TOKYO – It had only half the fights of the originally planned event, was in a smaller venue, was sparsely attended and carried a somber mood, but MMA finally restarted in Tokyo on Friday night with Shooto: Shootor’s Legacy 02 at Shinjuku FACE.
Shooto’s second major event for the year was originally scheduled for March 12, the day after the magnitude 9.0 Tohoku earthquake and subsequent tsunami battered North East Japan, taking the lives of over 10,000 people with many more still missing and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless.
With fears of a nuclear meltdown still looming, MMA returning to Tokyo was a welcome distraction and a testament to Japan’s ability to rally and continue on with life despite significant hardship.