Japanese MMA in Big Trouble

by Nate Wilcox on Aug 26, 2008 11:06 PM EDT in MMA News

Sengoku is Japan’s second biggest MMA company, behind only Dream. But both groups are question marks going forward. Sadaharu Tanikawa, who heads Fighting Entertainment Group, the parent company of Dream, has noted that if the company doesn’t get a strong television rating on its Sept. 23 show, its future is in question.

Sengoku is in even worse shape. Sunday’s show drew about 10,000 fans, maybe half-full, to the Saitama Super Arena, but in Japan free tickets are not hard to come by. The group has no television in Japan, and does almost no numbers on pay-per-view, while putting on expensive first-class shows.

DREAM is on the ropes and honestly I have no idea how World Victory Road is still putting on shows with no TV, no PPV and piss poor live draws.

No wonder Antonio Inoki is considering bringing in the Tae Kwon Do fighter who kicked the ref at the Olympics.

Tweet Comment 26 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Read More: business of mma, dream, sengoku

Comments

Can someone give me the 'insider' perspective

on why there isn’t a bunch of outrage over the intentional tanking of Pride after Zuffa bought them?

I was a lot more casual fan when that happened, and didn’t go mining for information like I do now.

There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.

by misterjonez on Aug 26, 2008 11:22 PM EDT reply actions

What intentional tanking?

by Michaelthebox on Aug 26, 2008 11:22 PM EDT up reply actions

I read a bunch of places

that there were some corporate poison pills left behind after the purchase by original ownership. Things like TV rights were denied, or something like that.

Was that all smoke and mirrors by Dana, to make dismantling the organization less of an affront?

There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.

by misterjonez on Aug 26, 2008 11:25 PM EDT up reply actions

Ah yes, there was a lot of word about that. But very few american fans were aware of that. Of the non-business types, the Zuffa haters prefer the “evil UFC kills Pride” storyline, while the UFC fans don’t really care too much.

There basically isn’t a big enough market for the information for the whole story to come out and be widely distributed. Zach Arnold over at FightOpinion did a good job discussing it, you might want to search around over there.

by Michaelthebox on Aug 26, 2008 11:38 PM EDT up reply actions

Thanks for the tip.

I’ll go digging and see what I can find there!

There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.

by misterjonez on Aug 27, 2008 12:01 AM EDT up reply actions

I don;t understand what he means eather or what it has to do about MMA in Japan being in trouble ?

by Shocbomb on Aug 27, 2008 11:09 AM EDT up reply actions

I think Zuffa’s attempts to break into the Japanese market revolve around what happens in the next year. If Dream or Sengoku or whoever can gain traction, Zuffa may never be able to get a foothold. If they both fail, it may take them a while, but eventually Zuffa will get their foothold.

by Michaelthebox on Aug 26, 2008 11:24 PM EDT reply actions

The whole economy of Japan just slid into a massive recession this summer, I’m sure that can’t help things.

by George Lucas on Aug 26, 2008 11:35 PM EDT reply actions

If Tae Kwon Do saves Japanese MMA, I will laugh.

by Eugene Schelfaut on Aug 26, 2008 11:59 PM EDT reply actions

Apparently Cro Cop vs. Overeem is back on for DREAM.6. No doubt they need it.

I wonder which domestic promotion would step up if WVR and DREAM both tanked. DEEP, Shooto, GCM/Cage Force and ZST are all rinky dink in comparison.

by Chris Nelson on Aug 27, 2008 12:05 AM EDT reply actions

I think we might see something like Zuffa buying a controlling interest in Cage Force, and using them to build up the image of the cage in Japan before the UFC came over. Don’t know if it would work, but seems like a good, low risk plan, considering how tricky the Japanese market is.

by Michaelthebox on Aug 27, 2008 12:13 AM EDT up reply actions

Is Zuffa trying to get a TV deal for Japan? I’m guessing they would have to rely on gate-sales and whatever they make off a tape-delay airing on Spike for porfitability. A Japanese PPV seems far-fetched.

Fill the undercard with locals, add Lesnar, cross fingers.

by Eugene Schelfaut on Aug 27, 2008 12:23 AM EDT up reply actions

"Add Lesnar" I hadn't thought of that angle until you brought it up.

Good point, with Lesnar already having some established fame in Japan, due to his Pro Wrestling time there, you’ve got a decent enough inroad to some fan attention.

There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.

by misterjonez on Aug 27, 2008 12:26 AM EDT up reply actions

They just signed a new deal with WOWOW after being off the air in Japan for a couple years. From what I gather, WOWOW is like the Japanese HBO and they show a lot of big name American dramas as well. The UFC programming they have is pretty much like “Unleashed” but made up of more recent PPV fights. I believe they’re airing the next couple shows live as well.

by Chris Nelson on Aug 27, 2008 12:31 AM EDT up reply actions

I think the UFC are already on WOWOW TV in japan or will be soon, I remember reading something about it not to long ago on a Japanese MMA website ???

by Shocbomb on Aug 27, 2008 11:13 AM EDT up reply actions

MY BUST !!!

I see after reading down after posting that a few people already new that also sorry.

by Shocbomb on Aug 27, 2008 11:14 AM EDT up reply actions

Interesting, thanks.

by Eugene Schelfaut on Aug 27, 2008 12:33 AM EDT reply actions

Don’t forget that Smackgirl and Pancrase are also in financial peril.

by Luke Thomas on Aug 27, 2008 11:17 AM EDT reply actions

I haven’t heard anything in a while but I believe Smackgirl is RIP.

Roxanne Modafferi just signed with that AFL promotion.

by Chris Nelson on Aug 27, 2008 12:38 PM EDT up reply actions

Tony Loiseleur has posted elsewheres:

"After a successful opening round of the lightweight grand prix on Sunday and the requisite appearance of Japanese lightweight star Takanori Gomi (Pictures), Sengoku may be on its way to finding its feet in the ever-shrinking Japanese MMA market.

A Japanese champion is guaranteed at the conclusion of the lightweight tournament, which now features an all-Japanese final four. Sengoku is the only major Japanese promotion in recent memory to have had such hometown success in a tournament, and the task of drumming up interest for the MMA dark horse has become that much easier.

"When I got home, I checked my computer and saw e-mails from several television companies regarding broadcasting," said World Victory Road’s Takahiro Kokuho. "

http://www.sherdog.com/pictures/event/post-sengoku-notebook-14197

Emails about TV do not guarentee ratings on it, however.

by Eugene Schelfaut on Aug 27, 2008 12:00 PM EDT reply actions

I think the WEC may be at least as good, if not better product, to enter japan with. No Dana, not the UFC name and lighter weight classes available for Asian fighters to compete in.

I can’t believe that these Japanese promotions can’t find a way to merge and have one big company. It makes a lot of sense and would be very appealing, but I’m sure the business side has a ton of sticking points.

"The bigger the cushion, the sweeter the pushin'"

by BJJDenver on Aug 27, 2008 12:50 PM EDT reply actions

Sengoku is not in major financial trouble. They are not profitable without TV, and they’re losing at least 1-2 million a show without one, although they now have a minor TV deal with MBC ESPN in South Korea. However, they’re propped up by Don Quijote, basically Japan’s version of Walmart on crack. They made over 3 billion USD in revenue last year.

They’re more than adequately funded to continue building their product. Whether or not they’ll succeed long-term in a downtime in the Japanese MMA cycle is another story entirely, but the promotion is far from red alert at this point.

by Jordan Breen on Aug 27, 2008 8:10 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs