Why do Japanese fighters struggle so much in the UFC?

[Baba Ghanoush]

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

Surprised it took this long for someone to state the obvious.

 

[bambammccoy]

Usually their corner advice is just awful so I am going to assume it's poor coaching.

 

[bubbleboyjones]

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?

Most of it is a combination of older Japanese fighters trying to compete in the toughest organization when they are not in their physical primes(No PED use might exacerbate this as well). The Japanese guys were never the very best but a select few of them were very game for a time.

Okami did well because he was in the UFC during his prime years(debuted at 25 years old) unlike the Japanese counterparts;

• Kawajiri who didn't fight in the UFC until he was 35 years old with 40 fights under his belt.
• Gomi was 31 years old with 36 fights under his belt and had some loses(Gomi's best days were probably 5 years earlier).
• Kid Yamamoto was almost 34 years old in his UFC debut and had a couple loses in the prior years going into his fight.
• Urushitani was 35 years old.

Guys can hit a wall in their 30s fast. Imagine if Rashad Evans fought in Japan his whole career, did well and went into the UFC at 34 years old. That was around the time Evans completely took a shit in his career. We could be seeing something similar. The competition in Japan is no doubt weaker but I would wager the top Japanese guys were generally over the hill a bit entering the UFC combined with some PED issues.

 

[teamfox223]

More spouses?

damn I meant sponsors. I guess he would getting more women in Japan too since his famous there.

 

[jeremyemilio]

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?

Where was Mike Tyson fighting when he got his ass handed to him by Buster Douglass?

Hint 1: It was not particularly close to his own back yard.

Hint 2: It's about fight time right now, around these parts. About what time do you figure it is right now in Japan.

 

[Guestx]

Most of it is a combination of older Japanese fighters trying to compete in the toughest organization when they are not in their physical primes(No PED use might exacerbate this as well). The Japanese guys were never the very best but a select few of them were very game for a time.

Okami did well because he was in the UFC during his prime years(debuted at 25 years old) unlike the Japanese counterparts;

• Kawajiri who didn't fight in the UFC until he was 35 years old with 40 fights under his belt.
• Gomi was 31 years old with 36 fights under his belt and had some loses(Gomi's best days were probably 5 years earlier).
• Kid Yamamoto was almost 34 years old in his UFC debut and had a couple loses in the prior years going into his fight.
• Urushitani was 35 years old.

Guys can hit a wall in their 30s fast. Imagine if Rashad Evans fought in Japan his whole career, did well and went into the UFC at 34 years old. That was around the time Evans completely took a shit in his career. We could be seeing something similar. The competition in Japan is no doubt weaker but I would wager the top Japanese guys were generally over the hill a bit entering the UFC combined with some PED issues.

It makes me wonder though why we don't see more young, up-and-coming Japanese fighters in the UFC today. Not guys who are past their primes, but young prospects who are just getting started. We got Horiguchi for a little while, but other than that, who is there? I guess maybe Mizugaki kinda sorta fit that bill (even though he was best positioned as an exciting mid-carder, not a title contender).

Do these guys just not exist or do they choose to stay home and fight in Japan, even though it's not the biggest stage?

 

[SPB]

The Japanese fighters are doing better than the Jews, so they have that going for them.

 

[Guestx]

Where was Mike Tyson fighting when he got his ass handed to him by Buster Douglass?

Hint 1: It was not particularly close to his own back yard.

Hint 2: It's about fight time right now, around these parts. About what time do you figure it is right now in Japan.

Are you saying jetlag is the cause?

People from all over the world, including the United States, used to go to Japan and fight and do well.

 

[Guestx]

Here's another example:

Consider how dominant Aoki has always been in Japan. Then he came to the US and fought Alvarez and literally had fucking NOTHING for Eddie. Nothing.

EASY fight for Eddie against a Japanese legend.

 

[bad seed]

Kawajiri, Gomi, and KID were all past their best when they came from the UFC.

Gomi had looked a shadow of himself in Sengoku, and likewise for KID in DREAM. Gomi had suffering from lack of training and being an out of shape alcoholic, whereas KID had 2 serious career altering injuries which visibly changed his style similar to what has happened with Shogun.

Kawajiri was EIGHT years removed from his #1 ranking when he joined UFC and had frankly zero hype, he did better than many expected.

When they join the UFC young, they can do great things (see:Horiguchi), before UFC inevitably lowballs them and they leave.

they were never big stars in Japan even during Pride. And they're even less relevant now. Japan has always cared way more about boxing than mma.


Why would you watch old cans humping each other when you can cheer for a legit p4p great and young superstar like Inoue?

 

[IDGETKTFO]

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.

No, he was a drunk, and a chain smoker. Same as Sakuraba.

 

[Literally Bricked]

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

Horiguchi left for a plethora of reasons that I feel were outside of their control such as being close to his karate master that was terminally ill. He now makes much better money than he did in the UFC as well and is better received by the fans.

 

[Evangelion]

Cause theyre not good

 

[Guestx]

Horiguchi left for a plethora of reasons that I feel were outside of their control such as being close to his karate master that was terminally ill.

Not sure why this would matter. He could still live and train in Japan and then just travel to fight two or three times a year.

 

[Orochimaru 大蛇丸]

.... they're asian.... not typically the best athletes on the planet.

 

[Krazybee129]

More evidence why we should challenge "Fedor is the GOAT" arguments. Too many Japanese WWE actors, steroid-abusing-failed-wrestlers, Andre the Giant types and Bullshido masters on his resume. It is laughable in my opinion, how Fedoralies blatantly refuse to acknowledge this.

Oh no u did not....

 

[GTS]

Tiny Penor

 

[Literally Bricked]

Not sure why this would matter. He could still live and train in Japan and then just travel to fight two or three times a year.

I am sure he would be open to it again after he passes with time. Another big complaint were fans and his treatment. If you watch the Rizin equivalence of Embedded or whatever it was called before he explains his reasons.

 

[pride_is_back]

And this is news?

This has always been the case since day one.

 

[Krazybee129]

Most the fighters like kid gomi, they were too old or past their prime when they came to ufc. Fukinh kid broke my heart when he got take down my mm like a child