"The emergence of the North American MMA market and the globalization of MMA has resculpted Japan's role in the sport. No matter what awaits us on New Year's Eve, 2007 was the year of transition in which the international hands pushed and pulled the shape of Japanese MMA into a new form. The pomp and pageantry of supercards in Japan will assuredly still persist, and the time-tested small-stage standbys will still crank out quality cards. Others will try to engineer the strike of lightning to reenergize the market, and they will more than likely fail.
Despite a still crucial and dynamic scene, Japan is no longer the MMA Eden it was once perceived as. Now it will begin to serve as a satellite until the next market boom. And until then, Japan's fighters will have to become road warriors rather than homecourt ballers."
-- Jordan Breen on the state of Japanese MMA after the tumultuous ride that was 2007.
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