UFC's Dwindling Attendance in Japan (2012-2017)

[Danespina]

5 events in Saitama Super Arena since 2012. Attendance has gone down each time.

02/26/2012 - 21,000 (Edgar vs. Henderson)
03/03/2013 - 14,682 (Silva vs. Stann)
09/20/2014 - 12,395 (Hunt vs. Nelson)
09/27/2015 - 10,137 (Barnett vs. Nelson)
09/23/2017 - 8,571 (Saint Preux vs. Okami)

 

[FierceHitman]

 

[dim_]

depends on the setup of the arena, its like a multifunction thing. i think it was only set up for 10k anyway

im sure the time of day it was on wouldnt have helped

and no big name headline

 

[BjPenn2017]

They want shit like RIZIN not UFC

 

[Bubblun]

Japan is worth less and less as a market.
At least we had a Japan card in 2017.

UFC played his last card with the "Road to UFC Japan" reality show, but i guess it was a total failure.
I liked that show, but nobody talked about it, even the most japanophile mma fans on Sherdog didn't care.

 

[Irishwhiskey119]

5 events in Saitama Super Arena since 2012. Attendance has gone down each time.

02/26/2012 - 21,000 (Edgar vs. Henderson)
03/03/2013 - 14,682 (Silva vs. Stann)
09/20/2014 - 12,395 (Hunt vs. Nelson)
09/27/2015 - 10,137 (Barnett vs. Nelson)
09/23/2017 - 8,571 (Saint Preux vs. Okami)

It was on at 6 am in Japan. lol

Of course it was going to be dead...

 

[L.T.]

Japan is a baseball country.

 

[Degen Gambler]

Cards getting steadily worse

 

[Blayt7hh]

They never did seem to gain any traction in Japan. Japan is a little xenophobic though and usually stick to Japanese products.

 

[OlderMan]

5 events in Saitama Super Arena since 2012. Attendance has gone down each time.

02/26/2012 - 21,000 (Edgar vs. Henderson)
03/03/2013 - 14,682 (Silva vs. Stann)
09/20/2014 - 12,395 (Hunt vs. Nelson)
09/27/2015 - 10,137 (Barnett vs. Nelson)
09/23/2017 - 8,571 (Saint Preux vs. Okami)

Dude........Look who fought.. Not surprising.

Put the top 2 155lbers on in Japan and see the numbers. Put 2 top HW in japan and see the numbers. Back in 2012 ..Insert a 185er cut from ufc and back to fight a LW with 3 straight losses.
I think the ufc did Pretty good in japan considering

 

[Stump]

6 am and one of the shittiest cards on paper in recent times. Really not a surprise

 

[Egészségére!]

And while were at it, what was up with that baby in the audience? And they kept showing it during the bloodiest fight of the year?

All-around odd night for attendance.

 

[DannyNL]

I imagine it didn't help attendance that they held the event at fuckin 10 in the morning on a Friday.

 

[KeepItRealist]

I'd be curious to see how a card in China would do since out of nowhere in like two years they became the top nation for Muay Thai and kickboxing promotions.

 

[Toner]

UFC is in decline

 

[JustOnce]

5 events in Saitama Super Arena since 2012. Attendance has gone down each time.

02/26/2012 - 21,000 (Edgar vs. Henderson)
03/03/2013 - 14,682 (Silva vs. Stann)
09/20/2014 - 12,395 (Hunt vs. Nelson)
09/27/2015 - 10,137 (Barnett vs. Nelson)
09/23/2017 - 8,571 (Saint Preux vs. Okami)

To be honest, that first japan card, if I Remember it right, was loaded as they come

 

[Siesta]

5 events in Saitama Super Arena since 2012. Attendance has gone down each time.

02/26/2012 - 21,000 (Edgar vs. Henderson)
03/03/2013 - 14,682 (Silva vs. Stann)
09/20/2014 - 12,395 (Hunt vs. Nelson)
09/27/2015 - 10,137 (Barnett vs. Nelson)
09/23/2017 - 8,571 (Saint Preux vs. Okami)

Shit cards = shit attendance.

 

[Defanged]

5 events in Saitama Super Arena since 2012. Attendance has gone down each time.

02/26/2012 - 21,000 (Edgar vs. Henderson)
03/03/2013 - 14,682 (Silva vs. Stann)
09/20/2014 - 12,395 (Hunt vs. Nelson)
09/27/2015 - 10,137 (Barnett vs. Nelson)
09/23/2017 - 8,571 (Saint Preux vs. Okami)

The UFC is doing great, guys !

 

[Spacetrucker]

The UFC is doing great, guys !

View attachment 279963

Kudos to the Baghdad Bob reference. He won the "Queen of Denial" award, dontcha know

 

[legatoblues]

I'm sure Dan Hardy forgetting to translator answer the questions won't have helped for next time.