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Japan Year in Review

احدث اجدد واروع واجمل واشيك Japan Year in Review

There is no way to spin it: 2010 was not a good year for Japanese fight sports. Ratings were at an all-time low, champions lost, stars left and Sakuraba's ear came off.

As we finally recover from our sleep-deprived states following Sengoku: Soul of Fight and Dynamite!!, lets take a moment to reflect on some of the highlights (and lowlights) from the country that was once considered the Mecca of mixed martial arts. 

Story of the Year: The Continued Decline of Japanese Martial Arts

"As promoters, we caused a lot of problems for fighters, venues, and the fans last month," FEG President Sadaharu Tanikawa commented after Dynamite!!.. 

As Nick Diaz, Jimmy Ambriz, Todd Moore, Joseph Benavidez, Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, Bibiano Fernandes, Ralek Gracie, Gary Goodridge and Gesias Calvancante would attest to, there has been problems with the leading Japanese promoter for a lot longer than a month. 

Foreign fighters have been vocal about their late payments but in reality the situation in Japan is much worse. Their loyalty to FEG, the fact that they can't or don't want to fight overseas and the good paydays when they eventually do come has kept Japanese fighters quiet. However, Norifumi "KID" Yamamoto's departure to the UFC says a lot and will be just the start if things don't change dramatically. 

Some non-specific restructuring and promises of new Chinese, American and European investors should be positives for FEG in 2011 (we should know more by the end of January) but the real problem will be TV. 

Tokyo Broadcasting System's interest in martial arts was already waning but the terrible 9.8 percent rating for Dynamite!! may be the nail in the coffin for FEG. If TBS decides to drop it's K-1 MAX and DREAM programming (or scrap "golden time" shows all together) then there is really nowhere to go. 

Due to the fallout from the collapse of Pride, Fuji TV will not be interested in picking up DREAM (although they already host K-1 so K-1 MAX is possible). NHK have shown no interest in MMA, Nippon TV has bad memories after the disastrous New Year's Eve 2003, Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye, and Seiya Kawamata lawsuits and the other broadcasters will not be interested unless FEG pays to broadcast.

DREAM canceled its expansion into Korea in 2010, K-1's dual Final 16 events in Seoul were woefully attended and Deep has recently announced that their Jan. 8th Macau show has been postponed. Because of TV problems and the falling interest locally in MMA, costly and high risk international expansion is probably the only option for high level Japanese MMA, but just as American promoters have been unable to crack the Japanese market, it seems that Japanese promoters cannot crack foreign markets.

Contenders: "The Reem", Rise of the featherweight division

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