Why doesnt Japan have more high level talent like Sakuraba?

[listrahtes]

Brother, you are wrong. Korea has no legit MMA promotion, Korea has KZ and Kang in the UFC and thats about it. Both are fun fighters, but their records are above average to OK. Korean fighters get beat up in Rizin, One, Deep, Shooto, Road FC....

I might be biased since I am Japanese, but Japan clearly has the better fighters in all combat sports.

Agree. Just in boxing alone they have many very skilled fighters. Judo and Karate the same. Just not mma right now but Martial Arts is about a lot more than just MMA

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

Honestly think it would be the latter, the current Japanese talent would flush out of UFC. Korea is very close to Japan. UFC has good scouts I am sure that whoever scouted for Korea was also going to Japan to do the same. They must have seen more talent in Korea, hence more signings there. UFC 100% wants to build the Japan market, they always have. Dana a few times has mentioned the massive pride crowds and he wants to bring that back but he knows he cant do it without a solid Japanese fighter to headline. Like how Zombie has done for Korea.

TBH I watched some Bellator and One FC fights recently and the level was really good. I do not think that all best fighters are in the UFC.

 

[superpunch]

TBH I watched some Bellator and One FC fights recently and the level was really good. I do not think that all best fighters are in the UFC.

The best fighters in the world are 20-25 years old. They just haven't had enough time to move up the rankings yet. And by the time they do move up the rankings, they won't be the best fighters in the world anymore.

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

The best fighters in the world are 20-25 years old. They just haven't had enough time to move up the rankings yet. And by the time they do move up the rankings, they won't be the best fighters in the world anymore.

No that's too young. Prime is not even reached yet at these ages.

 

[superpunch]

No that's too young. Prime is not even reached yet at these ages.

Fighters only fight 1-2x per year compared to team sports where they play 16-200 games per season and then have a championship tournament. Look at the performance peaks in every other sport where rankings don't lag behind fighting ability for years. Players in nearly all sports with more liquid rankings peak at 24-26 years old, then decline sharply to 29, then fall off a cliff overnight at 29-30.

Yet, even in the lightest categories, champs are 30+ years old. Top contenders are 27,28 to their mid 30s.. No way!! That's purely because MMA (and boxing) rankings and individual athlete performance statistics take years to update significantly instead of weeks or months like in other sports.

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

Fighters only fight 1-2x per year compared to team sports where they play 16-200 games per season and then have a championship tournament. Look at the performance peaks in every other sport where rankings don't lag behind fighting ability for years. Players in nearly all sports with more liquid rankings peak at 24-26 years old, then decline sharply to 29, then fall off a cliff overnight at 29-30.

Yet, even in the lightest categories, champs are 30+ years old. Top contenders are 27,28 to their mid 30s.. No way!! That's purely because MMA (and boxing) rankings and individual athlete performance statistics take years to update significantly instead of weeks or months like in other sports.

No absolutely not. All the sports you are mentioning involve less strength and are all team sports so that individual judgment and experience is not as crucial.

Boxing also has an older age than team sports.

Lastly, if you think about American Football, that is a sport which is notoriously destructive, so that these kids are shot at 27.

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

Fighters only fight 1-2x per year compared to team sports where they play 16-200 games per season and then have a championship tournament. Look at the performance peaks in every other sport where rankings don't lag behind fighting ability for years. Players in nearly all sports with more liquid rankings peak at 24-26 years old, then decline sharply to 29, then fall off a cliff overnight at 29-30.

Yet, even in the lightest categories, champs are 30+ years old. Top contenders are 27,28 to their mid 30s.. No way!! That's purely because MMA (and boxing) rankings and individual athlete performance statistics take years to update significantly instead of weeks or months like in other sports.

Oh and just wanted to add that rankings don't mean much in MMA anyways, where fighters are pushed based on Instagram followers rather than on fighting ability.

 

[Abazzdeboom]

I think its more about marketing and UFC doesnt want to market Japan so they dont have interested in promoting and padding japanese fighters records like for some chinese or russian fighters.