According to a “leading Japanese MMA Agent” mixed martial arts in Japan is “dead.”
The article by steverattlesnake.cliquezone.com/ quotes a source from Japan who spoke to Fighters Only Magazine (no link to the original article so take it as you want) about the current state of MMA in Japan.
The source, points out that MMA is on the downfall with no sponsorship money available to lure in big names to Japanese events. Certainly, without the original article as reference, it holds a lot of truth to it as most of the big names have already moved long ago to America, and some of those fighters who have tried to make it North America recently (such as Shinya Aoki and Takanori Gomi) haven’t fared so well.
Along with the “decline” of MMA in Japan, are the scathing scandals that have rocked the Sumo sport in that country. With allegations that several prominent fighters and organizing bodies, having close ties to the Yakuza underworld, the entire country is probably turning it’s back on combat sports right now. It would only make sense that sponsors and fans might shy from supporting events, increasing the downward spiral of both sports.
Here is the quoted text from the article, read it and give us your thoughts.
“First of all, PRIDE FC went under with associations of Yakuza (mafia) ties and that has done serious damage to MMA’s image in Japan. More recently, Japan’s economy took a turn for the worse and that means that the sponsors have all but disappeared. They have no money to throw around like they sued to.
Then you’ve got the exodus that happened when PRIDE went under. All the big names went to America, most of them to the UFC. Television ratings have not been good, they have not got many fighters to get casual fans interested. They are making desperate moves.
PUJI has promised K-1 it will find $200 million in investment – well, what if it doesn’t? What if nobody wants to invest? And that is extremely likely, given the state of Japanese MMA at the moment – would you invest your money in it?
Look at the last DREAM show – and DREAM is widely considered to be head and shoulders above Sengoku – who did they have? Aoki, Kawajiri, Mousasi, Manhoef – they were the biggest names on the card. The likes of Fedor and Nogueira have gone and they are never coming back. This has really hurt [Japanese] public interest in MMA.
The top purse on DREAM these days is something like $30,000 in American dollars,”the agent says. Sakuraba might get something like $50,000 or $70,000. They just don’t have the money to bring in the big names and if they can’t do that they will not win the fans back. They just aren’t interested.
Japanese MMA is dead”
Props to MixedMartialArts.com for the heads up on the article.