Dana White Optimistic About Future of UFC-Japan Relationship

[Kung Fu Kowboy]

​

Dana White exited #UFC310 with RIZIN president Nobiyuki Sakakibara pic.twitter.com/GFvOvfiDsT
— Nolan King (@mma_kings) December 8, 2024

Though UFC 310 wasn’t a cross-promoted event, there were some elements that gave Saturday’s card a little bit of a different feel.


That started with the main event, where former Rizin Fighting Federation bantamweight champion Kai Asakura was given a flyweight title shot against Alexandre Pantoja in his Octagon debut. Though Asakura had his moments in the early going, he ultimately succumbed to a rear-naked choke from his Brazilian opponent at the 2:05 mark of the second round. There’s no shame in coming up short against Pantoja, who is one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport today. UFC CEO Dana White came away impressed with what he saw from Japan Top Team representative in limited action.

“There are two sides to this story. You take a guy like Asakura, who came into the UFC your first time. We talk about the jitters and all the things that happened, your first time fighting in a cage, etc., etc. – and he came in guns-ablazing, flying knee right away,” White said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “Then, Pantoja, how he put the pressure back on him – who in this room didn’t want to see three more rounds of that? It would’ve been amazing. It was a great fight and Pantoja went out and dominated. … He’s awesome. He looked incredible tonight.”

Meanwhile, Rizin president Nobuyuki Sakakibara was a noteworthy presence in the crowd at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Sakakibara met with White prior to the event and also spoke with the UFC boss that night.

White seemed optimistic about building a relationship with Sakakibara and Rizin to bring more Japanese fighters to the UFC.

“We did it tonight,” White said. “He [Asakura] had a good performance. I would love to do it. Having these up-and-coming Japanese fighters, we were just talking in my room. He’s saying now in Japan, all of these young guys want to be the first one to win a world title in the UFC. That’s exciting.

“There’s such a rich history of MMA in Japan. Some of the best days of my life were our rivalry with PRIDE. It was a really fun time in my life and in his too. We were talking about it, so the answer is yes to all that. I’d love to go do a Fight Night there, too.”

The Las Vegas-based promotion hasn’t held an event in Japan since Sept. 22, 2017, when UFC Fight 117 saw Ovince St. Preux submit Yushin Okami in the evening’s main event at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

明日の海の試合に先駆けてUFCのボスのダナに会って来ましたよ！
ダナも明日の海の試合を無茶苦茶楽しみにしていましたよ。

Today, I met with UFC boss Dana White ahead of Kai Asakura's fight tomorrow! He's also incredibly excited about Kai's fight tomorrow.#RIZIN#UFC pic.twitter.com/7JPRd8YaOd
— 榊󠄀原信行 Nobuyuki Sakakibara (@nobu_sakakibara) December 7, 2024

Dana White Optimistic About Future of UFC-Japan Relationship

Though UFC 310 wasn’t a cross-promoted event, there were some elements that gave Saturday’s card a little bit of a different feel.

www.sherdog.com

Spoiler

@Sakuraba'sEar

@Arqueto @BroRogan @Carl Drogo @lsa
@StonedLemur @Fight Professor @TerrorTimmy @Elvis. @ryun253 @don't ask @C0NCH3TO @MEAN357 @Cooliox @mudrubble @Bobby Boulders @Simple Southerner @svmr_db @Luthien @BoxerMaurits @Neck&Neck @SeattleFightFan @Ares Black @SalvadorAllende @Arm Barbarian @Blanqa Blanqua @Royce's Gi @Cooliox @Krixes @MXZT @wisdom blows @nonoob @Mohawk Banditó @JKS @SuperNerd @2004 account @Mammothman @Bushwhacker B @Siver! @TITS @Cowboy Kurt Angle @Jose Beehive @MEAN357 @NoBiasJustMMA @FlyingDeathKick @Doughie99 @13Seconds @CPH @Kenny Powerth @OldBoy91 @Kryptt @Paynebringer @HI SCOTT NEWMAN @Poirierfan @SenorFranko @MMALOPEZ @Hellowhosthat @Get To Da Choppa @BangBang @Substance Abuse @John makfresshi @Islam Imamate @Wong_Wongster_Irish @TCE @Jackonfire @helax @Iroh

@Neck&Neck @Horiguchi'sEar

 

[MigitAs]

Japan should’ve been like Brazil to UFC; sucks they don’t go more often.

 

[Kung Fu Kowboy]

 

[Blanqa Blanqua]

Japan should’ve been like Brazil to UFC; sucks they don’t go more often.

Great point. Really this.

 

[Darkavius]

I don't watch Rizin but I don't necessarily like that Sakakibara has a business relationship with Dana. I may be thinking about this entirely wrong but Rizin may be one of the few major places left for competition for the UFC since ONE and PFL are struggling. The hope would be that Rizin would hold shows in Japan and then do some shows in Brazil to help get that market to provide some competition, no matter how minor, to the UFC.

As it stands the way I interpret that article is that Rizin will consistently be the feeder league to the UFC and that will not change.

 

[Tweak896]

Would be cool to see more Japanese fighters in UFC, but I'll see it when it happens. They seem to like to stick the Japanese orgs.

 

[Get To Da Choppa]

​

Though UFC 310 wasn’t a cross-promoted event, there were some elements that gave Saturday’s card a little bit of a different feel.


That started with the main event, where former Rizin Fighting Federation bantamweight champion Kai Asakura was given a flyweight title shot against Alexandre Pantoja in his Octagon debut. Though Asakura had his moments in the early going, he ultimately succumbed to a rear-naked choke from his Brazilian opponent at the 2:05 mark of the second round. There’s no shame in coming up short against Pantoja, who is one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport today. UFC CEO Dana White came away impressed with what he saw from Japan Top Team representative in limited action.

“There are two sides to this story. You take a guy like Asakura, who came into the UFC your first time. We talk about the jitters and all the things that happened, your first time fighting in a cage, etc., etc. – and he came in guns-ablazing, flying knee right away,” White said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “Then, Pantoja, how he put the pressure back on him – who in this room didn’t want to see three more rounds of that? It would’ve been amazing. It was a great fight and Pantoja went out and dominated. … He’s awesome. He looked incredible tonight.”

Meanwhile, Rizin president Nobuyuki Sakakibara was a noteworthy presence in the crowd at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Sakakibara met with White prior to the event and also spoke with the UFC boss that night.

White seemed optimistic about building a relationship with Sakakibara and Rizin to bring more Japanese fighters to the UFC.

“We did it tonight,” White said. “He [Asakura] had a good performance. I would love to do it. Having these up-and-coming Japanese fighters, we were just talking in my room. He’s saying now in Japan, all of these young guys want to be the first one to win a world title in the UFC. That’s exciting.

“There’s such a rich history of MMA in Japan. Some of the best days of my life were our rivalry with PRIDE. It was a really fun time in my life and in his too. We were talking about it, so the answer is yes to all that. I’d love to go do a Fight Night there, too.”

The Las Vegas-based promotion hasn’t held an event in Japan since Sept. 22, 2017, when UFC Fight 117 saw Ovince St. Preux submit Yushin Okami in the evening’s main event at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Dana White Optimistic About Future of UFC-Japan Relationship

Though UFC 310 wasn’t a cross-promoted event, there were some elements that gave Saturday’s card a little bit of a different feel.

www.sherdog.com

Spoiler

@Sakuraba'sEar

@Arqueto @BroRogan @Carl Drogo @lsa
@StonedLemur @Fight Professor @TerrorTimmy @Elvis. @ryun253 @don't ask @C0NCH3TO @MEAN357 @Cooliox @mudrubble @Bobby Boulders @Simple Southerner @svmr_db @Luthien @BoxerMaurits @Neck&Neck @SeattleFightFan @Ares Black @SalvadorAllende @Arm Barbarian @Blanqa Blanqua @Royce's Gi @Cooliox @Krixes @MXZT @wisdom blows @nonoob @Mohawk Banditó @JKS @SuperNerd @2004 account @Mammothman @Bushwhacker B @Siver! @TITS @Cowboy Kurt Angle @Jose Beehive @MEAN357 @NoBiasJustMMA @FlyingDeathKick @Doughie99 @13Seconds @CPH @Kenny Powerth @OldBoy91 @Kryptt @Paynebringer @HI SCOTT NEWMAN @Poirierfan @SenorFranko @MMALOPEZ @Hellowhosthat @Get To Da Choppa @BangBang @Substance Abuse @John makfresshi @Islam Imamate @Wong_Wongster_Irish @TCE @Jackonfire @helax @Iroh

@Neck&Neck @Horiguchi'sEar

This is gonna be like 2007 all over again and UFC is gonna buy RIZN and Sherdoggers are gonna get banned for having meltdowns when their favorite fighter loses (eg Forrest vs Shogun)

 

[Bobby Boulders]

It's going to drive up and coming fighters to sign with RIZIN. It's a decent move for them, they're playing the long game, anyhow. Dana needs to be aware of the double cross down the road, though

 

[Kung Fu Kowboy]

This is gonna be like 2007 all over again and UFC is gonna buy RIZN and Sherdoggers are gonna get banned for having meltdowns when their favorite fighter loses (eg Forrest vs Shogun)

It's going to drive up and coming fighters to sign with RIZIN. It's a decent move for them, they're playing the long game, anyhow. Dana needs to be aware of the double cross down the road, though

 

[Shaolin Alan]

Japan should’ve been like Brazil to UFC; sucks they don’t go more often.

Maybe if Japan had 20+ UFC champions, then there would be monetary incentives in holding shows there

 

[Kung Fu Kowboy]

 

[Kung Fu Kowboy]

 

[Gratis]

RIZIN is no where near what PRIDE was in terms of the talent/roster, but they nail the production and promotion. Their big cards actually feel like big cards. Contrast this with the UFC, where every event looks and feels pretty much exactly the same no matter who is fighting. Everything is by-the-numbers and repetitive. Only time it's a bit different is when they go to places like London or Paris.

 

[Kung Fu Kowboy]

LFG!!!!!!

 

[Hellowhosthat]

I don't watch Rizin but I don't necessarily like that Sakakibara has a business relationship with Dana. I may be thinking about this entirely wrong but Rizin may be one of the few major places left for competition for the UFC since ONE and PFL are struggling. The hope would be that Rizin would hold shows in Japan and then do some shows in Brazil to help get that market to provide some competition, no matter how minor, to the UFC.

As it stands the way I interpret that article is that Rizin will consistently be the feeder league to the UFC and that will not change.

No, this is where everyone fucks up. They should stay where they're profitable. Rizin and KSW both do so well because they stick to their home markets and they don't overstretch themselves.

 

[fortheo]

I don't think Pantoja saying "I'll go and defend my belt in japan" was an accident. I hope they are looking at Pantoja vs. Horiguchi. I know they are both ATT guys, but damn that fight would be good.

 

[Slapjit]

Nice sounds lit hopefully now wi finna get sum Asian broz in #PowerSlap mi been wonderin’ how mandem wud do prolly just nuh get exposed to di sport yet but mi sure dem gon’ love it once dem see di vibes

#PowerSlapJapan

 

[Slapjit]

RIZIN is no where near what PRIDE was in terms of the talent/roster, but they nail the production and promotion. Their big cards actually feel like big cards. Contrast this with the UFC, where every event looks and feels pretty much exactly the same no matter who is fighting. Everything is by-the-numbers and repetitive. Only time it's a bit different is when they go to places like London or Paris.

damn broski dats a goodazz post fr tho

61 likes atrocious fam seems u got likeapopaclipsed imma help u oot my man bless up

 

[Pancake Sprawl]

RIZIN is no where near what PRIDE was in terms of the talent/roster, but they nail the production and promotion. Their big cards actually feel like big cards. Contrast this with the UFC, where every event looks and feels pretty much exactly the same no matter who is fighting. Everything is by-the-numbers and repetitive. Only time it's a bit different is when they go to places like London or Paris.

i don't even feel like it's different in Paris or London. the most different event for UFC was The Sphere imo

 

[Gratis]

i don't even feel like it's different in Paris or London. the most different event for UFC was The Sphere imo

Main reason it felt different for those events was because of the crowd and atmosphere. I'll give them credit for the Sphere as well, they at least tried to do something different.