Michael Cohen - Getty Images
The UFC brass believe they have the right plan to succeed in Japan. But do they fully understand the intricacies of the Japanese market? (Photo by Michael Cohen/Getty Images)
With UFC 144 going down this Saturday, one of the most interesting storylines of the event is the promotion's ability to succeed in Japan. Zach Arnold at Fight Opinion has much better insight into the Japanese market than most in the MMA media and wrote a very interesting article on the five best questions to look at heading into the event.
The first point deals with the UFC's ultimate upside trying to run this show:
1. Will the crowd for this show represent a floor or a ceiling for UFC & Dentsu?
I am of two thoughts here.First, the positive take and one that UFC argues. They run a good show, they get a few backers, and then through repetition hope that some rich people who aren't yakuza buy into what they are doing.
Second, the negative take and more realistic viewpoint. The Japanese MMA industry on a mainstream level is dead. There are no major Japanese stars being created now. Kid Yamamoto, Gomi, and the rest are a dying breed. Once they are gone, the replacements have nowhere near the same name value. That's the great irony about UFC's predicament here. They want to build something up in Japan but the local promoters that they weren't friendly with basically torched the business to the ground.
If Dentsu is able to get UFC onto television, perhaps they have a shot - albeit a small shot. The UFC product is not tailored for Japanese cultural wants or needs. There aren't major Japanese players right now in the divisions sans Hatsu Hioki and Hioki's not a major star in his home country. The plan was to broker some time on TV Tokyo, the smallest of the over-the-air networks in Japan, and then try to parlay that onto a bigger network like Tokyo Broadcasting System or Fuji TV. The major problem with that strategy is that UFC is not a Japanese company and the TV suits have no desire to touch MMA right now because the police are on the warpath against the gangs. We know the history of black money in the Japanese fight game. It resembles Mexico in many regards.
Zach also talks a lot about the long-term disconnect between the Japanese fighters the UFC views as draws versus those who actually are major hometown draws. It's a very interesting piece and one I suggest you give a read to really understand what this all means both in the short and long term.
It's not all doom and gloom, but there certainly are many more hurdles to succeeding as an MMA promotion in Japan than just about any other market around the world.
0 recs | 27 comments
The Japanese MMA fans want to see Japanese fighters who are stars. Don’t get me wrong, the card is littered with Japanese fighters but a lot of them are either not really recognizable to the casuals or are faded stars like the “Kids”
The most popular Japanese fighter on the main card is Sexy. But he equally catches a lot of heat in Japan because his background is Korean. And Japan has always hated Korea throughout the years.
I suppose if the wanted to, the UFC could capitalize on Bendo being half asian but the UFC doesn’t seem to completely embrace that idea
jack knight starman - February 20, 2012 via mobile
With all the stars in the ufc
im surprised that this card sucks so bad :P
Jason Robillard - February 20, 2012
Really?
I hope you’re being sarcastic.
Worldisart - February 20, 2012 via mobile
no
You suck. :p
halitosis - February 20, 2012 via mobile
A couple of problems with your post.
1) Japan hasn’t always “hated” Korea. The Japanese attitude toward Korea & Koreans is one of indifference, as it is towards most things non-Japanese.
2) Bendo is half Korean – see above.
Jarome_Turner - February 20, 2012
No
Japan has for the last two hundred years (maybe even longer then that) has tried to invade (and has successfully) occupied Korea quite a few times in its history. The have subjugated Koreans before and in some cases after WW2. I know my history pretty good so you can disagree with me regarding the word hate and indifference all you want, its both sides of the same coin
I’m well aware that Benderson is half Korean I’m sorry I wasn’t specific enough for you? Shit, Korea is in Asia after all right?
jack knight starman - February 20, 2012 via mobile
You contradicted yourself
Don’t turn this into an argument
halitosis - February 20, 2012 via mobile
I'm guessing the attitude of older Koreans towards the Japanese isn't indifference....
Whenever one of my (American) 9th graders gets a map question wrong and says “Japan, Korea, who cares, it’s the same anyway” I think to myself, “Wow, does this kid have a lot to learn…”
duck - February 20, 2012
That’s just culture ignorance.
Sorry for the double post… Posting from a cell phone sucks
jack knight starman - February 20, 2012 via mobile
Completely agree with you.
There is a real hatred for Japan, Japanese, and all things Japanese in Korea. This stems from them being on the receiving end of Japanese agression and colonialism. A Japanese fighter in Korea will be booed mercilessly. My point was the sentiment is not exactly recipricated – most Japanese would meet Korean atheletes and exports with a reaction of “meh” indifference.
Look at the Sea of Japan/East Sea debate – you’d be hard pressed to find a single Korean that wouldn’t go off on a tirade explaining how the labelling of the body of water as the ‘Sea of Japan’ is a gross injustice against Korean peninsula, quoting old maps and scriptures, etc… The same goes for the Dokdo Island/Takeshima labelling debate. Most Japanese, on the other hand, wouldn’t even know a debate exists.
And Jack Knight – my point regarding Bendo being half Korean was that your argument was contradictary – in one sentence you stated Sexyama wouldn’t get love in Japan due to Korean heritage, in the next you alluded the UFC was making a mistake by not pushing Bendo’s Asian descent, which also happens to be Korean. Chill.
Jarome_Turner - February 20, 2012
No
Japan has for the last two hundred years (maybe even longer then that) has tried to invade (and has successfully) occupied Korea quite a few times in its history. The have subjugated Koreans before and in some cases after WW2. I know my history pretty good so you can disagree with me regarding the word hate and indifference all you want, its both sides of the same coin
I’m well aware that Benderson is half Korean I’m sorry I wasn’t specific enough for you? Shit, Korea is in Asia after all right?
jack knight starman - February 20, 2012 via mobile
There's a historical animosity
between Korea and Japan. They’re right up there with the Turks/Greeks, French/Germans, Israelis/everyone, etc. in terms of reasons to hate each other.
Andy Davis - February 20, 2012
Tis true.
Just about every country in the world has at least one enemy country that is publicly OK to hate. Americans get all weird about racism because of the slavery history, but 90% of other countries are way worse. Like they still have nursery rhymes disparaging that country to this day.
As an American living overseas, that’s my perception at least. Shit, most west Germans still hate east Germans. To the point where a supervisor at my job would literally not promote an Eastern German unless forced to.
Tacoknight - February 20, 2012
he catches some heat for being korean
but also for greasing against sakuraba
Cory Braiterman - February 20, 2012
He was a ‘villian’ long before greasing against Sakuraba. He has been a ‘bad guy’ ever since he competed at the 2001 Asian championships as a Korean despite being born in Japan.
Steve4192 - February 20, 2012
But it is the good kind of ‘heat’. No one is indifferent to the guy. They either love him or love to hate him. Even those who hate him will tune in to see the Zainichi get humbled.
Steve4192 - February 20, 2012
Could be
Truthfully I don’t know how the Japanese perceive Sexy nowadays.
He hasn’t fought in Japan in what now…. 2-3 years now…. ever since he’s been in the UFC. I know he still trains in Japan but is he still in the spotlight over there to the public, I wouldn’t have the first clue
jack knight starman - February 20, 2012 via mobile
Akiyama has also been busted for cheating, so I don’t think he is going to get a warm reception.
Also the people going to this show are already UFC fans, so your point is a little pointless.
discoandherpes - February 20, 2012
I'm gonna be honest
and say I don’t really care whether UFC becomes big in Japan or not, I’m just looking forward to a great event. Japan had PRIDE they have/had DREAM, if MMA isn’t working over there then it ain’t for them. As long as the UFC continues to do well in America, Canada, Brazil and so on then I’m fine with that.
Deadp001 - February 20, 2012
Pretty much sums up my opinion as well.
Obviously I’d love to see it become a massive success, but if it isn’t I personally just don’t see it as that big of a deal. Especially considering that the audience comes with so many built in prejudices and demands that are going to be impossible to live up to. Prejudices and demands that just aren’t seen elsewhere in what would be much easier markets.
Empty Thoughts - February 20, 2012
I agree with this as well. I don’t see the big issue, and the UFC is really expanding this year having a show in Sweden and multiple cards in Brazil. If the UFC does well in Japan, then cool, but knowing the landscape and attitude towards MMA in Japan these days, I just can’t see it doing well. I’m glad that they tried, and that the card they have is a pretty good card. Also, experimenting with having seven fights on the main card and a four hour broadcast is pretty cool.
chrisbboy82 - February 20, 2012
None of these foreign markets will be viable without a robust regional scene
I don’t think the UFC has the resources, or the inclination, to rebuild the regional scene in Japan from the ground up.
I think with all of these foreign shows, they will be relatively substandard cards, played to not inconvenience the Saturday PPV slot in America, regardless of local time, that are essentially to appease the die hard fans in each country until these countries either develop the regional scenes, that send legitimate contenders to the UFC year after year, to the point of real expansion (like Brazil) or not (like England and Australia).
The inconvenience of promoting a foreign card is worth it to the UFC for the chance that other countries develop a large enogh fanbase, and large enough professional fighter base, to actually warrant true expansion. I am interested to see where it works and where it doesn’t. I think TUF Brazil will give us some great answers.
Ulf Murphy - February 20, 2012
ITs been realling inetersting reading FO on the Japan card
If what everyone is saying is right and Detsu is paying UFC to run the card basically maybe they make some money, Still why not move into Korea or the Philippinesat this point.
MaZZacare - February 20, 2012
The one thing I'd say
Is that you should never underestimate the ability of a show to make a hometown star. If Okami or Hioki come out and put on a good show and get the “W,” it could create interest in spite of the fact that there wasn’t a lot of it going in.
When the UFC did the Brazil show, everyone was talking about what fools they were for not putting Vitor on the card because he was a big star, and how Anderson Silva wasn’t well known in Brazil. Well, now Anderson is a huge star in Brazil too.
I know it’s not a perfect analogy and that Japan has its own cultural peculiarities, but they also have a history of becoming fans of fighters who come to fight, and a great appreciation for the ground game. Lauzon/Pettis seems like the kind of fight that they might appreciate on that level, as does Edgar/Bendo.
Scott Whitaker - February 20, 2012
Yeah
Over the years there’s been so many “what the fuck is the UFC thinking?” moments, then years down the line they’ve usually paid off. Most people, especially myself, are super short-sighted. The UFC is definitely not short-sighted. They’ve got long term plans and market research to guide them towards those goals.
I’ve got faith that either this fits into the UFC’s 5 year, global domination plan, or a the very least, this event turns a profit.
The only thing Japan needs is some fucking cages to train in. FFS, when will Japanese gyms get some cages to practice with? They’ll never be able to compete as long as they think “the cage” is beneath them, and that the MMA landscape will adjust to them.
Tacoknight - February 20, 2012
UFC doesn’t go into countries unless it feels it can succeed there. They do tons of market research, and hire locals who know how to market the product to a target audience. I don’t claim to be an expert on the Japanese market, but I do not think this card would be happening if UFC was not certain of success.
With the emergence of Brazil as a go to country, the UFC now has Brazil, Canada, Australia and England that it can go to when it needs to. It doesn’t need Japan to be successful overseas. UFC has it eyes on Asian countries like China, India, and the Philippines, areas where MMA is a growth industry, and not in decline. Japan is the 3rd largest economy in the world, so I’m sure they would love to be able to do 2-3 shows a year around Japan, but the reality is that Japan is a luxury location, that UFC can do when they feel like it, and not because they have to stay relevant.
dpk875 - February 20, 2012
The audience in Japan doesn't really support MMA
To think the UFC is going to revive that scene is a bit far fetched. I think this is just a vanity show.
discoandherpes - February 20, 2012
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