things behind the scenes the UFC finally relented on their stance and booked him to face Ryan Bader on February 26 at the company’s upcoming return to the Land of the Rising Sun. The news came as a great relief to Jackson who spoke some about the differences between fighting in Japan when compared to the United States at a recent press conference promoting the event. “Back when I was fighting here, I had so much energy. I just wanted to put on a good show for the fans because all the energy they give,” Jackson explained. “In America, you’re under so much pressure to win at all costs because the fans talk sh*t to you if you lose even if it’s a good, exciting fight. In Japan, it’s just a different energy. Who knows? Maybe I’ll take more chances and not care because it’s all about the crowd. I react to the crowd. I don’t care about the people watching on TV.” Jackson continued on to say the change in environment actually had a negative effect on his in-ring style, stating, “Actually my standup has evolved a lot since I last fought here, but at the same time that’s what’s gotten me in trouble a lot lately. Everyone sees me boxing a lot more, so they’re creating great game plans to counter my boxing. In Japan, I used to slam a lot and put on more of a show because the energy from the fans gave me power and I don’t feel the same energy in the US. So, I can’t honestly say I improved or evolved in a good way since leaving Japan.” Though the actual impact the surroundings will have on the former UFC light heavyweight champ remains to be seen, Jackson made it clear he  hopes Bader shares his enthusiasm for attempting to wow those in attendance. “The only thing that matters when he steps in the cage in Japan is that he comes in to put on an exciting show. I’m all about putting on an exciting fight in Japan. One thing I love about Japanese fans and why I love them the most is that they don’t care if you win or lose. All they care is if you have samurai spirit, that you put on a good fight. That’s why Japanese fans are my favorite. And American fans are jealous that I say that all the time.” UFC 144 will mark the first fight in Japan for “Rampage” in six years after making a name for himself in PRIDE from 2001-2006. His many memorable performances in Japan include those coming in match-ups with Chuck Liddell, Kevin Randleman, Wanderlei Silva, Mauricio Rua, and Ricardo Arona. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC/FEG

Posted in: ufc, jackson, fan, japan, energy

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All twelve bouts comprising the full fight card for "UFC: Japan" were announced this morning in Tokyo.

Posted in: ufc, bout, fight card, japan, ufc japan

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As expected, Takanori Gomi will compete at Japan's UFC 144 and he now has an opponent as the organization announced late Sunday night that George Sotiropoulos will battle the former PRIDE champion on Saturday, February 26th in Saitama. The 33-year-old Gomi (32-8-0-1) made his UFC debut in March 2010 and was submitted by Kenny Florian in the third round. After knocking out Tyson Griffin in 64 seconds later that year, Gomi lost consecutive fights by submission to Clay Guida and Nate Diaz. Gomi is a former PRIDE Lightweight champion and Shooto Welterweight Champion.A UFC fighter since December 2007, Sotiropoulos (14-4) came within striking distance of a lightweight title shot with an eight-fight winning streak. However, a unanimous decision loss to Dennis Siver in February and a 59-second knockout loss to Rafael dos Anjos in July put the 34-year-old back in the middle of the pack. UFC 144 (aka UFC Japan) is headlined by Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson vs. Ryan Bader, Mark Hunt vs. Cheick Kongo, Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Jake Shields and Joe Lauzon vs. Anthony Pettis.

Posted in: ufc, vs, gomi, japan, sotiropoulo

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The UFC has confirmed its return to Japan with Frankie (The Answer) Edgar defending his lightweight title against former WEC title-holder Ben Henderson at UFC Japan on Feb. 26.

Posted in: ufc, title, japan, ufc japan, answer edgar

Read the full article at sportsnet.ca

Filed under: UFCSeveral UFC fighters met the media in Japan over the weekend to promote the Feb. 26 UFC 144 show at the Saitama Super Arena, and one of the big questions facing the promotion is whether it can engage Japanese fans who have largely turned away from combat sports in recent years. One of the Japanese fighters on the show, Yushin Okami, thinks there is no question that the UFC will deliver just the kind of product that Japanese fans want. "It's been a while since I've fought in Japan, so I'm excited. I would love to bring the heat and atmosphere of the real UFC over to Japan," Okami said at the UFC's press conference (audio via DanielHerbertson.com). Okami has been the most successful Japanese fighter in the UFC, going 10-3 inside the Octagon and losing only to Anderson Silva, Chael Sonnen and Rich Franklin. But his long-term success in the UFC may actually make him less known to fans in his home country because he hasn't fought back home in almost six years. While other successful Japanese MMA fighters have been fighting in front of Japanese fans, Okami has been fighting in the United States, with occasional stops in Ireland, Germany and Brazil. And Okami was never a big star in Japan, fighting only a couple of low-profile bouts in Pride. So Okami's name won't move the needle in Japan, but his fight with Tim Boesch is a good middleweight matchup, and the card -- headlined by Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson -- is very impressive from top to bottom. What the UFC is bringing to Japan is just a very good fight card, the best that Japanese fans have seen in a long time. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, japanese, japan, okami, japanese fans

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Two massive announcements in the Asian MMA scene, all within the time-frame of about 30 minutes. The MMA gods smile on us this morning. Less than an hour ago we dropped the news that ONE FC and DREAM have entered a mutually exclusive partnership effective immediately, and now at the UFC press conference in Japan this morning we have the finalized card for UFC's voyage into the land of the rising sun and impossible to defeat NES bosses. UFC in Japan is complete, and it looks like we're in store for a total twelves fights and seven Japanese UFC fighters. Here's how it looks when compressed into an easy-to-read format: Main Card of UFC in Japan Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Jake Shields Anthony Pettis vs. Joe Lauzon Rampage Jackson vs. Ryan Bader Mark Hunt vs. Cheick Kongo Under Card of UFC in Japan Hatsu Hioki vs. Bart Palaszewski Yushin Okami vs. Tim Boetsch Leonard Garcia vs. Tiequan Zhang Riki Fukuda vs. Steve Cantwell Kid Yamamoto vs. Vaughan Lee Takanori Gomi vs. George Sotiropoulos Takeya Mizugaki vs. Chris Cariaso If you're located in Japan, tickets will be available for pre-sale today, November 28, through UFC mobile and then on November 29th through WOWOW and Nikkan Sports. Tickets will also go on sale the first week of December on ePlus before they go on sale to the rest of the general public on December 10th. Ticket prices range from (in Japanese Yen) 100,000 ($1,287 USD), 34,000 ($437 USD), 19,000 ($244 USD), 9,800 ($126 USD), 5,800 ($74 USD). Here's your moment of zen from earlier this morning, captured by Daniel Herbertson. Oh alright, here's another since Daniel Herbertson is an arch-mage with camera.

Posted in: ufc, vs, japan, morning, usd

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Lorenzo Fertitta on Monday announced the full fight card for UFC Japan: Edgar vs. Maynard (UFC 144). Check out our photo gallery courtesy of photographer Daniel Herbertson.

Posted in: ufc, fight card, japan, photo, gallery

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The full UFC Japan 2012 card line-up is a disappointment in terms of addressing the tastes of the Japanese fans.

Posted in: ufc, card, japan, term, genomrosko frontrowbrian

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UFC 144 is official. UFC 144 “Edgar vs. Henderson” is scheduled to take place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on Sunday, Feb. 26, and will air live on pay-per-view on Saturday, Feb. 25, at 10pm ET/7pm PT in North America. The card will be headlined by a lightweight title fight between champion Frankie Edgar and challenger Ben Henderson. “Japan is the spiritual home of martial arts – the world has learned from the Japanese many aspects of how to compete in hand-to-hand combat with respect and honor,” said Fertitta.  “But Japan also has a proud history of modern mixed martial arts and I am excited to bring the Ultimate Fighting Championship back here, and to begin the build-up today to one of the most highly anticipated events of the year — not just for Japanese UFC fans, but for sports fans all over the world.” “To mark this historic occasion of UFC’s return to Japan and Zuffa’s first event in Asia, we are bringing a truly stacked card, topped with a World Championship title bout,” noted UFC Asia Managing Director Mark Fischer.  “Frankie Edgar is one of the top pound-for-pound and toughest guys in the sport, and Benson Henderson is a former WEC champion who earned his title shot with three consecutive wins including most recently over Clay Guida in one of the best fights of 2011” The rest of the fight card was also made official. The full card includes Rampage Jackson vs Ryan Bader, Mark Hunt vs Cheick Kongo, Yoshihiro Akiyama vs Jake Shields, Anthony Pettis vs Joe Lauzon, Yushin Okami vs Tim Boetsch, Takanori Gomi vs George Sotiropoulos, Hatsu Hioki vs Bart Palaszewski, Kid Yamamoto vs Vaughan Lee, Riki Fukuda vs Steve Cantwell, Takeya Mizugaki vs Chris Cariaso and Leonard Garcia vs Tiequan Zhang. Ticket info below. Japan Presale: Monday, November 28 Public On-Sale Date: Saturday, December 10 Tickets will be priced at 100,000, 34000, 19000 9800, and 5800 Japanese Yen (JPY). They can be purchased at Kyodo Promotion, E-Plus and Lawson Tickets. The latest UFC 144 fight card and event info can be found in our fight cards section.

Posted in: ufc, fight, vs, card, japan

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UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta on Monday announced the full UFC 144 fight card for the company's return to Japan slated for February.

Posted in: ufc, fight, return, japan, companys return

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Filed under: UFC, NewsQuinton "Rampage" Jackson is very, very excited to to fight in Japan. All you have to do is ask him. In a Monday morning press conference in the Land of the Rising Sun, Jackson told the Japanese media that it took some effort on his part to ensure his place on the UFC 144 card, and that he finally had his request granted after a non-stop, one-man campaign. "I had to fight and complain and b---- to my manager," he said. "Now I think the representatives of UFC are upset with me a little bit ... But ask me, do I care?" For Jackson, any amount of trouble was worth it because of his love of Japanese audiences, who in his opinion value effort above results, a seismic shift from American audiences. Jackson, who will face Ryan Bader in the co-main event on February 26 in Saitama, Japan, is no stranger to Nipponese culture. From 2001 to 2006, he fought there 18 times while under the PRIDE promotion. "Back when I was fighting here, I had so much energy," he said. "I just wanted to put on a good show for the fans because all the energy they give. In America, you're under so much pressure to win at all costs because the fans talk s--- to you if you lose even if it's a good, exciting fight. In Japan, it's just a different energy. Who knows? Maybe I'll take more chances and not care because it's all about the crowd. I react to the crowd. I don't care about the people watching on TV." It was in Japan where he authored some of his most memorable career moments, including the often-replayed powerbomb knockout win over Ricardo Arona in June 2004. That fight holds particular significance to Jackson because it took place on his 26th birthday. It was also in Japan where Jackson became renowned for his slams, a particular favorite of the Japanese crowds who enjoyed his improvisational style. In a rare bit of public introspection, Jackson noted that since signing with the UFC though, his game has gotten standup-heavy at times. "Actually my standup has evolved a lot since I last fought here, but at the same time that's what's gotten me in trouble a lot lately," he said. "Everyone sees me boxing a lot more, so they're creating great game plans to counter my boxing. In Japan, I used to slam a lot and put on more of a show because the energy from the fans gave me power and I don't feel the same energy in the US. So, I can't honestly say I improved or evolved in a good way since leaving Japan." But in some ways, that doesn't matter to Jackson right now, because he's only concerned about entertainment value. One new wrinkle the fighters will have to prepare for is fighting early in the morning. While most fights take place late Saturday night, this event will occur in the morning in Japan in order to sync up with American TV viewing habits. Jackson noted that as a youth, he was in plenty of fights that came unexpectedly, and he has the time to plan for an early morning peak. He also said that the hardest part of fight day is usually the anticipation of what is to come, and that competing early in the day would cancel out much of that nervous energy. Beyond that, he said that the biggest obstacle in his way is Bader, and more specifically, making sure he and his opponent understand the collective mind set of Japanese fans. The only thing that matters when he steps in the cage in Japan is that he comes in to put on an exciting show," he said. "I'm all about putting on an exciting fight in Japan. One thing I love about Japanese fans and why I love them the most is that they don't care if I win or lose. All they care is if you have samurai spirit, that you put on a good fight. That's why Japanese fans are my favorite. And American fans are jealous that I say that all the time." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: fight, jackson, fan, japan, energy

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The UFC has announced the full card for event taking place in Tokyo, Japan on February 26th.UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson takes place at the Saitama Super...

Posted in: ufc, place, japan, ufc japan, tokyo japan

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 The Ultimate Fighting Championship® announced the full fight card today of the organization’s return to the birthplace of mixed martial arts.  This highly anticipated event, the first in Asia under Zuffa ownership, features an epic lightweight title fight pitting champion Frankie Edgar against former WEC Champion Benson Henderson.  UFC® JAPAN: EDGAR vs. HENDERSON will take place at the Saitama Super Arena, in suburban Tokyo, on Sunday, February 26. UFC Japan – or UFC 144 – will also feature the return to Land of the Rising Sun of  Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, one of the biggest stars in the sport, in a bout which will mark the 6th anniversary to the day of his last fight in Japan.  Jackson faces rising star Ryan Bader, whose most recent win came just two weeks ago at UFC 139 in San Jose.  Other key matchups feature Mark Hunt, a veteran of Japanese kickboxing, versus French heavyweight contender Cheick Kongo; and Japanese superstar Yoshihiro Akiyama dropping a weight division to meet the always dangerous Jake Shields at welterweight.  Rounding out the main card will be a lightweight bout pitting the underrated Joe Lauzon, coming off a stunning 67-second submission over Melvin Guillard, against former WEC champion Anthony Pettis. The above-mentioned fighters Edgar, Jackson, Akiyama, Henderson, Bader and Shields, as well as Japan’s own top middleweight Yushin Okami, all appeared in the press conference at the Ritz Carlton Roppongi in Tokyo today along with other top Japanese fighters Hatsu Hioki, Takanori Gomi, “Kid” Yamamoto, Riki Fukuda and Takeya Mizugaki.  UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta, UFC International Managing Director Marshall Zelaznik, and Asia Managing Director Mark Fischer unveiled the complete card and discussed the upcoming event to be held at the Saitama Super Arena.  Full fight card:Main event - five roundsFrankie Edgar vs. Benson HendersonMain card -Rampage Jackson vs Ryan BaderMark Hunt vs Cheick KongoYoshihiro Akiyama vs Jake ShieldsAnthony Pettis vs Joe Lauzonprelims -Yushin Okami vs Tim BoetschTakanori Gomi vs George SotiropoulosHatsu Hioki vs Bart PalaszewskiKid Yamamoto vs Vaughan LeeRiki Fukuda vs Steve CantwellTakeya Mizugaki vs Chris CariasoLeonard Garcia vs Tiequan Zhang“Japan is the spiritual home of martial arts – the world has learned from the Japanese many aspects of how to compete in hand-to-hand combat with respect and honor,” said Fertitta.  “But Japan also has a proud history of modern mixed martial arts and I am excited to bring the Ultimate Fighting Championship back here, and to begin the build-up today to one of the most highly anticipated events of the year -- not just for Japanese UFC fans, but for sports fans all over the world.” “To mark this historic occasion of UFC’s return to Japan and Zuffa’s first event in Asia, we are bringing a truly stacked card, topped with a World Championship title bout,” noted UFC Asia Managing Director Mark Fischer.  “Frankie Edgar is one of the top pound-for-pound and toughest guys in the sport, and Benson Henderson is a former WEC champion who earned his title shot with three consecutive wins including most recently over Clay Guida in one of the best fights of 2011” Tickets for UFC® JAPAN: EDGAR vs. HENDERSON will be made available via pre-sale channels in Japan on November 28 and are priced at Japanese Yen (JPY) 100,000, 34000, 19000 9800, and 5800.  General availability begins December 10 in numerous outlets including Kyodo Promotion, E-Plus and Lawson Tickets.    UFC® fans in Japan will have the opportunity to purchase pre-sale tickets to this event starting today through UFC Mobile, and tomorrow through WOWOW and Nikkan Sports.  UFC® JAPAN: EDGAR vs. HENDERSON will be available live in the United States on Pay-Per-View at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US for Standard Definition and $54.99 US for High Definition.

Posted in: ufc, vs, japanese, japan, edgar

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Continuing their trend of putting together underwhelming fights for their Return to Japan show*, the UFC has announced Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson vs Ryan Bader. Quinton on the card was a no-brainer since PRIDE spent a lot of it's glory days promoting him as crazy homeless man to adoring Japanese fans. Ryan Bader ... well, let's just say there will be no sections of fans chanting 'Baderu!' from the stands. I try not to get all wah wah about fight bookings that don't stroke my fight boner. But a lot of us dumb fools secretly hoped that the UFC would go Full Japan and set up some stuff that would magically transport us back to those giddy Yokohama days of 2003. But this is so UFC goes to Portland. Yushin Okami vs Tim Boetsch and Hatsu Hioki vs Bart Palaszewski. Now Rampage vs Bader. It's all so ... responsible and by the books. Doesn't the UFC know it has Kinnikuman vs Bob Sapp to compete with? *Edgar / Henderson being an awesome fight that still makes no sense for Japan

Posted in: ufc, fight, vs, japan, bader

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It appears that Quinton Jackson will get his wish after all. Days after voicing his displeasure about being left off the UFC 144 card, “Rampage” will step into the Octagon against Ryan Bader in Japan on February 26 where he’ll return to his old stomping grounds at Saitama Super Arena. Jackson Upset After Apparently Being Left Off UFC 144 News of the match-up was first reported by ESPN citing a discussion with UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta. Jackson, an seventeen-time PRIDE veteran and poster child for many of the their signature moments will fight in the Far East for the first time since 2006, when he meets Bader who is riding high after a quick and dominant victory over Jason Brilz at UFC 139. He will be entering his nineteenth pro fight in Japan and has won ten of his last thirteen contests. However, the 33-year old has rarely exhibited the explosive finishes he showcased in his early days in PRIDE. He has just one knockout victory in the last four years and may be hoping this second homecoming of sorts will bring out the “Old Rampage” as he has alluded to in the past. Bader, on the other hand, couldn’t be doing much better on a personal level with his first child on the way and an opportunity to climb back into the division’s elite with a win in Japan. UFC 144 will feature lightweight champion Frankie Edgar in headlining action against top contender Ben Henderson and also involve match-ups like Joe Lauzon vs. Anthony Pettis and Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Jake Shields. Tweet

Posted in: ufc, jackson, japan, ryan bader, bader

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So it looks like Rampage Jackson is going to fight in Japan after all. But it won’t be against Shogun Rua or even Stephan Bonnar. Instead, Rampage will take on Ryan Bader at UFC 144. Lorenzo Fertitta confirmed the news with ESPN.com. The UFC has granted Quinton Jackson‘s request to fight in Japan in February. The former light heavyweight champion will meet Ryan Bader at UFC 144. UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta confirmed the matchup to ESPN.com. The fight must have come together quick because just the other day Rampage tweeted that he wasn’t fighting in Japan and he wasn’t “happy about it at all.” It seems the UFC took notice and turned Rampage’s frown upside down. Furthermore, the booking dispels rumors that Rampage Jackson will fight on the UFC on FOX 2 card. Image via for Sherdog

Posted in: ufc, rampage, rampage jackson, japan, ryan bader

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Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson will travel to Japan for UFC 144 and face former 'Ultimate Fighter' winner Ryan Bader.

Posted in: rampage, ryan, japan, ryan bader, bader

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Quinton "Rampage" Jackson will get his wish. UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta today revealed to ESPN.com that the promotion has granted the former champion his request for a fight in Japan, and Ryan Bader will now oppose him at UFC 144. UFC 144 is set for Feb. 26 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Broadcast plans for the event have yet to be announced.

Posted in: ufc, japan, saitama, ryan bader, bader

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Filed under: UFC, NewsQuinton Jackson is headed back to Japan. After campaigning for a spot on the UFC 144 card immediately after his loss to Jon Jones in September, the UFC has granted Jackson's wish of fighting in the Land of the Rising Sun. Jackson (32-9) has agreed to meet Ryan Bader (13-2) on the Feb. 26 card at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta confirmed the news with ESPN.com on Thursday. Amazingly, when Jackson meets Bader at UFC 144, it will mark exactly six years since his last fight in Japan. On Feb. 26, 2006, "Rampage" defeated Yoon Dong-Sik via unanimous decision. In total, the former PRIDE star competed in 20 MMA/kickboxing fights in Japan. The 33-year-old Jackson is 2-2 in his last four fights. He had won two in a row before losing to Jones in a UFC light heavyweight title fight at UFC 135. Bader, 28, snapped his two-fight losing streak last weekend at UFC 139 when he knocked out Jason Brilz in the first round. Prior to that win, Bader had lost to Jon Jones and Tito Ortiz in 2011. UFC 144 will mark the organization's first event in Japan since Dec. 2000. The main event will feature Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson for the UFC lightweight title. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, jackson, jon jones, japan, bader

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Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson has got what he wants.He will be appearing on the UFC Japan card after all, despite earlier this week posting a heartfelt...

Posted in: ufc, jackson, week, card, japan

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Fresh off a win over the weekend, Fedor Emelianenko has been tentatively scheduled to fight on Dream's New Year's Eve show in Japan.

Posted in: fight, show, dream, japan, fedor

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Once upon an time, there was a fighter named Rampage who liked to howl. While his career began in America, his fearsome reputation was built in Japan, in a mixed martial arts promotion called Pride FC. During his time in Japan he fought seventeen times, winning on twelve of those occasions. While he became known for his enormously powerful punches, Rampage's Pride career will forever be remembered for two things; his feud with arch nemesis and anti-hero Wanderlei Silva and this slam KO of Ricardo Arona. While never quite reaching the merchandised heights of Bob Sapp, Rampage was hugely popular in Japan. Who can forget the UFC vs Pride fight between Rampage and Chuck Liddell? Then there's the time he handed Igor Vovchanchyn a note before they fought, which was reported to have been written by Rampage's mom, stating 'please don't hurt my son.' It was moments like these that made Rampage such a huge fan favourite in Japan, as well as America. When his new employers, the UFC announced they would be promoting a show in Japan in February 2012, Rampage was one of many ex-Pride fighters that many expected to fight on the card. Alas this was not to be, much to the disappointment of the fans and Rampage himself who took to the micro blogging website twitter to share his frustration: A rematch with Shogun Rua in Japan would have made a lot of Pride fans salivate; a rematch with Minowaman in Japan would have made a lot of Pride fan's heads explode.

Posted in: time, rampage, fan, pride, japan

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One of the big stories in the UFC's decision to go to Japan in 2012 has been the sense of need for them to not treat it like "just another card" and instead put on stars and fights that appeal to the region's fans. With the UFC having some of the biggest stars from the days of PRIDE on the roster, it seems like an easy enough thing to do. But we not know of at least one former PRIDE superstar who won't be fighting on the card: @Rampage4realQuinton Jackson It don't look like I'm fighting n Japan which I'm not happy about at all,I think its a big mistake by the UFC... F**k itNov 22 via Twitter for BlackBerry®FavoriteRetweetReply (editing done by me) Rampage was one of the men who was very interested in returning to his old turf and performing in front of the Japanese fans. Unfortunately it looks like that isn't going to happen. A look at the UFC 144 card makes it appear that the plan is to load the card up with Japanese fighters, but no particularly big names from the PRIDE days outside of Mark Hunt.

Posted in: ufc, rampage, card, pride, japan

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submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [3 comments]

Posted in: rampage, japan, mattyblayze

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FanPost edited and promoted by MMAmania.com. Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson is not happy that Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is heading back to Japan without him. UFC 144 (sans Jackson) is scheduled for Feb. 25, 2012, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. "Rampage" (32-9) cut his teeth in PRIDE, developing a huge fan base in blockbuster fights against Kazushi Sakuraba, Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva. And he thinks it's a mistake to not bring him back, according to a Tweet from Jackson earlier today. "It don't look like I'm fighting n Japan which I'm not happy about at all,I think its a big mistake by the UFC... Fuck it." The Memphis native was rumored to be in negotiations with former Ultimate Fighter (TUF) pioneer Stephan Bonnar, who was pining for a "Rampage" fight following his UFC 139 win over Kyle Kingsbury. I personally think a rematch between Jackson and Mauricio Rua is ideal right now. Both fighters are coming off losses (Jackson to Jon Jones at UFC 135 and Rua to Dan Henderson at UFC 139) and are out of the title picture right now. And this match-up would certainly draw. It could either be a co-main event or even a five round headliner on a smaller pay-per-view card. Either way, another fight with "Shogun" would be highly anticipated. Do you agree that Rampage should be included on the UFC 144 card? Or does he need to put nostalgia aside and focus on his stateside obligations? Thoughts? For more on UFC 44 click here.

Posted in: ufc, rampage, jackson, jon jones, japan

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A pair of interesting fights are being rumored for UFC’s upcoming Japan card on Feb. 26. First up is Cheick Kongo vs. Mark Hunt. This match-up has been making the rounds on the rumor mill for the past week, but MMA Weekly was the first outlet to report that the bout has been verbally agreed to by both parties. A heavyweight bout between Chieck Kongo and Mark Hunt has been verbally agreed to for UFC 144 in Japan, although independent sources told MMAWeekly.com that no contracts have been signed as of yet. The fight makes sense. Mark Hunt made his name in Japan and pairing him with Kongo should make for a fun stand-up battle. The next match-up isn’t quite as certain. Rampage Jackson has been lobbying for a spot on the Japan card for awhile now, hoping for a rematch with Shogun Rua, but that might be too quick of a turnaround for Shogun who just went through the most brutal fight of his career. That’s alright though, because Stephan Bonnar said he wants the fight at UFC 144, and according to Dana White, Rampage is all about it too. “Rampage texted me tonight and said he wants to fight him too,” White said about a potential fight with Stephan Bonnar. “I don’t know we’ll see” Rumors have placed Rampage as a leading candidate to fill a slot on the upcoming UFC 144 card in Japan. Rampage is typically thought of being on a higher level in the light heavyweight pecking order, but I don’t see anything wrong with the match-up. Considering Rampage just lost a title fight to Jon Jones, there’s no reason to throw Rampage back in with the upper echelon of the division just yet. Plus, Bonnar is riding a three-fight win streak against mid-tier competition, so why not? Throw them in there and see what happens. If nothing else, I bet a good fight would break out. Image via Masa Fukui for Sherdog

Posted in: ufc, fight, rampage, japan, japan card

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Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson is very likely to be on the next UFC on FOX broadcast.He has been removed from his tentative place on the UFC Japan...

Posted in: ufc, rampage, fox, japan, fox broadcasthe

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Bantamweights Takeya Mizugaki and Chris Cariaso are scheduled to face off at UFC 144 in Japan.

Posted in: ufc, mizugaki, japan, chris cariaso, cariaso

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After defeating Cung Le at UFC 139, Wanderlei Silva reflected on where he'd like to take his career next. According to Silva, fighting in Japan and Brazil would be dreams come true.

Posted in: ufc, silva, wanderlei, brazil, japan

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Surprise! More home grown talent is headed for the Octagon when the world's largest fight promotion returns to Japan. That's because Hatsu Hioki has reportedly been booked to square off against Bart Palaszewski at UFC 144, which is scheduled for Feb. 26, 2012, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. MMAWeekly.com brought word of the pending match-up earlier today. Hioki was last in action this past Oct. 29 at UFC 137 where he made his debut in the big leagues and looked anything but impressive. Sure, he emerged victorious, squeaking by George Roop with a split decision win. But he failed to impress stateside fight fans who were witnessing his brand of violence for the very first time. Maybe he'll have better luck back home in a more comfortable environment. Standing in his way is Bart Palaszewski, who made his Octagon debut a memorable one by blitzing Tyson Griffin and finishing him in the first round.  That win marked his fifth in six fights, which includes a victory over current top lightweight contender Anthony Pettis. He'll need to build his resume with the UFC, of course, but his track record is solid. In fact, at just 28-years-old, Palaszewski already has 50 career fights, 36 of them wins. A win over a top three ranked 145-pound fighter would surely catapult him to the front of the featherweight line. UFC 144 is scheduled to take place on Feb. 26 (Feb. 25 here in America) and will mark the first time Zuffa will hold an event in Japan in a decade. The show will be headlined by Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar defending his title against Ben Henderson. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more on this still-developing fight card.

Posted in: ufc, fight, japan, palaszewski, bart palaszewski

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UFC Japan is a great card on paper... except for the fact that it's not going to appeal to the Japanese fans.

Posted in: ufc, fan, japan, matchmaking direction, direction

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A key lightweight bout between former WEC champion Anthony Pettis and fellow UFC contender Joe Lauzon is set for February's UFC 144 event. Although reported as a possibility for UFC 143 in Las Vegas, it'll instead take place later in the month in Japan. UFC officials announced the fight overnight.

Posted in: ufc, petti, japan, lauzon, anthony

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There’s been a change of plans in the Anthony Pettis vs. Joe Lauzon fight. They’re still fighting, but not at UFC 143 as previously expected. Instead they’re going to take the long flight across the Pacific to face off at UFC 144 in Japan. The UFC confirmed the news with MMA Fighting earlier this evening. With that addition the Japan currently looks like this: Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson Yushin Okami vs. Tim Boetsch Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Jake Shields Anthony Pettis vs. Joe Lauzon Image via Dave Mandel for Sherdog

Posted in: ufc, vs, japan, lauzon, dave mandel

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Anthony Pettis and Joe Lauzon are indeed fighting in February, but it won't be on the Super Bowl card in Las Vegas. Instead, they'll get their work visas ready for UFC 144 in Japan.

Posted in: las vegas, joe lauzon, japan, bowl card, work visas

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Anthony Pettis and Joe Lauzon will indeed meet in the Octagon, but the fight has been shifted to UFC 144 in Japan.

Posted in: ufc, petti, joe lauzon, japan, lauzon

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Yesterday came word of a top Japanese fighter getting his place on the UFC 144 card in Japan. Today, another one was booked for the card, and he's going to be facing a Barbarian on February 26th. UFC.com with the info: Middleweight contender Yushin Okami will get a home game in his first bout since his UFC 134 clash with Anderson Silva when he takes on Tim Boetsch in UFC 144 action on February 26th. "Undefeated since dropping down to middleweight, Tim ‘The Barbarian’ Boetsch has verbally agreed to face top three ranked Yushin ‘Thunder’ Okami February 26th in Tokyo, Japan," said UFC President Dana White. Okami will fight in Japan for the first time in almost six years when he steps into the octagon to face Boetch. His last fight on home soil was a TKO win over Izuru Takeuchi in June of 2006, the fight before he signed with the UFC. Okami is currently training in Japan with a litany of top fighters including Dong Hyun Kim, Yoshihiro Akiyama, and Tatsuya Kawajiri. Boetsch dropped to middleweight after a lopsided loss to Phil Davis at UFC 123 and has looked quite impressive so far. He thoroughly beat down both Kendall Grove and Nick Ring to take unanimous decisions in both bouts. This is a gigantic step up in competition for The Barbarian though. The card will be headlined by a UFC lightweight title fight between Frankie Edgar and Ben Henderson. More SBN coverage of UFC 144

Posted in: ufc, card, boetsch, japan, okami

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has announced a blockbuster middleweight match-up for its return to Japan, pitting former division number one contender Yushin Okami against the new-look Tim Boetsch in "Thunder's" homecoming fight. From UFC.com: "Undefeated since dropping down to middleweight, Tim ‘The Barbarian’ Boetsch has verbally agreed to face top three ranked Yushin ‘Thunder’ Okami February 26th in Tokyo, Japan," said UFC President Dana White. UFC 144, which takes place on Feb. 26, 2012, in Japan's Saitama Super Arena, is expected to air stateside on Saturday night (Feb. 25) in its usual pay-per-view time slot due to the difference in time zones. Okami (26-6) was kicked out of "Rio" after getting the lights dimmed by reigning division champion Anderson Silva in the main event of UFC 134 back in August. The loss snapped a three-fight winning streak for the Kanagawa crusher, who is 10-3 inside the Octagon with his only defeats coming to Silva, Chael Sonnen and Rich Franklin. Will he be able to deal with the new-and-improved "Barbarian?" Boetsch (14-4) was cranked and spanked by 205-pound phenom Phil Davis in November 2010, prompting the rough-and-tumble New Englander to shed some excess skin and try his luck at middleweight. The results thus far, have been stellar. He's already disposed of Kendall Grove and Nick Ring to cap off a perfect 2011 fight campaign and a decisive win over Okami could go a long way towards getting him "in the mix." UFC 144 is expected to be headlined by a 155-pound title fight featuring Ben Henderson, fresh off his unanimous decision win over Clay Guida, taking on reigning lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. In addition, Jake Shields returns to action against Yoshihiro Akiyama. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for future updates to this still-developing fight card.

Posted in: ufc, fight, boetsch, japan, okami

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Anderson Silva’s most recent title challenger, Yushin Okami, will return to action next February when the UFC invades Japan. The UFC announced today that Okami will take on Tim Boetsch at UFC 144. “Undefeated since dropping down to middleweight, Tim ‘The Barbarian’ Boetsch has verbally agreed to face top three ranked Yushin ‘Thunder’ Okami February 26th in Tokyo, Japan,” said UFC President Dana White. Boetsch is on a two-fight win streak, but his wins have come against Kendall Grove and Nick Ring while Okami is 2-1 against the division’s upper crust in his last three outings. If it wasn’t already a tough enough fight for Boetsch, he’ll be meeting Okami on his home turf. At least Boetsch can take solace in the fact that the Japanese fans are quiet and peaceful unlike the wild and crazy crowds down in Brazil. Image for Sherdog

Posted in: ufc, boetsch, japan, tim, okami

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Just one day after the first local star (Yoshihiro Akiyama) was added to the UFC’s return to Japan, UFC officials announced today that another native will be coming home for UFC 144 in February, as former middleweight title challenger Yushin Okami will look to return to contention against Tim Boetsch. Okami (26-6) lost in his most recent bout, succumbing to strikes from middleweight champion Anderson Silva in their rematch at UFC 134 in August. Prior to that defeat, Okami won his previous three fights, and six of his last seven. He last fought in Japan in June 2006, his last match before joining the UFC. Tim Boetsch (12-4) made his middleweight debut in May at UFC 130, and has not lost since. He defeated Kendall Grove at that event, then went on to hand Nick Ring his first career loss at UFC 135 in September. Boetsch has four career losses, all to top opponents including Phil Davis, Matt Hammil, and Vladimir Matyushenko.  All four of those losses were at light heavyweight. This will be the first fight outside of the United States for Boetsch, and the third straight fight outside of the country for Okami. UFC 144 will take place on February 26th in Saitama, Japan, and air live in the United States on the 25th. The main event will feature UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson and also includes Yoshihiro Akiyama taking on Jake Shields. For complete coverage of UFC 144, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.

Posted in: ufc, loss, boetsch, japan, okami

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Yoshihiro Akiyama is moving down to welterweight to face American Jake Shields at UFC 144 in his native Japan.

Posted in: ufc, japan, yoshihiro, akiyama, akiyama okami

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Filed under: UFC, NewsYushin Okami will take on Tim Boetsch in a middleweight bout at UFC 144 on Feb. 26, 2012 in Japan, UFC president Dana White said Tuesday on UFC.com. Okami (26-6), who is coming off a failed attempt in August to dethrone Anderson Silva, will be fighting in Japan for the first time since June 2006. Two months after the GCM fight in Tokyo, Okami joined the UFC and went on to compile a 10-3 record. Boetsch (14-4) out of AMC Pankration has reinvented himself as a middleweight this year, scoring wins over Kendall Grove and Nick Ring. The last time the UFC presented an event in Japan was back at UFC 29 in December 2000. In championship action at UFC 144, Frankie Edgar will defend his lightweight title against Ben Henderson. Yoshihiro Akiyama will also appear on the card, making his welterweight debut against Jake Shields. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, boetsch, japan, okami, tokyo okami

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It’s official. Yoshihiro Akiyama will return to Japan for his welterweight debut, but unlike many of his past fights in Japan, this one won’t be a gimme. The UFC announced today that he’ll take on Jake Shields when they cross the Pacific for UFC 144 on Feb. 26. “Verbal agreements are in for a welterweight matchup in Tokyo, Japan between former Strikeforce champion Jake Shields and Asian superstar ‘Sexyama’ Yoshihiro Akiyama February 26th,” said UFC President Dana White. It’s no surprise the UFC is bringing Akiyama to Japan. He’s a big draw there and having him for the Asian market is probably the only reason he still has a job in the UFC following three straight losses. Breaking that losing streak won’t be easy though. Shields may be on a slide of his own, but he didn’t win 15 straight fights before he ran into Georges St. Pierre because he’s a mediocre fighter. He knows how to win fights and will certainly be looking to get back in the win column after a difficult 2011.

Posted in: ufc, shield, japan, welterweight debut, akiyama

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Judo Jitsu? Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has announced a blockbuster welterweight match-up for its return to Japan, pitting former division number one contender Jake Shields against Yoshihiro Akiyama in the sexy one's 170-pound debut. From UFC.com: "Verbal agreements are in for a welterweight matchup in Tokyo, Japan between former Strikeforce champion Jake Shields and Asian superstar ‘Sexyama' Yoshihiro Akiyama February 26th," said UFC President Dana White. UFC 144, which takes place on Feb. 26, 2012, in Japan's Saitama Super Arena, is expected to air stateside on Saturday night (Feb. 25) in its usual pay-per-view time slot due to the difference in time zones. Shields (26-6-1) is coming off back-to-back losses for the first time in his career. After falling to the Canadian jab of death against Georges St. Pierre at UFC 129 last April, the former Strikeforce middleweight champion was stiffened by Jake Ellenberger at UFC Fight Night 25, just days after the passing of his father, back on Sept. 17. Will he be ready for "Sexyama?" Akiyama (13-4) was kicked out of the middleweight division by Vitor Belfort, who knocked some ugly into him at the UFC 133 event last August. It was the third consecutive loss for the bloated 185-pounder, who is shedding some skin to preserve his Octagon career. And what better place to do it than the "Land of the Rising Sun?" UFC 144 is expected to be headlined by a 155-pound title fight featuring Ben Henderson, fresh off his unanimous decision win over Clay Guida, taking on reigning lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for future updates to this still-developing fight card.

Posted in: ufc, shield, jake, japan, akiyama

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[div class="notice" class2="icon"]The following is from an article on MMA-Japan, part of the MiddleEasy Network.[/div] Frankie Edgar will defend his lightweight championship against Benson Henderson this February at UFC Japan we learned Saturday evening.  Following a three round drubbing of Clay Guida, one that saw Henderson beat Guida at his own game and then some, Henderson will look to become the UFC lightweight champion in the organizations return to Japan - the first since UFC 25.  While I will not name anyone, the best grappler in Japan who is also a lightweight and a champion, marks Henderson as one of his favorite fighters, always telling me how Henderson has the best guillotine in MMA. Furthermore, we are inclined to believe that Riki Fukuda will make his octagon return at this event, in addition to Akiyama, Gomi, Omigawa, Hioki, and possibly even Norifumi "KID" Yamamoto.  The dark horse here is Yushin Okami who has not been nearly as well received in Japan despite him being the most successful of these fighters to compete in the organization. Read More...

Posted in: ufc, henderson, japan, ufc japan, round drubbing

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UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar will next defend his belt against former WEC titleholder Ben Henderson when the UFC returns to Japan in February.

Posted in: ufc, return, japan, wec, ufc returns

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[div class="notice" class2="icon"]The following is from an article on DstryrSG, part of the MiddleEasy Network.[/div] Let me start off by saying Enson is a legend in my book. He is the former Shooto Heavyweight Champion, BJJ Blackbelt under another legend John Lewis ( 4th American in the entire world to receive a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ) and owner of Purebred Gyms throughout the world. He has often been criticized for his Yakuza mob connections and his 26 day imprisonment in Japan for marijuana possession. He considers his time behind bars a life changing experience that has led him to do countless hours of charity work and spending thousands of his own money to help others. He has become well recognized for his work in northeast Japan to directly help the earthquake and tsunami victims in and around Fukushima. Enson has also been a lifelong dog lover and helped thousands of stray dogs in the wreckage. Enson has sacrificed his health and his savings to help those that were hit the hardest in Japan. Read More and Watch the Video...

Posted in: japan, brazilian jiujitsu, enson, fukushima enson, wreckage enson

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According to both MMAWeekly.com and MMAJunkie.com, UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar will return to the Octagon on February 26 when the promotion heads overseas to Japan. His opponent? Both reports indicate that the winner of Saturday night's UFC on Fox preliminary bout between Clay Guida and Ben Henderson will likely determine the number one contender to the crown: Sources close to the fighter's camp confirmed to MMAWeekly.com that Edgar will likely appear in the main event on the card set to happen at Saitama Super Arena for the UFC's return card to Japan. MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned from multiple sources close to the promotion that the winner of the Guida vs. Henderson matchup is expected to receive an immediate title shot against current lightweight champ Frankie Edgar (14-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC). Since the UFC scrapped the whole idea of leading the UFC Japan show into a stateside pay-per-view, we can surmise that attempting to appeal to the local fanbase isn't of the utmost priority for the promotion anymore. The audience that the UFC will likely care about more is their paying customers in North America, and Frankie Edgar vs. Guida/Henderson is a great match-up.  The news also lays to rest any theories that the bout wouldn't determine the division's number one contender. It was previously opined by fans and media, including myself, that the inability to spotlight the fight on the UFC on Fox broadcast would create another step on the stairwell to a title shot. If the report is true, it assures that the UFC will find a way to reach a broad audience with the match-up, possibly during the UFC 139 broadcast or on an upcoming free event.

Posted in: ufc, title shot, japan, edgar, frankie

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Two respected MMA media outlets are reporting that Frankie Edgar will cross the Pacific to defend his title next February when the UFC returns to Japan. And word is UFC on FOX 1′s Ben Henderson vs. Clay Guida will likely determine his opponent. From MMA Junkie: MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned from multiple sources close to the promotion that the winner of the Guida vs. Henderson matchup is expected to receive an immediate title shot against current lightweight champ Frankie Edgar (14-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC). While an exact date for the fight with Edgar would certainly depend on the condition of the Guida vs. Henderson winner, multiple sources suggested the UFC’s planned February event in Japan is the preferred destination. The organization, which hasn’t promoted a show in the country since UFC 29 in late 2000, heads to Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on Feb. 26, 2012. The UFC hasn’t confirmed this news yet, however MMA Weekly is reporting the same thing so chances are there’s some truth to it. The match-up isn’t much of a surprise, but I don’t think anyone expected the UFC would bring Frankie Edgar over to headline their return to Japan. Most expected one of the former PRIDE stars like Rampage Jackson or Shogun Rua to get that honor. They at least have some semblance of drawing power over there whereas Frankie Edgar is only some American UFC champ they barely know to what’s left of the Japanese fanbase. I’m not gonna lie, I’m struggling to figure out what the UFC’s reasoning is behind the decision if it does in fact pan out. Image via Esther Lin for AOL Fanhouse

Posted in: ufc, japan, edgar, frankie edgar, frankie

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UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar will look to make his next title defense in Japan in on Feb 26, 2012.

Posted in: ufc, title defense, japan, edgar, frankie

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Darren Uyenoyama, who has spent much of his nine-year career plying his trade in Japan, will make his promotional debut at UFC on Fox 1, when he meets Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto on Saturday at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

Posted in: honda center, japan, uyenoyama, ufc uyenoyama, nineyear career

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MMA in Japan has been letting out one long death rattle for the past year and a half, but every so often they take a deep breath so they can continue to shudder and convulse like a zombie in desperate need of a double tap. Here's the latest on DREAM's attempts to stay un-dead: This week, pro wrestling legend and (arguable) MMA pioneer Antonio Inoki announced that he would be staging a major show on December 31 at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan. Inoki will be co-promoting the show with representatives from Dream, and it will be the heir to the Dynamite!! franchise. Because the name Dynamite!! was sold earlier this year, Inoki's show has instead been given the odd name of "Are You Healthy?!! New Year's Eve!! 2011" (Genki Desu Ka!! Omisoka!! 2011 for the Japanese speaking audience). Genki Desu Ka brings us back to the tradition of the Japanese fight scene asking questions it doesn't want the answers to. Back for New Years Eve 2007 they held "YARENNOKA!", roughly translated to "CAN'T DO IT????", like a challenge. And it turned out no, they could not do it. And now GENKI DESU KA!! ARE YOU HEALTHY??? NO WE ARE NOT! WE CONTAIN SEVERAL CANCERS THAT NO ONE WILL EXCISE!!Speaking of cancers, here's Kazuyoshi Ishii's latest scheme to reboot K-1: the Federation International K-1 Association. FIKA is to be headquartered in Hong Kong and they are going to appeal big time to Chinese audiences by having some of their biggest shows take place in China. There will still be a "World Stage" event in Japan, but it doesn't appear to be the Finals. They are looking to hold events around the world to bring a 'World Cup' feeling and will try to be the FIFA of Kickboxing. FIKA has also brought on famous Chinese folk singer Song Zuying to sing the official FIKA theme song, which was apparently the big headline grabber in China in regards to this announcement, on top of the list of famous people at the event. The theme song will apparently be recorded in English as well, which Zuying was quoted saying it would help FIKA have a global appeal. Whew, good thing there's going to be a new theme song that will propel FIKA to world dominiation. Here I was thinking this was just going to be some gimmicky crap that doesn't address the major problems K-1 has. To be fair, the announcement also included information about new investment groups funding everything. But we've heard all that before. I'll stop busting balls the day former K-1 fighters step forward and say they've been paid. I think that's reasonable. I'm not even demanding Ishii commit seppuku anymore. Some sort of banishment / finger removal will do.

Posted in: fika, theme song, japan, song, world

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Posted in: japan

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At last, some positive news for fans of K-1 and Dream. After various cancellations and postponements, it looks like we finally have some real news about two of Japan's biggest yearly events - the New Year's Eve show, and the K-1 Grand Prix. First up, New Year's Eve. This week, pro wrestling legend and (arguable) MMA pioneer Antonio Inoki announced that he would be staging a major show on December 31 at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan. Inoki will be co-promoting the show with representatives from Dream, and it will be the heir to the Dynamite!! franchise. Because the name Dynamite!! was sold earlier this year, Inoki's show has instead been given the odd name of "Are You Healthy?!! New Year's Eve!! 2011" (Genki Desu Ka!! Omisoka!! 2011 for the Japanese speaking audience).  The card will feature 20 bouts, including a mixture of MMA, K-1 rules kickboxing, and pro wrestling under the banner of Inoki's IGF organization. Initial fight announcements could come any day. The New Year's Eve card is a huge tradition in Japanese MMA, and it's exciting to see it will once again be honored this year.  As for K-1, the news is potentially even bigger. Former K-1 head Kazutoshi Ishii announced the formation of a new organization called FIKA (Federation International K-1 Association) that will serve as a new governing body for K-1. And they are coming out of the gates strong with plans for a full line-up in 2012 culminating in the return of the K-1 Grand Prix. Plans right now call for a return to the old Grand Prix format of international qualifying events with the winners moving to the finals. Their tentative timeline has the international qualifiers beginning in April 2012, followed by a round of 32 in May or June, a round of 16 in September or October, and the traditional Final 8 in December. They are also planning to keep the same three weight classes last used by K-1 - Heavyweight, 70kg (MAX), and the recently added 63kg. One final interesting note on FIKA - they are creating their main base of operations in China, not Japan, which has always been home to K-1. It will be interesting to see just what that means for television and sponsorship deals. Overall, great news all around for fans of the Japanese scene. HT: LiverKick, Nightmare of Battle

Posted in: show, year, japan, prix, eve

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New developments in Japan featuring the same ol' cast of characters.

Posted in: japan, cast, development, things change, character

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According to a report from MMAFighting.com's Daniel Herbertson, the UFC has finally wised up to the realities of promoting an event in Japan. It was originally suggested by UFC President Dana White that the UFC Japan card, scheduled to take place at Saitama Super Arena on February 26, would act as a prelude to a stateside pay-per-view, but sources have confirmed that the UFC has nixed that approach: The UFC's long-awaited return to Japan on Feb. 26, 2012 will be a full pay-per-view level event, sources have confirmed to MMA Fighting as initially reported by Dave Meltzer. Zuffa has thus abandoned its controversial plan to have the UFC Japan event act as a free-to-air lead-in to a Las Vegas PPV event. With a 10 a.m. local start time, the possibility that the Feb. 26, 2012 Japanese UFC event would act as a lead-in to a Las Vegas pay-per-view event, and the lack of local network TV deal, many were quick to criticize the first Japanese UFC event of the Zuffa era. Although Japanese fans will still be forced to make the morning commute to Saitama Super Arena, MMA Fighting has learned that significant progress has been made towards ensuring the success of the first UFC event in Japan since Dec. 2000 as along with the elevation to PPV for the UFC Japan event, Zuffa has signed a marketing and promotional deal with local advertising giant Dentsu Inc. and a lucrative broadcast deal is currently being negotiated. I wrote about the obstacles the UFC would face in Japan, concluding that the event was a vanity act. When White suggested that the event act as a lead-in to a stateside pay-per-view, it only added fuel to the fire, making it even more difficult to see what the actual goal was for the card.  Interestingly enough, the UFC has signed an advertising deal with Dentsu, which is a major step in the right direction. Dentsu isn't widely known, but they have helped companies like Skype and Facebook market to Japanese customers. They are the #1 advertising agency in Japan by a long shot, and they should add some muscle to the UFC's plans to land a better TV deal. Is it enough? I have a hard time believing it matters. Unless the UFC can somehow spark interest among MMA fans in Japan to a brand that is fairly unknown, the card won't matter at all unless they can gain a network deal. If this leads to a bigger TV deal, by all means make the moves. The real question is whether spending the money on this deal is the smart thing to do long-term in a market that has lost interest in MMA for the time being. I don't think it is.

Posted in: ufc, event, deal, japan, payperview

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The UFC's long-awaited return to Japan on Feb. 26, 2012 will be a full pay-per-view level event, sources have revealed to MMA Fighting. Zuffa has thus abandoned its controversial plan to have the UFC Japan event act as a free-to-air lead-in to a Las Vegas PPV event. With a 10am local start time, the possibility that the Feb. 26, 2012 Japanese UFC event would act as a lead-in to a Las Vegas pay-per-view event, and the lack of local network TV deal, many were quick to criticize the first Japanese UFC event of the Zuffa era. Although Japanese fans will still be forced to make the morning commute to Saitama Super Arena, MMA Fighting has learned that significant progress has been made towards ensuring the success of the first UFC event in Japan since Dec. 2000 as along with the elevation to PPV for the UFC Japan event, Zuffa has signed a marketing and promotional deal with local advertising giant Dentsu Inc. and a lucrative broadcast deal is currently being negotiated. In an effort to breach the notoriously Japanese market, Zuffa has acquired a significant ally as MMA's leading promoter has signed an undisclosed deal with Dentsu Inc., Japan's leading advertising agency, to assist with ticket sales, marketing, sponsorship and acquiring a larger TV deal in Japan. Currently UFC content is only broadcast in Japan on WOWOW private satellite TV or through NTT Plala's Hikari TV. History has shown though that these relatively small subscription TV audiences have not been enough to support even the most popular local MMA promotions. For the UFC to grow a significant fan base in the East, a mass distribution TV deal is required. Although a deal is yet to be reached, Zuffa and Dentsu have recently made significant strides towards securing wider TV coverage, possibly paving the way for more lucrative sponsorship options and most importantly, local news and talk show coverage. Bouts and ticketing information for the Feb. 26 UFC Japan event are scheduled to be announced in late November. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, event, deal, tv, japan

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Filed under: DREAM, K1, JapanFighting and Entertainment Group, the Japan-based K-1 promoter and co-promoter of DREAM, is falling apart at the seams. As if Simon Rutz's claims of bankruptcy earlier this week were not enough, top DREAM featherweight Kazuyuki Miyata also spoke publicly against Japan's leading fight-sport promoter this week, claiming in a blog post that after two and a half years of patience, he has had enough of the dishonesty and problems surrounding FEG. Speaking exclusively to MMAFighting.com, the recent DREAM title contender detailed his problems with FEG, his plans for the future and gave his thoughts on the UFC's 2012 Japan return. Although foreign fighters have been vocal about their problems with FEG, Kazuyuki Miyata became the first Japanese fighter to publicly speak out against the troubled Japanese promoter this week, stating in a blog post that his contract with FEG has been irreparably damaged due to payment issues and dishonesty and that he will not continue to work with them. "Well, as it has already been known or [at least] rumored by most in the industry for some time now, and recently has come to light in the world media, certain fighters, such as myself, have not been paid either in full, and/or at all by FEG for quite some time now... a couple of years actually, in my case," said Miyata to MMAFighting.com. "In the beginning, Mr. Tanikawa and FEG where very good to me. They treated me very well and I was on a good contract," said the former Olympic wrestler. "Before going any further, let me take this opportunity to state how much I sincerely appreciate those initial stages of my relationship with FEG and Mr. Tanikawa, The opportunities [I received due to that contract] helped me, my family and my career during those initial stages." Although falling victim to the incredibly difficult matchmaking during the early stages of his career, Miyata received almost unparalleled support from FEG at the height of the Japanese fight-sport bubble. In addition to the exceptional purses up for grabs in the Japanese fight scene during the mid 2000s, Miyata also received a monthly salary and support for his family during training camps. With the collapse of PRIDE in 2007 however, the fight-sport bubble was burst and Miyata, Alistair Overeem, Ray Sefo, Jerome LeBanner, Peter Aerts and many more have been chasing payments for years now. While Miyata declined to reveal how much is owed by FEG, if it is in line with his others who have gone public against FEG, it is likely to be a significant amount. "It is for the reasons above that I trusted Mr. Tanikawa and FEG and continued to be patient with the ongoing promises of being paid in full for as long as I did," said Miyata. Although Miyata has been able to survive financially due to sponsor support, after not receiving fight payment for so long, one may wonder where the recent DREAM featherweight title contender gets his motivation to compete. Removing money from the equation though has actually brought surprising clarity to Miyata's career. "Japanese events used to be on network TV and more mass media exposure. Being in the public eye really inspired and motivated me, but in recent times the events have been aired really late at night, edited down to only an hour or so, and eventually not aired on free to air at all," explained Miyata. "But now with events not being shown on network TV and without as much media exposure, it has made me realize my real passion for the sport and why I evolve and compete. [Fighting] has been my life for many years and I appreciate the opportunity to do what I love professionally. That's what really inspires and motivates me now." Despite his problems with FEG while fighting for DREAM, Miyata does intend to continue fighting and will fight in Japan's leading MMA promotion, at least for the time being. "Of course I am planning to continue competing," said Miyata. "My contract with FEG was completed at the end of last year and it was from that time forward that I negotiated a fight-by-fight contract with DREAM [co-promoter] Real Entertainment. I am very interested in the UFC and potentially entering that realm but at present, I have my sights set on the end of year show here in Japan [but] will consider my options after that, sometime early next year." Miyata mentioned in a blog post earlier this week that Real Entertainment, the company formed by ex-PRIDE FC employees who partnered with FEG to co-promote DREAM, is financially "healthy". Although DREAM still lacks TV support and sponsors, fighters who have been directly contracted to Real Entertainment (i.e. those who didn't extend their contracts from the former FEG-run K-1 Heroes promotion) have not publicly complained of payment issues. Whether or not the UFC can be successful in Japan with their Feb. 26 Saitama Super Arena daytime event is a hot topic among pundits. For Miyata though, rather than speculate on the possible failures of a Japanese UFC event, he is more interested in finally seeing the evolution of MMA in Japan. "I'm no expert on [promotion], but what I can say is that I am very interested in seeing firsthand the top fighters the UFC has to offer on Japan soil. I'm much more interested in the new and exciting evolution of the sport, rather than continually seeing ex-Pride fighters perform." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: miyata, feg, dream, year, japan

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Just a thought submitted by xKrazExMNUx [link] [1 comment]

Posted in: fight, xkrazexmnux, japan, rule, japan sanctions

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Might as well put it in MMA for a laugh. Hulk Hogan appeared on WFAN's Boomer and Carton radio show this morning to promote a TNA Wrestling pay-per-view. During the interview, hosts Boomer Esiason and Craig Carton asked Hogan whether he would have been drawn to mixed martial arts if he were starting out today. (7:30 in) "I had a little run with those guys, because when I first started going to Japan in 1977-78, I spent 22 to 24 weeks a year in Japan. I was broken in by a Japanese wrestler who taught amateur wrestling and the hooks and some of the submission holds. I was sent over to Shin Nippon pro wrestling in Japan and at the end of the day there was a company called Pride in Japan. That company was part of New Japan Pro Wrestling so when you walk into the locker room every night, there would be a piece of paper with names in Japanese and I would have to get one of the referees to tell me who I was wrestling. There was a lot of Pride guys - I think the UFC just bought Pride - back in the day you never knew when you were getting in the ring whether they were a real wrestler or a shooter every night you had no idea what you were in for so there were a lot of MMA guys who were both pro wrestling and with Pride that were on the card. I had a lot of surprises back in the early days." submitted by brettawesome [link] [comment]

Posted in: day, pride, lot, japan, hogan

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This is a guest post by T.P. Grant, part of the Bloody Elbow Grappling Coverage Team. Our story begins in the ninth century, on a small collection of island nations that would become known as Japan. It was not Japan as we think of it today, as at this time the island was dotted with countless, independent kingdoms that were connected through complicated political and economic relationships akin to the feudalism of the early Middle Ages in Europe. The ruling class were the land owning lords, known as Daimyos.  Daimyos were faced with a constant threat of warfare, and to defend themselves they hired mercenary warriors to man and lead their armies. Most of the warriors during this period were horsed archers - the bow was the pinnacle of military technology and archery was considered the most important skill for a warrior to have. These hired warriors were given privileged status by their local Daimyo in exchange for their service and over time, this lead to the establishment of these warriors as a noble class. These fighting nobles became known as Samurai.  As smaller kingdoms were absorbed by larger neighbors, warfare was held on a larger and larger scale. The importance of raiding forces like horsed archers was reduced and infantry became more important. Samurai began to fight with sword and spear as well as the bow. Some time after 900 A.D. all Samurai began to carry swords and were primarily sword fighters.  By the 1100s Samurai were a full warrior culture, and had become the ruling class of Japan; all Daimyo's were Samurai. As a noble class, Samurai were part of a very small percentage of people that did not rely on growing their own food to survive. They lived off food grown by others, giving them free time to perfect their craft: warfare. Samurai that survived to old age would teach their successful skills to others at fighting academies, to which Samurai would send their sons to learn the ways of war. Over the next few centuries, these academies sprang up all over the dozens and dozens of nations that covered Japan. One of the skills a young Samurai would learn at these academies was the close combat are of Jujitsu.  Jujitsu developed as an unarmed martial art in a culture where basically everyone was armed, so the first goal was to deal with an attacker's weapon. Samurai would train to defend against swords, spears or knives. While strikes targeting the eyes, nose, groin and other vital points were incorporated, striking was not the focus of Jujitsu because Samurai armor would negate their effectiveness. The nations of Japan had relative peace under the rule of military dictators known as Shogun and each nation had its own army of highly trained Samurai. But as the power of the Shogun slowly weakened, tensions between rival nations grew. In the mid 1400's the powder keg that was Japan finally exploded into all-out war and for the next 200 years Japan would be embroiled in almost constant warfare. The Samurai were on the front lines for all 200 years of these wars and during this time Jujitsu experienced a trial by fire. In battle, Samurai would take down armored enemies, when opportunity presented, with an array of trips and throws. Normally these would be used after a clash of swords to gain a lethal advantage. Once the dominant position was attained, the victorous Samurai would quick dispatch his vicitim with anything from his sword, to eye gouges, to the fallen man's own knife. Here is an example of traditional Jujitsu, from the Takenouchi style: 竹内流柔術・こしのまわり小具足 - Takenouchi Ryu Koshi-no-Mawari Kogusoku (via ericspinelli)   While this is an excellent example of the actual art, this demonstration doesn't covey the speed and violence that Jujitsu brought to a sword fight. The video below is of a takedown technique very similar to ones found in Karate and Jujitsu, but it is in fact a recreation from the manual of 15th century German Sigmund Ringeck and is not Jujitsu. Medieval knights developed similar techniques because they too faced armored opponents, against whom punches and kicks would do little. Again it is a similar technique that conveys how it would be incorporated into a fight.  Overleg Throw - Ringen am Schwert ("Wrestling at the Sword") (via vaingloria) As the period of intense war drew to a close, the 1700's became a golden age for the Samurai. Major warfare was rare, and as a result the martial arts flourished as mass amounts of Samurai did not die in battle. Schools sprang up and techniques evolved and developed.    Despite translating as 'art of softness' Jujitsu was a desperate art of survival that used anything at its disposal. Many techniques used blades, chains, biting, eye gouging or just pure brute strength to gain an advantage. That said, the most universal techniques operated on the principles of using momentum and leverage to defeat enemies rather than strength. A fantastic example of Jujistu technique from the early 1900s that worked on these principles of using momentum to throw attackers.  "Textbook of Ju-jutsu" (1905) re-animated (via BartitsuSociety) Despite this period of peace, political divisions still fragmented Japan. Schools in different nations or different islands would not have a great deal of contact and would develop their own styles, or Ryu. Representatives from different schools would test their martial skills against one another in duels to the death. Schools focused on different combination of weapons and different approaches to Jujitsu.  Some Ryu focused heavily on using Jujitsu in conjunction with other weapons. For example, in this clip from the Last Samurai Tom Cruise is sparring with an actor who is a practicer of Naginatajutsu, which uses a large slashing spear. The Japanese actor shows off two takedowns and a twisting leg lock.   Some schools of Jujitsu did develop techniques that involved being on one's back. Here is a video that shows something close to early guard work.  It is very important to note that working from the back would not have been common for Samurai. In battle, any Samurai who was thrown and was fortunate enough to retain his awareness would not be able use anything close to a modern guard. Instead it would be a desperate scramble back to the relative safety of their feet, all the while fighting off his attacker's attempts to stab through the gaps in the armor.  The Samurai were the dominant force in Japan but in 1853, the world of the Samurai was rocked when Commodore Matthew Perry of the U.S. Navy brought his steam-powered warships armed with modern cannons into Tokyo Bay. The result was the awakening of the Japanese people from their self-imposed exile. This would mark the beginning of the end for the Samurai and Jujitsu...  Sources: Turnbull, Stephen. War in Japan: 1467-1616. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2002. Print. "05 Samurai Legacy." Human Weapon. History Channel. 17 Aug. 2007. Television. Kano, Jigoro. "Jujutsu Becomes Judo." The original Judo Information Site Nagaki, Kosuke. "Randori and the unification of Jujitsu disciplines by the Kodokan." The original Judo Information Site.

Posted in: &nbsp, .&nbsp, japan, jujitsu, sword

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A short time ago UFC President Dana White said that at some point the promotion would hold two events on the same day in different parts of the world. Well, it seems as if some day may take place early in 2012. Following Saturday’s UFC on Versus 6 fight card, which was held at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C, White said that the first two event on the same night could take place with fights in Japan and the United States in late February of next year. White speaking to NBCSports.com said,

Posted in: washington d.c, event, japan, verizon center, japan event

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MMA Junkie reports that the UFC plans to hold a “doubleheader” in February 2012 as it will air an event in Japan and Las Vegas on the same day. UFC head Dana White confirmed that the shows will air live on TV with the Japan event airing live on free TV and the Vegas event being the PPV. Via MMA Junkie: As White previously announced, the UFC, which hasn’t promoted a show in Japan since UFC 29 in late 2000, heads to Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on Feb. 26, 2012. To accommodate the traditional live North American broadcasting on Saturday night, Feb. 25, the event takes place Sunday morning at 10 a.m. local time. Payout Perspective: The UFC does not believe there will be a logistical problem with holding simultaneous shows per the UFC’s multi-team approach. The question is whether fans are willing to watch 5 or 6 hours of mixed martial arts. It seems like the UFC may be hurting its own product by having two events in one night. First, the fact that it will have a show on free TV and then a PPV. Certainly, people watch the Spike Prelims and then the PPV but not sure if fans will want to watch a full show and then pay $55 for a pay per view. Second, holding an event Sunday morning seemingly hurts the chances of attendance and gate in Japan. While there will be buzz for the return to Japan, the starting time seems to hurt the chances of its success. Thus, it appears that the UFC return to Japan will be in name only. While there are likely business reasons for holding the show Sunday morning, it should not go over well with Japanese MMA fans. Finally, the inference taken from the announcement that the Las Vegas show is the PPV show is that the show in Japan will not have the same quality of talent. Although we just saw a title bout on free television and will see another on November 12th, the caliber of fights on free television are usually not on par with PPV fights. Another result of having two shows in one night is the bigger reality of Strikeforce folding and its competitors coming to the UFC. With the announcement that Gilbert Melendez will be in the UFC soon, it almost spells the ending of the organization. Also, we can also see the debut of the Flyweight division on the dual cards.

Posted in: ufc, ppv, show, event, japan

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A little more detail has emerged regarding the UFC’s intent to hold cards on the same day in February when the organization heads overseas to the Land of the Rising Sun. Head-honcho Dana White opened up about Zuffa’s plan after the conclusion of UFC Live 6 this past Saturday night, stating the UFC would capitalize on the involved time difference to broadcast the Japanese event on live television for free before holding a PPV based out of Las Vegas directly afterwards. “The way that it would work, the fights from Japan would go on live TV for free and lead into a pay-per-view. It would be live in Japan and live in the United States,” White explained before adding, “Both cards (are going to be) stacked. The Japan card will be sick.” The UFC confirmed their return to Far East last month in a press conference where White credited the country for the role it has played in the popularity and development of Mixed Martial Arts. No fighters have been attached to the card yet though numerous individuals have come forward expressing interest such as former PRIDE stars Quinton Jackson, Yoshihiro Akiyama, and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. “Rampage” Jackson Wants Forrest Grffiin at Upcoming UFC Japan Japan is thirteen hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time leaving a large enough gap to make the logistics work with the proper preparation. Tweet

Posted in: ufc, card, japan, time difference, stateside ppv

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - The fact that Reed Harris was hosting UFC on Versus 6's pre-event press conference instead of Dana White is all the proof you need that the UFC could simultaneously host a show in Japan and Las Vegas. Harris, the UFC's director of community relations and the former head of the WEC, told MMAjunkie.com that the company's multi-team approach to hosting events makes it possible. His comments came a few days after a report in which White said the UFC is planning to host simultaneous events both in Japan and in Las Vegas.

Posted in: ufc, event, las vegas, japan, la

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There's an ongoing pattern with how MMA writers respond to Japanese MMA. When Takanori Gomi lost to Nate Diaz, pieces went up exclaiming the "end of Japanese MMA's relevance". The same thing happened to Maximo Blanco, and it's been the story everytime a fighter cutting his teeth in Japan comes to the US, and loses. So what's the real narrative here? Are their North American counterparts just better? Or are other factors at play? Obviously, you can't talk about the decline in Japanese MMA without first looking at how the major shows burst into political flames. For Pride, it all started with rumors filed against Pride's then parent company, Dream Stage Entertainment, of being connected with the Yakuza. The pressure that came from these allegations in print forced FujiTV to drop DSE-related programming, and the rest was history. Japanese MMA isn't what it once was, but what has happened to all the ranked fighters? To Kid Yamamoto? Michihiro Omigawa? Takanori Gomi? Etc. In two of these cases, it should be pointed out that they were given title contenders right out the gate. Which is a bit much. On top of that neither Gomi nor Kid entered the UFC in their primes. Omigawa's stuck plummeted after losing to Darren Elkins (despite receiving a win bonus for a bogus decision). Already there's clearly more beneath the surface. And If Hatsu Hioki loses to George Roop, you can guarantee writers will be at it again proclaiming the death of Japanese MMA. "JMMA" may not be worthwhile to many writers, but their tone suggests it is worthless. However, there clearly is a gap between the type of MMA offered in Japan, and the type of MMA offered in North America. When it comes to knowledge of the Japanese MMA scene, it doesn't get much better than MMAFighting's Daniel Herbertson, and Sherdog's Tony Loiseleur. With the former doing brilliant work covering the unique journey of Enson Inoue, and the latter doing work on Shooto's tax scandal like an actual journalist, it doesn't get much better than these two. So why is Japanese MMA lacking? It turns out there's more to the equation than arbitrarily pointing fingers. When you think about what makes American MMA different, you have to also think about its wide, intimately linked network. The Greg Jackson's of the world aren't a dime a dozen, but there are enough facsimiles to emphasize how well MMA is understood, and how seriously it's taken in North America when it comes to understanding what makes for effective fighting. Many trainers understand concepts like "phase-shifting", and the ability to transition between disciplines. "A typical Japanese MMA training session would be an exhausting "warmup" that can sometimes take up to an hour, followed by one or two techniques repeated only a few times, then hours of sparring", Daniel Herbertson notes. "There are specialty coaches (striking, wrestling, and sub wrestling coaches at most good places) at gyms but they really aren't utilized to their full potential as the focus is so much on sparring and less on acquiring new skills" Tony Loiseleur expands on this, citing the anomaly that is Yushin Okami. "I've lost track of how many times I've interviewed a fighter off the record about  their gameplan for an upcoming opponent, only to receive the answer 'I'm just training really hard and am prepared to react to what my opponent does....only within the last year or so have fighters realized that YouTube exists for more than just killing time...In the last interview I did with Okami, he brought up another important point in how training in the US differs from Japan: In Japan, we tend to be more more regimented between disciplines when we train; we do have MMA training, but boxing is boxing, wrestling is wrestling, and grappling is grappling. It's all separated and doesn't always flow into each other", explains Okami. Okami continues, "When you learn from an American MMA sensei, you learn MMA...Disciplines aren't so separated, everything flows into each other and you're able to understand what exactly MMA is. The role of geography is also something else Loiseleur highlights. This may seem like an irrelevant point on the surface, but geography ultimately speaks to the phenomenon that there are simply less resources available in Japan. "As Japan is a country that piles its best, brightest, and most commerically viable into its capital city of Tokyo, Japan's MMA industry is wholly located in this one city where space is naturally at a premium. It may sound strange, but having the space in which to train freely without bumping into the next guy, as well as the space to place the proper equipment is impossible to find here. Missing are the enormous warehouse-style all-in-one training centers that populate North America, where you can find a cage and a ring, workout equipment, mat space, and a large staff of specialized instructors working together to perfect their unique style of MMA" In addition, "Tokyo is one of the most expensive cities in the world, (making it) harder for fighters to maintain the kind of lifestyles that North American's top fighters might take for granted...Further, the monthly cost of training, a diet appropriate for sports, supplements, equipment, even clothing is fairly expensive here. One pound of whey protein, for example, goes for about $60 to $70 depending on the current rate of exchange, and it's not rare to see fighters being awarded a bag for winning a bout on the grassroots level...naturally, some things get left out and stay left out in a fighter's career" As observers of sports, we've never more critical of athletes then when they fail mentally. I would never argue that some sort of emerging pattern exists in the way Japanese fighters falter mentally. Quite the opposite: when you consider that their debut fights were against the reigning champion across the Pacific, Yoshihiro Maeda and Takeya Mizugaki put in gutsy, respectable performances against Miguel Torres (Torres may be forgotten, but it's not hard to imagine Torres fighting Cruz this weekend if the decision goes his way against Johnson). But an element of "culture shock" is worth reflecting on. Loiseleur continues, "In traveling to a country where everyone looks physically different from yourself, speaks a different language, and acts and reacts in different ways (it) can provide for a very jarring experience. The culture shock alone is enough to put one's mind off of training, let alone performing one's best in a fight. Case in point: when I had my first sit-down interview with Tatsuya Kawajiri, one thing he made abundantly clear was that while he liked the idea of fighting in a cage and using elbows, he absolutely dreaded fighting in the US and disliked Western fight culture. He was unsettled by the rudeness of the fans, particularly their readiness to boo" When you look at the UK, you might say they've picked on quick given the lack of MMA history. And yet Japan, with its very rich history, continues to lag. What explains that? Might the role of language be a factor? "Go "Shiroobi" Yamamoto wrote a short blog piece that touches upon this idea of exchange at his Skill MMA Blog. He notes in one segment how UK-based mixed martial artists have improved a lot in the past few years owning to the simple fact that they speak English, and thus have access to vast resources of MMA information, most of which is arguably in English. It took grappling nerds like Shinya Aoki to introduce the rubber guard to Japan a few years after Eddie Bravo was marketing it and witing books about it, mostly because Japanese fighters besides Aoki (at the time) had zero interest in what was going on across the Pacific", notes Loiseleur. Loiseleur and and Herbertson help illuminate what makes Japanese MMA so different, and more importantly, help explain how those differences affect performance. These are not meant to be excuses. Instead they're explanations for why where once Japan was a veritable Mecca for mixed martial arts, it has now become a punchline among MMA writers and observers. However, Japan has a nice amateur infrastructure: an infrastructure far removed from the types that have plagued North America. This was a big, but largely ignored story highlighted by Jake Rossen in the West Virginia scene a couple of years ago (Virginia being the place involving what is MMA's most heinous decision ever in awarding Mike Easton a split decision win over Chase Beebe). According to Herbertson, "The amatuer and rookie pro systems are easily the best in the world. The amateur Shooto, Pancrase, and ZST tournaments consistently turn out the best fighters in Japan....Nothing in Western countries can compare to the structure and support system in amateur Shooto. Once a fighter goes through the amateur system, the rookie pro tournaments in these promotions are also outstanding." Despite the state of Japanese MMA, it can't get any worse. And in some ways, it feels like it's beginning to grow again. Perhaps there's no hope for JMMA on a scale comparable to Pride in its heyday, but with real interest from fighters to travel abroad, and the UFC providing a nice payoff, it'll be interesting to see how this affects fighters coming from Japan long term. I can't imagine why MMA fans wouldn't be excited. If you don't like the prospect of fighters like Kyoji Horiguchi getting proper support with real training from real trainers, then you're watching the wrong sport.

Posted in: mma, fighter, japanese, japanese mma, japan

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) plans to return to the "Land of the Rising Sun" for the first time in more than a decade with a major event penciled in for Feb. 26, 2012, at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan. As if that endeavor wasn't big enough, company president Dana White recently revealed that the promotion is thinking about running another event on that same day from Las Vegas, Nevada. White alluded to the unprecedented possibility during a recent press conference in California to promote UFC 139, which will feature one of Japan's most popular mixed martial artists from the Pride FC heyday, Wanderlei Silva. Yahoo!Sports.com has the skinny: "When we go to Japan next year, we are going to be putting on a show at the same time in Las Vegas," he said.  When asked how the company was going to handle a dual-show evening from a television standpoint, White just smiled and said, "You’ll see." The report points out that because of the time difference with the two locations literally a world apart, the Japan show would take place in the early afternoon, airing stateside in the usual 9 p.m. ET pay-per-view (PPV) time slot. That means the UFC would likely have to leverage its other television partnerships, including FOX and Versus, to make a two-fight night dream come true. With Scott Coker of Strikeforce and Reed Harris from World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) still on the Zuffa payroll, the promotion has more than enough experienced professionals at their disposal who can run an event without the presence of White.  Production, coordination and on air talent, on the other hand, are entirely different animals. From a fan perspective, however, those are lots of good problems to have.

Posted in: ufc, time, event, las vegas, japan

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If you thought the UFC’s current schedule of one event nearly every weekend was busy, just wait until 2012, when the promotion could begin hosting two events on the same day, possibly beginning on Feb. 25 alongside the UFC’s return to Japan. “When we go to Japan next year, we are going to be putting on a show at the same time in Las Vegas,” UFC President Dana White recently told Yahoo Sports. The UFC’s first event in Japan since 2000 takes place at the Saitama Super Arena in the morning on Feb. 26 to allow it to air live in the UFC’s regular Saturday pay-per-view slot at 9pm ET. If plans for the second event move forward, the UFC would likely split the main card between the events, but air them as one pay-per-view broadcast, which has previously been done in boxing, including the recent Floyd Mayweather-Victor Ortiz card. White added that details of the plan have yet to be finalized. For the latest UFC news and UFC rumors stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.

Posted in: ufc, event, japan, ufc news, ufc rumors

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Dana White: World Conqueror Many people have questioned if the UFC overexposes themselves by running too many events. After all, hardly a weekend goes by anymore when there isn’t a UFC or Strikeforce event happening somewhere. Well, no matter what the critics say, Dana White thinks that idea is preposterous. Every time someone asks him that question, he says they need more, more, more, not less. So much more in fact, Dana told Yahoo! Sports that they’re going to start running two shows in two separate parts of the world on the same night as early as next Feb. when they go to Japan. “When we go to Japan next year, we are going to be putting on a show at the same time in Las Vegas,” he said. While he didn’t confirm the date, UFC is scheduled for a show on Feb. 26 at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan. The show would take place in the early afternoon in Japan, so it would air in the U.S. on Feb. 25, a Saturday night, live in the usual 9 p.m. Eastern pay-per-view time slot. When asked how the company was going to handle a dual-show evening from a television standpoint, White just smiled and said, “You’ll see.” “We’ll be doing a lot of that in the future,” White said. I’m not gonna lie, I’m already pretty burnt out by all the shows Zuffa is running now, so this simultaneous events idea really doesn’t excite me. But, I also have to cover all these shows (with Jim’s much appreciated help), so I’m coming from a different perspective than the average fan. So I’ll ask you: Is two UFC shows in one night overkill? Or the more the better?

Posted in: ufc, event, dana, japan, feb

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Instead of dwelling on the past, which is understandable because it's filled with Jon Jones' feet and just his second career submission loss at UFC 135 last night (Sept. 24), Quinton Jackson is looking ahead to the future. And to his eyes, a return to "The Land of the Rising Sun" looks like heaven. Here's his request to UFC management in his post-fight interview last night: "I want to go to Japan in February and fight Shogun. That's what I want, rematch with Shogun in Japan. Put it together, Dana." The UFC is scheduled to return to Japan for an event at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on Feb. 26, 2012. It seems a natural fit for "Rampage," who spent five years of his career fighting in the country under the now defunct Pride banner. All he has to do is get UFC President Dana White on board. To that end, the bossman brought good news at the UFC 135 post-fight press conference. "He and I just talked about that when he was back there getting stitched up. (Shogun) is fighting Dan Henderson in San Jose, so we'll see what happens there but what Rampage said to me is, 'I want to fight on that Japan (card).' I said, 'Cool. I'm never going to argue with you when you tell me you want to fight.' We can do it. I'm glad to hear him saying that." Certainly sounds like all systems clear for Jackson's next fight. That doesn't mean he'll get both his wishes, though, as it's entirely possible Mauricio Rua will be unavailable. Indeed, "Shogun" is scheduled to sling leather with Dan Henderson at UFC 139 on Nov. 19 in San Jose, California. A victory would mean another shot at the light heavyweight championship he lost earlier this year. Even a loss wouldn't guarantee a rematch with "Rampage," as he would have just three months time off in between fights. Unless your name is Josh Koscheck or Donald Cerrone, that's simply not enough time off. This is not the case for Jackson, who has a full five months to prepare for a return to Japan for the first time since a unanimous decision win over Yoon Dong-Sik at Pride 31. That event, ironically enough, was held on Feb. 26, 2006; exactly six years before the UFC invades the Saitama Super Arena. Hello, Japan.

Posted in: ufc, fight, san jose, shogun, japan

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[div class="notice" class2="icon"]The following is from an article on LiverKick.com, part of the MiddleEasy Network.[/div] This Sunday marks the second big K-1 event of the year, the 70kg MAX Japan tournament. Last year's tournament featured Yuichiro Nagashima and Hiroki Nakajima scoring knockouts in their quarter and semifinal bouts which culminated in a dramatic 3rd round knockout by Nagashima in the finals in a wild brawl. This year's tournament is extremely interesting because, for the first time, K-1 has placed a former K-1 MAX World Champion into the field in Albert Kraus. It is also interesting because of the new blood brought in by K-1. They have brought in young prospects in RISE Middleweight champion Takafumi Morita, Krush 70kg tournament champion Kenta and K-1 Koshien 2009 70kg champion Shintaro Matsukura. Returning from last year's tournament are 2010 Japan MAX tournament finalist Hiroki Nakajima, 2009 K-1 World MAX semifinalist Yuya Yamamoto, 2008 Japan MAX tournament winner Yasuhiro Kido and Yuji Nashiro. Despite losing tournament mainstays Ryuji and Tatsuji as well as last year's winner Yuichiro Nagashima and semifinalist Hinata, the tournament field is as strong as ever and could produce a couple new stars for K-1. I have decided to rank the fighters in this tournament by their likelihood of winning to give people who may not know much about some of the participating fighters an idea as to where each fighter stands entering the tournament. Read More...

Posted in: champion, year, tournament, max, japan

Read the full article at Middle Easy