Japan is a hotbed for martial arts. It’s home to fighting styles such as karate, jiu-jitsu and judo. It’s also the home of the famous Pride organization.
The world’s biggest MMA organization, the UFC, will be making its long overdue return in a little over a week at UFC 144. This will mark the first time a UFC event has been held in Japan since UFC 29 in 2000.
It’s scheduled to take place on Sun. Feb. 26 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. For you North American viewers, that’s Sat. Feb. 25, because of the time zone difference.
After a long 12-year wait, you can bet that the UFC wants to make this a memorable event. They have stacked the main card and included many Japanese fighters.
Read on to find out my predictions for each main card fight.