What happened to the Japanese fighters?

[Ogata]

Tons of Japanese fighters in the 2000s, you had Hayato, Gomi, Kid Yammamoto,sexy-yummy and Yushin Okami.

To lesser extent you had Caol Uno, Yoshida, Kuniyoshi Hironaka and Michihiro Omigawa who were great prelim fighters.

What happened to the Japanese talents who fought like animals and tough as hell!

 

[JustAkidFrom209]

Pride dying happened.

 

[Sweater of AV]

They have better things to do right now than worry about human cockfighting.

 

[EVIL WAR GOD]

Dream pays more? Just guessing I have no idea.

 

[Ogata]

Pride dying happened.

So what?

More reason to come to the UFC.

 

[Minnja]

Fighting in Asia and Japan. UFC is now the clear #1 org but I don't think it's all that popular in Japan, at least not way more popular than ONE, Rizin etc. It makes more sense for Japanese prospects and high-level fighters to fight and make more money in Asia than try their hand at breaking into the NA scene.

I'd actually be curious to see the general opinions about the UFC from the Japanese fans and fighters.

Takashi Sato is a pretty good newish signing by the UFC. He's not a Gomi, Sakuraba or Aoki, but he's a good fighter.

 

[Get To Da Choppa]

They stayed in Japan where the competition is little easier. That plus ONE FC

 

[Jackonfire]

Corrupt UFC judges

 

[original doom]

Fighting in Asia and Japan. UFC is now the clear #1 org but I don't think it's all that popular in Japan, at least not way more popular than ONE, Rizin etc. It makes more sense for Japanese prospects and high-level fighters to fight and make more money in Asia than try their hand at breaking into the NA scene.

I'd actually be curious to see the general opinions about the UFC from the Japanese fans and fighters.

Takashi Sato is a pretty good newish signing by the UFC. He's not a Gomi, Sakuraba or Aoki, but he's a good fighter.

are you japanese ? because it sounds like your making excuses. fact is japans mma pool is quite small and they cannot hang with the rest of the world, they arent the only ones.

 

[Mr Joyboy]

The Japanese circuit atrophied, and Japanese fighters are disadvantaged against higher-testosterone foreigners.

 

[JosephTessaro]

Tons of Japanese fighters in the 2000s, you had Hayato, Gomi, Kid Yammamoto,sexy-yummy and Yushin Okami.

To lesser extent you had Caol Uno, Yoshida, Kuniyoshi Hironaka and Michihiro Omigawa who were great prelim fighters.

What happened to the Japanese talents who fought like animals and tough as hell!

They are all old and Kid died.

 

[Topguntrophey]

 

[BluntForceTrama]

Tons of Japanese fighters in the 2000s, you had Hayato, Gomi, Kid Yammamoto,sexy-yummy and Yushin Okami.

To lesser extent you had Caol Uno, Yoshida, Kuniyoshi Hironaka and Michihiro Omigawa who were great prelim fighters.

What happened to the Japanese talents who fought like animals and tough as hell!

Sexy Yum and Yushin are ethnically Korean just fyi

 

[MMABr]

Sexy Yum and Yushin are ethnically Korean just fyi

I know about Akiyama, but is Okami ethnically korean as well? That’s news to me.

 

[oldmansmoker]

There was a period in the UFC where most Japanese fighters always lost a close decision. They got buried hard post pride. But now Chinese fighters are being pushed.

 

[accolyte1022]

That game was amazing.

 

[Ogata]

Sexy Yum and Yushin are ethnically Korean just fyi

It makes no difference, the founder of Kyokushin was Korean but he is Japanese at the end of the day because of his upbringing. I consider Jon Jones an American fighter and not a guy from Africa.

 

[Big Tuppy Hole]

Mma was a fad in Japan and has played out.

 

[Ralph Wiggum]

Ionno, always seems like Japanese don't give too many fucks about being big in the US. I think same with Thais, how is there no Thai fighters in the UFC?

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

They were excellent technically, but couldn't win fights when they weren't technical.