Rick “The Gladiator” Glenn speaks softly. But he carries a big helmet. “I kind of became known for wearing it while I walk out,” he said. “I didn’t want to come out with a sword or anything. I didn’t want to go too far over the top.” An uncle gave Glenn the nickname years ago […]
Rick “The Gladiator” Glenn speaks softly. But he carries a big helmet. “I kind of became known for wearing it while I walk out,” he said. “I didn’t want to come out with a sword or anything. I didn’t want to go too far over the top.” An uncle gave Glenn the nickname years ago […]
The risk of injury is inherent in any sport, especially a sport in which bodily harm is par for the course. In this video, Dr. Jonathan Gelber breaks down the specifics of one particularly devastating injury, the ACL tear. Georges St.-Pierre, Duane Ludwig and Dominick Cruz are among the MMA fighters who have suffered a […]
The risk of injury is inherent in any sport, especially a sport in which bodily harm is par for the course. In this video, Dr. Jonathan Gelber breaks down the specifics of one particularly devastating injury, the ACL tear. Georges St.-Pierre, Duane Ludwig and Dominick Cruz are among the MMA fighters who have suffered a […]
It didn’t take long for Jon Fitch to gain the interest of other mixed martial arts promotions following his release from the UFC earlier this week. Ali Abdel-Aziz, the vice president and matchmaker for World Series of Fighting, confirms to Bleacher Report that they have begun preliminary discussions to potentially bring Fitch to the up-and-coming […]
It didn’t take long for Jon Fitch to gain the interest of other mixed martial arts promotions following his release from the UFC earlier this week. Ali Abdel-Aziz, the vice president and matchmaker for World Series of Fighting, confirms to Bleacher Report that they have begun preliminary discussions to potentially bring Fitch to the up-and-coming […]
World Series of Fighting will introduce itself to the world through NBC Sports Network on Saturday with a fight card comprised of a number of former UFC competitors. In the promotion’s first main event, former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlo…
World Series of Fighting will introduce itself to the world through NBC Sports Network on Saturday with a fight card comprised of a number of former UFC competitors. In the promotion’s first main event, former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski will take on Devin Cole. Past WEC titleholder Miguel Torres will also be on hand […]
The Ultimate Fighter—both the American and Australian/British version of the show—has been chugging along for some time now. In each respective show’s talent pool, there are a few guys who look ready for the UFC. To catch you up, the …
The Ultimate Fighter—both the American and Australian/British version of the show—has been chugging along for some time now. In each respective show’s talent pool, there are a few guys who look ready for the UFC. To catch you up, the UK is currently beating Australia in their version of the show by a score of […]
At UFC 144, the organization made a triumphant return to the Land of the Rising Sun with an evening full of exciting fights, culminating in Benson Henderson winning the lightweight championship from Frankie Edgar. Add on the way that the polite, educated Japanese fans packed the Saitama Super Arena, and it felt like it would only be a matter of time before the organization returned to Japan for more events.
Today, Japanese sportspaper NikkanSports is reporting (translated by MMAWeekly) that the UFC is planning on returning to Japan with a series of four smaller events in 2013. The events will showcase local, Japanese talent and will take place at a small, yet-to-be-determined venue. The UFC is reportedly aiming for 5,000 people attending each event.
At UFC 144, the organization made a triumphant return to the Land of the Rising Sun with an evening full of exciting fights, culminating in Benson Henderson winning the lightweight championship from Frankie Edgar. Add on the way that the polite, educated Japanese fans packed the Saitama Super Arena, and it felt like it would only be a matter of time before the organization returned to Japan for more events.
Today, Japanese sportspaper NikkanSports is reporting (translated by MMAWeekly) that the UFC is planning on returning to Japan with a series of four smaller events in 2013. The events will showcase local, Japanese talent and will take place at a small, yet-to-be-determined venue. The UFC is reportedly aiming for 5,000 people attending each event.
Obviously, none of these events will be numbered events, although there are no current plans in place pertaining to what network will broadcast the series. Still, the series seems like a good compromise. On one hand, it’s no secret that the UFC wants to re-establish itself in Japan, which has to include regularly holding events in Japan. However, good luck finding an abundance of Japanese fighters in the UFC who can headline a pay-per-view. Sure, guys like Takanori Gomi, Takeya Mizugaki and Hatsu Hioki are good for some entertaining fights, but I wouldn’t exactly rush to buy a pay-per-view headlined by any of them. With the UFC 151 fiasco fresh on everybody’s mind, a four event cable television series seems like a great way to book fights that the Japanese fans want to watch but the American fans don’t want to pay for.
We’ll keep you up-to-date as events are named, dates are set and fights are booked. Until then, have at it in the comments section on whether or not this is a good strategy for the UFC. And try not to turn this into another Jon Jones/Chael Sonnen war, okay?
