UFC Coming to Japan Agian?
Friday 20 February 2009
It is coming up on 9 years since the UFC last visited Japan, and I actually thought they had given up on it. But its hard to not see the push Dana White has been making to grab some Japanese talent lately.
But Bloody Elbow has this post and it looks like they might be back in 2009!
I believe the UFC is now making the first tangible steps on a path back to hosting live events in Japan, starting as soon as the second half of this year.
I know this would be a very difficult move to make, just getting a venue involves a lot of politics in Japan. But if they manage to get some good talent, we might get to see the UFC in Japan agian.
I sort of wonder why they wouldnt try Korea first... There is an increased interest in MMA since the start of DREAM and Sengoku though, and it also looks like they Japanese talent is more open to the UFC and WEC lately.
Just for the record, the last time the UFC came to Japan was in 2000. The venue was Differ Ariake (holds about 1,600), a venue that is currently used by organizations such as Pancrase, Cage Force and Shooto.
2 comments:
Station Casinos skips $15.5M interest payment
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29240868/
A zuffa spokesperson wanting into japan makes no difference to me. The bigger story is that it seems the fertittas have only one profitable venture left. What happens when their bondholds call their debts? Could we finally see a respectable owner of the mma brand "ufc"?
Nope, Station Casinos loans are business loans not the personal loans of the Fertitas, there is a bif difference. Station Casinos has to pay them back not the individual investors who run the company. If they default on loans and the banks call them in Station will be sold off and the Fertitas will be left with all their cash, just casinoless.
Zuffa is a different business so what happens with station is irrelevant to zuffa. The UFC was bought with the personal funds of the Fertitas, not money directly from Station Casinos.
Post a Comment