The UFC traveled to South Korea this past Saturday for its first event in the country, and by all accounts it was a success. UFC Fight Night 79 brought 12,156 fight fans to the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul with a card that featured not just local talent, but top-tier Korean fighters.
This is a stark contrast to the UFC’s recent attempts to grow in Japan, and should signal to the promotion that it is worth it to drop Japan from the schedule and focus on growing in South Korea in the near future. The Japanese MMA scene has never recovered from the glory days of Pride FC, and although it still gives us quality fighters from time to time, the market is simply not that strong.
China is an enticing market for any company, given the population, but the UFC’s plans have failed there too. The Ultimate Fighter: China was not a glowing success, and the three live events held in Macau did little to spark interest. The UFC has not been back since 2014.
The UFC’s first trip back to Japan in 2012 was a great success, as 21,000 fans turned out to witness UFC 144. But the attendance numbers have steadily dropped in each subsequent event held at the Saitama Super Arena.
It is not as if the UFC neglected to put Japanese and former Pride stars on the more recent events. The inclusion of the fighters simply failed to draw significant Japanese crowds—a sign that the UFC is failing to grow their brand in the nation.
There is also a case to be made that South Korea is a better MMA nation right now in terms of top talent. A lot of the premier Japanese talent is starting to get long in the tooth, and that includes No. 9-ranked bantamweight contender Takeya Mizugaki. The best Japanese fighter going today is No. 6-ranked flyweight contender Kyoji Horiguchi.
South Korea gives us No. 7-ranked welterweight contender Dong Hyun Kim, and a group of exciting up-and-comers such as Seohee Ham and Doo Ho Choi. Oh, and don’t forget that “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung will return to action in 2016 also.
The market also seems stronger from a business perspective.
Korean promotion ROAD FC is set to offer Benson Henderson $200,000. Japan will see Rizin Fighting Federation debut this New Year’s Eve, but it lacks the clear promotional objective that ROAD FC has. Also, Rizin is not going after fighters like Henderson. Rizin is focused on the past with Fedor Emelianenko, Bob Sapp and Satoshi Ishii.
Japan does appear to have a deeper pool of talent overall, but South Korea has a few interesting prospects of its own.
The UFC should not abandon Japan completely, but its focus should shift in light of a stronger, growing market. The UFC should stage its future Asian events in South Korea, and the promotion should no longer travel to Saitama, where interest has waned.
If Horiguchi or another breakout Japanese star comes forward, then maybe the UFC should return to Japan for an event headlined by that particular fighter at that point, but that doesn’t appear to be on the horizon. They have a better chance of capitalizing on South Korea’s market for MMA.
2016 will be an interesting year in terms of how the UFC handles its business in Asia, but after last Saturday’s show in Seoul, the UFC should look to the city to host future events headlined by the exciting talent South Korea is producing.
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