Why do Japanese fighters struggle so much in the UFC?

[Guestx]

Another Japanese fighter lost in the UFC last night. She was undefeated before the match.

That's just another in a long line of fighters from the Land of the Rising Sun who are stars in their home country but struggle in the United States.

In the best of cases you get a fighter like Okami who comes into the UFC and does very well. Okami was a top contender for awhile.

But more often, you'll either get a fighter like Kawajiri or Gomi who wins a few and loses a few before heading back to Japan to try to reclaim lost success, or you'll get less fortunate examples like Kid Yamamoto or Urushitani, for whom a UFC win is as elusive as a prime Machida.

What's the deal? We're not talking about Japanese scrubs here. We're talking about guys who were on top in their own country.

Why does it seem like once they enter US airspace they lose all their superpowers?

 

[gato sin techo]

It's the F

 

[YOLOGOGOPLATA]

Gomi was totally legit. He just aged poorly because of his balls to the wall style. UFC got him after his prime.

On a different note, plenty of fighters from the older generation have had trouble transitioning from boxing rings to the octagon.

 

[Human Bass]

The cage, training methods, wrestling, being no more the big fish in the small tank.

 

[ArmenianAssasin]

Also most Japanese fighters are clean unlike everyone else

The Brazilian girl last night was clearly
On some serious tren/hgh and was slowly transforming into cyborg(voice started already)

If you just looked at the pshyical differences between the 2 girls
It was laughable

 

[Megatronlee]

Takedown defense is easy if they just train instead of troll

 

[LcBR]

Yet,they just let a guy like Horiguchi just go away

 

[Guestx]

The cage, training methods, wrestling, being no more the big fish in the small tank.

I've seen training methods cited before. I know Roxy Modafferi left Japan to train in the US because she thought she needed US training to continue to improve.

I wonder what the difference is. What are we talking about here? Exercises? Drills?

In any case, it seems to me that if it's really the case that US training is superior it seems like Japanese gyms have had more than enough time to look at the situation and make the requisite changes.

 

[europe1]

A lot arrive well past their peak (Gomi, Yamamoto, Kawajiri, etc)

Ardous traveling time (compare Hatsu Hioki in Japan to him fighting abroad. A much fresher fighter)

From what I've read -- a lot of japanese gyms have no Strength and Conditioning coaches. The coaches handle the technical side and leave the athletes to handle such matters for themselves. Which means that they simply won't be as good in those aspects as other nationalities. I've also heard that Japanese gyms can be quite small (due to the high cost of space in Japan) which hampers the effectiveness of training.

I also wonder how insular Japanese MMA can be. How much influence do they retrive from outside Japan? It may be that their relative isolationism means that they don't absorb new ideas and ways of training as quickly as the rest of the world

EDIT: Though with Kondo -- I think the fact is that she's simply not a very good fighter to begin with.

 

[LouisBolanos]

-No PEDs to take
-No fixed fights to make
-No cans to crush

 

[Zanmato]

Small talent pool, stubborn attachment to traditional training methods, lack of desire to fly to the US, lack of weight cutting culture, the fighters that do eventually slip through are either too old or just not that good

 

[tucan89]

"Because the referee isn't wearing an earpiece with the promoter in the back telling you opponent when to go down. Big difference when that referee is real isn't it Ariel"

-The Chael-

 

[mmaElite53]

America’s got like 300 million people, Japan has like 10. Also, they’re shook to come here because of ww2 outcome.

 

[europe1]

stubborn attachment to traditional training methods

Katsunori Kikuno could have been such a beast if he just accepted modern training and strategies. The arctype example of a fighter being let down due to his stubborness conserning those matters.

 

[Kowboy On Sherdog]

Not sure... different style match-up then in Japan. But we could use more of that warrior heart in the UFC. Sakuraba would die in the ring before quitting.

 

[gono btw]

Another Japanese fighter lost in the UFC last night. She was undefeated before the match.

That's just another in a long line of fighters from the Land of the Rising Sun who are stars in their home country but struggle in the United States.

In the best of cases you get a fighter like Okami who comes into the UFC and does very well. Okami was a top contender for awhile.

But more often, you'll either get a fighter like Kawajiri or Gomi who wins a few and loses a few before heading back to Japan to try to reclaim lost success, or you'll get less fortunate examples like Kid Yamamoto or Urushitani, for whom a UFC win is as elusive as a prime Machida.

What's the deal? We're not talking about Japanese scrubs here. We're talking about guys who were on top in their own country.

Why does it seem like once they enter US airspace they lose all their superpowers?

The UFC´s interest is to satisfy the American market 1st.

A Japanese or Brazilian or Russian org. would have the same logic.

That´s what defines a roster.

 

[Xuh]

They don't cut much weight and they don't take much roids compared to Brazilians and Americans.

 

[accolyte1022]

America’s got like 300 million people, Japan has like 10. Also, they’re shook to come here because of ww2 outcome.

Slightly off on population.....


http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/japan-population/

 

[Guestx]

The UFC´s interest is to satisfy the American market 1st.

A Japanese or Brazilian or Russian org. would have the same logic.

That´s what defines a roster.

What does this have to do with top Japanese fighters losing in the UFC?

 

[Guestx]

Katsunori Kikuno could have been such a beast if he just accepted modern training and strategies. The arctype example of a fighter being let down due to his stubborness conserning those matters.

What sort of training methods was he attached to that you feel were sub-par?