Filed under: DREAM, Strikeforce, K1, JapanThree months into the year and still, not one major event has been planned for Japan yet. Not surprisingly, Japanese fighters and staff are growing restless.
In this edition of Nippon Weekly: former Pride FC V…
Three months into the year and still, not one major event has been planned for Japan yet. Not surprisingly, Japanese fighters and staff are growing restless.
In this edition of Nippon Weekly: former Pride FC Vice President Hirouki Kato and Pride FC President Nobuyuki Sakakibara have opened up an office and started work on the “Japan Cup,” DREAM fighters and staff head to Strikeforce and kickboxing, and FEG’s troubles continue as they have K-1 branding issues in South Korea.
Filed under: DREAM, K1, Sengoku, JapanWhen former Pride FC president Nobuyuki Sakakibara stepped down from his post in response to exposed Japanese mafia ties, it signaled the end of an era in MMA. Now, with Japanese MMA at it’s lowest, Sakakibara may …
When former Pride FC president Nobuyuki Sakakibara stepped down from his post in response to exposed Japanese mafia ties, it signaled the end of an era in MMA. Now, with Japanese MMA at it’s lowest, Sakakibara may be working on starting a new era.
In this edition of Nippon Weekly: Sakakibara may be planning a comeback with some of the biggest players in Japanese MMA, FEG finally gives us a timeframe for its return, fighters flock from Sengoku, Gomi and Gono return to their roots and fat guys fight in Deep.
Filed under: DREAM, Strikeforce, K1, Sengoku, News, JapanThere are still no significant fights on the horizon, but there have been some big moves this week in Japan.
In this edition of Nippon Weekly, Strikeforce is considering holding its second quart…
There are still no significant fights on the horizon, but there have been some big moves this week in Japan.
In this edition of Nippon Weekly, Strikeforce is considering holding its second quarterfinal round of their Heavyweight GP in Japan, UFC is planning its own Japanese events in 2011 and DREAM co-promoter Real Entertainment and Strikeforce are possibly planning a lightweight tournament sans-FEG.
It has been a week of drama in Japan. No fights, but plenty of drama.
In this edition of Nippon Weekly: Norifumi “KID” Yamamoto sees no challenges in the UFC, Michihiro Omigawa has been training like a man possessed, Shinya Aoki apparently likes MMA again, Yuichiro “Jienotsu” Nagashima is a butt-kicking incarnate, managers get drunk and presidents get angry.
Filed under: DREAM, K1, News, JapanAs we wait for K-1 and DREAM promoter Fighting Entertainment Group to emerge from its winter hibernation with news of its future, FEG President Sadaharu Tanigawa spoke to Japanese outlet Sports Graphic Number about th…
“The current course is that FEG will die. There are probably staff members that will leave as well. The event name will be left but the promotion will change,” Tanigawa explained. “If the current structure remains as it is it will be impossible to continue. If many investments from companies overseas do not come in we can’t survive.”
FEG USA’s Mike Kogan spoke to MMA Fighting and added, “Well it’s basically what I have been saying. That unless the money comes now, meaning the investors that have been talking commit and we start to move forward, the company will die. There is no way for it to survive, we have exhausted all good will.”
It is easy to focus on the drama of these statements but in reality, the fact that Tanigawa and Kogan are admitting this says good things about the future of the leading fight sports promoter in Japan.
Fans expected to see super heavyweight Bob Sapp (11-6-1) on New Years Eve as part of Fighting and Entertainment Group’s (FEG) Dynamite!! 2010 event at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. But just before Sapp was to go on and fight Shinichi Suzukawa in a modified-rules bout in the opening fight of the […]
Fans expected to see super heavyweight Bob Sapp (11-6-1) on New Years Eve as part of Fighting and Entertainment Group’s (FEG) Dynamite!! 2010 event at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. But just before Sapp was to go on and fight Shinichi Suzukawa in a modified-rules bout in the opening fight of the event, officials announced the fight was canceled because he had attempted to renegotiate his contract just before his fight.
Sapp has come out to clarify things for fans from his end, speaking to MMAjunkie.com.
The fighter told MMAjunkie.com that he was supposed to get paid $30,000 for the fight but when he arrived in Japan, FEG exec Sadahura Tanikawa offered him $15,000 instead. Sapp spent the rest of his time right up until the time of the fight trying to negotiate a better deal than fighting for half of his original fee.
Despite not fighting on the card, Sapp was paid by event sponsors who wanted to apologize for the FEG execs behavior.
“They were apologizing for the horrible state that K-1 is in,” he said. “The No. 1 problem is that K-1 is extremely broke. So is DREAM. They’re paying some fighters as early as in six months, and the other fighters, they’re just stiffing.”
“(Tanikawa said), ‘Bob walked out because his fighting spirit wasn’t good,’” Sapp said. “And I’m just like, ‘You know what? I’m done with all the talk about me. I’m done with them stiffing the fighters. I’m just done with it. I’ve seen too much. Start paying people to show up.’”
Three months into the year and still, not one major event has been planned for Japan yet. Not surprisingly, Japanese fighters and staff are growing restless.
There are still no significant fights on the horizon, but there have been some big moves this week in Japan.
It has been a week of drama in Japan. No fights, but plenty of drama.
As we wait for K-1 and DREAM promoter Fighting Entertainment Group to emerge from its winter hibernation with news of its future, FEG President 