Why doesnt Japan have more high level talent like Sakuraba?

[Mesos]

Was watching Sakuraba highlights. He was a good fighter and his grappling abilities are legendary at this point. Why does mma talent from Japan suck so much now though? It makes no sense, they have a ton of martial arts schools and mma is making a comeback.

Its rarity these days to even see a Japanese fighter in the UFC. If you look at Korea recently they have produced way more UFC fighters that had solid careers. Hell its even looking like China is gonna start producing more high level talent.


It really makes no sense

 

[Chosen]

Kai Asakura and Kyoji Horiguchi are pretty damn good even tho Mighty Mouse destroyed one of them. Also Shinya Aoki is still winning fights to this day at One.

 

[PizzaandBeer]

Lyoto Machida

 

[Mesos]

Lyoto Machida

Hes Brazilian dawg

 

[PizzaandBeer]

Hes Brazilian dawg

His dad is Japanese dawg

 

[Hellowhosthat]

I think they have quite an insular training culture which doesn't help. I don't see very many Japanese fighters training abroad and I don't think there are too many foreign coaches coaching in Japan

 

[BabyBlue_Bomber]

Horiguchi is arguably the best at his weight class (even coming off of a KO loss)...

We shall see what he looks like after his injury, but he’s been one of the best bantamweights in the world for a good while now...

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

MMA is nowhere near as popular as it was in the PRIDE days, so there’s a fraction of the motivation and reward to get into it.

 

[Mesos]

Kai Asakura and Kyoji Horiguchi are pretty damn good even tho Mighty Mouse destroyed one of them. Also Shinya Aoki is still winning fights to this day at One.

Aoki has lost every time he faced someone really legit: eddie, Giblert, Ben. I doubt he would have had a great career in UFC. Kyoji is the only one that was really legit, think it’s because he trained under a legit Karate master. But thats kind of my point, theres alot of martial arts schools in Japan why isnt there a ton of Kyojis running around the UFC?

 

[OliverAtom]

I don't think MMA is that popular there anymore. Not like in the US where there's new gyms popping up everywhere. From what I hear you'd be hard pressed to find an MMA gym especially outside Tokyo.

 

[Mesos]

I think they have quite an insular training culture which doesn't help. I don't see very many Japanese fighters training abroad and I don't think there are too many foreign coaches coaching in Japan

Interesting I didnt know that, but isnt it the same story is Korea too? Yet, look at how many koreans have gone in to the UFC and done great. It makes no sense why Japan would be different, if anything they should be far better because of there strong martial arts and mma heritage. But there not

 

[Jojomojo]

Besides most decent japanese fighters fighting in other orgs like ONE.
I would take an educated guess and say its their training culture. Very traditional with a lot of respect for Karate and Judo over more modern systems that constitute MMA. Also no training abroad and no imports of "western" styles.
Also a lot of Bullshido still around.

 

[Local Plata]

Saku was a freak. His coaches' only real job was to keep him from drinking and smoking when he had a fight coming up.

 

[brackis1]

Aoki has lost every time he faced someone really legit: eddie, Giblert, Ben. I doubt he would have had a great career in UFC. Kyoji is the only one that was really legit, think it’s because he trained under a legit Karate master. But thats kind of my point, theres alot of martial arts schools in Japan why isnt there a ton of Kyojis running around the UFC?

lol what an absolute insult to his record. And he beat Eddie the first time lol.

Dude beat: Hellboy, Crusher, Clementi, Ribeiro, Eddie Alvarez, GZ. All while being a skinny guy in a PED league.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

Interesting I didnt know that, but isnt it the same story is Korea too? Look at how many koreans have gone in to the UFC and done great. It makes no sense why Japan would be different, if anything they should be far better because of there strong martial arts and mma heritage.

I wouldn't say that many Koreans have done great really. KZ obviously and Kim did well, but has anyone else really done brilliantly? Choi and Lim crashed and burned and the newer ones haven't really gotten up there yet.

 

[Tweak896]

I think athleticism plays more of a factor in modern mma than 10-20 years ago where skills would get you the win. Japan had lots of skill based fighters mostly.

 

[Mesos]

I wouldn't say that many Koreans have done great really. KZ obviously and Kim did well, but has anyone else really done brilliantly? Choi and Lim crashed and burned and the newer ones haven't really gotten up there yet.

They at the very least made it into the UFC and managed to get some decent wins. Thats more than you could can say about Japanese fighters. Not saying they where champ level guys but theres been quite a few Koreans have come thru and did okay, managed to get some wins in UFC. Off the top of my head can’t remember names but yes Zombie and Kim of course had the best careers so far. I wouldn’t count out Choi just yet either, he can still have a great career.

 

[FlyingDeathKick]

His dad is Japanese dawg

Half Brazillian and raised in Brazil is different than 100% Japanese and raised in Japan.

 

[Mesos]

lol what an absolute insult to his record. And he beat Eddie the first time lol.

Dude beat: Hellboy, Crusher, Clementi, Ribeiro, Eddie Alvarez, GZ. All while being a skinny guy in a PED league.

Got Eddie in a good sub first time but same has happened to a few other great fighters. Good on Aoki and he does have some decent wins but come on man look at his record....Its padded with alot of cans too bro like alotttt lol

 

[Hellowhosthat]

They at the very least made it into the UFC and managed to get some decent wins. Thats more than you could can say about Japanese fighters. Not saying they where champ level guys but theres been quite a few Koreans have come thru and did okay, managed to get some wins in UFC. Off the top of my head can’t remember names but yes Zombie and Kim of course had the best careers so far. I wouldn’t count out Choi just yet either, he can still have a great career.

I tend to think UFC has done a good job of getting pretty much every Korean that would be UFC level (there's a guy coming up who's name I forget that I think is of the right level, but other than him I don't think they've missed out on anyone yet and I'm sure they'll get him), but with Japanese fighters they didn't get Aoki, either of the Asakura brothers, Wakamatsu, Wada and others that could be UFC standard (or they could crash and burn like Hioki did).